Mathematics has long been understood to be a "gatekeeper," which functions to restrict access to educational opportunities due to (a) its central role in formal educational sequences, and (b) the high failure rates often observed in mathematics courses. Failing is an encounter with a type of border: a border that divides a continuous…

Today, although over 700 Women's Studies (WS) programs in the United States diversify the curriculum and cross disciplinary boundaries, WS units at many research universities have failed to become centers for the production of interdisciplinary feminist knowledge. This study posed the following question: How do institutional, collegial, and…

This study sought to understand the roles and characteristics of individuals identified as effective academic deans at public research universities. The study used an inductive grounded theory approach guided by a broad conceptual framework and was guided by the broad constructs of quality/culture, teamwork/governance, and analysis/knowledge. In…

A comparison of telephone and mail surveys of accepted applicants who chose not to attend Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University was undertaken. The telephone method was used to interview the undergraduate applicants' parents, while the mail survey was sent to graduate school applicants. The telephone survey concerned 161 in-state…

Inquiry, exploration and valuing were elements of the appreciative inquiry process used in this year's Extension Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP) Leadership Advisory Council to discern the strengths of Extension and its personnel and to help envision a vital future that builds on those strengths. Before the meeting, participants…

The policy-making process of the State University System of Florida is described using David Easton's model of a political system as the conceptual framwork. Two models describing the policy-making process were developed from personal interviews with the primary participants in the governance structure and from three case studies of policy…

This study sought to ascertain how the press covers higher education and how public research universities work with the press to advance their agendas. It examined the coverage that eight newspapers devoted to six public research universities, namely the Universities of Pittsburgh, Colorado (Boulder), Minnesota, California (Berkeley), and…

This study examined the near-term impact of the closing of the University of Minnesota's Waseca (UMW) campus on the tenured faculty who transferred to other University of Minnesota campuses. Eleven faculty members who had transferred to two campuses were interviewed approximately 5 to 8 months following their transfers. Interviewees tended to be…

Twenty professors who teach courses required for elementary certification at two state universities in southwestern United States were interviewed regarding the preparation of preservice teachers for diversity in classrooms, using a semistructured interview protocol. Transcripts of the interviews were reviewed, looking for definitions of…

The study sought to determine barriers that impede college of education faculty members' involvement in grant-related research activities. An initial questionnaire completed by 54 college of education faculty at a large public university was designed to determine faculty experience in applying for and/or obtaining external funding for research.…

The study assesses expectations by the general public of a specific 2-year, post-high school institution of higher education, identified as a university branch, and sought to determine, insofar as they affected the role and mission of the university branch, (1) the public image of the university branch under study, (2) broad purposes and needs,…

This study examined institutional support for service-learning within the framework of service-learning as a part of the national agenda for higher education since the late 1980s. This investigation addressed three concerns: (1) how campus administrators support (or fail to support) service-learning on their campus; (2) how different groups (e.g.,…

Workshops for academic advisers that were held by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are described to assist staff in career planning, counseling, and student services. Developed by the University Counseling Services, the workshops series for faculty and invited academic advisers, was designed to: promote collaboration between…

This study is grounded in a reform calculus movement funded by grants from the National Science Foundation to find ways to improve student learning in mathematics, specifically in calculus. The study examines reasons why faculty accept or reject reform calculus teaching techniques, and what they consider to be the challenges and outcomes of these…

This paper discusses the comprehensive evaluation of a new Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership housed in East Carolina University's (ECU) School of Education. The program proposed to prepare students for professional life through development of career leadership skills; utilization, development, and dissemination of research; and service to…