This study into quality of graduate education implies that measures of size ought not be confused with measures of quality and that the development of measures of quality is a matter of urgent priority. (Editor)

Examines two cases of university department-based, practice-centered peer inquiry projects as a means of faculty development. Compares the leadership, structure, and outcomes of each department's project. Discusses the role of department culture, the norms of scholarly collaboration, standard work patterns, curricular standards, university status,…

Academic quality rankings of colleges, universities, and individual departments have flourished recently, and Jack Gourman's rankings have had a great impact on U.S. higher education. A study of Gourman's eight books, a comparison of their findings, and a 3-hour interview with Gourman are discussed. (MLW)

Compares how academic department chairs at colleges and universities in Australia and the U.S. define their tasks. Major differences noted include the propensity of U.S. chairs to think of soliciting ideas for departmental improvement as a long-term endeavor, whereas Australian chairs perceive of idea solicitation as an administrative task, and…

An alternative system for allocating resources within British universities is proposed which involves (1) a budget for each recognizable academic unit, the size related to the unit's student load by a published formula, and (2) the devolution to units of responsibility for spending their budget on different items. (JT)

Focus is on the allocation of academic staff between university departments. General principles of staff allocation, techniques for allocation, and practical problems in implementing a given method are discussed. Decentralized decision making and allowing some freedom of choice are considered. (Author/MSE)

Drawing on data from a staff development project for administrators in a college at a major American university, it was determined that there is considerable commonality across individuals and that it is possible to deal with such issues as time management, job stress, and enjoyment on an organizational level. (Editor/JT)

Literature on academic environments, especially the department, is reviewed. Differences between teaching and learning environments are examined for the social and natural sciences, and the interaction of discipline, personal styles of faculty and students, and faculty-student relationships are examined as primary variables. (MSE)

Research methods for analyzing university learning environments are discussed along with the potential use of such analysis, and a study of one university in the Netherlands is reported indicating distinctive atmospheres found in various departments, each with its own kind of educational problems. (JT)

Economic student group sizes in universities are analysed from a consideration of student/staff ratios and departmental recurrent cost per student variations. Results show that there can be considerable diseconomies for small student populations and emphasizes the need for economic'' populations at programs of study and department level. (Editor)

The effects of the academic environment, which is defined as the organization of curricula, teaching, and assessment on student learning, are examined. Focus is on students' perceptions of their courses and teachers in six departments at a British university, and the different demands that various environments make. (Author/JMD)

The role and functions of university department heads as analyzed in the literature are outlined and compared with the perceptions and expectations of the staff of eight departments in one Australian university, who attached great importance to the administrator's function of encouragement. (MSE)

A small departmental survey revealed significant differences in perception among faculty and students of the chairperson's role as departmental executive officer. Although styles of leadership vary, the chairperson's role in higher education requires further investigation and clarification. (MSE)

Two innovative projects at the University of Utrecht, women's studies and the management and policy program, and the role of incentives in these particular cases are evaluated. Problems with innovation and decision making, entrepreneurial innovation and the planning process, and the organization of innovative projects are discussed. (Author/MLW)

This case study of three university departments was designed to generate substantive theory about decision-making in academic departments. Homans' social systems theory was used as a framework, and it is shown that the rate of interaction affects the crystallization of norm structures and processes of influence and decision-making. (Author/LBH)