Analysis of responses of 36 academic departments in a research university to a newly-implemented program review process after its first 6-year cycle, and to the 236 specific recommendations emerging from it indicated departments were most likely to act on recommendations if action was explicitly assigned and that most department chairs felt the…

The National Caucus of Biomedical Science Chairs administered a 35-item questionnaire concerning department downsizing to medical school basic science department heads (n=400). Results indicate significant loss of faculty positions in one-third of the schools, with a 10% overall reduction from 1985-95. Department restructuring, with merging of…

A survey of 174 deans revealed that budget management, communication skills, encouragement of faculty development, communication with the dean, and rewarding faculty achievement are high priority skills for English department heads. Regardless of discipline, chairs must have a range of sophisticated managerial skills for which they may need…

A case study approach was used to examine the perspectives of three high school department chairs and their work at providing instructional supervision to the teachers in their departments: math, science, and social studies. We sought to discover the beliefs and practices of three department chairs in one high school, located in a southeastern…

Russia is becoming a part of the Bologna Process. What are the attitudes toward this in the colleges and universities of Russia? Scientists in the laboratory of modern educational technologies of the faculty of sociology at Moscow M.V. Lomonosov State University, under the supervision of Professor V.Ia. Nechaev, doctor of sociological sciences,…

Describes tactics and approaches used by an English department chair in dealing with faculty, administration, and internal faculty strife. (SR)

Describes the authors' experience co-chairing a writing department. Identifies seven key areas where the sharing of writing program administrator duties has resulted in personal, departmental, or institutional benefits. Discusses workload and professional identity, the politics of writing programs, co-directing as post-bureaucratic practice, and…

A study was done of the communication and attitudes of college deans, chairpersons, and faculty in college music departments towards teaching, research, publication, community service, and institutional support. The study surveyed a representative sample of deans, chairs, and faculty from various disciplines at 453 institutions. The final sample…

To determine how deans as a group perceive the role of the English department chair, a study surveyed the deans of Arts and Sciences of 350 randomly selected universities with enrollments over 10,000 students (with a 51% response rate). The questionnaire solicited data about the tasks and qualities of chairmanship, referring both to specific…

Interviews with university and college department chairs or persons responsible for existing educational administration and higher education programs evaluated the effects of a merged structure (combining the two programs) on the study of administration. Sixteen universities were visited and program heads were interviewed. Identified advantages of…

The Education Act of 1989 brought into existence the New Zealand National Qualifications Authority (NZQA), of which the first major task was to develop a national qualifications framework (NQF; New Zealand Government, 1989). The NQF was initially envisaged as a unified framework into which all secondary, vocational, and tertiary qualifications…

Results of an evaluation of the yearly planning and budgeting process of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology are presented. To examine the effectiveness of modifications to the 1985 planning and budgeting system, 42 questionnaires were completed by assistant and associate deans, directors,…

Six division chairpersons at Central Virginia Community College participated in a study designed to develop a problem situation set which can be used to examine academic managers' preferred decision processes; to identify the existing preferred decision processes of chairpersons within the community college setting; and to ascertain how problem…

Recounts the disruptions, conflicts, and general hostility that resulted when the position of English department head was eliminated in an attempt to save money. (RBW)

Reputational ratings were obtained from 1,005 chairpersons in 15 liberal arts disciplines at 67 universities. Analysis revealed a significant difference for universities, for disciplines, and for the interaction between the two. Comparisons were made between the ratings of chairpersons of the top and bottom 10 departments. (Author/GDC)