The use of environmental scanning to link the external environment to institutional strategic planning is exemplified in Michigan State University's approach. The university's program is described, and in an appended section, 25 external tendencies are presented and related issues, trends, and events outlined. (MSE)

The search process for a new president at Salisbury State University (Maryland) yielded lessons for other institutions operating under open meeting (sunshine) laws. Factors found important in the process include search committee cohesiveness, committee leadership viewed by constituencies as open and objective, a single voice speaking for the…

In its search for a new president, the University of Michigan was forced, under open meeting laws, to invent a semi-public search, with governing board members unable to talk privately with search advisory committee members. However, the four outstanding candidates were brought into the process before it became public; next time, the search might…

Six forms of privatization of higher education are examined: universities run as completely commercial organizations; universities as nonprofit trusts; public universities receiving a significant portion of income from tuition; public universities receiving a significant portion of income from other private sources; public universities contracting…

The University of California at Los Angeles, in attempting to respond to state legislators' demands to redirect teaching and research to match society's needs, has faced substantial administrative challenges. A Responsibility Center Management model for strategic institutional planning has failed to produce desired changes and has tended to…

A successful college merger is often conditioned by geography, previous cooperation, complementary instructional programs, academic excellence, and common political interest. Suggestions when considering a merger are offered. A case study of a failed merger between Detroit Institute of Technology and Wayne State University is presented. (MLW)

Collective bargaining is discussed as a means of resolving the retrenchment issue in future faculty employment problems using the University of Montana as a case study. Areas examined include: retirement, tenure, turnover, rank distribution, resource and position reallocation and financial exigency. (LC)

This response of the University of Southern California to the Institute of Medicine's 1995 report concerning the present status and future needs of dental education focuses on the report's influence in implementing a problem-based learning (PBL) option at USC. The PBL program's philosophy, goals, organization, faculty, admissions process, and…

Twenty-five years ago, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was a model of comprehensive innovation, based largely on an interdisciplinary approach and a focus on general education. It has survived merger, loss of its liberal education seminars and theme colleges, enrollment problems, and loss of environmental emphasis, but interdisciplinarity…

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin was created as an upper-division and graduate institution for community college transfer students. It instituted many innovations, including elimination of departments, integration of undergraduate/graduate education, year-round enrollment, contract study, modular classrooms, a faculty trained at…

Reviews political science literature on changing state politics. A statistical analysis focuses on the relationship between changing legislative structures and higher education for all 50 states. Presents a case study of Pennsylvania that suggests a possible causal relationship between changing political structure and limitation of public…

Using a recent incident at the University of Illinois as a case study, this article demonstrates that requiring student religious organizations to comply with state university policies against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation violates the free exercise rights of the groups' members as those rights are codified in the Religious…

It is not enough for university governing boards and chief executives to decide the system must change; leadership must convince constituents that everyone has something to gain. When the University of Maryland's campuses could not reach consensus in paring programs, the system board stepped in to foster collaboration and cooperation. (Author/MSE)

The role of the university in programs to stimulate economic development is examined, and the case of one such program that failed is described. Problems within the program included financial losses in large projects, corruption, widespread public criticism, and criminal convictions of two top program officers. Possible solutions, including…

Higher education has related asynchronously to recent cycles in social movements affecting school reform. Current efforts in Oregon illustrate this pattern in public colleges. Although higher education is not likely to overcome its skepticism of reform dynamics, there is both reason and potential for promising alliances with schools. (Author/MSE)