Scarcely a week goes by without a headline about the unsustainability of higher education as we know it, under threat from new models, for-profits, or online education. Most threatened are small liberal arts colleges--with commentators predicting the demise of colleges with fewer than 1,000, or even 1,500 students. Are these trends inevitable, or…

A case study of the campus-wide governance system at Carleton College is presented. Problems addressed in the last eight years include faculty evaluation, tenure, administrative problems, curriculum development, minority needs, career awareness, and educational finance. The governance process is analyzed and a recommended model is described. (JMD)

This first in a series of problem-solving exercises challenges readers to examine a small college faced with declining enrollment, decreasing financial support, and industrial pollution. Background information is provided and includes enrollment trends, finances, and characteristics of the administrators, faculty, students, and trustees.…

Organizational change at Wells College, New York, is traced from 1876-1905 in relation to women's role in higher education. This excerpt of a larger study indicates how women worked within a female college that had male authority figures at a time in which there were strong notions about proper feminine behavior. The college was intended to train…

There are a number of studies that classify governing boards into different types. Some classifications are based on management form. Some are based on the form in which authority is exercised. Some are based on the form of institution that the board serves. Most of these classifications include "working boards," but few offer a clear…

Changes made at Antioch College, Ohio, during the early years of Arthur Ernest Morgan's tenure and factors that influenced these changes are examined. In addition, variables associated with the change period, such as Morgan's leadership style, the faculty and students, and the assistance of individuals outside the college are analyzed. To provide…

The attempted closing of Wilson College in Pennsylvania, a 110-year-old liberal arts college for women, is recounted. In 1978 the board of trustees voted to close the college and preserve remaining assets for other educational purposes. A movement evolved to save the college, and subsequent litigation resulted in rulings in May 1979 that: (1) two…

An overview of the innovative curriculum and program design of Hampshire College (Massachusetts), a liberal arts college opened in 1970, looks at its educational philosophy, nontraditional curriculum structure, underlying economic assumptions, recordkeeping, administrative organization, employment policy, governance, and student life. (MSE)

This study of the origin and history of the University of Vermont College of Medicine begins with the appointment of John Pomeroy to the faculty in 1804, and traces the years that followed. Chiefly concerned with the individuals who were involved, it is a case study of the responses of one small medical school to reform movements, and its ability…

A self-study of Findlay College, Ohio, which was prepared for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for reaccreditation purposes, is presented. After a preliminary chapter outlining the mission and goals of the college, attention is directed to: instructional programs, community programs and resources, students and student…

Hartwick College (New York) developed a strategic vision for its future and invested significantly in information technology to transform that vision into reality. Guided by its president and trustees, Hartwick, a small, independent liberal arts college, formed a strategic plan in phases. At a formal board retreat in 1993, with faculty, students,…