The dimensions of effectiveness pertinent to postsecondary institutions are discussed, along with approaches for assessing effectiveness. A paradigm of effectiveness is presented, based on six concerns: whose perspective is taken; assessment criteria, the referent for judging effectiveness, level and unit of analysis, time frame, and types and…

An account of a year in the life of a college president is provided in fictional terms. The daily life of a college president is described, emphasizing interactions with college administrative and instructional staff in solving college problems, responding to the demands of the office, and becoming more assertive in dealings with others. (KM)

Examines the base for the sense of frustration and anomie present in our colleges and universities. (Author/RK)

The first of two articles describes the inadequacies of existing decision support systems in meeting the needs of college administrators and examines the potential use of strategic information systems in higher education. The second describes the titles, responsibilities and backgrounds of chief information officers on college campuses. (CLB)

The University of Missouri completed the first year cycle of applying incentive pay to the university teaching hospital. The efforts to formulate and implement the program are described. Program characteristics, measuring performance, eligibility and award size, performance objectives, scales, and weights, and planning for incentives are…

Oakton Community College and its computing environment are described. Indicators of the need for coordination, assumptions that were examined and steps taken in the process of coordination, problems solved and problems identified, and conclusions drawn from their experience are discussed. (Author/MLW)

Institutional research that examines the influence of organizational and administrative factors on student learning may be critical in improving educational performance. The role that institutional researchers might play in reducing semantic confusion and enhancing understanding of how colleges and universities improve student learning is…

The Office of Information Services at Kent State University, responsible for academic and administrative computing, is described. Its goals are to support and facilitate instruction research, which requires the planning, acquisition, preparation, management, and maintenance of equipment and equipment sities. (MLW)

The more successful planning approaches lie in mobilizing the organization's support and readiness for planning, creating a climate in which successful planning can occur, involving constituents in the planning process, careful attention to communication, and the attention given to proper dissemination of process results. (MLW)

California State University at Chico is known for its nationally-ranked computer science department and for its innovative and entrepreneurial environment. Integrating information systems and services, organization and planning, the instructional media center, library, computer center, and faculty and student computing are described. (MLW)

A decentralized administrative environment can help ensure the effective allocation of resources through particpative decision making. The decentralized structure at Washburn University is described along with how it helps integrate the planning and budgeting process and the effectiveness of the resulting resource allocations. (MLW)

Discussion of the Total Quality Management approach looks at elements that can and can not be applied in the university context. The approach is seen to offer a technique and justification for constantly seeking improvement, fostering willingness to change, distributing decision making, promoting positive attitudinal change, and shifting focus…

Cites four cases illustrating that college institutions and individual administrators who fail to take adequate protective steps or give adequate warning of risks may be liable, in damage suits, to student victims of subsequent campus criminal activities. (MLF)

At Southern Methodist University, the athletic problems were merely the tip of the iceberg. The real scandal was the way the university was organized and run. Some implications for American higher education in general are presented. (MLW)

Based on experience with the 1994 earthquake, staff members of California State University at Northridge offer advice on coping with the aftermath of a crisis. Suggestions focus on early information dissemination both on and off campus, follow-up communication, finding things to celebrate, and remaining flexible and psychologically prepared for…