Threats in the external environment, the arrival of a planning-oriented new president, and new regional reaccreditation criteria prompted West Texas State University to undertake a successful strategic planning venture. Leadership must focus strategic planning in a manner that recognizes the decentralized and collegial elements present in higher…

This article argues that the physical plant of most colleges and universities does not teach students to value the natural environment, despite its costly maintenance. A more ecological approach that respects nature, reflects natural aesthetic standards, presents the outdoors as a classroom in its own right, and for which the whole campus…

The American Council on Education's recently revised statement on sexual harassment on college campuses discusses the importance of developing a campus program, outlines key components of such a program, defines sexual harassment, and offers guidelines for developing school policy. Need for prevention, grievance procedures, and due process are…

Good tribal colleges must encourage smooth transitions for entering students, offer academic and social support to all students, offer general education that provides skills for life, emphasize and reward good teaching, clearly define relationships with the tribal government, and evaluate student outcomes to improve programs and curricula. (DMM)

National data indicate that sexual harassment complaints at colleges and universities has more than doubled in the last two years. It is unclear whether this reflects change in occurrence or increased awareness and willingness to file a claim. Documentation, trained assistance, and adequate institutional policy are seen as needed. (MSE)

Structural constraints in colleges that hinder cooperation between academic and student affairs staff are examined, and specific strategies for overcoming them are suggested. These strategies include both changes in policies and administrative structures and development of initiatives that foster partnerships. (MSE)

A theoretical model of organizational and administrative climate is presented that controls for effects of individual and institutional characteristics and predicts critical dimensions of the academic workplace including academic innovation, work challenge, and professionalism. Institutional mission and goals focusing on undergraduate education…

Arrests for violations of drug/alcohol laws at colleges and universities rose 7.2 and 3.6%, respectively, from 1996 to 1997. Campus police attribute the increases not to increased drug and alcohol use but to more aggressive enforcement. However, some health researchers feel usage has risen. Campus weapons violations and forcible rape arrests have…

If conditions conducive to successful college planning are not present in the institution at the outset of the planning process, little can be done to compensate for the weaknesses. Conditions for successful strategic planning include: creation of consensus for change; focus on institutional needs; a planning strategy that fits with the…

A survey of 330 higher education schools of business examined effects of organizational culture type and managerial strategy on schools' organizational effectiveness. Schools with "clan" culture (compared to "market" and "hierarchy" cultures) were more effective on two of seven dimensions of effectiveness. An active…

Fewer women than men are involved in the fields of computer science and in other computer-related technology areas. In the United States, fewer than twenty percent of graduates of those programs are female. Fisher & Margolis (2002) say that despite the rise of a women's movement, women have lost ground in the world of computing. This is not…

The key challenge to academic leadership is to restructure the allocation of academic assets, particularly the organization of the faculty, in ways that better serve emerging societal and scholarly needs.

Birnbaum's 1982 study of diversity in higher education is reviewed, and the development of an indicator series on institutional diversity is evaluated. Birnbaum studied diversity in higher education in the framework of a natural selection or population ecology model, which emphasizes the importance of environmental factors in shaping populations…

The self-correcting process in higher education, which provides a basis for predicting institutional decisions related to personnel, curriculum, and the environment, is discussed. Since group process is important to influencing personnel decisions in higher education, the institutional researcher can make predictions based on the actions of…

The relationship between the congruence, strength, and type of organizational culture and organizational effectiveness was studied, based on questionnaire responses by 3,406 administrators, faculty department heads, and trustees from 334 colleges and universities. Respondents rated the extent to which certain characteristics were present at their…