A survey of Canadian agencies and institutions collecting materials on higher education is reported. Four problem areas are identified: definitions, collection policies, accessibility, and collection coordination. Further information exchange and the compilation of a more complete directory of collections are recommended. (MSE)

The 1910 publication, "Great American Universities," provides a point of departure for three recent studies by Rosenzweig, Moos, and Prichard of the university and its role in public policy. A marked shift in tone from the energy, optimism, and public curiosity earlier attributed to the American university is noted. (Author/MSE)

The development and contributions of Professor Ruth Eckert are presented in this autobiographical essay. Focus is on higher education as a field of graduate study and changes in higher education throughout this century. The author's experiences are set in the context of wider happenings in higher education. (Author/JMD)

A study of Dutch universities from 1974-93 examined factors in the emergence of new academic programs and specializations, particularly the effects of government funding mechanisms (external factor) and level of paradigmatic development (internal factor), drawing on social exchange and resource dependency theory. Results indicate these two factors…

A study investigated the standards used in refereeing scholarly journal articles to judge qualitative research methods. Examination of reviewers' critiques of 57 manuscripts submitted to the "Review of Higher Education" revealed 7 themes that reviewers focused on, and also found reviewers emphasized good writing and clear articulation of…

The history of comparative higher education for purposes of policy analysis is chronicled from its origins in comparative political science and public administration. Methodology is discussed, and some recent studies are examined. It is concluded that comparative higher education has not gone far beyond the descriptive stage, and must take…

Discusses the role of authority in institutions that provide teacher education and educational studies. Currently, there is no agreement about the types of authority these institutions and the individuals within them should possess in relation to the work they do, which may limit their intellectual respectability and pragmatic credibility. (SM)

Substantive and methodological problems encountered in a five-year synthesis of research on college impact are discussed, including general issues in higher education research and scholarship, relevance of assessments of student change, unnoticed indirect effects of college experience, inattention to individual differences, validity of common…

Examines concerns about teacher education's future in light of developing policies in England and Wales. The article calls the university a center for free, open, and independent inquiry, suggests that preservice education is the application of such inquiry, and notes that such inquiry is endangered by current policies and practices. (SM)

A review of previous issues of the journal that focused on the nature of disciplines and college curriculum looks at the treatment of two themes: the interplay between predominantly sociological and predominantly epistemological accounts of knowledge communities; and the factors affecting the content and aims of university curricula, including…

Between 1960 and 1975, demands for competent two-year college administrators led many universities to develop specialized leadership programs or to incorporate leadership development curricula into existing programs. The skills needed to maintain and improve a system, however, are not necessarily the same as those that were required to establish…

This study compared the ideas of researchers with those of practitioners in higher education regarding what is considered significant and useful literature in terms of content, methodology, and format. The findings were interpreted in terms of theories of action research and the quality movement. Data were compiled using focus groups of…

A study aimed to establish baseline data about where, when, what, how, to whom, and by whom preservice vocational teacher education is provided so that more informed decisions can be made in the current climate of educational reform. Usable data, collected through two questionnaires, were provided from 78 colleges and universities and from 633…

The Doctor of Arts in Community College Education program is administered by the Center for Community College Education at George Mason University, Virginia. Coursework leading to the degree is designed to enable existing community college faculty to become more effective community college teachers and to educate prospective community college…

The graduate-level course on the two-year college described in this paper focuses on having students create a hypothetical college, Orange County Community College (OCCC), and apply futures research techniques in the strategic planning process. Following introductory comments, course objectives are enumerated; i.e., develop a perspective of the…