This qualitative study provides interpretations of the nature of strategic plans at small private liberal arts institutions. The study explored the concepts of innovation, entrepreneurship, and transformation detailed in the plans. This study included a specific cohort of eight United States small private liberal arts colleges with similar…

The focus of this paper is to promote the awareness of higher-education administration and faculty of the opportunities presented by developing and implementing lean operational models in their institutions. The paper provides a brief account of the author's observations of small liberal arts colleges that are operating in non-efficient models. It…

The researcher investigated how university faculty in graduate education programs incorporated multiple intelligences (MI) theory into their teaching strategies and acknowledged the interconnectedness of andragogy and MI theory. The researcher addressed the significant shift in teaching paradigms from traditional methods to approaches that foster…

Tuition resets decrease an institution's published tuition price to more closely align it with the actual net price most students pay. The strategy is employed to increase the institution's applicant pool, yielding more admits with the ultimate goal of increasing enrollment and net revenue for the institution. The research project examined…

This article presents a case study of a decolonized curriculum development in the Art History programme at the small liberal arts institution Kalamazoo College (Michigan, USA). It discusses the curriculum plan, methods for learning, assessment and potential applications for this approach beyond the case study. Paying attention to questions about…

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the mass shutdown of universities across the United States in the spring of 2020. As the pandemic progressed, regional regulations resulted in a broad range of teaching modalities for the 2020-2021 academic year. While some regions remained tightly locked down (resulting in online-only instruction), others allowed…

Small, private, liberal arts colleges are in a time of crisis. Many of these colleges are undergoing significant changes as a result of the external forces driving declining enrollment and increasing operating costs. At the same time, the average age of college presidents is increasing and average tenure is decreasing. In response, this intrinsic…

What are the enduring, value-added features of small, private liberal arts colleges? Certain distinctions come to mind: broad exposure to the disciplines, focused study in the majors, and close campus interactions--all enhanced by the residential experience. However, what is (and has historically been) the value of small, private residential…

Over the past 50 years, living-learning programs (LLPs) have emerged as a dynamic curricular innovation in higher education. These programs are residentially based, seeking to seamlessly integrate the classroom and residence hall environments and blur the traditional boundaries between the academic and residential experiences for students (Kuh,…

Most colleges are finding they must cut back spending and find ways to increase income, no longer relying on raising tuition. Although consolidating jobs, cutting academic programs, reducing financial aid, and delaying construction are already common among larger schools, small colleges fear the impact on their already limited budgets. (MSE)

Some of the ways in which small educational institutions have adjusted their priorities to a changing environment are examined. Two models of strategic management--the adaptive strategy model and the interpretive strategy model--are discussed. Current perceptions of admissions directors and academic deans in North Carolina were investigated. (MLW)

It is argued that while the restructuring of higher education may be necessary for the liberal arts college to thrive, it is imperative that in this process, the traditional values of the liberal arts experience be maintained and the teaching faculty continue to be recognized as the crucial cohort in the institution. (MSE)

A project to help small independent liberal arts colleges integrate technology and the liberal arts in the undergraduate curriculum is considered in this newsletter issue. The first two stages of this project on Technology and the Liberal Arts, which is sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges, are described, along with the progress of…

The need to integrate technology and liberal arts in the undergraduate curriculum is addressed in this collection of two articles and a bibliography. The monograph resulted from a project by the Council of Independent Colleges on the response of the liberal arts college to technology. In "Technology and the Liberal Arts," Allan Pfnister considers…

Lessons learned by five small, private colleges about meeting the challenges facing higher education are described. Each of the colleges developed a unique educational program emphasizing the liberal arts that responds to current challenges. Each school has experienced increased enrollments and retention, growth in endowments and plants, larger…