The recommendations of a national committee on the organization, quality, and efficiency of Australian universities are reviewed. They cover accountability, flexibility, and efficiency of operation. Implications for the future of universities, especially small ones, are discussed. (MSE)

Reviews skills and attributes viewed as valuable for leaders of higher educational institutions in today's climate of changing student populations. These include encouraging reflective backtalk and seeing the long view; and understanding changing roles (figurehead, leader, liaison) and relationships (internal and external); governance and…

A study of the long-range course planning of one university's students found that less than half plan more than a few courses ahead, and that planning correlated more with students' time in college and career commitment than with academic aptitude or achievement. (MSE)

Two hundred college and university vice presidents of finance were questioned about the evaluation processes currently used by their institutions in making resource allocation decisions. A strong parallel with hospital budgeting was found, with prestige maximization subject to some overall budget constraint. A longer range approach to academic…

Despite expansion in participation, Austrian higher education remains somewhat elitist. However, concepts of efficiency, strategic planning, deregulation, and performance evaluation are creating pressure for policy change. Inadequate admissions policies, overcrowding, and high dropout rates need to be addressed. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of portfolio analysis in college planning, a technique of determining the attractiveness and competitiveness of given academic courses, looks at the correctness of the technique and its application in the strategic planning process. Data from a British university illustrate the procedure. (MSE)

The use of strategic planning in Australian higher education institutions is compared with that in manufacturing corporations, including the similarities and differences in approaches taken. In the context of recent questioning of the use of strategic planning in industry, the validity of its use in higher education is also discussed. (Author/MSE)

The evolution of a Total Quality Management approach at Aston University (England) is chronicled, especially as it relates to changes in British higher education and the university in the 1980s. Focus is on the organizational context of the institution, steps taken to become informed about quality management, and refinement of objectives. (MSE)