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…

Describes higher education structures of nations sponsoring nonuniversity programs, including Russia, Belarus, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Japan, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, and Mexico, and compares their programs with American community colleges. Identifies new nonuniversity systems, and recommends techniques to…

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…

Focusing on the field of community college education as an academic specialty in graduate and continuing education programs, the 10 essays in this volume explore the role of these programs in training community college leaders. The following articles are provided: (1) "Legacy of the Post-WWII Growth Years for Community College Leadership…

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…

A nonuniversity is a short-term, short-cycle college or institute that provides vocational and technical training toward diplomas and certificates for compulsory school or high school graduates. Continuing education for adults is also commonplace in established systems, but preuniversities studies are offered almost exclusively in two-year…

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…

Patterns that emerged from reviewing 11 syllabi for courses on the community college are discussed, and three sample syllabi are presented. These courses are offered as part of graduate level studies in the field of higher education administration. The most commonly used course titles were "The Two-Year College" and "The Community…

Over 150 doctoral students and faculty in U.S. programs for the study of higher education were interviewed to determine their views concerning the social context of these programs. Both faculty respondents (including program directors) and doctoral students perceived the social context of the programs to involve a plurality and diversity of…