David Baker and Cornelius Riordan mistakenly claim that Catholic schools failed in the 1950s because they were mediocre. Their article is a house of cards built on a distortion of history and a single new finding that Catholic schools' social-class composition has changed. The "elitism" problem, stemming from rising costs, can be remedied by more…

Discusses ways to overcome the financial crisis facing many universities in developing countries, including providing greater resources to higher education; raising tuition; privatizing higher education; admitting only the best candidates; attracting foreign students; requiring graduates' employers to compensate universities; linking industry and…

Argues that use of technology to market institutions and counsel students adds new dimensions to college recruitment practices. Predicts that emerging web technologies and their associated marketing theory will challenge the status quo and will add yet another dimension to the responsibilities of the admission professional. (Author/JDM)

Public deliberation is a little-used concept that gets people talking about education and working together to improve it. Study circles discuss each solution's pros and cons, explore people's deeper motivations, weigh others' views carefully, work through conflicting emotions, and identify common ground. Pueblo, Colorado's process is profiled.…

Describes how Bennett College, an historically black women's institution, is trying to regroup after its latest president lasted only seven months. (EV)

A special process created for institutions to preserve and promote the qualitative nature of their existence is presented. This process can be used to strengthen their marketing capacity (development, alumni, and public relations, admissions, and enrollment management). The Institutional Distinctiveness Survey (IDS) is described as it was used…

With the support of a 3-year grant from the Fund for The Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), the Higher Education Strategic Planning Institute has built a shared experience strategic planning database for college and university top-level management. The Performance Improvement through Strategy Analysis (PISA) program began in 1982 with…

A discussion of studies regarding 19th century college founding and survival, this paper provides insights into the factors that influence college survival today. It begins with Tewksbury's 1932 history of the founding of American colleges and universities before the Civil War. His book suggested that affiliation with a religious denomination was…

Discusses the plight of Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and the University of the District of Columbia, both historically Black universities that are fighting for their existence due to declines in enrollment and funding and administrative problems. Individuals at each institution discuss the current crises and outlook for…

Suggests that the most important piece of advice for the survival of English departments is that all faculty members, especially chairs, learn to collaborate effectively. Discusses the kinds of collaboration required for the retention of faculty lines. (RS)

In education, competition and devolution are two dominant forces driving schools to become leaner, faster, smarter, and more viable institutions. This article presents 98 ideas for helping administrators raise funds and reap cost savings on employee salaries, facilities, financial management, food service, maintenance, purchasing, scheduling,…

Describes the experience of two small colleges, Chatham and Wesley, that survived the financial distress common to small school today. Discusses their lessons: reinforce strengths, rebuild the strongest financial source, diversify income, manage debt, and run a disciplined budget and financial management system. (EV)

It is argued, based on the experiences of 16 small, diverse independent colleges, that small institutions can reverse decline. The analysis looks at signs of problems, patterns of institutional blindness to the problems that lead to additional decline, and behavior characteristics of the institutions that survive. (MSE)

Two reports on institutional fund raising ("The Quest for Major Gifts: A Survey of 68 Institutions," 1983, by Addison L. Winship II, and "Seeking Major Gifts: How 57 Institutions Do It," 1991, by Anne W. Altizer) offer examples of how a healthy college endowment provides stability through difficult economic times. (MSE)

The experiences of Wellesley College (Massachusetts) with developing a long-range plan for institutional survival in the 1990s illustrate the value of two strategies: devising a planning process that reflects the institutional culture, and spending time early in the process to gain broad agreement on basic financial principles and planning…