Washington College, a small liberal arts college on Maryland's Eastern Shore, revitalized its fund-raising program, adding an aggressive marketing strategy and a new emphasis on major gifts. They used a three-step process: assessed their situation, solidified their development program, and used that to support a big-gift campaign. (MLW)

Essays by Marv Weiss and Bruce Bryden; Jerry Young; D. Kent Sharples; and Kermit Lidstrom and Jordis Conrad identify issues and problems of particular concern to small, rural colleges, including student retention, faculty recruitment, image building, and the colleges' role in economic development. (DMM)

The movement to reform college athletics programs has been least well implemented in the institutions at which it was aimed, those sponsoring the largest and most expensive programs. Some blame the institutions for lack of courage in making changes that would restrict their competitiveness. (MSE)

Reports on the economic development activities of 237 small rural southeastern colleges. Reveals that most of the colleges provided basic skills training, career/vocational counseling, job placement services, short courses for company employees, and skills upgrading. Highlights the activities of colleges highly involved with rural economic…

Administrators at small colleges are devising innovative policies to compete with recruiters from corporations and large universities to attract computer-science professors and hold on to them. Williams College offers higher salaries, while Middlebury College pays computer-science instructors as administrators on 11-month contracts. (MLW)

A common perception is that the leadership problems facing the presidents of small, independent liberal arts colleges are simply a subset of those facing larger schools, but small colleges operate in a unique economic environment that offers opportunity as well as peril. The president's involvement is required at every level. (MSE)

A study to provide some measurable benchmarks of the advancement process at small colleges is described. Data are presented on budgets, spending per function, professional staff, chief advancement officer, support staff, recruitment costs, fund-raising revenues and costs, and developing institutions. (MLW)

A program at a small liberal arts college to reach a larger number of minority students is described. A climate of high academic expectations was created. By awakening the strengths that students brought with them to the university, these positive qualities motivated them to work on their deficits. (MLW)

A consortium of 12 small, private liberal arts colleges in the Great Lakes region has shown that by working together, the institutions can provide major opportunities for faculty professional development through conferences and workshops. (MSE)

The behaviors and subsequent situations of two sets of colleges that experienced severe financial difficulties in the mid-1970s were examined. One set made a dramatic recovery; the other set did not. The more resilient group pursued a combination of adaptive and interpretive strategies. (MLW)

Aspects of the small liberal arts college's environment that contribute to the intellectual and personal development of faculty as well as students include accessibility, visibility, flexibility, the institution's desire for interdisciplinary inquiry, and a reward system for scholarship. (MSE)

The decision about which college to attend can be daunting. College bound high school students may pore over catalogs, make visits to multiple campuses, and negotiate the intricacies of financial aid. There are a variety of choices, and the most basic of choices involves what type of school to attend. Should it be a well-funded research university…

This monograph contains eight paper that explore the role and value of information officers, focusing on: (1) results of a nationwide survey of educational institutions that examined the percentage of SCDE's represented by public information officers and the type of representation offered; (2) deans' perspectives on the usefulness of information…

In the spring of 1996, the Board of Regents of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minnesota, decided to ask the administration and faculty to do what was needed to change the small private church-related two-year college into a small private church-related four-year college. The first designated major was to be Communication. The first step in…

The decision on the most appropriate size for liberal arts colleges should not be made on economic grounds. Analysis of literature shows that economic benefits through economies of scale are too debatable to play an important role. Fixed costs may be offset by less institutional complexity in small colleges. (Author/MSE)