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This study sought to understand how executive committee members and deans experience and perceive the process of governance within their institutions. Following a brief review of the literature, the paper reviews three models of academic governance: the academic bureaucracy, the political institution, and the collegium and discusses previous governance studies at the University of Michigan. Following, this study explores the range of governance structures and processes employed at the University of Michigan. Within-case and cross-case analyses of interviews conducted with faculty executive committee members (two at each school or college) developed 12 dimensions of governance, which were used to explore processes such as elections, agenda creation, planning, promotion and tenure decisions, and communication across various campus units. The study found that faculty authority among the campus units varies substantially; that governing faculty tend to receive only partial information about the election of executive committee representatives; that while many executive committee members are active in creating meeting agendas and in general planning, they have marginal roles in budget decisions, curricular planning, and merit pay decisions; and that executive committees tend to have considerable influence over tenure and promotion decisions and also exercise authority over other committees within their campus units. (Contains 26 references.) (CH)

This paper begins with a description of a set of difficulties in classes where students were given problems which asked them to explore and "make conjectures." After presenting background on debates about discovery learning, changing philosophical conceptualizations of the role of the empirical in mathematics, and innovations involving the use of geometry construction programs, the paper then focuses on two philosophical views on induction and the origin of conjectures. These philosophical views are used to distinguish two approaches to and rationales for exploratory laboratory problems in geometry classes. Concerns are then raised about one of these approaches (discovery problems) which may be carried out under the banner of current reforms but which may lead students to conceptualize classroom exploration as a search for the single idea on a teacher's mind. (Contains 45 references.) (Author)

This case study at a community college serving a small city and surrounding rural area was undertaken to examine how a diverse staff experiences the work place. Interviews were conducted with a stratified random sample of one-half of the student affairs group staff; half of the respondent group were people of color, and four out of five were women. The interview protocol for the study was developed in consultation with a staff committee; a "culture audit" was customized to fit the organizational setting. Questions focused on the sense of success among staff, how staff are inducted into the organizational culture, the quality of supervision, career development opportunities, the extent of team spirit, and general satisfaction working at the school. Findings included the following: while 70 percent of the staff believed they had been successful at the college, disaggregation of the data revealed a racial/ethnic discrepancy; some minorities cited lack of understanding of organizational politics and culture; there was a discrepancy in the frequency of mentoring of whites and minorities; inadequacies in the performance appraisal system; differences in gender and race/ethnicity responses to questions about quality of supervision; and, in fact, differences in gender, racial, and ethnic perceptions were seen in most areas examined. (Contains 21 references.) (CH)

This study reviewed the literature to trace the evolution and life cycles of seven management techniques related to higher education. The seven case studies involved analysis of a selected sample of periodical, monograph, and technical literature from 1960 to the present. The literature base on each management technique was reviewed in reference to the following aspects: essential characteristics of the management innovation, circumstances in which the innovation originally appeared, diffusion of the innovation into higher education, outcomes of the innovation in its original and higher education settings, and reasons for eventual abandonment of the technique. The seven management innovations considered were: (1) program planning budgeting system; (2) zero-based budgeting; (3) management by objectives; (4) strategic planning; (5) total quality management/continuous quality improvement; (6) business process reengineering; and (7) benchmarking. The analysis proposes stages in the life cycle of management fads within organizational sectors, suggests the lagged phases through which fads are diffused between the nonacademic and the academic sectors, and discusses similarities and differences in the fad adoption process in both academic and nonacademic systems. (Contains 28 references.) (DB)

This study examined the character of the emerging systems of corporate management in Australian universities and their effects on academic and administrative practices, focusing on relations of power. Case studies were conducted at 17 individual universities of various types. In each institution, interviews were conducted with senior managers/leaders, middle-level academic managers (faculty deans), and a range of other personnel. The study shows that the Australian government has led the change to a performance-based competitive system with a single, standardized system of funding, funds distribution, and measurement of research activity. Study findings are organized under five broad headings: (1) the emergence of a new kind of strategic leader; (2) the eclipse of collegial systems of decision making and the rise of management-controlled "post-collegial" mechanisms for decision making and consultation; (3) changes in research management, with consequent effects on academic work; (4) commonalities and variations in the different New Universities; and (5) changes in universities in the context of developments in public management. Overall, the study found more corporate-style university managements emerging in all institutions. It is concluded that the new research system is creating perverse incentives in academic terms such as the primacy of money income for research over research activities and outputs, the primacy of research quantity over quality, and the tendency to "flatten out" distinctions among the disciplines for administrative purposes. (Contains 13 references.) (DB)

This paper reviews the first two years of a model program-evaluation case study which is intended to show: (1) how program evaluation can contribute to academic and professional degree programs; (2) how qualitative and quantitative techniques can be used to produce reliable measures for evaluation studies; and (3) how the role of the institutional researcher can be enhanced by assuming the role of program evaluator. The study evaluated the 3-year InServ Project, funded by the Fund for Improvement of Postsecondary Education, and designed to prepare teachers and other professionals to provide integrated services for at-risk children. The first year of the study focused primarily on project activities, evaluation of interprofessional collaboration, and development of an integrated teacher education curriculum. Recommendations included ensuring that interdisciplinary courses reflected a balanced perspective, suggestions that an interdisciplinary seminar course on the case study method be offered, promoting increased lecture attendance among school team members, and focusing efforts during the second year on parental and community involvement in the project. During the second year, evaluation also included a review of curriculum development efforts and assessment of the project's impact on teacher education students; it was recommended that faculty involvement in the development of interprofessional curricula be increased. (Contains 11 references.) (CH)

The purpose of this paper is to explore avenues for achieving pluralistic leadership cultures and present three principles: (1) awareness of identity, positionality, and power conditions; (2) acknowledgment of multiple descriptions of campus leadership and personal philosophies of leadership; and (3) negotiation among multiple descriptions of campus leadership and personal philosophies of leadership. A review of the literature shows that previous monocultural and male-dominated definitions of leadership fail to allow full participation by members of all groups. Through multiple definitions of campus leadership, more organizational participants can become involved and this in part leads to better resolution of conflict. Further, pluralistic leadership should lead to more diverse groups of people being identified, hired, and advanced to leadership positions. Pluralistic leadership cultures will lead to the expansion of curriculum within leadership training to include a broader range of traits, behaviors, power/influence processes, and cognitive processes. Finally, being aware of the multiple ways that leadership is defined can facilitate sounder organizational communication as organizational participants realize the necessity of explaining their assumptions about leadership. Two case studies or in-depth narrative portraits are also presented. These cases are taken from a community college transitioning from a traditional hierarchical model to a servant leadership model. (Contains 96 references.) (JLS)

This paper describes empirically tested strategies for containing mailed questionnaire costs while maximizing survey response rates. Survey focus, critical to gaining respondent interest and completion of the survey instrument, should be selected on the basis of the theme of the study in order to reduce survey length and yield more in-depth and potentially useful information on selected topics. To help insure that the survey focus interests respondents, the appropriate study population should be carefully selected. Psychometric considerations should determine whether addressing a random sample or entire population is cost effective. Appearance and organization of the survey, as well as its form, style and presentation should be tailored to arouse the interest of the target group. The mailing process should include a premailing letter or phone call, an initial mailing, a postcard mailing, a second cover letter and replacement questionnaire, and a certified mailing or telephone follow-up. Two case studies revealing differential successes with variations to traditional survey research are reported and sample surveys are appended. (CK)

Interest in Total Quality Management (TQM) at institutions of higher education has been stressed in recent years as an important area of activity for institutional researchers. Two previous AIR Forum papers have presented some of the statistical and graphical methods used for TQM. This paper, the third in the series, first discusses some of the statistical and graphical methods used by practitioners of Total Quality Management but which are also useful to institutional research in general. It then introduces Taguchi methods of evaluation, including information on the availability of supporting computer software programs. The concept of "conversational" as opposed to "listening" or passive statistical and graphical techniques is pursued. In particular, the paper considers general statements about experimental designs by noting a case study (a manufacturing application) and including some factorial designs using the Taguchi methodology of orthogonal arrays. Supportive computer software designed for use in developing and analyzing experimental designs, Taguchi methods, and their associated graphics are identified. Contains 24 references. (GLR)

Central to the debates surrounding accountability, cost containment, and effectiveness in higher education are issues concerning faculty vitality and productivity. This paper proposes that the nature of faculty vitality and the interactions between individual and institutional vitality are different for comprehensive universities, particularly during a time of changing environment and institutional conditions. It first reviews various conceptual models on faculty vitality. Then, drawing from a longitudinal case study of faculty vitality issues at DePaul University (Illinois), the paper discusses how these findings relate to the existing models and the implications for comprehensive universities. Data are presented from 580 faculty respondents to 2 surveys, one conducted in 1986 and the other in 1992, revealing trends in faculty satisfaction and morale; their understanding and support of the school's mission and identity; and their attitudes regarding compensation, workload, and development. The paper concludes with some thoughts for constructing a faculty vitality model in comprehensive universities. Contains 13 references. (GLR)

This volume contains conference papers in which representatives from case method-oriented organizations present ideas on interactive, interdisciplinary, intercultural, and international teaching and learning. Eight chapters include: (1) "Case Method Research and Evaluation" (e.g., cross-cultural case research and writing and teaching research by distance education and computer technology); (2) "Adult Learning across Disciplines around the World" (e.g., modeling team learning and preparing teachers for urban settings); (3) "Case Teaching across Disciplines around the World" (e.g., case writing and role playing exercises for teaching legal processes); (4) "Educational Leadership and Case Method Application" (e.g., role plays to teach marketing cases and grading case courses to foster collaborative learning); (5) "Interactive Simulations and Distance Education" (e.g., interactive multimedia simulations in management and computer simulation in symbolic logic classrooms); (6) "The Case Method and the Internet" (e.g., tools to train student teachers for diversity and teaching human rights online); (7) "Case Studies and Writing in Various International Settings" (e.g., collaboration in researching, writing, and publishing cases and a case writers' workshop); and (8) "Applications in the Disciplines" (e.g., meeting marketing challenges of nations in transition and a case approach to improve educational mission impact). (SM)

In the late 1990s, many employers were facing short-term and longer-term human resource challenges. Those challenges have prompted many employers to pursue new strategies for finding and retaining qualified employers. Intermediary organizations have emerged as a valuable resource for helping employers find and keep qualified workers. Whatever their institutional form and whether they are in the private, public, or nonprofit sector, employer intermediaries perform one of or more of the following general functions: (1) organizing and representing employers (they can bring employers together to aggregate and represent their interests in work force developing planning and policy); (2) brokering (they can serve as a broker between employers and local players in work force development, including educational institutions, social service agencies, and community-based organizations); and (3) delivering services (they can deliver services directly to employers and their work force, often serving a particular target population). Nine employer intermediaries performing one or more of these functions have been identified and profiled. The following are among the six challenges and opportunities that emerged from the profiles: targeting priority clients among segments of the employer community; conducting effective outreach to other employer and community institutions; matching organizational capacity to proposed activities; and gearing funding strategies to the long haul. (MN)

This study investigated Ontario school council inclusiveness pertaining to Aboriginal peoples. A case study was conducted with a cross section of Native and non-Native Canadians who were directly or indirectly involved in school council-related activities. Researchers audiotaped interviews and focus group discussions with participants and analyzed archival materials (newspaper articles, school council minutes, journal articles, books, and school council materials). Overall, school councils were an externally imposed mandated reform that was not necessarily widely supported by trustees, administrators, and teachers, all of whom appeared threatened by parent and community participation. Council members were not necessarily knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. Principals tended to dominate the school council process but lacked the skills to advocate for change, share power, provide appropriate leadership, and develop a vision of school governance. School councils were not inclusive of Native Canadians, so the education, social interests, needs, and expectations of Native parents and community members were not being considered. Results revealed the need for a school council system involving Aboriginal parental, elder, and community participation in order to improve inclusiveness and educational relevancy, excellence, and equity in public education for Aboriginal peoples. (Contains bibliographic references.) (SM)

This paper addresses societal transformations and higher education's response to these changes and argues that a much larger and deeper change is occurring which should be examined within the context of a paradigm shift. The paper begins with a brief review of the theoretical literature on paradigms; then it demonstrates the use of these constructs in a study of the change process at a land-grant research university (University of Minnesota). Next, the paper enlarges the scope to briefly examine the evolution of American higher education and to provide a sketch of the dominant characteristics of the current American higher education paradigm, based on entrepreneurial-populist principles and ways of thought. The case study demonstrates the power of metaphor, exemplars, and myths in maintaining and even building new paradigms. The current paradigm of "managed populism" is expected to change to one with greater emphasis on quality. Leaders in higher education are urged to attempt to help shape these changes through: (1) recognizing and building on the larger forces at work, (2) utilizing five key strategies (i.e., focus on the customer, demand quality, build from collaboration, utilize technology to the fullest, and recognize the power of accountability measures), and (3) working on characteristics with the most salience for the emerging paradigm. The paper concludes with the presentation of a framework for examining the approaching, inevitable paradigm shift. (Contains 65 references.) (GLR)

Eleven papers delivered for the Division of Libraries Serving the General Public at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions 1992 annual meeting are presented. Most deal with library services to multicultural populations, including those of developing countries. The following papers are included: (1) "Library Provision to Indians Living in Malaysia" (K. S. Mun); (2) "Library Services to Indians in Canada" (U. Prasada-Kole); (3) "Library Services to the Indian Population in the United States" (R. N. Sharma); (4) "The Southern Ontario Multilingual Pool: A Model for Cooperative Library Service Development" (S. Skrzeszewski); (5) "Meeting Information Needs of Slow, Average and Gifted Learners" (M. Kapoor); (6) "The Application of Information Technology (IT) in Public Libraries in Developing Countries" (P. Borchardt); (7) "The Role of the Public Library in Combating Illiteracy" (B. Thomas); (8) "The First UNESCO Library Pilot Project" (S. N. Khanna); (9) "'Transformation': The ODA Trainer Development Project for Central and State Training Institute Librarians in India" (M. Freeman); (10) "User Education around the World: The UNESCO Survey of Library and Information User Education Programmes in Some Developing Countries" (O. Kokkonen); and (11) "Ask the Same Questions and Get a Different Answer--A Case Study in Library Opening Hours Surveys" (J. Frylinck). Most papers are followed by references. (SLD)

This paper illustrates how planning, with the aid (or complicity) of institutional research, can be a revolutionary activity that facilitates change within an organization and brings the organization to a more accurate understanding of itself. It describes the use of strategic planning at Minot State University (North Dakota) to change a culture that was insular, reactive, complacent, inward-looking, and dependent on state resources to one that is more outward-looking, interactive, entrepreneurial, and globally aware. A planning model was constructed to complement the basic organizational structure of the institution and still allow for a two-way flow of information, counsel, and influence on university decision-making. The model called for analysis and synthesis progressing through four levels: departments, colleges, vice presidential areas, and cabinet. The strategic planning process involved: a major planning effort in year 1 and annual review and adjustments in years 2 through 5; a four-tiered planning structure; a guidance phase, planning and decision phase, and implementation phase; and yearly evaluation of all programs, activities, and resource allocations. The newly created Office of Institutional Research was charged with the evaluation of the first round of strategic planning. Strong and weak points of the planning process are discussed. The paper concludes with discussions and observations of what was learned in the planning lessons and how Minot State's planning process changed institutional culture. Contains 27 references. (GLR)

This paper presents a literature review on governance and structure of higher education and a case study of a governance review in Nova Scotia (Canada), paying particular attention to the role of intermediary bodies between universities and governments. Types of governing structures are described. Issues in determining the ideal structure are then discussed, focusing on the principles of quality, accessibility, diversity, autonomy and accountability, incentives, and freedom. The paper then presents a counterbalance of these ideals with the reality of a recent case study where politics, both governmental and institutional, appeared more important than ideals. Four governance options developed by consultants to the Council of Nova Scotia University Presidents (CONSUP) are described, followed by the CONSUP modified version, and the response of Nova Scotia's government in granting executive authority to the Nova Scotia Council on Higher Education on the matter of funding allocations. The paper concludes that many governance problems stem from scarcity of resources, that institutions need to work closely with one another to ensure the best use of the available resources, and that an independent and effective coordinating body would be an invaluable aid to ensuring that Nova Scotians have access to postsecondary education of the highest quality. (Contains 19 references.) (GLR)

This study used the case study method and focus group interviews to examine: (1) which of the economic impacts of a small liberal arts college on its community are important; (2) whether economic impact can be estimated economic impact studies; and (3) whether such studies influence public opinion about the college's economic impact. Two focus groups, each with nine participants, were conducted. The participants were community leaders in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, the home of Iowa Wesleyan College. After the first focus group, an economic impact study was conducted and its results disseminated via the local newspaper and a local radio station. Following dissemination, the second focus group was held. Both groups identified consumption benefits and college-related local business volume as the most important positive economic impacts of the college, and foregone real estate taxes as the major negative impact. The economic impact study had little or no effect on focus group attitudes and no participants in the second group mentioned hearing or reading about the study results. Results suggest economic impact studies may be ineffective for public relations since they do not promote consumption benefits, they estimate unimportant impacts, and they do not change attitudes about the economic importance of colleges. (Contains 14 references.) (DB)

This case study of a student retention program for at-risk students at Mount Hood Community College (Oregon) contends that student retention programs are seldom as holistic and comprehensive as intended. The study analyzed three areas: the design and implementation of a comprehensive program to improve student retention; the organizational dynamics of change brought about by the retention project; and the role of institutional research. The project students were students who were under-prepared and/or had declared general studies majors with no clear educational goal. The major elements of the retention program included review and revision of student intake services (i.e., placement testing, advising and registration workshops, and a college success class) and intensive academic advising of at-risk students using a case-management approach to advising. Staff and student evaluations of the pilot program were conducted. Staff found the program useful but expressed concern about time constraints, services made available to students who did not need them, and difficulty in contacting students. Students reported satisfaction with the ease of faculty contact. Although there were no significant differences in grade point averages between program students and other students, students receiving the intensive academic advising had a higher one-year retention rate. The role played by institutional research was mixed. (Contains 28 references.) (JLS)

This case study focused on a small liberal arts college (Lake Erie College, Ohio) over one year during which four milestone events appeared to be pivotal in increasing the willingness of the school to use institutional research for decision-making in areas of program modification and development. At the beginning of the year, the college was faced with enrollment declines in the Master's in Business Administration (MBA) program and the undergraduate business programs. These were followed by the four milestones: (1) development of a marketing research plan to determine possible cooperative arrangements with local employers; (2) a survey of MBA and undergraduate students concerning what they liked and disliked about the college; (3) focused interviews with 20 companies and the resulting report which presented action recommendations; and (4) a concurrent development of a proposal for an accelerated degree completion program for part-time adults. Analysis supports the value of institutional research to institutional decision making. Specific lessons from the case study are drawn including the value of a team-based approach to institutional research, the value of institutional research to institutional advancement efforts, and the value of faculty engagement in market research. (DB)

This paper presents the results of a survey of 51 violence prevention programs around the country, including detailed case studies of a select sample, reviews of the evaluations of these programs, and recommendations for next steps to be explored during the conference. Part I discusses the survey of violence prevention programs. It describes a survey of state-of-the-art violence prevention programs (N=51). The survey results are discussed in the areas of geographic distribution, founding dates, program goals, funding sources, populations served, program settings, major activities, and program evaluation. Major achievements and major barriers described by the programs are discussed. Part II presents case studies of these violence prevention programs: (1) Boston Conflict Resolution Program; (2) Building Conflict-Solving Skills; (3) Gang Prevention and Intervention Program; (4) The Paramount Plan: Alternatives to Gang Membership; (5) Project Stress Control School-Based Curriculum; (6) Project Stress Control through Stress Management (SCSM) for Juveniles in Youth Development Centers; (7) Resolving Conflict Creatively Program; (8) Second Step: A Violence Prevention Curriculum; (9) Viewpoints Training Program; (10) Violence Prevention Curriculum Project; and (11) Violence Prevention Project. Part III presents conclusions obtained through the survey questionnaire and follow-up interviews. Appendixes include the survey instrument and additional program descriptions and evaluation information. (ABL)

This qualitative study examined the perceived impact of the president on organizational change at five community colleges in one state, and is part of a multiple case study which is addressing organizational change in community colleges. The methodology for the study was based on the literature of organizational change which suggests four constructs: change in the organizational paradigm, where underlying assumptions of participants have changed; change in organizational mission and purpose; change in organizational culture; and change in functional processes such as organizational structures, managerial practices, technology, decision making, and communications. Data collection and analysis involved interviews with presidents, administrators, faculty, and support staff; questionnaires; group meetings; and documents. The study found that community college presidents were seen to "make a difference," with the greatest influence being perceived during periods of leadership succession. Organizational changes attributed to presidents are summarized in two tables: the first covers data obtained during interviews and the second summarizes data obtained from the questionnaires. (Contains 33 references.) (CH)