Earning a college degree is a major pathway to economic mobility. Although Black women enter college at higher rates than white, Hispanic, and Black men (for example, in 2020, Black women enrolled in college at a 40% rate, compared to 37% for White men, 31% for Black men, and 30% for Hispanic men) they still face barriers to degree completion,…

Many small institutions face difficulties, and the person who bears the brunt of dealing with those challenges is the college president. While each situation is unique, presidents can learn from the experiences of others, and at the very least, commiserate with each other regarding the challenges they face, especially when their institutions are…

What happens when school personnel, or family members of one's students are laid off, are out of work for months, and their unemployment insurance ends? What happens when students complain that they can't find after-school or summer jobs? When these things occur, people worry about what will happen to them and to those they care about. Students…

Colleges and universities, like corporations and other nonprofit organizations, are subject to periodic fluctuations in the economy and public support. Thus, the question is not whether they will confront financial problems but rather when and how. This article describes how institutions and boards can detect budgets in crisis, provides principles…

Details strategies used by community colleges to successfully manage the financial risk inherent in performance contracting. Compares the results of training under the Job Training Partnership Act and California's Employment Training Panel from the perspective of a college administrator. (AYC)

Drawing from a literature review and interviews with administrators at nine small, rural community colleges in Florida, this report highlights the problems of providing vocational education in Florida's small, rural community colleges. Chapter I provides background to the study and a review of the literature related to problems of providing…

This study was conducted to document and identify operational problems of college- and university-affiliated cable television stations in order to present data on problems and concerns that a college should consider before starting a cable-affiliated station. Research questions centered around four areas: organization, budget, personnel, and…

Although music education's quality is outstanding, it faces serious problems that teachers and administrators should work to rectify by clearly stating goals and claims, adopting student achievement standards, and avoiding emphasizing music as entertainment--if something essential to civilization is to survive. (KS)

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

Colleges and universities are facing difficult choices as insurance companies cancel coverage or demand premium increases of up to 800 percent. The current crisis is blamed on the way the industry has been managed. Financial managers, rather than underwriters, took over the industry. (MLW)

Guidelines for planning and operating a Senior Colleague Advisory Network (SCAN) team visit are presented, based on the experiences of participants in the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' (AASCU) SCAN project. Guidelines for the institution cover: determining the need for a consulting visit, the need for presidential…

Three categories of options for colleges dealing with reduced resources are defensive reactions, constructive structuring and flexibility, and long-term new directions. Areas toward which resources need to be redirected, however, include broadening educational options for minority youth and encouraging client-centered and goal-oriented learning.…

Higher productivity must become internalized in college institutional cultures and recognized as a strategic issue for long-term reasons of educational quality and robust survival. The primary challenge is not downsizing but right-sizing for available resources, mission, and quality standards. The concept of selective excellence must prevail. (MSE)

Describes the scope of financial problems facing community colleges, and typical college responses. Traces the history of college planning approaches. Recommends proactive planning (i.e., conceptual, adaptive, anticipatory, and action-oriented planning) as the most appropriate response to existing and coming financial challenges. Identifies ways…

Provides statistics on the United States' national debt and the budget deficit and warns of the dangers to the next generation if excessive federal borrowing does not stop now. (IW)