Identifies five key issues to be addressed by college programs attempting to involve commuter students in learning: (1) development of a more commuter-friendly campus environment; (2) support of institutional mission and goals; (3) demonstration of the effectiveness of involving commuter students in learning; (4) cross-functional collaboration;…

Eight issues in planning and implementing outcomes-focused assessment are presented including: multiple measures are more desirable than a single standardized examination, faculty involvement is essential, performance-based funding should be derived from additional resources, etc. (Author/MLW)

If properly handled, reallocation can provide a rich opportunity for enhancing quality, but there is no easy way to reallocate resources. Planning will remain the key to resolving the thorniest issues of reduction. (Author/MLW)

The organization and procedures of universities make it tempting to try to avoid contemporary challenges to graduate education. Much of the malaise in current graduate education results from a focus on the decline in resources, in the availability of conventional careers for graduates, and in the availability of talented students. (Author/MLW)

The power and authority of the graduate school can affect the quality of graduate programs in schools of education and the freedom to innovate them. Schools of education are creating programs in nontraditional areas, establishing relationships with other departments, and recruiting and supporting students outside school-related areas. (Author/MLW)

Engineering education is going through a difficult period because of burgeoning undergraduate enrollments, falloff in nonforeign graduate students, and rapidly changing technology. The growing high-technology environment may encourage the development of professional programs in engineering. (Author/MLW)

When considering new career programs, college presidents must balance need and temptation with economic reality, yet have the courage to take appropriate risks. (Author/MSE)

The humanities have initiated a four-part strategy to deal with the shortage of jobs for individuals with graduate credentials including: concentrating their effort in traditional areas of study, creating new, innovative fields of study, creating new options, and embarking on an "awareness program." (Author/MLW)

For faculty members to perform at the highest levels of excellence institutions must design and implement an array of appropriate incentives and support systems effective for different faculty needs and characteristics. Collegiate and corporate illustrations are provided. (Author/MSE)

Career programs should be designed as instructional systems, with strategies and instruments for assessing student performance and outcomes developed early in the program development process, as soon as the exit abilities of graduates are defined and before the curricular and instructional patterns are established. (MSE)

Although much federal support for higher education exists, its relationship to developing innovative programs is different among various fields and disciplines. The role and influence of the federal government on innovation in graduate programs is discussed. (Author/MLW)

Development of leadership teams, a technique developed in the corporate sector, can help colleges and universities create a leadership culture to cope with institutional issues. The experience of the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science (Pennsylvania) is offered as an illustration. (MSE)

Fragmentation of power within colleges and universities makes educational programs the element of higher education most resistant to organized change. However, over time, persistent and thoughtful leadership including encouragement of academic entrepreneurship and creation of agreement can transform these programs, as illustrated by the ongoing…

College faculty can learn to deal with common questions concerning disabled students, such as how much special assistance to offer them, and what special accommodations must be made to their particular limitations. Program requirements should be reviewed in order to distinguish what is essential. (Author/JMD)

The process of reauthorization of college student financial aid legislation may be instrumental in reducing the burden and complexity of the financial aid application and need analysis process through simplification. Exempting some students, permitting more to use simplified need analysis, and streamlining reapplication are steps in the right…