Advice is offered for making college alumni reunions fun and memorable, illustrated with anecdotes from various institutions. Suggestions include exciting opening activities, focusing on the particular habits or characteristics of a class, appealing to a variety of tastes, emphasizing class identity, savoring favorite campus traditions, and…

Planning can help college public relations officials make the most of their time and energy. One approach includes reviewing institutional mission and strategic plan; setting department goals; identifying and targeting audiences; establishing interdepartmental links; and setting out action, crisis, budget, and evaluation plans in writing. (MSE)

As Internet 2 takes shape, the university administrators and researchers behind it are taking care to address the political and economic challenges experienced by the original Internet. The new, privatized system will be faster and more powerful, but some fear privatization has shifted the balance of power toward profit-making instead of meeting…

Principles of effective research administration originally written over a decade ago are revised to reflect the challenges of a new, technologically advanced, and rapidly changing climate. They now include establishing, communicating, and constantly evaluating the goals of research administration in conjunction with institutional partners;…

A study investigated the attitudes of college and university employees concerning the recent privatization of dining services at three universities. Results indicate the employees saw the contractor, not the institution, as benefitting most from the changes. Employees had little understanding of the benefits of the arrangement to the university or…

A variety of consortial arrangements in higher education are discussed noting advantages such as savings realized through the cooperative efforts, enrichment of academic programs, improved student services and community outreach, as well as obstacles (organizational, procedural, and cultural). Success factors identified include presence of…

Planning for a computer use "help desk" at Kenyon College (Ohio) was constrained by very limited resources. However, careful and thorough planning resulted in a low-budget, homegrown, but highly effective facility. Staffing, training, staff communication, and marketing the service were essential elements in its success. (MSE)

It is argued that colleges and universities can become more productive by enhancing the efficiency of student learning. This requires both acceleration of learning through individually paced mastery learning, better academic focus, year-round schooling, and an earlier start to graduate and professional education. Eight strategies for enhancing…

College alumni program professionals offer specific ways to make good use of limited resources in the areas of program planning, scheduling, time management, staff communication, use of technology, involvement of board members, use of volunteers and student workers, coordination with other campus programs, and staff motivation and appreciation…