Within the last 5 years, policymakers and practitioners have confronted the challenge of replacing many retiring educational leaders. To address this issue, standards for educators themselves have been proposed, some modeled around those of the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). Attention is also turning to advanced…

A discussion of college governance by lay boards of trustees focuses on the sources and nature of trustees' authority and, by extension, of faculty and administrators' influence on boards. It chronicles briefly the history of the lay board and the reasons for its continued use in modern institutions. Criticisms and defenses of lay trusteeship are…

Chapter 13 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter offers suggestions to help educators improve their performance in meetings, both as group leaders and as participants. Well-run meetings can rejuvenate an organization, leading to improved teamwork, communication, and morale. A poor meeting, on the other hand, can have a…

Fundamental beliefs and organizational structure represent an important part of comprehensive guidance programs serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. These programs help students gain competencies in the areas of personal/social, educational, and career development at all educational levels. Comprehensive programs guarantee that…

Coalition building and school restructuring unfortunately do not always occur together. But the two forces can complement each other and combine their resources and strengths. Coalitions are organizations or groups of individuals who share a commitment to a particular issue. Although coalitions involved in school restructuring may in the long run…

The adventure of adventure education comes in the testing of oneself, in putting self against the environment and in striving to overcome the environment through personal skill. Unfortunately, instead of perceiving the risks in terms of physical and psychological challenges, many schools and other organizations perceive them in terms of liability…

The digest is drawn from "Preparing Department Chairs for Their Leadership Roles," a "New Directions for Community Colleges" volume. Two main issues regarding community college department chairs are discussed: role-related issues facing new department chairs, and training and development programs that aid in preparing…

Characteristics and practices of governing boards of colleges or systems and ways that administrators and faculty can work more effectively with trustees are considered. Attention is directed to: the history and evolution of lay trusteeship; the composition of the board and selection of trustees; responsibilities of the board; board structures and…

To outsiders, the role of school superintendent has always been a little mystifying. This digest examines how superintendents are responding to their changing environment, what leadership strategies they are using, and whether the superintendency is in a state of crisis. Although fears exist of a dwindling pool of applicants, studies have shown…

The role of state departments of education in rural education involves responsibilities, leadership, funding, regional assistance, and preparing for the future. It is the responsibility of the state department to act as a regulatory, governing, and operating agency and to distribute federal funds to areas of need. The state department can provide…

This volume of New Directions for Community Colleges contains the following articles: (1) "Toward a Definition of Deaning," by Douglas Robillard, Jr.; (2) "The Dean as Chief Academic Officer," by John Stuart Erwin; (3) "The Dean and the Faculty," by Hans A. Andrews; (4) "The Dean and the President," by Hans J. Kuss; (5) "Aspects of Difficult…

An integration and synthesis of the theoretical literature on leadership with the literature concerning higher education as a social institution is presented. The literature on a conceptual explanation of leadership is reviewed and related directly to higher education and its sociological and organizational uniqueness. The first four of the…

Introducing enduring innovations into a higher education organization requires commitment and support from colleagues. Organizational change involves three steps: (1) mobilization; (2) implementation; and (3) institutionalization. Without institutionalization, the innovation is likely to be terminated despite how well it may be communicated and…

The efforts of student affairs aimed at improving quality of life, integrating new student groups, and attracting and retaining students are becoming critical to colleges and universities. Student affairs organizations can respond to the changing conditions and take a leadership role in new institutional strategies; they can become…

This digest summarizes a longer document with the same title concerning the introduction of enduring innovations into a higher education organization. Organizational change involves three steps: (1) mobilization, (2) implementation, and (3) institutionalization. Without institutionalization, the innovation is likely to be terminated no matter how…