Acoustical characteristics of 18 residences for people with mental retardation were evaluated and compared to ratings of room photographs for apparent homelikeness. Reverberation times in living and dining rooms were negatively correlated with mean homelikeness ratings. High reverberation rates were the result of insufficient sound absorption by…

The decoupling argument--that schools respond to pressures from the institutional environment by decoupling changes in structures from classroom instruction--has been a central feature of institutional theory since the early 1970s. This study suggests the need to rethink this argument. Drawing on a study of the relationship between changing ideas…

Recent catastrophes have brought about numerous critiques and changes to campus communications. In this article, the author shares the lessons she has learned from the crises she experienced during her 18 years of being the president of Trinity (Washington) University. Furthermore, Joan Hinde Stewart, president of Hamilton College, adds her…

Notions of distributed leadership and professional learning communities are bedfellows in the drive to school improvement. However, these ideas of sharing leadership and mutual learning as a community are not introduced and developed in a neutral context. Power relationships, priorities and purposes are constructed in certain ways within the…

The aim of the research was to critically analyse how a university context influences the quality of academics' research output. Wenger's social theory of learning was used as theoretical framework. The investigation involved an ethnographic case study of the research culture at one college at the institution. Data collection was mainly by means…

Recent reforms in the Carnegie Foundation classification system and regional accreditation standards have fueled momentum for community engagement in higher education. This study employs a knowledge-flow conceptual framework to identify barriers and facilitators that influence the adoption of an engagement agenda at land-grant and urban research…

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is committed to bringing together museums and libraries across the country for conversations dedicated to developing a better understanding of the roles of libraries and museums as providers of public service to communities. The Future of Libraries and Museums in the 21st Century Planning…

Student death is an inevitable event in the long life of university communities. Although student death is uncommon, universities need to be able respond in a timely and appropriate way to bring the relationship with a deceased student to a dignified close. This article presents a review of factors previously identified in higher education and…

This is a review of the literature on student residence published in Britain. The achievements of 19th century university reformers are noted. The currents of opinion which have shaped residential policy in Britain since World War II are considered. An account is given of the issues involved in current policy. A general sociological interpretation…

This study offers empirical support to the proposition that college environments differ and suggests that environmental presses in the multiversity are socially, academically, family, and religiously oriented. It is believed that a student's negative reaction to 1 or more of these presses can result in his withdrawal from the institution. To…

Educational improvement can only be achieved when a school's climate is positive and conducive to learning. The principal must take the lead in establishing an effective climate by being fair, consistent, capable, and--most importantly--highly visible. (PGD)

The Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board is charged by state statute with creating a strategic master plan for higher education once every 10 years, with updates every four years. The purpose of a statewide strategic master plan is to identify the overarching goals of the state's postsecondary education system. A limited and focused set…

The purpose of this article is to address the question of "Pedagogik" as an academic discipline in Sweden based on a social study of the science's point of departure. The philosophical and epistemological issues which constitute the conceptual questions about the nature and content of educational science are, although crucial, peripheral…

The current paper examines the dispositional and situational antecedents, as well as the attitudinal and behavioral consequences, of the frequency of upward and downward social comparisons. We predicted social comparison frequency would be influenced by uncertainty-related antecedents, and that social comparisons in organizations would be…