Interest in decentralized decisionmaking for schools (DDS) is on the rise. With state and federal accountability systems placing pressure on school-level leaders to improve student performance, increasing attention is being paid to the question of how to help principals do their job more effectively. "Business as usual" in American…

The centralization of authority in public higher education from a local campus to the multicampus system and from local governing boards to state mechanisms is discussed. Dissipation of staff time in meeting bureaucratic requirements and faculty uneasiness with centralized planning and long-distance decision-making are described. (MLW)

A centralization index was used to analyze data from 269 accredited graduate business programs. Most (88.7%) had decentralized administration. Greater administrative quality and student service were associated with schools with more autonomous administration. (SK)

Review of job training in Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan found no single system appropriate for all. Desirable characteristics included (1) late specialization in school and on-the-job acquisition of specialized skills; (2) private financing; (3) institutional autonomy; (4) high employer involvement; and (5) regular evaluation of training…

In 1986, new statutes provided New Jersey's nine state colleges with autonomy from the state government for specific administrative, fiscal, and personnel matters, with boards of trustees assuming greater responsibility and authority. Discusses the transition process and reviews the outcomes of the new governance pattern. New Jersey's experience…

Key issues affecting higher education are globalization, technology, the need for diversification, preservation of autonomy, and collaboration. To respond to changing needs, higher education institutions must increase the transparency and accessibility of their programs and enhance their market advantages while protecting essential principles of…

Autonomy is the right of self-determination and self-governance of higher education institutions by independent academic boards without state government control. In "Sweezy v. New Hampshire," the U.S. Supreme Court defined a college's four essential freedoms: to determine who may teach, what may be taught and how, and who may be admitted…

Can a school board choose a minority teacher, using race as a "plus" factor to promote a more diverse faculty for students' benefit? A school board in New Jersey unanimously voted to keep the minority instructor. The case of "Taxman" involves how much academic discretion educators should have in putting together a faculty. The…

This paper argues that, using Eric Ashby's writing on academic freedom and autonomy and Burton Clark's essay on different modes of coordination, the British government has unnecessarily terminated the University Grants Committee and, in its overreliance on market forces, is threatening the future academic integrity of British universities.…

A document on higher education, a decade in preparation, recognizes certain rights of Roman Catholic institutions to academic freedom and independence, a more moderate stance than anticipated. It outlines norms that may be tailored to existing statutes and operating principles in some instances. For American institutions, rules may be…

Analyzes the case of a Brandeis University student found guilty of "unwanted sexual activity" by a university judicial panel. The student sued Brandeis, and the Massachusets Appeals Court ruled against Brandeis despite the court's customary deference to the decision making of private institutions. Ten other colleges are supporting…

Surveyed bachelor of social work (BSW) directors in combined BSW/MSW programs about autonomy issues. Found seven variables differentiating programs in their need for more autonomy: dean/director support, fiscal equity, equity in distributing faculty resources, teaching assignment authority, faculty support of BSW program, program director's…

The courts in the old British Commonwealth common law countries have been dealing with questions relating to visitorial jurisdiction in public universities. The visitor is a judge of facts who interprets and applies the laws of the university. A decision of the visitor on matters within visitorial jurisdiction is final and not appealable to the…

In the last decade, consensus around equality and efficiency in New Zealand adult education shifted to a focus on autonomy and accountability, economic rationalism, and vocational skills. Adult educators seeking change should emphasize participative democracy, connectedness, and valuing and advancing groups with diverse identities and interests.…