Results of a survey of 15 colleges and universities switching away, at least in part, from investment in the Teachers' Insurance and Annuities Fund and College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF) for faculty retirement illustrate a trend toward increased competition and some definite patterns in fund preference. (MSE)

College and university public relations specialists find that, to get competitive coverage for their institutions, they must provide the media with instant access to information and understand the way the media operate. Although the computer is useful in expanding contacts, responsiveness and information of real interest are foremost…

Looks at work systems that draw on quality engineering and management concepts and use incentives. Discusses how some U.S. companies improve performance and maintain high quality. Suggests that the federal government strategy should include measures to support change in production processes and promote efficient factors of production. (JOW)

Describes ways many cities are managing to deliver better municipal services for less money, through competition and privatization. The impact of such changes on developing nations is explored. Although not explicitly stated, there are implications for public education through the private sector. (SLD)

Describes the development of distance learning technologies at California's De Anza College. Argues that avenues to distance learning will continue to proliferate and that direct competition from commercial providers, unencumbered by faculty and administrative bureaucracy, will be formidable. (JDI)

Discusses consortium-based licensing as a means of meeting libraries' information resources needs. Topics include information needs, the need for more affordable information, requirements for libraries and for vendors, competition across disciplines, saving money, pricing and market practices, experiences at OhioLINK, and future possibilities.…

Discusses virtual libraries in corporate settings from the viewpoint of five special librarians. Highlights include competitive advantage, space and related collection issues, the use of technology, corporate culture, information overload, library vulnerability and downsizing, and the importance of service over format. (LRW)

A group of selective liberal arts colleges will bar many of their athletic teams from postseason championships as of academic year 2001-02, following an eight-year experiment to see if postseason competition would fit into the colleges' missions. Factors in the decision include students missing examinations and increased tension with faculty over…

Sedentary lifestyles and obesity are leading causes of several diseases. About 20% of today's teenagers are overweight; 50% will become overweight adults. Effective health-education classes and physical education that focus on lifelong physical/mental well-being are needed. Administrators should evaluate students' health and fitness. (MLH)

Too often, high school is a place that stifles creativity while fostering competition, conformity, intolerance, and the mean-spiritedness reflected in society. Students do not feel welcome and are caught in a developmental holding pattern. Proactive community-building efforts in Wisconsin and Colorado high schools are described. (MLH)

Reviews the professional status of information scientists and reflects on the 40th anniversary of the Institute of Information Scientists. Topics include the information age in the United Kingdom, information services, essential personal competencies, intensifying competition, accelerating change, communication and information technologies, future…

Small colleges can be effective in consortial arrangements because they are more independent and often less fiercely competitive than larger institutions, making better personal relations possible. The Associated Colleges of the St. Lawrence Valley in northern New York, with four member institutions, has expanded student opportunities, shared…

Explores infrastructure developments in United Kingdom higher education that increase bandwidth to improve the flexibility and quality of education. Discusses distance education; competition; learning environment architecture; technology's impact; metropolitan area networks; wide area networks; asynchronous transfer mode; the socio-economic…

Based on conventional economic analysis, increasing competitive pressures on schools should promote greater curricular innovation and diversity. The United Kingdom's experience suggests that market-based reforms can initially create pressures to increase curriculum conformity in local schooling markets. Innovation incentives are greatest for…

Examines the changing relationship of Australian private schools to the academic curriculum over the period of 1947-1985. Attempts to demonstrate that the modernization of private non-Catholic schools in Australia supported the curriculum against pressures for reform and caused the growth of public schooling to be less effective. (CMK)