Running a university is fast becoming more challenging than managing a large corporation, in part due to greater quality demands by more groups in the face of shrinking resources and budget cuts. This paper argues against universities conducting business as usual in the face of societal change and increasingly greater challenges, and presents…

Focusing on the area of student participation, this paper considers the findings of a research project conducted by a team at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean, and funded by the New South Wales Department of School Education. The project was broadly focused on investigating the dynamics of communication within the school communities of…

When created and operated appropriately, school-site councils can be a very useful component of school renewal. Councils are difficult to create, since members must shift roles, compromise strongly held beliefs, and invest considerable time, energy, and know-how. Advantages of group decision making are bringing diverse experience and expertise to…

This paper describes a national 3-year project, the Empowered School District Project, which was implemented in nine school districts to empower school participants. This paper focuses on the efforts to empower students by helping them become independent, lifelong learners. The project was implemented in nine schools--five elementary and four high…

A study examined the impact of work teams on production, quality, and morale within the State of Alaska Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, using data from fiscal years 1992 and 1993 when a change from a hierarchical organization to a team-based approach took place in the agency. Production was defined as the percentage of placements achieved…

Higher education institutions and systems must change to respond to the demands of a more complex era. Increased demand for education, continuing decreases in available funds to support institutions, rising costs, and questions about the quality of higher education suggest that the current system is inadequate. Much of the shape of higher…

In 1992, Hudson County Community College (HCCC), in New Jersey, began a mission review process to expand from a limited, career-oriented institution to a comprehensive urban community college. Mission statements were reviewed from 67 comprehensive community colleges in 22 states and a questionnaire was devised to determine college staff and…

To help administrators understand the organizational, social, and ideological forces impeding their efforts to empower teachers, this paper provides three critiques of teacher empowerment proposals from functionalist, structural Marxist, and poststructural perspectives. Although the 1980s reform reports promote a type of empowerment that accords…

In May 1989, as part of a college renewal and self-study process, Hazard Community College conducted a 2-day retreat involving all segments of the college community. Focus groups were established to examine and define the values that best represented the institution. At the end of the second day, each of the 11 focus groups presented a consensus…

This quarterly report, covering February 1 through June 30, 1989, summarizes problems with Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan to reduce inequities in predominantly Black and Hispanic American schools in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal is to train the constituent representatives of the…

This first-year evaluation analyzes the composition and participation of the core planning teams of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan to reduce inequities in predominantly Black and Hispanic American schools in Chicago (Illinois). CANAL's goal is to organize and train core planning…

This evaluation analyzes the composition and participation of the core planning teams of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan to reduce inequities in predominantly Black and Hispanic American schools in Chicago (Illinois). The report covers activities during the first quarter of CANAL's…

This evaluation analyzes the composition and participation of the core planning teams of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan in Chicago (Illinois). The report covers activities during the second quarter of CANAL's second year. CANAL's goal is to organize and train core planning teams to…

This evaluation analyzes participation of the core planning teams in the special training activities of Project Creating a New Approach to Learning (CANAL), part of a court-mandated desegregation plan in Chicago (Illinois). The report covers activities during the third quarter of CANAL's second year. CANAL's goal is to organize and train core…

This booklet synthesizes symposium discussions exploring how to transform organizations to compete in the rapidly changing world economy. First, the new cooperative organization is defined. Next, practical advice on making partnership organizations a reality is summarized. Suggestions include appealing to people's self-interest; coming up with…