This paper by the former president of the University of Liberia on building consensus for higher education reform in Africa begins by identifying three obstacles to reform: (1) lack of understanding of the complex African context which could result in setting the wrong goals for reform; (2) a political situation that inhibits freedom of thought…

The proceedings of a 1996 symposium organized in conjunction with the 81st World Esperanto Congress include papers and summaries of discussions concerning the relevance of Esperanto to contemporary international life. The papers and discussion transcripts are presented in their entirety in the language (Esperanto, English, or French) in which they…

Despite contemporary efforts to develop lists of department chair tasks and responsibilities, there is no historical foundation available for understanding the department chair position. This study was designed to identify the critical incidents and factors which impacted on the development of the department chair position in higher education from…

This paper reviews four decades of research on race and education in Great Britain and discusses the deficit theories of underachievement that serve as the structure of most of the studies. Focus is placed on black youth of Caribbean origin and how they perform in British schools. Consideration is also given to constructive frameworks from gender…

Selected current readings in the area of school reform are presented. Seven selections in "The Front Lines" focus on current developments in educational change in the political arena. A section on "Charter Schools" contains eight readings on the development and implementation of charter schools. A section titled "School…

The Newspapers section of the proceedings contains the following 11 papers: "News Items in the 'Shrinking Foreign Newshole': The Case of the New York Times" (Daniel Riffe and others); "Newspaper Coverage of Gays and Lesbians: Editors' Views of Its Longterm Effects" (Marilyn Greenwald and Joseph Bernt); "Effects of Staff…

This monograph offers insight into the development of the conceptual basis, scholarly inquiry, and professional practice of adult education in West Germany from the end of World War II to the German reunification. Introductory materials are an "Introduction" (Wilhelm Mader) and "Translator's Note and Acknowledgements" (Martin…

This study analyses reasons given by the Canadian government for undertaking and administering relocations of Inuit (Eskimos) in 1953-55. The study, based on interviews and a review of government files, corroborates oral testimony by surviving Inuit, who said they suffered years of neglect following their resettlement from Quebec to the High…

One of a series of studies related to the Delphi research project: "Policy Instruments for Higher Education in the Western Europe of the Future", this paper describes the beginnings of a consumer-oriented public higher education system in the Netherlands. It first examines the start of public debate with the publication of two political…

The relevance of Richard E. Neustadt's presidential choice making theory to a university presidency is analyzed. This theory, which was introduced in Neustadt's 1960 publication "Presidential Power," is examined in regard to situations that occurred at Kent State University (KSU): the KSU Black United Student (BUS) confrontation with the…

A small group of Boston Public School teachers met for a year to explore the question of what keeps teachers going, a question that bears asking because of the precarious situation of public education today. In this article, I describe the work of the What Keeps Teachers Going? inquiry group as a way to challenge current notions of what it means…

The history of Christ College Irvine (CCI), which is part of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, is discussed, with attention to the forces contributing to the formation of the new Christian liberal arts college and to assessing the nature of the school. Results of the Danforth Commission study of definitions for church-sponsored colleges are also…

This book reviews the history of vocational, technical, and adult education (VTAE) in Wisconsin, which has one of the most effective systems in the United States. The review shows that although the system has changed dramatically, its mission of education for employment has not. Nine chapters consider Wisconsin's VTAE system from statehood to the…

Current concern over the link between the teaching of foreign languages and cultures is itself an American cultural concern, born of a specifically American educational tradition focusing on utility, democracy, and scientific measures of progress. State guidelines for integration of the teaching of languages and culture reflect the following…

The Canadian population's belief in the values of effective leadership, proven competence, and responsive representation of society's interests have led to the development of an educational system in which (1) the central provincial government exercises greater power over education than do local boards, (2) local boards generally bow to the…