Some higher education observers suggest that the increasing complexity of academic governance is a way of characterizing the evolution of social expectations. Others say it underscores the adaptability of higher education's organizational structures and practices. As a general account, increasing complexity fits better during times of growth than…

This article reports on the National School Boards Association Convention (April 1983, San Francisco, California). Presentations centered on school children's mental health, board relations with teachers and administrators, academic standards, student discipline, merit pay and competency testing, and financial problems. (PP)

Confusion and conflict between college administration and policy formation are discussed. A reformulation of trustee, administrator, and faculty responsibility is proposed in which policy-making and implementation are shared, in varying proportions according to institution size and type, and in which the administration is encouraged to formulate…

A national survey to which 4,210 board members responded gathered data by geographic region on members' age, ethnic group, sex, income, length of board experience, and opinions on current educational concerns and priorities and on the roles of boards and superintendents in over 20 areas of school governance. (RW)

Concurrent case studies of consensus formation and maintenance in school district governance in six New York districts yielded eight critical variables, including environmental constraints, community interest group mobilization, school board and administrator unity, administrative expertise, superintendents' leadership abilities, teacher…

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) offers members the AGB Board Mentor Service to assist trustees and their chief executives in conducting a workshop to assess and improve board performance. The service is one-time, maximum-impact, and designed to encourage boards to continue improving. (JMD)

Argues that trust is the key to positive community college board-president relations and discusses ways to develop and maintain trust. Presents recommendations for using quality leadership, team building, and planning and organization to enhance the board-president relationship. (AJL)

The responsibility of the college president is to hear all voices, solicit opinion broadly, and help formulate policies that benefit the entire campus. A comprehensive review should be undertaken to help the board decide on campus priorities. (MSE)

Examines whether New Jersey school board members follow the prescriptions of reformers and refer constituents with complaints to professional administrators, or act as elected representatives and respond to parents' and community groups' requests for help in dealing with teachers and administrators. Discusses factors influencing board members'…

Describes the working relationship between a board of education and the superintendent of schools. Outlines specific responsibilities of the superintendent. Discusses problems of policy development and administration and accountability of the school board to the community. (FMW)

Three university administrators, the president of the Association of Governing Boards, and a legislator/university trustee respond to the question: "In this era of diminishing resources and changing expectations of higher education, will governing boards significantly influence how colleges and universities respond?" All support the potential…

The relationship between school board members and school business officials has become increasingly important. They must collaborate to keep schools functioning efficiently and children constantly learning. If business managers are technocrats and number crunchers, boards must make a judgment about those numbers and decide how funds should be…

New school board members must learn to acknowledge the job's difficulty, avoid micromanaging the superintendent, carve out personal time, avoid adverse publicity, field parental lawsuit threats, prioritize communication, attend national conventions, avoid seeking special favors, beware one-size reform packages, and realize their expendability.…

One advantage to an interim administrative position is that the public cuts short-timers a little slack. Temporary administrators can learn on the job and become experts on specialized subjects. Personnel issues demand more time than interims possess. Such positions usually do not turn into long-term contracts. (MLH)

This article examines the language games played by superintendents as they work with school boards and community activists to craft school policy. We begin by examining the role of language in problem definition and the agenda-setting process. We then examine how political culture and the media affect problem definition. We argue that school…