Educational Administration and Supervision Commons^™

Volume 03, Number 01, Don Forrester Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 03, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

System-Wide Title Vi Regulation Of Higher Education, 1968-1988: Implications For Increased Minority Participation, John B. Williams

Trotter Review

In 1964, 300,000 blacks were enrolled in the nation’s higher education system, most of them attending black colleges and universities in the South; 4,700,000 whites attended colleges during the same year. With passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Law, the federal government acknowledged an inequity in blacks’ opportunity to attend college and gave promise of becoming a major source of pressure for desegregating higher education. But the potential of Title VI, the promise of government intervention to accomplish greater equity, has never been fulfilled.

Specifically, Title VI renders discriminatory agencies and institutions, including colleges and universities, ineligible to receive federal …

The Academic Workplace: Perception Versus Reality, Sandra E. Elman

New England Journal of Public Policy

Why are faculty becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the quality of the academic workplace? What accounts for burnout and low morale among so many college and university faculty? Is work life for professionals any more satisfying in the business world? What can academic leaders learn from business executives who work vigorously to reenergize their enterprises? Are corporate strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of work life applicable to improving satisfaction and productivity in our colleges and universities?

These concerns were addressed by a number of education leaders at a conference on faculty work life jointly sponsored by the New England Resource …

Volume 02, Number 03, Don Forrester Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 02, Number 03 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Innovation In Student Affairs: The Influence Of Individual And Organizational Factors On Programmatic And Technological Change, Sally S. Thomas

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this paper was to explore the influence individual and organizational factors exerted on technological innovations, programmatic innovations and combined technological and programmatic innovations. Student affairs divisions in Comprehensive I colleges and universities constituted the administrative unit examined. The two types of program innovations examined were substance abuse prevention/education programs and retention/academic support programs. The technological innovations examined were financial aid computerized award calculation and computerized career counseling. The individual factors examined were professionalism, gender and age of the chief student affairs officer. The organizational factors were vertical, horizontal and combined vertical and horizontal complexity, centralization and size. …

Volume 02, Number 02, Don Forrester Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 02, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Shaping A Future: The Founding Of The University Of New England, Eleanor Humes Haney

Shaping a Future

Published by UNE's Office of University Relations in 1989, this book covers the history of St. Francis College and its eventual transformation into the University of New England.

Volume 02, Number 01, Don Forrester Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 02, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Different Strokes, Clarence W. Bahs

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the debates surrounding promotion, tenure, and merit decisions in higher education, emphasizing their emotional and professional impact on faculty and administrators. It argues that while teaching, research, and service remain the universal standards, their application varies widely across institutions and disciplines. Using the example of a theatre and dance program, the discussion highlights how criteria are adapted to reflect program needs, such as valuing creative contributions in production alongside research and teaching. It also underscores the importance of collaboration, community service, and the recognition of program uniqueness. The article concludes that academic evaluations should account for institutional …

The Search For A Massachusetts Chancellor: Autonomy And Politics In Higher Education, Richard A. Hogarty

New England Journal of Public Policy

Political scientists have not devoted much attention to the politics of higher education. Their reluctance is hard to explain since the material for study is close at hand and the subject offers ample research opportunities. The search for a chancellor conducted by the Massachusetts Board of Regents in 1986 aroused considerable public attention and controversy. This case study examines that controversy along with the tensions that arise when academic and political forces collide. Few searches in academia are perfect and none is a morality play. This one proved to be no exception. This article is an attempt to reconstruct the …

Volume 01, Number 03, Janis C. Epps Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 01, Number 03 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Volume 01, Number 02, Janis C. Epps Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 01, Number 02 of Reaching Through Teaching.

A Survey Of Faculty Salaries In Selected Communication Disciplines: 1986–87, Patricia D. Witherspoon, Kathleen J. Jensen

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reports results from a 1986–87 national survey of faculty salaries in selected communication disciplines, including advertising, journalism, radio-television-film, speech communication, and communication disorders. Data were collected from thirty-five institutions, primarily public universities, with salary ranges reported by rank across departments. Results indicate that advertising faculty consistently earned the highest mean salaries, particularly at the assistant professor level, reflecting competition with business schools and private sector opportunities. Speech communication salaries ranked lowest at the assistant and associate levels but showed the greatest percentage increase at the full professor rank, surpassing other disciplines. Salary differences were attributed to factors such …

Academic Departments: Breaking The Habit Of Isolation, Jon Whitmore

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article critiques the tendency of academic departments to become isolated and protective of their disciplinary boundaries, limiting opportunities for intellectual growth and collaboration. While departments provide essential structure and identity within higher education, they can also foster parochialism, territorialism, and insularity. The discussion highlights theatre as an inherently interdisciplinary field that naturally connects with literature, music, anthropology, cultural studies, and technology, making it well-suited for cross-departmental partnerships. Examples include collaborations with engineering and architecture on computer-aided design, with visual artists and composers on performance art, and with modern languages and cultural studies scholars as dramaturgs. The article argues that …

Perspectives On Visiting Artist Program, Eleanor Nyquist Patton

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reflects on the experience of serving as a visiting artist at McNeese State University, offering guidance for both guest artists and host institutions. It emphasizes the mutual benefits of such programs, noting that visiting artists bring fresh ideas, renewed energy, and new perspectives, while also gaining opportunities for professional growth and creative exploration. The discussion outlines practical considerations, including aligning artistic philosophy with the host institution, clarifying workload expectations, and understanding available facilities, budgets, and schedules before accepting an engagement. Attention is given to the importance of recognizing limitations, valuing differences, and negotiating fair compensation and accommodations. The …

Why Are You So Happy?, Samuel L. Becker, Douglas M. Trank

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reports findings from a national survey of communication department chairs examining factors that influence job satisfaction. Respondents generally indicated moderate to high satisfaction, with little variation across institutional types. However, the type of college housing the department affected satisfaction, with chairs in social sciences reporting the highest levels and those in performing arts the lowest. The most significant concerns across institutions were budgetary issues, including funds for equipment, travel, and general expenses, along with shortages of faculty. Analysis showed that perceptions of how departments were valued by higher administrators strongly influenced satisfaction, especially at master’s and doctoral-granting institutions. …

Volume 01, Number 01, Janis C. Epps Editor

Reaching Through Teaching

Full text of Volume 01, Number 01 of Reaching Through Teaching.

Involving Faculty In Department And Professional Service, G. Jack Gravlee

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the role of faculty service in higher education and the responsibilities of department chairs in balancing participation with protection from excessive demands. Service is defined broadly, encompassing internal duties such as committees and advising, as well as external contributions to the community and professional organizations. The discussion highlights ambiguities in how service is valued compared to teaching and research, often leaving faculty uncertain about its impact on evaluation. Practical recommendations are offered for administrators: clarifying departmental obligations, rotating assignments, introducing new faculty gradually, reserving key tasks for senior members, and rewarding time-intensive service. Equally emphasized is the …

Helping Teachers Become Better Teachers, Robert C. Dick

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines the challenges of improving teaching effectiveness in higher education, with particular focus on communication faculty. It argues that universities often undervalue teaching compared to research and service, resulting in limited recognition and rewards for instructional excellence. Contributing factors to poor teaching include reliance on outdated materials, burnout, limited interest in assigned courses, and pressures from tenure and promotion systems that prioritize publication. The discussion reviews methods of evaluating teaching, including peer review, student ratings, and departmental oversight, emphasizing the need for balanced and constructive feedback. It highlights the role of faculty development centers, workshops, and instructional grants …

Collegial Governance In Public Institutions: A Dean's View, J. Robert Wills

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines collegial governance in public institutions from the perspective of a dean, addressing both its challenges and potential. Governance is described as occurring within a complex web of relationships among faculty, chairs, deans, and central administrators, often divided into opposing “teams” that foster distrust and hinder cooperation. Key barriers identified include the diversity of purposes among faculty and administrators, declining trust that leads to cumbersome checks and balances, and the increasing intrusion of external agencies into institutional decision making. Despite these obstacles, the discussion argues that campuses function best when decision making is inclusive and transparent. The dean’s …

A Response To The Communication Arts And Sciences: Together Again, Harry Ausprich

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This piece responds to ongoing debates about the organization of the communication arts and sciences by situating the discussion within the larger purpose of education. It argues that administrative considerations such as budgets, efficiency, or departmental structures should be secondary to the broader aim of cultivating intellectual inquiry, values, and connectedness across disciplines. Drawing on reports about educational reform and cultural commentary, it stresses the importance of balancing liberal studies with professional training to prepare students for rapid societal change. The essay highlights the responsibility of faculty to foster learning that emphasizes “know why” rather than only “know how.” It …

Organizational Qualities Of Academic Departments, Michael Pacanowsky

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article explores the qualities of organizational culture that can make academic departments more enabling rather than constraining. Drawing on a sabbatical experience with W.L. Gore & Associates, the discussion contrasts corporate practices with academic structures. Gore’s culture emphasized freedom, fairness, commitment, and open communication, supported by a lattice-style structure and sponsorship instead of hierarchical management. From this model, six principles of empowering organizations are identified: distributing power and opportunity, maintaining open communication, using integrative problem-solving, encouraging challenge within trust, fostering self-responsibility, and learning from organizational contradictions. The article applies these principles to higher education, offering questions for administrators to …

Female Leadership In Male-Dominated Organizations, Sue Dewine

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines female leadership in male-dominated organizational cultures, particularly within the field of communication. It critiques common advice that encourages women to imitate masculine leadership models, arguing that such approaches create sterile environments and diminish the unique strengths women bring to leadership. The discussion reviews research on organizational culture and the influence of administrators in shaping departmental climates, highlighting persistent barriers faced by women in higher education. Evidence shows that female administrators often experience role conflict, isolation, and burnout, despite having skills comparable to male counterparts. Recommendations include embracing androgynous leadership traits, building professional networks, and promoting cultural change …

Leadership And Conflict Management, Linda L. Putnam

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines conflict management as a central component of organizational life, particularly within educational settings. Conflict is defined as interaction among interdependent parties over perceived incompatible goals or actions, with potential to be either destructive or constructive. Constructive management emphasizes clarity, openness, and trust, while destructive approaches foster rigidity, defensiveness, and escalation. The discussion explores the unique features of academic organizations, including loosely coupled systems, competing goals, scarce resources, and divided professional loyalties, which make them especially prone to disputes. Strategies reviewed include conflict styles such as confrontation, forcing, smoothing, compromising, and avoiding, as well as bargaining approaches that …

The Communication Arts And Sciences: Together Again? Well, It All Depends, J. Robert Wills

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article considers the administrative organization of communication arts and sciences in higher education, noting that approaches vary widely across campuses. It emphasizes that no single model is universally correct; rather, structures should be shaped by institutional mission, levels of specialization, program size, and campus culture. Examples illustrate that theatre, for instance, may be housed in English, communication, fine arts, or as a stand-alone program, with each arrangement carrying historical precedent and local justification. The discussion argues against imposing a national norm, urging instead that institutions regularly examine their organizational choices. While structure can influence outcomes, program excellence depends more …

The Future Of Theatre Education: Defining The Discipline, J. Robert Wills

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article addresses the ongoing challenges and future prospects of theatre education in higher education. It argues that despite a long history on college campuses, theatre has struggled to gain widespread respectability and to achieve consistent excellence. The discussion emphasizes two fundamental questions—“Who are we?” and “What do we do?”—which programs must answer to define their missions and philosophies. Nine persistent dilemmas are outlined, including the balance between tradition and innovation, vocational training and liberal learning, specialization and generalization, and the role of students as individuals rather than passive participants. Additional concerns involve weak exploration of new ideas, limited articulation …

Leadership And Management In The Academic Department: How Can Community And Bureaucracy Be Reconciled?, George Cheney

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article explores the tension between bureaucracy and community in academic departments, offering leadership as a means of reconciliation. Bureaucratic structures, rooted in Weber’s analysis, are critiqued for displacing goals with procedures, obscuring social purposes, and minimizing individuals. These issues are shown to be particularly relevant in higher education, where efficiency, specialization, and management often overshadow academic ideals. The discussion contrasts management, associated with control and manipulation, with leadership, defined as guidance, inspiration, and cooperation. Drawing on organizational theory, leadership is described as fostering communication, articulating shared purpose, and enlisting cooperation. The metaphor of community is proposed to balance bureaucratic …

The Public-Private Forum: Good Intentions Randomize Behavior, Robert Wood

New England Journal of Public Policy

Public and private institutions of higher learning coexist throughout the United States in a pattern of diversity that is unknown in any other postindustrial society — and Massachusetts is a prime example of U.S. pluralism in education. In an era of scarce resources and mounting costs, the contrary instincts for cooperation and competition are at work. This article is an account ofa voluntary attempt among private and public colleges and universities between 1973 and 1976 to forge a fragile partnership — the Massachusetts Public-Private Forum — which first flourished, then foundered. Tracing the course of its early successes and final …

So The Football Team Was 10-2! How Are The Fine Arts Here?, Paul A. Distler

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article reflects on the evolving relationship between administrators and arts educators in higher education. Once marked by misunderstanding and tension, these groups increasingly recognized the arts as a vital resource for institutional success. Anecdotes illustrate how strong arts programs became assets in recruiting distinguished faculty, attracting top-level students, and appealing to parents seeking well-rounded educational opportunities. The arts also played growing roles in alumni relations and fundraising, demonstrating their ability to enhance institutional prestige and financial support. The discussion emphasizes that administrators came to view the arts much like athletics—an area with broad value for visibility, engagement, and development. …

Measuring Speech Communication Skills, Edwin C. Carpenter

Association for Communication Administration Bulletin

This article examines whether speech communication skills acquired in the college classroom can be effectively measured and how such assessment supports accountability in higher education. Carpenter argues that public demand for demonstrable educational outcomes requires communication programs to adopt rigorous, standardized methods of evaluating student achievement. While faculty may resist external measures, he contends that effective instruments already exist, including the Communication Competency Assessment Instrument (CCAI) and the ACT Speaking Skills Assessment, which focus on observable speaking and listening behaviors. The paper highlights the importance of faculty-defined performance criteria, consistent evaluation practices, and feedback systems for continuous program improvement. Drawing …