Throughout the United States, colleges and universities are faced with an increasing need for financial funding, while at the same time resources continue to diminish. With the limitations of available funds, community colleges must exhibit efficiencies in the operations of their institutions. External interests, such as governing boards and legislatures, require demonstration of efficient financial management. This evidence is then used to make decisions concerning future financial support for the community college. This study determined if community college chief executive officers use financial performance indicators as provided by the State Auditor's Office and if the chief executive officers of the community colleges value the compilation and the distribution of the financial performance indicators. In the selected colleges, many of the chief executive officers depend on their chief financial officer for understanding and application of financial performance indicators. The performance indicators distributed by the Auditor's Office captured only a snapshot of the college's performance, and failed to fully describe the whole college performance or specific financial events captured by the indicators. Though the indicators had flaws, either through incorrect data or lack of explanation, the CEOs did value their compilation because they provided a means for ‘getting the community college story' to decision makers external to the college.The State Auditor's performance indicators were developed using a university model. Because of the distinct difference in mission between the community college and the university, several of the indicators were not applicable to the community colleges. The CEOs suggested that another set of indicators be developed, using community college input, that would better capture the financial performance of the colleges. The new set of indicators should be simplified and measure only those areas, such as revenues and expenditures, that are truly comparable from one institution to another.

The problem of this study concerns the admissions and transition programs of undergraduate institutions which are members of the Christian College Coalition. The purposes of this study are to determine whether Christian College Coalition member institutions have encountered the same national concerns in the area of the transition from high school to college as identified by Ernest Boyer in College: The Undergraduate Experience in America, and to determine whether admissions programs in the member institutions are adhering to the principles of good practice of the National Association of College Admission Counselors (NACAC).

Using qualitative methodology and a case study format, this study examines from the inside-out the organizational impact of significant change in leadership at a mature community college during the initial period of that change. The study describes and characterizes the nature of change in the organization during the periods of significant leadership transition, and examines the conceptual links between the new leadership team and the external and internal forces of change impacting the college during that time. The researcher has endeavored to pull significant events, actions, and circumstances of the new top leadership team in the college selected for study through a specific theoretical framework to find links of relationship and connection. That framework defines organizational change as a coalition of interests and a network of activities within a moving structure impacted by a combination of past events, pushes arising from the environment, and pulls from dominant coalitions. / Graduation date: 1998

Increasingly, colleges and universities are partnering with private, non-profit, and government organizations in order to generate revenue, develop academic programs, transfer research to market, and gain legitimacy (Anderson, 2001; Etzkowitz & Lvdesdorff, 1997; Slaughter & Leslie, 1997; Slaughter & Rhoades, 2004). While research exploring this phenomenon in universities has produced several important works, fewer studies have examined partnerships centered on the community college. Instead, the bulk of articles written about community college partnerships merely serve as how-to guides for college leaders, providing the benefits of and lessons learned from specific partnerships between colleges and industry (Erwin, 2005; Sundberg, 2002). The purpose of this case study is to provide an in-depth, critical analysis of a complex partnership involving many organizations in a unique geographic setting. The study focuses on the community college at the center of a regional STEM education coalition, exploring why the college entered into the partnership and how it was affected. Findings demonstrate that several factors at the state and national level, or "streams," combined to form a powerful "current" of influence uniquely tailored to the community in which the college was located. Further, the loose and informal structure of the coalition, coupled with a myopic and hegemonic institutional narrative, allowed individuals outside the college to guide and direct the activities of the institution with relatively little dissent. Because of the lack of orchestrated inter-organizational coordination and agreement, the objective of the coalition, to develop a pipeline of STEM education programs from high school through the university, suffered from challenges and breakdowns at every level. The study concludes by discussing implications for college leaders regarding building relationships with external organizations, effectively serving the local citizenry, and responding to constituents and incentives of various kinds.

The primary problem with which this investigation is concerned was the assessment of the perceptions of lower-level administrators as to leadership styles they see to be in effect in their respective colleges and universities in Texas. The purposes of this investigation were to 1) identify the administrative leadership styles in effect, 2) determine the prevailing leadership styles among presidents and lower-level officers, 3) test the assumption that lower-level officers select leadership styles similar to those styles perceived to be descriptive of chief officers and other administrators, 4) determine if the type of institution (public/ private) is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 5) determine if institutional size is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 6) ascertain if age is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 7) determine if educational level is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 8) determine if institutional level is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 9) ascertain if tenure in an administrative position is a factor in the choice of leadership styles, 10) determine if administrative position is a factor in the choice of leadership styles. Analysis of the findings revealed the most popular styles of leadership were democratic, pragmatic-functional, and organismic. The prevailing style of leadership of the chief officer was democratic. Lower-level officers tend to select leadership styles similar to those styles they perceived to describe chief officers. The following characteristics of the institution or administrators were not significant factors in selecting leadership styles: public/ private colleges, institutional size, and position of the administrator, educational level of the institution, and years in an administrative position. The age and education of the administrator were significantly related to leadership styles. The administrators, for the most part, were educated in academic disciplines that were not management related.

The purpose of this study was to analyze data from different sizes and types of higher education institutions in order to identify differences and similarities that may exist between the perceptions of top executives relative to idea generation and strategy implementation activities in the administration of higher education in Texas. In order to carry out the purpose of this study, two hypotheses were tested concerning the perceptions of top executives (presidents and vice presidents) relative to idea generation and strategy implementation activities in institutions of higher education in Texas. Type and size of the institution are the primary factors involved with these two hypotheses.

This study was designed to explore the perceptions of the leadership behavior of deans of students at 15 universities in the Republic of China (ROC). The study groups included the deans of students, student affairs staff members, and student leaders within the 15 universities. The Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire (LBDQ) was employed to assess the leadership behavior of the deans of students in the dimensions of initiating structure and consideration. The population included 10 current deans of students and 8 former deans of students, 173 student affairs staff members, and 224 student leaders. In addition, six current deans of students and one officer of the Ministry of Education were interviewed by the researcher. The conclusions are as follows. 1. Current and former deans of students had the same perceptions and expectations of the leadership behavior in the initiating structure and consideration dimensions. 2. Effective leadership behavior of deans of students was associated with high scores on initiating structure and consideration. 3. Deans of students employed different leadership behaviors to lead the student affairs staff members and student leaders. 4. The leadership behavior of the deans of students was inclined toward high initiating structure and low consideration. 5. Deans of students and student affairs staff members had differing perceptions of leadership behavior on real consideration. 6. Deans of students and the student leaders had differing perceptions of leadership behavior on real initiating structure. This study suggested that a dean of students may want to employ a plan of self-study, or participate in leadership training programs, workshops, and conferences related to student affairs to improve leadership behavior effectively. Further research to examine the perceptions of the leadership behavior of deans of students is recommended.

The integrative potential of the division for student affairs was investigated in this study using as the basis for assessment the six determinants for effective integrative units delineated by Lawrence and Lorsch. A review of related literature indicated that three of five of the determinants were at least partially, if not substantially, met by the division for student affairs. Student affairs was found neither to have influence based upon competence within higher education institutions nor operate within a setting of high total organization influence. Analysis of the data indicated that confrontation was not the primary mode of conflict resolution utilized in the southwestern multiversity studied, but rather, the compromise mode was ranked first by upper- and middle-level managers. The sixth determinant, then, was not met. It appeared that since three of the determinants were met and three not met, the potential for student affairs acting as an integrative unit was limited. Other data gathered through questionnaires, interviews, and factor analysis in this investigation suggested that there was a wide disparity between the modes of conflict resolution actually used on campus and those perceived as desirable in handling disagreements. It was shown that the modes were viewed differently in the higher education setting studied than in business or public school settings. An inquiry into certain personal and positional variables evidenced that they had little influence upon the modes used or considered most desirable.

This study is concerned with the problem of analyzing the attitudes of the faculty and administration of North Texas State University. The purposes of this study are to describe the North Texas State University campus environment as perceived by the faculty and administration through responses to the CUES II questionnaire, and to compare selected subgroups of the faculty with regard to their perceptions of the campus environment. The questionnaire used in this study is the College and University Environment Scales: Second Edition. The questionnaire consists of 160 items or statements about facilities and conditions that may or may not be characteristic of a particular campus. There are seven different scores on the scales for the measurement of campus environmental characteristics. These scales are Practicality, Scholarship, Community, Awareness, Propriety, Campus Morale, and Quality of Teaching and Faculty-Student Relations.

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