The central problem in the art of administration is maintaining flexibility of organization. To maintain the flexibility that allows vitality and growth there must be within academe devices that encourage and facilitate the achievement of flexibility. Several of these devices are briefly noted. (Article originally published in 1935.) (AF)

A description of the accreditation process, an analysis of developments that have affected accrediting agencies, and evidence of their productive response are provided in this introductory paper. Issues regarding evaluation of nontraditional education are also addressed. (Author/LBH)

State responsibility for chartering, incorporating, and authorizing postsecondary institutions to operate has become crucial in recent years. It is acknowledged that states have made major progress in strengthening their authorizing and regulatory functions but continued progress is needed. (Author/LBH)

New pressures on accreditation and the unique factors that are the foundation of its continuing value to postsecondary education are addressed. The expanding variety of institutions to be accredited, government regulation, state authorization, legal sanctions, and self-regulation are also discussed. (Author/LBH)

In the past 25 years the federal government has increasingly relied upon accrediting agencies for certain judgment. This relationship has become important to both parties, creating some problems for each, but representing an example of successful cooperation between government and the private sector. (Author/LBH)

It is argued that the statutory responsibility of the U.S. Commissioner of Education relates to determining the quality of training or education offered by the institutions accredited by an agency. Reliance for eligibility follows on recognition for quality. Legal elements of recognition authority are discussed. (Author/LBH)

A president, reflecting the initial evaluations that led to the accreditation of many nontraditional institutions, finds the accreditation experience has greatly affected these colleges and their programs. It has also had a positive impact on the accrediting agencies and higher education generally. (Author/LBH)

Substantial changes were found to have occurred in the age distribution and evaluation team experience of institutional accreditation team visitors and chairpersons employed between 1970 and 1977. Criticisms such as "clubiness," duplication of effort, and preference for or dominance of certain types of institutions are discussed. (Author/LBH)

A review of the publications of the six regional accrediting associations is reported and shows that evaluative format varies but that there is a commonly assumed relationship between quality and institutional objectives, educational program, financial resources, faculty, and library/learning center. Assumptions underlying these criteria are…

Although the value of self-study was found to be accepted by a majority of those involved in medical laboratory programs, it is evident that validity, in terms of improved educational programs, can be assessed only after a sufficient number of programs have had a second site visit based on a second or updated self-study. (Author/LBH)

Credentialing educational accomplishment is an important function of colleges and universities. It is shown that accreditation and national assessment programs provide academe with effective tools for improving the quality and social justice of the credentialing system regarding extrainstitutional learning. National testing programs, ACE credit…

The characteristic silence of universities toward change as opposed to a rational problem-solving approach is analyzed and ways of enhancing organizational intelligence are described. Intelligence is portrayed as a prerequisite for collective action to improve learning and to adapt to serious environmental shifts. (Author/JMD)

Attempts are made to account for the failure of generalized planning models for higher education. The reasons offered by survey research are judged to be inadequate. New foundations are laid for the construction and use of planning models, relying heavily on the notion of diverse institutional theories that guide decision making. (Author/JMD)

Data from a survey of part-time faculty in higher education indicate that the reward structure for part-timers differs significantly from that of full-time faculty and that the skills of part-timers do not have a statistically significant effect on their salaries. Instead, salaries are influenced largely by institutional policies and market…

The use of formal (resources and consultants) and informal (interaction among faculty) communication networks, and extrinsic (encouragement of administrators) and intrinsic (personal satisfaction) rewards are examined for their relative ability to predict college faculty use of instructional innovations. Formal networks prove to be the best…