Predictions made in 1978 about Australian higher education are re-examined. Very inaccurate enrollment predictions are attributed to unforeseen demand and supply influences. The end to the binary system of higher education, a major change in 1989, was not predicted. However, early analyses of relationships between education, employment, and…

The nature and effects of Australian efforts to create and maintain quality higher education are examined, focusing on specific government initiatives and on international trends and influences. It is suggested that even the best quality assurance processes do not guarantee good results, and that quality is a complex phenomenon depending on an…

The Teaching Allocation and Management Model (TAMM) designed to help university department administrators assign faculty to courses is described, noting its strengths and limitations. The model has been used in business departments, but is seen as adaptable to any discipline. Formulas for budgeting are included in the model. (MSE)

Changes in women's participation in Australian higher education since the 1950s, primarily as employees, are examined in the context of policies and structures in place during that period. Factors influencing employment and promotion of women university employees are discussed, and action that could be taken at personal and system levels to…

To help assess Australian universities' compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act, a study examined implementation in the United States of the Americans with Disabilities Act in five state universities seen as leaders in innovation for students and staff with disabilities. Implications of the American experience for the Australian context…

Increasing Malaysian demand for business education is examined from the perspective of Australia, one of the largest suppliers to the region. Topics discussed include: origins and nature of the demand; Malaysian enrollment patterns in Australia; "twinning programs," in which a Malaysian college and a foreign university collaborate to meet such…

Examines the economic health of New England's approximately 260 higher education institutions using six indicators: enrollment (foreign students/total enrollments by institution type); state support of higher education; private support of higher education; student financial aid; research and development; and library holdings. Offers overviews and…

Distance learning by distributed computing, or creation of a virtual learning community, can both solve logistical problems in higher education and create new instructional and learning opportunities. Knowledge webs (the Internet and World Wide Web) extend access to knowledge; shared synthetic environments provide sensory immersion; distributed…

Analyzes interstate migration patterns of New England's college students, including patterns unique to each state and movement to states outside the region. Discusses factors affecting migration. Includes data on migration of freshmen to and from New England, net student migration to other states, and New England institutions and other…

The challenge in university governance is to provide sufficient autonomy to sustain academic vitality while ensuring that this energy is directed toward the broad public interest. Maine and New Jersey, two very different states, have been experimenting with structural changes, primarily decentralization, to balance autonomy with accountability.…

Interviews with four continuing education program planners and analysis of critical incident reports supported the notion that planning is a social activity guided by a process of negotiating interests. In the planning process, different levels of power exist in relationship to different audiences. (SK)

Part-time faculty are critical in providing a sense of the marketplace to guide curriculum improvement. If adjuncts are not given a greater role, market forces will dictate curriculum change, albeit slowly and inefficiently. (SK)

Continuing education departments should practice what they preach by attending to the development of their own staff. Focal areas for development include customer service, organizational thinking, lifelong learning, technological advances, and worker empowerment. (SK)

Gives advice about dealing with group interviews in an academic environment, addressing the following topics: location, politics, preparation, presentation, and follow-up. (SK)

Higher education institutions must be transformed to make them accessible to learners on learners' own terms. This means overcoming such barriers as faculty attitudes about their role, inability to recognize how the clientele is changing, and rudimentary technological infrastructure. (SK)