This paper provides insight into distributed leadership by contrasting the oppositional messages found in the literature, and by examining differences in the rhetoric and reality associated with its application. Specifically, the treatment of power and accountability within the distributed leadership theoretical framework is difficult to…

This article examines the deregulation of the overseas student sector that took place in Australia during the mid-1980s. It focuses specifically upon the short-term English- language courses that were sold to students from the People's Republic of China. The article suggests that the Hawke government's policy of encouraging Australian language…

Where are university administrators placed in texts that are centred around universities? There appears to be either a total confusion in terminology about administration or a complete disregard for administrators' work but in most cases administrative staff in universities are largely invisible. This paper explores a range of texts (academic,…

Accreditation in higher education is examined by drawing on the experiences of academics and managers in Britain, the United States and Canada. The qualitative comments are used to deconstruct the notion of accreditation. Accreditation processes, it is argued, are not benign or apolitical but represent a power struggle that impinges on academic…

There is no lack of critical literature dealing with cyber-plagiarism and the implications for assessment in higher education. The practice of the selling of academic papers through the Internet is generally included under the category of plagiarism, although it is suggested that this ought to be considered under the separate category of…

This paper describes our experience of managing a two-year research project that involved University staff from two different disciplines and three industry partners. It describes the benefits we gained from the involvement of multiple parties, such as the ability to call upon diverse expertise, the capacity to study a complex issue and the…

Development of a national higher education market in Australia provides the opportunity for open-access universities to develop recruitment strategies based on the experience of North American institutions. Implications are drawn for focusing on student learning potential, reorganizing the curriculum, integrating recruitment and teaching/learning…

Discusses advantages and disadvantages of various types of career-supportive relationships that make up academic women's webs of intellectual, social, personal, and political ties, including formal mentoring, networking, and peer-support programs. Several strategies rooted in each of these models are presented, based on a review of current…

The use of metaphors to reshape both the perceptions and the climate of organizations is applied to the college/university context (e.g., the university as ecosystem, village, neighborhood). Organizational metaphor can be used in place of more formal, predictable management strategies to make organizational change more appealing to a diverse group…

Describes the use of a time-dependent Markov-chain model to develop faculty-replacement strategies within a college at a research university. The study suggests that a stochastic modelling approach can provide valuable insight when planning for personnel needs in the immediate (five-to-ten year) future. (MSE)

Examines five types of collegiate organizations (collegial, bureaucratic, political, anarchical, cybernetic) in terms of their interactiveness within closely and loosely coupled organizations. The terminology of closely and loosely coupled organizations is examined and existing definitions are refined. Examples are drawn from contemporary…

The "Teaching/Learning Project" at Miami-Dade Community College (Florida), a process of dramatic institution-wide change, is described, focusing on the leadership, collaboration, and coordination required to bring about desired changes. Examination of leadership roles include those of the change agent (project director), champion (president), and…

Examines trends in competitive tendering and contracting (i.e., outsourcing) in Australian universities and their implications for university administrators, using data from a survey of 29 institutions. Looks at institutional policies, costing methodologies, services contracted out, and reasons for contracting out services. Results indicate cost…

Study investigated faculty recruitment procedures across universities, departments, and sectors (public/private) in Australia, using reports from department heads and job applicants and case studies. Results revealed varied recruitment and selection strategies. Job applicants reported satisfaction with most but identified some areas needing…

A study investigated college and university trustees' perceptions of the reasons they were selected as trustees, the roles played by key actors in the selection process, and the nature of orientation activities available to new trustees. Subjects were 415 trustees from private colleges, public universities, community/technical colleges, and…