J. Douglas Toma

Expanding peripheral activities, increasing accountability demands and reconsidering governance in US higher education

Activities emerging on the periphery of American universities and colleges of all types have challenged traditional conceptions of governance, particularly how to properly involve faculty. Examples of these activities are academic programs for non‐traditional students, various auxiliary activities within institutions, and partnerships with communities and industry. This paper describes the US approach to governance and discusses how concerns about diminishing resources and increasing demand, competition and costs are causing institutions to become more managed and less influenced by faculty. The paper concludes with a discussion of recent recommendations for reform in the governance of American higher education.

Criteria Used for Qualitative Research in the Refereeing Process.

Qualitative research, which is gaining wider acceptance within higher education scholarship, may need different criteria from those applied to quantitative methods. The researchers analyzed the comments of Review of Higher Education referees who reviewed qualitative submissions to document the criteria that they applied. The analysis showed that reviewers emphasized good writing and clear articulation of all elements of the study and its execution.

Pluralism in the Curriculum: Understanding Its Foundations and Evolution.

Abstract: W. B. Camochan argues in a new book that there has never been consensus on the American undergraduate curriculum. His work adds immensely to our understanding of the historical context of the current curricular debate but does not fully weigh two important and contrasting perspectives, the classic 1963 analysis by educational philosopher Philip Phenix and the more recent work by literary scholar Paul Lauter.