Implementing Retrenchment Strategies: A Comparison of State Governments and Public Higher Education

The authors present a comparative analysis of the processes and strategies by which public organizations implement retrenchment in the face of continued budget shortfalls. The focus is on the governments of the fifty United States and public institutions of higher education in the nine states of the Northeast. Special consideration is given to the programs that have been tried, sources of ideas for the strategies adopted, and constraints that institutions face when dealing with financial crises. While similarities were found for state governments and colleges and universities in use of past strategies and short-term fixes, differences were found in the sources of ideas and the implementation of plans affecting employees. The research suggests that these differences may be attributed to the differences in organizational culture

Assessing the Effects of Incorporating Service in Learning: The Search for a Comprehensive Process of Service Learning Evaluation

Service learning is rapidly becoming a popular teaching and learning tool, yet assessment of the effectiveness of the pedagogy is still developing. It is vital that we begin to systematically evaluate the extent to which service initiatives adhere to sound educational principles and advance the learning of our students . Furthermore, comprehensive assessment of service learning should address the interests of all stakeholders in the process, utilizing instruments that capture the interplay among faculty, students, community, and educational institution. Although evaluation of this pedagogy is still in its infancy, a careful and considered application of a variety of linked assessment mechanisms should provide insights into the true nature of service learning