Administering Successful Programs for Adults: Promoting Excellence in Adult, Community, and Continuing Education (Professional Practices in Adult Education and Human Resource Development Series) (Hardcover)

by Michael W. Galbraith (Author), Burton R. Sisco (Author), Lucy Madsen Guglielmino (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The authors offer practical advice to novice and experienced administrators on the day-to-day duties and responsibilities of organizing and administering successful programs in adult, community, and continuing education settings. Administering Successful Programs for Adults is designed to assist administrators in understanding various approaches to the administrative process, assessing clientele needs and interests, securing financing and developing budgets, selecting paid and voluntary staff, creating effective marketing and public relations strategies, evaluating learning, instructors, and programs, understanding legal and ethical administrative issues, and finally mapping out a professional development plan for remaining effective. Throughout this book, many practical and useful strategies, approaches, forms, and tips to assist the administrator to be more effective are provided. This book will prove to be a valuable resource for administrators who work in community-based adult, community, and continuing education organizations, deans and directors of continuing higher education, directors of adult and community school programs, trainers in business and industry, and educational consultants.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 187 pages
• Publisher: Krieger Publishing Company; Original Ed edition (January 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894648861
• ISBN-13: 978-0894648861
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #848,221 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Administering Successful Programs, May 22, 2001

By	James L. Rowland (Pullman, WA, USA) - See all my reviews

Galbraith, M.W., Sisco, B.R., & Guglielmino, L.M. Administering Successful Programs for Adults: Promoting Excellence in Adult, Community and Continuing Education. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, FL, 1997. Pp. vii + 187. When the opportunity to review a book written by three acknowledged professionals, in not only adult educational instruction, but also in research and publication, the expectation of quality would seem foreseeable. In this case, the expectation was a reality. From the "Preface" to the final chapter, the student is presented with a clear, concise, and literary explanation, of a relevant and timely topic, the administration of programs. To often, authors of scholarly texts, find it necessary to use professional language, understandable only by experts in the discipline or subject matter. This is not the case with this publication. The text was written and published with current, or "would be", administrators in mind. The primary goal of the authors is to convey a basic understanding of the administrative process. The authors of Administering Successful Programs for Adults, include in their "Preface", an excellent synopsis of the book. The text has nine chapters. Chapter 1 is concerned with and titled the "Administrator". This chapter "...examines the settings and contexts in which the administrative role is carried out", and includes "...a self-assessment inventory that allows", students to discover pertinent knowledge about themselves (p.viii). Chapter 2, "Approaches to Administration", is just that. The authors examine, "The classical, human relations, organization behavior, contingency, and systems perspectives..." and "...their appropriateness for adult, community, and continuing education" (p.viii). In Chapter 3, "Determining Program Content", they address "...the administrator's role and involvement in the process of determining program content", with an emphasis on the macro approach. "Budgeting and Financing" are the topics of Chapter 4. Different types of budgets are discussed, along with "...useful tips on how to develop a successful budget..." and "...and how to augment funding..." (p.viii). Chapter 5, "Selecting and Developing Staff", explains that this "...is an essential function of administrators in adult, community, and continuing education agencies and organizations" (p.viii). A plan is presented which includes ideas on role identification, selection, and development, of staff. "Marketing and Public Relations", "Chapter 6, is dedicated to the understanding of marketing and the essential elements of a marketing plan and promotional strategies" (p.ix). Chapter 7, "Evaluating Programs", "...is devoted to the process of evaluating programs for adult", and includes suggestions on "...the design and application of an evaluation plan" (p.ix). "Legal and Ethical Considerations", is the subject of Chapter 8. These include, "...affirmative action and equal employment opportunity guidelines..." as well as information about "...the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990..." and "...ethical dilemmas confronting the administrator..." (p.ix). Chapter 9 is concerned with "Maintaining Effectiveness As an Administrator", "...through professional development of yourself and others" (p.ix). It "...concludes with a brief annotated listing of resources found to be particularly helpful in ensuring administrative and organizational success" (p.ix). This content summary presents a view of the explicit and concise style of this text. Administrating Successful Programs for Adults was written as an introductory text or primer, to be used and perused by "would be", new, or existing administrators. It will not replace Niccolo Machiavelli's, The Prince. It will, because of its condensed or abbreviated style, be a useful tablet. The theme of each chapter is clearly developed and the included "Summary" is a definite plus. There are an adequate, not an overpowering, number of explanatory tables, models and charts. The numbering system for these items, at the bottom, rather than the more common placement at the top, seemed awkward. The documentation and referencing of source and contemporary or companion literature is complete and aptly supplemented by the brief but sufficient annotated listing included in Chapter 9. Fortunately, which is not always the case in referenced material, the authors documentation, in this text, does not interrupt or detract from the intended subject matter. There is nothing unique about the organization or presentation of the information available, or the written prose, in Administrating Successful Programs for Adults, except that the style and substance could be used as an example of plain English. This style, one of clarity, not circumlocution, is not found, often enough, in academic publications. We live in a world of administrating and administrators. In order to progress and prosper, we must continually create and implement compromise. It is extremely difficult to reach a position where compromise is a possibility, much less a reality, without administrative assistance. The use of this text can assist in making compromise a possibility. I fear that the authors have, unwittingly, underestimated their audience. They have proposed, that "...adult, community and continuing educational programs for adults"(p.x), might benefit from this publication. These are, for me, the underestimated audience. The general resource nature of this volume, its ability to present the administrative process in broad strokes, and in clear and plain vocabulary, make it a viable and usable document, for this every growing and demanding group of learners and activists. These groups, adult, community and continuing educational organizations, must have access to the administrative expertise that will lead them in the direction of compromise, if they are to be the positive and productive force they should and intent to be. Many adult, community and continuing educational texts address the concept of the "Critical Thinker". The essence of "Critical Thinking" is very clear explained in Administering Successful Programs of Adults. I consider the process of "Critical Thinking", a clear and detailed road to reaching compromise, a result desired by any progressing administrative program. Although administering compromise, is only one of many important concepts included in this text, I find this example, a sterling explanation of why, I believe the authors attained their goal, of publishing a book and thereby providing a primer for, easy access to knowledge of the administrative process.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beneficial Book, August 11, 2008

By	R. Contreras "Busy Bee" (TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book was very beneficial to the graduate class that I participated in during the summer semester.