Ethnographic auditing combines concepts of ethnography, evaluation, and traditional auditing to evaluate university management. It is another tool in the institutional researcher's repertoire that enables the researcher to interpret cultural aspects of the organization to facilitate its academic mission. (MSE)

A "formal information inventory" survey method was used to help educate a university campus about outcomes assessment while identifying assessment activities already being undertaken. The survey was sent to 102 individuals identified as being responsible for, or having knowledge of, any assessment activities within a department or area,…

Ethnography, which records and describes culturally significant behavior of a particular group, is suggested as a method for college self-evaluation. The potential and limitations of the method are outlined, and current uses in education are discussed. (MSE)

Results of two empirical studies of factors affecting academic quality give insight into ways in which educational costs, quality factors, and institutional structure increase or restrict productivity. It is found that evaluation of academic productivity is complex because of difficulties in determining inputs and outputs. Useful improvement…

Focuses on university offerings to assist schools with accreditation self-studies. Describes the extension/continuing education courses offered by the state universities in Arizona, detailing the ways in which the courses assist accreditation steering committees, course structure and content, and the benefits for both school and university. (AYC)

Performance measures are discussed for assessing organizational effectiveness in nonprofit organizations including institutions of higher education. With hundreds of possible measures, ratios, and data available, the nonprofit manager must select measures that portray the institution's condition and performance. A process and rationale for…

A college's administrative services and support units must give attention to improving quality and service just as instructional units do. Greater efficiency and productivity among noninstructional units can have a significant impact on institutional feasibility. Cost reduction is most effective when there is a common understanding of core…

Evaluation of the impact of prospective students' contacts with the institution is an objective of the admissions research agenda at Tufts University (Massachusetts). An annual survey gathers information on individuals who make inquiries but do not submit an application and on the parents of matriculating students. (MSE)

The energy audit provides school administrators with the information necessary to determine what the energy conservation options are and how to implement them. (Author/MLF)

The McMaster University (Canada) undergraduate medical program participated in a nine-school self-study of clinical evaluation. Comparison of top-ranked problems found lack of transmission of evaluative information from one clerkship unit to subsequent ones to be a common problem. Faculty unwillingness to record negative evaluations was exclusive…

Provides models helpful to policymakers at state and institutional levels involved in academic program review and discontinuation, outlines levels of policy decisions for program discontinuation, and examines models that may be effective at each level. Concludes with program discontinuation-related recommendations. (Author/MSE)

The paper addresses issues concerned with increasing state interest in encouraging public institutions of higher education to demonstrate educational quality through outcomes assessment and reports on the development and implementation of Tennessee's program of performance funding. Emphasis is on guidelines contained within a 5-year performance…

When institutional personnel assess faculty research performance, they should consider the extent to which the institution rewards research, ways to encourage faculty to be productive, criteria for evaluating research performance, and the specific steps useful in reviewing research performance within academic units. (Author/MSE)

There is a need for cross-disciplinary or cross-institutional research on student learning outcomes in graduate and professional education. Challenges in this endeavor include determining the purposes of assessment and who conducts it, identifying and defining outcomes, and managing the use of results. (MSE)

The University of Nebraska Lincoln has developed a process for nonacademic program review based on the criteria used for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. This framework provides seven categories of specific criteria that can be applied in institutional self-study to determine the organization's ability to satisfy customers and remain…