A variety of departmental and student outcomes data was obtained and analyzed from faculty and graduating seniors in 27 academic departments located at a university classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a Research II institution. The purpose of the study was to determine: (1) whether strong research orientation by an academic department…

Results of the 1979, 1982, and 1985 College Alcohol Survey are presented, along with information about alcohol education materials. The survey assesses collegiate policies and activities regarding alcohol use and abuse, institutional self-reports, treatment and referral services, and prevention and education. The following response rates for…

Characteristics of small college administration as it applies to the future are described. Consideration is given to the process for anticipating change in the circumstances surrounding colleges, identifying opportunities, and planning to take advantage of positive changes in the environment (i.e., future focused planning). The use of the Planning…

Reports and abstracts of research studies conducted by members of the Research Committee of the Texas Association of Junior and Community College Instructional Administrators are provided. Section I presents the following reports: "A Learner Analysis Experiment: Cognitive Style versus Learning Style in Undergraduate Nursing Education,"…

An overview is provided of the responses made by Maryland's community colleges to growing concerns for accountability and the measurement of educational outcomes. First, the paper reviews the legislative initiatives and agency actions that characterized the state's movement toward a formalized, state-coordinated institutional assessment procedure.…

The use of an integrated student information system (ISIS) to conduct institutional research at Trinity University is discussed. The types of data contained in the system, which has 59 files, include: student characteristics, recruitment, financial aid, registration, faculty load, and class scheduling. The data for students, faculty, departments,…

Committee on Schools entitled "Assessing Student Outcomes: A Guide to Incorporating within School Self-Study Activities and the Team Visit an Evaluation of the Extent to Which Student Outcomes Objectives Are Being Met." Presents procedures for assessing district or school student and instructional program outcomes. (AYC)

Previously performed analyses of the relationship between college choice and persistence in both public and private colleges and universities illustrate the direct and indirect effects of financial factors that influence college choice and subsequent persistence decisions, and the direct effects of the actual dollar amounts of costs and financial…

The costs to colleges and universities of establishing a data-sharing exchange are examined, and it is argued that in most cases, the financial costs are minimal when compared to the potential opportunity cost of making decisions without access to good comparative information. (Author/MSE)

Describes the College of the Desert (California's) integrated facility that links the following three functions: (1) student assessment and computerized placement testing; (2) remedial instruction in study skills, writing, and math; and (3) research to assess learning gains. (DMM)

Linking planning, assessment, and budgeting is vital to the well-being of a college or university. Planning and assessment enable an institution to make decisions about day-to-day activities and future goals, revising them as experience suggests. Resource allocation is what converts the decisions and goals into actions. (MLW)

The process of developing program evaluation models for Florida International University's college of education is described. One lesson learned was that a combination of macro- and microlevel planning is necessary for purposeful evaluation. A grid to aid decision making is also presented. (Author/MSE)

This article proposes a conceptual decision-making framework for college and university offices of institutional research during times when budgetary retrenchment and reallocation of resources is necessary. Key issues the office should consider include understanding the institution's purpose, strategy selection, evaluation activities, student…

Three models for college and university decision-making about scarce resources are outlined: (1) shared governance, (2) corporate management, and (3) total quality management. Two underlying principles of all the models are, first, that faculty are the heart of the institution and, second, that successful institutions are governed through the…

Strategies for promoting efficient control of quality in colleges and universities are examined. It is proposed that integration of external review and institutional self-evaluation can be used to support the goals of accountability, efficiency, and institutional effectiveness. (MSE)