Presents the research model used in the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District, which operates through a part-time institutional researcher guided by an institutional research committee. Discusses the committee's role and the use of research results in policymaking and other areas. Provides examples of research. (DMM)

Given the growing need to look across national borders in order to be prepared for global challenges confronting higher education in the coming decades, it can be expected that institutional administrators in the U.S. and other western countries will need information on the quality and efficiency of their activities, including an international…

Addressed to institutional researchers, this report from California's Chabot College presents information on National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) data sets. Included is a discussion on how these data sets can be used to create peer groups of U.S. colleges, and to produce statistics on major student variables for each of these groups.…

This paper describes a project in which an office of institutional research in a private research university developed a "Key Success Indices" (KSI) report that is presented each month to the president and other senior officers of the university. The KSI report collects summary data from a wide range of offices within the institution to…

This paper describes a systematic method of obtaining evaluative feedback based on the perceptions of various campus constituencies of a small private liberal arts college's administrative offices. A study was performed, involving two surveys conducted three years apart and using similar forms and procedures. The survey instrument assessed three…

This document provides technical information about the "Faculty at Work" questionnaire for those considering using it in their institution. The "Faculty at Work" questionnaire was designed to gather data on a number of factors that are important elements of faculty motivation and may help plan for professional development…

This paper describes an enrollment forecasting model that was developed in 1988 by the Office of Institutional Research for a small, private, liberal arts college (Wesley College, Delaware). The college, shifting in demographics from its historical junior college mission to that of a comprehensive baccalaureate institution, required a forecasting…

As institutional research or outcome assessment becomes more commonplace in institutions of higher education, the issue of what opportunities this presents to researchers desiring to move past relatively routine reporting into the more creative aspects of the profession becomes more prominent. Several possible roles emerge as a result of the…

The issue of increasing the effectiveness of alumni development and fund raising programs to ensure quality in academic programs and campus life for the coming decade was examined. The study's primary purposes were to: (1) describe the development of a comprehensive decision support system for alumni and fund raising activities at one independent…

The State of Iowa conducted several higher education inventory studies in an effort to identify strategies and priorities for the future. The Long Range Strategic Planning Study, the first of the studies to be undertaken, was charged with reviewing all academic programs, identifying program strengths, and making recommendations for redesigning the…

An analysis of higher education marketing examines a case study of a college's market research program, a series of market research projects, and a major study of students and parents in six metropolitan areas (the Six-Market Study). After introducing marketing concepts and strategies, the nature of higher education marketing is considered. The…

The first paper in this collection summarizes 21 years of research into reading and presents a list of developments in the field and their implications for practice. The developments include: (1) reading is a process influenced by the text and the purpose; (2) the developmental context in which literacy is acquired is important, as is the…

This manual provides information on the accountability reports prepared by Miami-Dade Community College for use on federal, state, and local levels. First, an overview is presented of the purposes of the Placement and Follow-Up (P&F) system, uses of the data, and the tasks involved in P&F reporting. The bulk of the manual explains the following…

Guidelines for conducting departmental reviews are presented to help review panels, departments being reviewed, and administrators. In planning a review, the following considerations are important: the purpose of the review and the terms of reference, the organization of the review and who will conduct it, and the information that will be…

A study investigated relationships between academic majors and six undergraduate student work values (authority, recognition, administrative responsibility, financial success, helping others, artistic creativity), using Holland's theory of occupational choice. Subjects were 18,137 students persisting at four-year institutions from 1985 to 1989.…