The university as an open system is addressed in 13 papers and 12 abstracts of papers from the 1983 forum of the European Association for Institutional Research. Topics are as follows: program review, analysis of faculty outcomes and characteristics, manpower planning in Dutch universities, adult education in the United Kingdom, outside funding,…

The monograph presents, in tabular form, data from a biannual survey on the non-credit instructional activities of the State University of New York (SUNY). The steadily increasing number of non-credit instructional activities offered, especially at the community college level, possibly due to the availability of state funds to help community…

The responses from questionnaires (N=182) given to 201 individuals who were provided an opportunity to join the faculty of two research universities (one rural, one urban) were analyzed to determine the factors influencing their decisions to join or not join. Interviews with 60% of the respondents were conducted to gather further information.…

Four different college classes at a midwestern university were surveyed in both their freshman and their senior years, with data collected from 2,069 students (a 72% response rate). A student involvement questionnaire (IQ) was used to demonstrate the merit of studying student involvement in a value-added outcomes assessment program by defining…

The argument is made that without proper staffing and support (a condition that occurs as financial pressures on higher education institutions increase) institutional research will not be able to prepare analyses of enough depth and sophistication to constitute a meaningful contribution to policy-making. An outline is provided as to how to…

A sample of seven colleges was chosen for a study on the research activities of community college faculties in Ontario. Faculty (N=394 out of a possible 865) were asked to indicate how often they participated in 22 different research activities and how characteristic these activities were of their role as community college faculty. The primary…

The way that a college can transform its periodic self-study process into an ongoing program is addressed, with a focus on the contribution of the institutional research office. Also considered are data elements that self-studies most often require and the way that data elements relate to judgments and interpretations made through the self-study.…

Background information needed to understand the literature on the impact of price on college attendance (i.e. price-response literature) is provided. After briefly introducing price theory and its use in demand studies in higher education, the major expository articles are reviewed, and major analytical methods used by researchers are examined.…

The effect of a 6-week summer prematriculation program on the cognitive performance of educationally disadvantaged minority students in their first year of medical school was studied. A second objective was to determine if participation in the program strengthened the sources of social support available to minority students within the medical…

Describes how formative data on enrollment patterns and class offerings are collected and used at Oklahoma City Community College in marketing and scheduling. Evaluates the research effort in terms of its value in long-range strategic planning and managed decision making in day-to-day activities. (DMM)

Argues that community college vitality is directly proportional to the integration of the comfort and confidence levels of personnel involved in public relations, institutional research, and college leadership. Considers Miami-Dade Community College's use of data on student demographics, achievement test results, student satisfaction, and…

A study tested a resampling methodology (bootstrap simulation) by examining the effects of class size and student motivation on students' ratings of teaching effectiveness. Results suggest that evaluations based on student ratings should look at more than class averages, and that class size and student motivation affect overall ratings. Examples…

There is no right way to forecast college enrollments; in many instances, it will be prudent to use both qualitative and quantitative methods. Methods chosen must be relevant to questions addressed, policies and decisions at stake, and time and talent required. While it is tempting to start quickly, enrollment forecasting is an area in which…

Revenue forecasting is the critical first step in most college and university budget-planning processes. While it seems a straightforward exercise, effective forecasting requires consideration of a number of interacting internal and external variables, including demographic trends, economic conditions, and broad social priorities. The challenge…

The development of institutional performance indicators in higher education is viewed as part of a broader approach to management information and decision making. The experience of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems in developing useful information from raw data, selecting appropriate performance indicators, and applying…