Describes Maryland's community college research model, whereby State Board for Community Colleges staff work cooperatively with a voluntary statewide organization composed of institutional researchers from each college. Explains agenda setting, procedures, responsibilities, project monitoring, identification and dissemination of…

Debate grows over the validity and reliability of college and university rankings, which judge rather than describe institutions, as the public's willingness to accept them increases. While many institutional characteristics can be measured, measurement methods need improvement. One solution is to publish the peer studies that the institutions…

A study of campus characteristics and crime rates used an economic theory of criminal choice to develop an explanatory model of campus crime. The model considered combinations of opportunities, incentives, and costs found on college campuses that may affect criminal choice. The components included location, accessibility, deterrents and wealth of…

This paper describes a methodology for helping institutional research assess its roles and its effectiveness in supporting decision-making at all institutional levels. The paper discusses how to meet this goal by planning, doing, checking, and acting. Planning requires the understanding of the roles of the data custodian, the broker, and the…

Approaches for undertaking a faculty salary equity analysis are discussed. An institutional researcher must have a clear understanding as to why the study is being performed. Faculty handbooks and policy manuals are good starting points for determining how salary decisions are made. Once the salary allocation criteria have been identified, the…

As private colleges approach the turn of the century, they must again operate independent of government support, using enrollment management principles in increasingly sophisticated ways. They will rely more on institutional research to provide both predictive and management tools. Institutional researchers, enrollment managers, and data…

Societal changes will continue to have profound effects on postsecondary education in the twenty-first century. Advances in information technology will require institutional researchers to balance quantity and quality of information, data on multiculturalism must be better used, the political context will make international exchange of information…

A survey of 466 students in a large, urban commuter college investigated the relationship of student finances to academic persistence. Results suggest that financial aid (1) equalizes opportunities for students, thus decreasing attractiveness of alternatives, (2) facilitates academic and social integration, and (3) increases student commitment to…

Colleges and universities have begun to benefit from advancing technology. Considering the problems higher education faces and the potential that enterprise-wide information access offers, institutional leaders must look ahead and decide where to invest in information technology support to achieve maximum benefits in quality improvement and cost…

A study investigated the relationship of learning style, academic success, and gender in students in a highly selective combined baccalaureate/medical degree program. Freshmen (n=100) at the University of Missouri Kansas City medical school participated. Learning styles of this group appear to be similar to those in other medical programs.…

Describes two state-mandated programs for institutional accountability in New Jersey (i.e., Basic Skills Assessment Program and College Outcomes Evaluation Program), which function through cooperation between the state's higher education agency and its colleges and universities. Highlights research objectives, procedures, responsibilities,…

A conceptual framework is offered for understanding the role of program review in college, particularly a community college. Such a framework should account for the following institutional factors: purpose of the review, stakeholder involvement, leadership support for review, organizational communication, degree of organizational centralization,…

The limited research available and the observations and experiences of college admissions officers suggest that college guidebooks and ratings have a small to negligible impact on the college choices of most students. However, many families buy the guides, and their publication is likely to continue. It is important that institutions provide…

This study compared 4,594 student responses from three different surveys of incoming students at the University of South Florida (USF) with data from Florida's State University System (SUS) admissions files to determine what proportion of error occurs in the survey responses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of measurement error in…

This case study of Southern Illinois University was conducted to determine the types of volunteers needed for an annual fund drive. Based on a random sample of 138 alumni donors who completed questionnaires, a donor profile was developed. Analysis of questionnaire responses found that only 48% reported being involved with extracurricular…