After reviewing the articles in this issue, the authors have come to four conclusions. First, the reaffirmation of accreditation, along with the selection of the quality enhancement plan (QEP) works best when all stakeholders of the institution are included in the planning process. Second, the planning process is far more complex, multifaceted,…

This paper argues that establishing a research agenda to study the changing nature of postsecondary institutions as organizations is best done by examining their organization-environment interface, and it suggests an agenda based on historical perspective; a contingency model, or framework, of the organization-environment interaction; and a…

Characteristics of a decision support system (DSS) and factors that influence system design are described, along with a decision support database at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Reasons that the institutional research office is in a unique position to support decision-making are identified. A review of the literature of DSS briefly covers…

This chapter provides an overview of the literature on proprietary schools; the diverse students they serve, their distinctive educational characteristics, and an agenda for institutional researchers. (Contains 1 table.)

This study identified and classified the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) publication topics and authors since 1973 in order to provide a reference resource for institutional researchers. The study reviewed the following AIR publication collections: "Research in Higher Education"; "New Directions for Institutional…

A major change in the pattern of U.S. research on higher education is occurring, characterized by more emphasis on state policy, institutional type, and issues shared by institutions. Methodology is broadening to include more historic, ethnographic, and qualitative research as well as quantitative study. (MSE)

This paper reviews and synthesizes the literature on institutional support for student assessment, offering an organizing framework for using this information to shape institutional policies, processes, and practices in ways that lead to both improved student performance and institutional functioning. The framework, first, involves the overall…

Leadership of colleges and universities poses problems for the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the President. Ambiguous constituencies and the pull of various support groups inside and outside the institution present continual dilemmas for each academic CEO. Two instances of academic leadership are presented that compare and analyze the styles of…

Surveys of students and alumni are viewed as helpful by accrediting teams, college recruiters, career counseling and placement officers, current and prospective students, etc. Only in large-scale national surveys like Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) is there potential for individual colleges to utilize data for their own…

The emergence of interest in the quantitative, structural, and administrative aspects of higher education as a field of study is chronicled, and comparisons are made in the ways the institutional research field developed in the United States and Western Europe. (MSE)

Reviews recent research on the effects of women teachers on female students. Argues that dramatic shifts have occurred in the cultural and religious landscape as a result of feminism and the empowerment of women. Contends that women teachers must help female students to recognize and resist the false images of themselves and the world. (CFR)

Discusses the impact of the 1999 North Carolina General Assembly House Bill 168, which mandated the implementation of performance-based funding for the state's 58 community colleges. States that a college's performance on six of the 12 measures determines its eligibility for supplemental allocation. Questions whether the new standards will affect…

Study-abroad programs are among the many academic programs being evaluated in the assessment of colleges and universities. One evaluative tool is the survey of students who participate in these programs. This paper discusses the use of such surveys by St. Mary's College (Indiana) during the past decade to gather information regarding program…

Approaches to college student monitoring have been shaped by changing contexts and evolving technical capabilities, beginning with retention studies and developing into fully relational databases for cohort tracking. Institutional researchers should know this history and be aware of the specific demands for information that future tracking systems…

This report is intended to serve as a focus for developing a commitment for continuing investment in computer support for education, research, and administration at the University of Saskatchewan. Based on the assumption that effective utilization of computers, computer networks, and other telecommunications technology is essential to the…