The gap between predicted and actual outcomes--following a university's removal of their controversial Native American nickname--may be rather wide. This study investigates what alumni threaten or promise to do upon a potential school nickname change, and what actual actions result once change does occur. The University of North Dakota's (UND)…

The shortage of skilled labor and the consequent need for workforce training have become critical issues for American businesses in our fast changing, highly technical, and competitive, global economy. College contract training programs are one potential source for meeting the growing need for training. The purpose of this research was to develop…

Developing a culture of evidence to assess and improve teacher preparation programs is a critical issue in American education. Teacher education has been struggling with the challenge of preparing and retaining sufficient numbers of high-quality teachers who can work effectively with students from all cultural and racial backgrounds, raising the…

Documents the development of two-year colleges in the United States during the 1920s and discusses the following trends: the early dominance of private institutions and the post-World War I rise of public two-year colleges, their extraordinary growth rate, and their concentration in the Midwest and the South. (GC)

A study explored the links between success in receiving federal funding and characteristics of research/sponsored programs offices at 46 state-supported higher education institutions. A linear predictive model indicated funding success could be predicted from the level of direct institutional commitment to research and grant-seeking efforts.…

A survey concerning external funding for research for the 338 member institutions of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is summarized. Results indicate that institutions successful in obtaining outside funds tend to place more emphasis on graduate teaching and internally and externally funded research. (Author/MLW)

A survey of college administrators responsible for supervising college stores found that three factors are strongly considered in deciding whether to lease the college store: available management skills, service orientation, and financial resources. It also found that private and public institutions and large and small institutions rank the…

Media services department administrators at 161 public, four-year colleges and universities were surveyed regarding: characteristics of media directors, job assignments, academic preparation, work experience, participation in professional activities, time spent in job functions, and the effect of recent changes in departments. Compares results…

This article describes how Michigan State University developed and implemented an institutional framework that identifies outreach and engagement as a scholarly, crosscutting function. These efforts sought to elevate the valuation of outreach and engagement across the institution and to ensure that outreach and engagement complemented the other…

A new survey by the Virginia Council of Higher Education found that five states have imposed a ceiling on the number of out-of-state students who can attend their public institutions. Many people fear that their own state students are being denied admission because of nonresident applicants. (MLW)

At the request of governing boards and legislatures, increasing numbers of state colleges and universities are using "value-added" tests and surveys to measure student learning in college. The measures compare academic achievement and student analytical skills before and after certain periods of college study, usually using standardized…

A survey of senior administrators from private colleges and universities (n=20), community colleges (n=9), and public colleges and universities (n=6) in 1 region discovered common priorities in campus reconstruction and renovation: upgrading of science and engineering facilities; integration of new technology on campus; upgrading of student…

A survey of 452 public and private two- and four-year colleges and follow-up interviews at 32 institutions investigated the integration of academic program review into other institutional decision-making processes, particularly those of planning, budgeting, and student outcomes assessment. The extent to which this effort has been successful is…

A survey of 392 doctoral students in business at 12 private and public universities investigated the relationship between school type (public/private) and perceived institutional and program quality; the programs, facilities, or services needing improvement to change student perceptions; and the programs, facilities, and services considered…

The first of seven sets of economic indicators for periodically measuring economic prospects for academic institutions is presented. The dominant finding is that the economic growth experienced by higher education in the past decade is slowing down. Key indicators include enrollments, total current revenue, total employment, capital contract…