Student retention and progression has exercised the HE sector for some time now, and there has been much research into the reasons why students drop out of Higher Education courses. (Allen, 2006; Buglear, 2009;). More recently the Higher Education Academy Grants Programme Briefing (HEFCE, 2010), outlined a number of areas that emergent project…

Agencies in at least a dozen states are seeking information about college faculty workload, including number of student contact hours, reflecting concern about faculty productivity and quality of undergraduate teaching. The issue is considered delicate, but both internal and external pressure to account for faculty time and salaries are mounting.…

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)

The relation between teaching and research is a defining feature of a modern university and of academic identity. Many universities claim a close relation between the two as well as a strong critical orientation. Yet the gap between claims and practice in higher education appears to be widening as government and institutional policies increasingly…

Drawing from the experiences of Lansing Community College (LCC), this paper offers a rationale and model for measuring instructional quality. Section I offers background on LCC's efforts to assess the quality of its courses and curricula, and to introduce such quality assurance procedures as computer-based course syllabi, department and program…

The University of Notre Dame developed the Teaching Activity Report in an effort to present professors with meaningful summaries of their individual instructional efforts each semester. Geared to meet the needs of the individual instructors and their superiors, the Teaching Activity Report synthesizes all facets of the individual's instructional…

A directory of 173 doctoral dissertations in progress or completed in the early 1980s at 36 universities is presented that covers 7 areas related to the study of higher education. The directory was compiled by the ASHE Committee on Graduate Students, based on a survey of U.S. and Canadian professors of graduate programs in higher education. Each…

A description is provided of Florida Community College at Jacksonville's institutional assessment process. Part I explains the role of institutional assessment in a cycle of planning, research, and marketing, and establishes the scope, purposes, and uses of the assessment. Part II presents an overview of the three phases of the assessment process:…

During the 1978 winter term, the Learning and Evaluation Service of Michigan State University initiated, in collaboration with the Council for the Advancement of Experiential Learning (CAEL), an institutional development program in field experience education. Purposes of the study were to describe the nature and extent of field experience…

Main features of the cyclical procedure used by the University of Geneva (Switzerland) to evaluate 75 teaching and research units (TRUs) over a 6-year cycle are that it covers teaching, research, and services simultaneously and combines self-evaluation, peer assessment, and use of a database on TRU resources and achievements. (Author/MSE)

Key concepts from theory and research on student learning are discussed, and a conceptual framework to promote the design of local instructional improvement efforts is presented. The objective is to advocate that institutional researchers focus more directly on the basic issues of teaching and learning and to suggest that improving instructional…

The Student as Learner Inventory, which was developed at Alverno College (Wisconsin), is described. Alverno College is a private, 4-year liberal arts college for women with an enrollment of 2,500 students. The inventory, which is completed by entering and second semester students in an undergraduate program, is integral to the curriculum. The…

This collection contains papers, study reports, and research abstracts related primarily to community and junior college education in Texas. Section I, which presents institutional studies, papers, and reports, provides: (1) an analysis of probation and suspension at Amarillo College (AC); (2) results of a survey conducted to develop an…

Information is presented concerning the European Association for Research and Development in Higher Education (EARDHE) and educational research and development occurring at the universities in the Netherlands. Additionally, perspectives on how university teachers in Hamburg, Germany, can improve their teaching methods are considered. The goals and…

The development of the IDEA system, a survey concerning teacher effectiveness at Kansas State University (KSU) is described. The system originated at KSU during the 1968-69 academic year as a means for investigating the effectiveness of teaching and for improving instruction. A discussion concerning its purpose and rationale is included. The…