In the minds of most people, the best colleges are those that are the most selective. The purpose of this document is to discover if students at more selective institutions have or take greater advantage of learning opportunities. Two independent datasets were used to research this idea. The first is the National Study of Student Learning (NSSL),…

Contends that the resources/reputation approach, which uses proxy variables to measure university quality, and the alumni outcomes approach, which may simply reflect institutional recruitment practices, are fundamentally flawed. Maintains that the effective educational practices approach is a major step forward; suggests that a combination of the…

This review draws on William Massy's recent book--"Honoring the Trust: Quality and Cost Containment in Higher Education" (Anker Publishing, 2003)--to establish the case for change and to suggest some of the tools to better manage institutions. Also included are two disparate resources to help reach that goal--resources that are used by…

Examines effects of the state-driven assessment and accountability movements on the quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Depicts how reformers tried to give teaching and learning a more central role on college and university campuses. Concludes that such efforts have received only limited support by faculty and institutions, and…

The complex assessment movement in higher education is examined from the perspectives of how it is being implemented on four university campuses (University of Virginia, University of Connecticut, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, and King's College, Pennsylvania) and what its prospects are for a lasting effect on undergraduate study. (MSE)

The need to restructure college administration, rather than simply cut costs selectively, is discussed. The experience of the five-campus Antioch University in reengineering its central administration's work to take advantage of advancing technology is chronicled, including both difficulties and successes. (MSE)

Accrediting agencies step up requirements for evidence of institutions' efforts to improve student learning. Congressional leaders call for increased accountability and transparency in higher education. Business leaders worry about the growing gaps between their workforce needs and the numbers of Americans actually prepared for the available jobs.…

Although the Total Quality Management approach has not met with universal acceptance in higher education, it is important to look beyond first impressions and direct translation to find insights in the methodology for college administration. It is also essential to apply the methods holistically, not in a fragmentary way. (MSE)

Discusses, in the context of the National Research Council's next study of research-doctorate programs, arguments over continuing use of reputational surveys as the primary measure of program quality, as opposed to more objective measures of research performance. Eleven tables rank institutions for specific fields by reputation, citation density,…

Examines the current status of electronic learning/ distance education in colleges and universities and finds a tension between richness (the overall quality of information) and reach (the number of people involved). Suggests that to date institutions have focused their e-learning ventures on reach instead of richness. Urges schools to use…

The arrival of the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach in higher education has brought both support and skepticism. Although consultants are busy selling tool-driven, seven-step workshops, it is not yet clear what the academic version of the approach will be or how it will evolve. (MSE)

Seven liberal arts college students were recruited to seriously audit first year science courses, keeping a journal about how the class was structured, their reactions to the material, and the classroom culture. The students' experiences are discussed, and the implications for improvement of science education are examined. (MSE)

The purposes and methods behind Gourman's rankings of American colleges and universities, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, are outlined and discussed, and the controversy surrounding his publications, which have had a significant impact in education, is examined. (MSE)

The reasons college and university administrators dislike institutional rankings and ratings of academic quality published in the popular press are examined, and college attributes commonly used in the ratings are discussed. Virtues and flaws of the assessments are noted, and variations in the evaluations over time are illustrated in charts. (MSE)

Decline in quality of undergraduate instruction is due not to general decline in faculty values but to an active market for faculty in which prestige-seeking colleges and universities compete to build institutional excellence through the faculty they hire, at the expense of undergraduate teaching. (MSE)