Missouri is the "Show Me" State. And with this goal in mind, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) offers this report card to examine the state of higher education in Missouri. If the nation is to ensure its continued preeminence in higher education, policymakers, trustees, alumni, and taxpayers must know what is going on in…

In this article, the authors use their personal narratives and collaborative portraits as methods to shed light on the complexities of developing a research identity while journeying through a doctoral program. Using the metaphors of a wanderer, a chameleon, and a warrior, their narratives represent portraits of experiences faced by doctoral…

The question of whether institutions of higher education (IHEs) behave as loosely or tightly coupled systems was investigated. Organizational coupling was defined as the relationship that exists between or among elements (variables) in an organizational system. A taxonomic approach was employed to develop a sample set of indicators of the strength…

Examines the most important internal and external environmental influences directing or hampering national and institutional quality assurance and management developments, as well as their implementation, in the South African higher education system. (EV)

Although colleges and universities should provide a climate in which external conventions and social pressures are absent, and individualism and intellectual freedom can flourish, they no longer do so. Higher education institutions should detach themselves from commercial culture and urge intellectual passions. (MSE)

Discusses a research study that examined the perceived value of a residence hall space for students interested in gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender concerns at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Provides information for other campuses as they debate the need for and the value of special interest residential areas in college campuses.…

Using a campus climate assessment instrument developed by Rankin (1998), we surveyed students (n = 7,347) from 10 campuses to explore whether students from different racial groups experienced their campus climates differently. Students of color experienced harassment at higher rates than Caucasian students, although female White students reported…

The findings of the evaluation of the three-year Community-Engaged Scholarship for Health Collaborative are presented, describing changes in institutional capacity for community-engaged scholarship, and changes in promotion and tenure policies and processes. The change process in the participating institutions is assessed using the Kotter model of…

Understanding the prime-time television portrait of college helps educators better understand the expectations our entering students may hold of college life.

This study examined sense of belonging among a national sample of 2,967 first-year students. Guided by the work of Hurtado and Carter (1997), relationships between several aspects of the college environment and sense of belonging were examined. Findings indicated that African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian Pacific American students reported…

Many non-Western and non-English-speaking scholars express the need for supporting a methodological approach that foregrounds the voices of nationals and locals (or indigenous peoples). Supporting this stance, Western scholars will reach out in democratic and liberatory ways that effect research collaboration, helping to foster social justice and…

While nonclassroom learning activities provide tremendous educational opportunities, higher education managers must assess the compatibility of the learning program with the basic attitudes, characteristics, beliefs, and culture of the institution for successful implementation. (MSE)

Methodological problems in the traditional measurement of college environment are discussed, including the choice of relevant variables and indicators, the different levels or spheres within an institution, and the relationship between student perceptions and evaluation. An alternative model is proposed and supported with data from a longitudinal…

The effects of pluralism on today's college campuses are intense. The place held by religion in this context is often awkward, but as a dimension of diversity and a potent force in human interaction, it deserves the same tolerance as any other aspect of pluralism and should not be trivialized. (MSE)

At George Mason University, the University Life office charged a university-wide committee to improve the coherence and coordination of collaborative programming. By designing and funding more diverse programming, the University Life office offers programs that are more inclusive of the campuses ethnic and cultural subgroups. Article provides an…