A study is discussed that found that direct quotations from students ratings of teachers were more persuasive than statistical summaries of the ratings in evaluations of teaching ability for promotion decisions. (Author/MLW)

Universities must achieve a new maturity in institutional planning and information management to meet the challenges of the 1980s. Decision support systems are analyzed and those that combine computing technology with knowledge about decision-making art found to hold the most promise. (Author/MLW)

Models for university planning must adapt to the political process of decision making, and to the structures and priorities of each institution. In this regard, the limitations of conventional models are discussed, and an approach to model-building that emphasizes institution-specific devices is described and applied to the University of…

Little attention has been given to how people in the market view quality in colleges. Research that focused on indicators of quality that are credible to high-ability high-school seniors and their parents and on varying perspectives of quality is described. (Author/MLW)

Two theories concerning students' decisions to leave college are compared, and the convergence and discriminant validity of the two theories are examined empirically. The extent to which the theories could be merged to help researchers understand the role of institutional and noninstitutional variables in student persistence is discussed. (MSE)

A survey of experienced and new presidents in 32 various colleges revealed that making mistakes is important to learning on the job, including when and how to take action, and when not to. Presidents reported learning about working relationships, contextual differences, the human side of administrative action, and their own limitations.…

A variety of findings are reviewed that make questionable the validity of using student ratings of instructional effectiveness in making personnel decisions. Comparability of student ratings and sources of invalidity are discussed, and a proposal is made for the use of student rating data by individual teachers in an instructional improvement…

The ingredients of an academic program development plan, with special attention to the processes and criteria supporting decisions on program priorities, are delineated. External and internal inputs to decision-making are discussed and three case examples are given. Major considerations involved in integrating budgetary decisions are identified.…

Analysis of the functions and responsibilities of faculty-dominated athletic committees indicated six dimensions of influence including: policy, autonomy, hiring, business, academic surveillance, and NCAA power. Seven predictors of degree of faculty control of athletic programs were found. (Author/MLW)

The behaviors and subsequent situations of two sets of colleges that experienced severe financial difficulties in the mid-1970s were examined. One set made a dramatic recovery; the other set did not. The more resilient group pursued a combination of adaptive and interpretive strategies. (MLW)

Mid-career change programs have the potential to open faculty positions during these times of decline. Most current programs are intended to shift faculty to a different specialty or discipline, but data indicate that academics would be receptive to opportunities to move out of academe. Specific options are identified. (Author/LB)

The use of student classroom rating data to assist with salary, tenure, and/or promotion decisions is explored. The data can become an important aspect of such decisions, but only after very careful development and negotiation. (JMF)

The academic community and the support base for higher education are seen as two seemingly opposing forces. Institutional research is proposed as a third force which, in its role of intermediary and articulator, can re-energize the planning-management systems of higher education. (Article originally published in 1972.) (AF)

Examined the relationships between institutional culture, decision-making approaches, and organizational effectiveness through a survey of 639 faculty and administrators at 30 public two-year colleges. Colleges with a strong adhocracy culture were able to minimize the impact of difficult enrollment and financial conditions, perhaps by enabling the…

Academic senates remain an important feature of higher education governance even though they have been criticized as being ineffective. Senates are examined from the perspective of alternative organizational models, and it is suggested that the functions of the senate are best understood by considering colleges as symbolic systems. (Author/MLW)