Australian higher education lags behind other western countries in relation to access and attainment of equity groups (Organisation for Economic Development [OECD], 2010). This is despite major policy reforms in the last two decades targeting better educational outcomes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Australian Labor Government's…

Assessing student attainment in the major field of study is increasingly important to employers and accrediting bodies alike. Construction and manufacturing firms do not like engineers who design faulty bridges and airplanes. Marketing firms want to hire students who understand the difference between a niche market and a global market. School…

The following paper culminates a year of research conducted by researchers at E[superscript 3] Alliance and Texas State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The following reports on promising practices observed and reported at Manor New Tech High School (MNTH), a Texas Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (T-STEM)…

Action research can play an important role in institutional research endeavors to improve the quality of organizational performance in higher education. This article outlines how the action research perspective informed a research design that integrated fragmented and isolated student success initiatives at a large urban two-year institution where…

This report presents findings from a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) on how well prepared today's community colleges are in moving toward the greater use of data and research to improve student success. Data for the study were drawn from two major sources: first, an e-mail survey of college administrators…

Researchers have called attention to the racism and stereotypes experienced by black undergraduates on predominantly white campuses; provided evidence of how race-specific organizations and programs help neutralize the oppressive ethos of these institutions; and proven empirically that historically black colleges and universities foster more…

A study at the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined the effect of nonnative English-speaking teaching assistants (TAs) on student performance, as measured by grades, over five semesters. Additional variables investigated include TA regional origin, instructional area, course drop rates, and TA training programs. Consistently higher performance…

Environmental scanning, enrollment forecasting, budget analyses, and institutional effectiveness assessment are examples of the explicit contributions institutional research offices make to campus strategic planning.

A study at Barry University (Florida), a private, urban comprehensive university investigated factors in student retention. Demographic data, standardized test scores, and academic performance data were gathered for almost 3,000 students entering the university between fall 1991 and spring 1995. In addition, the students were surveyed on…

This case study of Southern Illinois University was conducted to determine the types of volunteers needed for an annual fund drive. Based on a random sample of 138 alumni donors who completed questionnaires, a donor profile was developed. Analysis of questionnaire responses found that only 48% reported being involved with extracurricular…

A study investigated the appropriateness of admissions standards used for transfer students to the University of Missouri-Columbia, by analyzing the relationship between several possible predictor variables (number of transfer credits, transfer grade point average, type of previous institution, type of associate degree earned) and targeted…

This case study of a student retention program for at-risk students at Mount Hood Community College (Oregon) contends that student retention programs are seldom as holistic and comprehensive as intended. The study analyzed three areas: the design and implementation of a comprehensive program to improve student retention; the organizational…

This book presents a comprehensive model of how institutions adapt to improve the environments they provide African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students without relinquishing historical standards. The model is based on the experiences of ten institutions that have graduated higher numbers of minority students as compared to their…

A self-study of Findlay College, Ohio, which was prepared for the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools for reaccreditation purposes, is presented. After a preliminary chapter outlining the mission and goals of the college, attention is directed to: instructional programs, community programs and resources, students and student…

Demographic and institutional factors responsible for the large variations of student retention and achievement at further education (FE) colleges throughout the United Kingdom were examined. Data from individualized student records were analyzed, and 10 FE colleges identified as serving areas of deprivation were visited to assess the extent to…