Diversity, equity, and inclusion are laudable objectives, but how do we move beyond a proclamation of value to the gritty work of critique, openness, and action? One practice in institutional improvement is to focus on what can be counted, but cultural changes are more difficult to see. Finding ways to observe and measure what is inherently…

Recent changes in European higher education have accompanied a strong desire and need by national ministries to have comparable data across institutions and a growing recognition from campus leaders that effective planning and decision-making requires reliable institutional data and analyses. This has induced changes and restructuring of duties…

Management modeling techniques are applied to setting operational and capital goals using cost analysis techniques in this case study at the Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery. The model was created as a planning tool used in developing a financially feasible operating plan and a 100 percent physical renewal plan. (LBH)

In recent years, college administrators have become concerned with survey fatigue among students and declining response rates. Some campuses have responded by implementing policies about who can conduct surveys and which topics are permitted. This chapter describes the development of such policies and provides valuable suggestions to campus…

The political processes involved in an academic program evaluation are discussed. The focus is on how evaluative information is politically linked to programmatic decisions within the context of various organizational and evaluative utilization models. To examine the explanatory power of the various theories and models, information from a program…

This study analyzed the 1990 census data to describe the immigrant populations in selected locations, and then conducted institutional case studies to learn about the impact of increasing immigration on higher education institutions and to understand how institutions are responding. The 20 case studies involved community colleges, comprehensive…

A method for college planning using alternative futures scenarios is explained, and a case study is used to illustrate its use in institutional research. The alternative futures approach addresses the uncertainty associated with strategic decision making. It differs from the traditional long-range planning models based on a single set of…

Three instances of the use of policy analysis in different areas of university planning and decision making are used to illustrate the elements of policy analysis: its tools (iterative activity, intuition/judgment, field testing); problem diagnosis; and examination of the roles played by four components (policy issue, environment, implementation,…

Proponents of management information systems (MIS) have traditionally held that educational administrators are in need of better management information with which to make more informed planning and policy decisions. However, few successful implementations have been reported. Literature discussing the lack of success of MIS point to such factors as…

Drawing on an institutional study of university faculty, an expanded institutional perspective designed to support and improve faculty and organizational vitality is proposed. Differentiated proactive policies and practices are recommended for different faculty groups. (Author/MSE)

The development of an operational model that would enable a college institutional research unit to improve administrative decision-making by expanding its data base to include new activities not widely recognized throughout the institution is considered. Attention is directed to institutional research as a function within an institution,…

The Practice-Theory-Practice Model (PTPM), a method designed to infuse theoretical perspectives into case study materials and to serve as a guide for examining chance processes in institutions of higher education, is described. The PTPM considers the historical and experiential environment that acts upon an institution, its practices and its…

In 1973 the Harvard School of Public Health contracted with the Bureau of Health Manpower Education to study, modify, and augment the school's educational program and related research and service activities in light of existing public health needs and those likely to arise in the next five to ten years. The model educational program developed as a…

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…

Written for community college presidents and others interested in community college leadership, this book provides a practical guide to the presidency based upon the author's extensive experience as a college president. The book is divided into four sections, each addressing a separate issue related to college presidency. The first section, "The…