The use of a robust statistical technique to implement a decentralized faculty allocation procedure at a medium size public university is discussed. The least median of squares (LMS), a regression technique introduced by Rousseeuw, was used instead of the usual least sum of squares, or least squares. The LMS technique was used to assist in the…

A university teacher speaks of changes that have taken place in Canadian universities over the last two decades and also of future opportunities and needs. (CJB)

Presented at a 2005 Salzburg Seminar symposium on the management and support of university research, this paper examines a number of staffing issues concerning institutional capacity-building to foster research in higher education. Various categories of staff engaged in the research enterprise are identified and the diversity among them in terms…

Over the past decade, institutions of higher education have come under increasing demands for accountability. Colleges and universities are expected to document student learning, beyond traditional course grades. The use of assessment as a tool to improve learning relies on the active involvement of faculty in planning, implementing, and refining…

A multi-case study was used in the self-study of three programs within an academic department of a mid-sized Southern university. Multi-case methodology as a form of self-study encourages a process of self-renewal and programmatic change as it defines an active stakeholder role. The participants in the three case studies were university faculty…

This paper describes implementation of one private university's strategic plan which includes provision of laptop computers to all entering freshmen and faculty since fall 1996. The background and context of the development of this plan is summarized, as are the 10 assessment instruments, both standard and in-house, being used to measure the…

A salary study was conducted employing a national peer group because of the expiration of a faculty contract in 1987. The problem addressed was the way in which to produce this national peer group and the resulting salary database in such a fashion that it would be accepted and utilized by both faculty and administrators involved in the collective…

A widespread perception exists that faculty with public service or extension activities are not treated equitably either in annual evaluations for merit salary increases or in peer evaluation for promotion. To determine the items considered important in making personnel decisions in extension and service areas, a survey was sent to chief academic…

This study seeks to determine whether variance in teaching effectiveness of faculty at a traditionally black college, as assessed by students, can be attributed to particular attitudes, experiences, and teaching behaviors of the faculty. A theoretical model derived from symbolic interaction theory is tested by path analysis. Data to test the model…

A 2-year, and still ongoing, initiative was implemented at a land-grant research university to analyze academic and administrative space. Administrative attitudes were compared with faculty attitudes related to space priorities as part of the university's 10-year comprehensive plan. The Office of Institutional Research (OIR) served as the central…

What transpires when an institution of higher education is the defendant in a class action suit charging prejudicial treatment of a minority group is summarized. A demonstration of how the plaintiffs can use the institution's own data to establish a prima facie case for disparate treatment is presented. (Author/MLW)

The types and number of faculty cases litigated and reported at state and federal levels for the 1982 calendar year are examined. Each case is reviewed for the basic facts, the underlying legal rationale, the data requirements, and the decision of the court. It is noted that categorical data summaries were developed of the cases and the associated…

A survey was conducted of a college faculty of 253 to assess faculty attitudes toward governance, teaching, curriculum and students. A modified, abbreviated form of the Carnegie Foundation Faculty Survey was developed. The response rate was 67%. Results included the following: (1) 67% indicated that their writing had been published, or their…

Assessments of institutional effectiveness in affirmative action tend to take either a simple, bottom-line approach (tracking number and percentage of female/minority faculty) or a sophisticated multiple regression-based approach (evaluating rank or salary equity). Either approach may obscure or overlook positive changes occurring within…

Discipline is generally recognized as among the more important determinants of faculty salary. Discipline differences in faculty salary are normally accepted at face value, assumed to be the result of market forces. (The same assumption is commonly made about wage differences among occupations.) This paper reports on findings from an analysis of…