Previous research has found the field of higher education, particularly in the United States, is dominated by functionalist approaches, a preponderance of survey data, and the ubiquitous use of advanced quantitative methods to investigate educational phenomena. This descriptive study aims to illuminate why the field is constructed in this way.…

This article examines academic administrators' attitudes towards the academic evaluation process in the US and those factors that are utilised to improve teaching. We use path regressions to examine satisfaction with evaluation procedures, as well as the direct and indirect effects of these factors on perceptions of whether the evaluation process…

Higher levels of civic and community engagement in higher education are positively associated with students' academic performance and they also build upon citizenship skills such as informed voting. Yet, while these are worthy and important outcomes of higher education, students from disadvantaged backgrounds can have more difficulty navigating…

Public institutions in the United States face a policy challenge to adapt to accountability expectations among a variety of stakeholders (Bogue & Hall, 2012; Thelin, 2004; Richardson & Martinez, 2009). Among the major stakeholders are state legislators who hold fiscal and policy influence over public institutions, but these leaders have…

This paper presents a quasi-experimental evaluation of a required, teaching-focused, new faculty program at a large research university. The study makes use of institutional data, including student evaluations of teaching and faculty participation in educational development activities, which are available on many campuses yet rarely used in…

A Michigan study to project enrollments systemwide, based on calculations of participation rates and credit hour loads of 66 student subgroups defined by age, gender, and degree level, applied 1985 figures to cohort population projections to assess the impact of an aging population on enrollments in 1990, 1995, and 2000. (MSE)

Data from a comprehensive questionnaire to identify the types and sources of undergraduate student aid expenditures in Michigan in the 1976-77 fiscal year are provided. Need-based and non-need-based expenditures from federal, state, institutional and private sectors were included in the surveys. (MLW)

To investigate prospects for enrollment decline, institutional researchers from Michigan's 15 public universities participated in an enrollment project grounded in detailed examination of headcounts and credit hours over time. Each institution reported enrollment for 12 fall terms (1974 through 1985) categorized by age group, gender and degree…

A statistical and analytical procedure for selecting states for the purpose of comparing their postsecondary systems with New Jersey's is detailed by a public commission appointed by the New Jersey Board of Higher Education. The approach used factor analysis to examine information on specific variables that describe the socioeconomic and…

A study of loan availability in Michigan through the federal Guaranteed Student Loan Program outlines the evolution of federal lending programs for college students and describes program characteristics, funds, costs, defaults, and funding systems. The situation for borrowers and lenders in the state and its regions is examined, including…