Describes an institutional research office's establishment of an outcomes-oriented self-assessment model rooted in the college's mission and goals. Reports that the framework enables institutional research departments to evaluate their effectiveness, and more importantly, to use the results of self-assessment to plan future activities, thereby…

Drawing from research in the areas of education and sociology, the author has developed a rationale and three models for using students as teachers and counselors. That students taught and/or counseled by other students will benefit from the experience has been demonstrated in recent research, but the present proposal differs in that it does not…

Discusses how descriptive data collection and presentation can influence decision making, using an informal action research model. Uses examples of Miami-Dade Community College research on retention rate and first-term coursework, high school preparation, and existing quality control versus proposed new statewide testing requirements, showing…

Because community college administrators are under increasing pressure to curtail or eliminate programs due to reduced resources, the need for institutional research in the area of evaluation of educational and support programs arises. There are three basic approaches to program evaluation which are used in most public educational institutions:…

This document presents a compilation of possible formats for questions which can be used in preparing follow-up questionnaires for community/junior college students. The compilation resulted from the review and selection of pertinent questions from approximately fifty follow-up questionnaires obtained from sources both within and outside of Texas.…

This paper generally describes the activities and processes of a task force at William Rainey Harper College (Illinois) charged with reviewing the college's tenure policies relative to present needs and long-range projections. It provides a series of suggestions of use to other community colleges who might undertake a self-study of tenure policy.…

Designed for use by community college personnel, this handbook provides information necessary to conduct a study of the impact of a community college on the business volume and other economic aspects of the community. Section I explains models for assessing the following seven types of economic impact: (1) college-related local business volume;…

This paper describes an emerging model for a comprehensive staff and organizational development program as a continuous and integral activity of the college, and discusses the role of the office of institutional research in such programs. A comprehensive program includes instructional development (instructional evaluation, diagnosis,…

Proposes a standard research methodology to help community colleges better measure effectiveness. Recommends gathering demographic, academic, and personal goal data when students enter and exit the college and correlating the data to student performance. Proposes that accrediting agencies adopt the model, citing the advantages of a consistent body…

This report details the research activities conducted by Del Mar College, as a subcontractor of Project FOLLOW-UP, in the design, development, and implementation of a graduate follow-up system. The activities included questionnaire design, development of manual and computerized record-keeping systems, student-graduate identification, and…

This report details the research activities conducted by San Antonio College (SAC) as a subcontractor of Project FOLLOW-UP, in the design, development, and implementation of a graduate follow-up system. Numerous information gathering techniques, including personal interviews and follow-up questionnaires, were attempted. Four different groups of…

Presents the research model used in the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District, which operates through a part-time institutional researcher guided by an institutional research committee. Discusses the committee's role and the use of research results in policymaking and other areas. Provides examples of research. (DMM)

This paper describes an enrollment forecasting model that was developed in 1988 by the Office of Institutional Research for a small, private, liberal arts college (Wesley College, Delaware). The college, shifting in demographics from its historical junior college mission to that of a comprehensive baccalaureate institution, required a forecasting…

The purposes of this study were to learn more about what students do who have one or more of their classes cancelled and to determine the fiscal efficacy of current college procedures with regard to cancelling classes having an enrollment of less than fifteen. A random sample of 918 was drawn from the entire student body as a control group,…

The "Research Memorandum," a quarterly publication initiated in December 1972 by the Office of Educational Development and Research of the Metropolitan Junior College District of Kansas City, Missouri, is devoted to the investigation and delineation of research problems common to public and private institutions of two-year college education.…