In order to obtain an accreditation, the university management must implement a quality assurance system and be able to document that quality policy and procedures are followed and acted upon as appropriate. One element in this system is monitoring students' satisfaction. In this paper, we describe a method of acquiring the necessary information…

This discussion constructs a survey data quality strategy for institutional researchers in higher education in light of total survey error theory. It starts with describing the characteristics of institutional research and identifying the gaps in literature regarding survey data quality issues in institutional research and then introduces the…

This paper intends to construct a survey data quality strategy for institutional researchers in higher education in light of total survey error theory. It starts with describing the characteristics of institutional research and identifying the gaps in literature regarding survey data quality issues in institutional research. Then it is followed by…

This manual, the second part of a guide to assist colleges in field-testing the survey instrument "Student Goals Exploration" (SGE), is a technical treatment for use by researchers. The SGE is a survey designed to measure student goals for attending college and for enrolling in specific courses. Section I, "About the Student Goals…

A guide for conducting alumni surveys is presented, including 22 sample questionnaires. The first section on planning an effective survey strategy includes the following five articles: "Let's Take a Survey" (Cletis Pride); "Surveying Your Alumni: Or an Unexamined College Is Not Worth Loving" (Jocelyn Bartkevicius); "Make Your Survey Scientific"…

This final segment of a series of studies to ascertain the degree to which visually impaired persons use the Library of Congress National Library Service for the blind and physically handicapped (NLS) examines the methodologies involved in conducting the studies, as well as the problems associated with those methodologies. Chapters explore the…

Three statistical techniques--conjoint analysis, a multiple linear regression model, and a multiple linear regression model with a surrogate person variable--were used to estimate the relative importance of five university attributes for students in the process of selecting a college. The five attributes include: availability and variety of…

Information is provided on the procedures and instruments used to conduct the Coast Community Colleges 1980 Telephone Survey as an aid for those planning to undertake a similar study. After an introductory section, Section II discusses study planning, outlining the roles of an executive steering committee made up of key administrators, a technical…

This paper provides an overview of the entire process necessary to developing a university-wide web survey, from the community-building process for creating support for the survey and determining the questions, to the specific tasks necessary for designing and administering an efficient web product. (Contains 17 tables.)

Hints on conducting surveys appropriate for university use are outlined, and sample checklists and forms are provided. The following research elements concerning generic surveys are covered: sequences of events for surveys conducted by mail (15 weeks) and telephone (11 weeks); algorithms for estimating materials costs and quantities; a catalog of…

This guidebook is designed as a brief introduction to the use of attitude research as a tool in the student recruitment process. Opinion and attitude research are briefly described from the perspective of the academic communicator. Topics include the following: the difference between opinion and attitude research, the two basic forms surveys…

Institutional accreditation is a voluntary, non-governmental activity administered by the eight postsecondary accrediting institutions that are part of the six regional associations that serve colleges and universities in the United States. The author cites W. Edwards Deming's work on corporate quality improvement, and its applicability to…

This paper describes empirically tested strategies for containing mailed questionnaire costs while maximizing survey response rates. Survey focus, critical to gaining respondent interest and completion of the survey instrument, should be selected on the basis of the theme of the study in order to reduce survey length and yield more in-depth and…

In December 1990, a project was begun at Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) in Walnut, California, to develop a model accountability system based on the belief that educational quality is measured by individual achievement over time. This proposal for the Accountability Model (AM) presents information on project methodology and organization in four…

In spring 1991, a survey was conducted of 991 community and technical colleges nationwide to determine the extent to which they engaged in environmental scanning (ES) activities. In particular, the study sought to identify those institutions that currently conduct environmental scans; the nature of the links between ES and program development,…