In spring 2006, the Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) conducted a study to measure the economic impact of the five colleges located in Berks County: Alvernia College, Albright College, Kutztown University, Pennsylvania State University, Berks Campus (Penn State Berks) and Reading Area Community College (RACC). Although many higher…

Briefly describes the development of cable television and how it is transmitted. Public benefit uses, refranchising, and getting a local franchise started are discussed, as well as resources to help set up such a system. References are included. (BK)

This research identified the costs and benefits of the sitter service in Scotland. A "sitter service" is one that provides home-based childcare outside the hours of 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on weekdays and at weekends to support children of shift workers, single parents/carers and for children who require additional support. Nine sitter…

Public universities cite their economic impact to help justify state financial support, but the literature offers no comprehensive theory that can guide analysis of such claims. This research used qualitative methodology to complement the ubiquitous economic impact studies, and showed that mission, leadership and geography determine how public…

Using local contractors for construction work benefits the community by keeping money in the area and reducing the cost of imported management and labor. To accomplish this, the construction management firm must have the commitment to working with the local contractors throughout the entire design, bidding, and construction period. (MLF)

Community colleges in rural environments provide a variety of services. There is a great deal of documentation supporting those services that are academic and economic. The noneconomic and nonacademic results of community college activities, however, have an undocumented yet significant impact on local communities. The current study focused on how…

In this article, the author revisits a case study presented in "Arts Education Policy Review" 105(1) in September/October 2003. The author discusses Arts Collaborator's Incorporated's (ACI) efforts to educate the community about art and about arts opportunities in River City. Themes visited in the discussion are community development through the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present The School for Field Studies-Center for Coastal Studies (SFS-CCS) as a success story in sustainable development education. This success is based on a unique academic model, which incorporates sustainable development opportunities and challenges faced by the local community into the program…

Discusses indirect and long-term rural implications of tax reform: elimination of local sales tax deduction, limits on local bond issues. Summarizes major tax changes affecting agriculture: individual income taxes, corporate tax rates, tax treatment of capital, capital gains, land deductions, cash accounting, development costs, passive losses and…

Provides a rationale for conducting community impact studies and, based on the American Council on Education's research model and on Thomas Nelson Community College's (TNCC's) recent experiences, provides guidelines for conducting economic impact studies. Summarizes the major findings of TNCC's study. (AYC)

The concomitant secondary consequences of an electrification program and the potential long-term benefits of such a program are described. An electrification program can stimulate a move toward true self-determination and self-sufficiency for the Navajo nation.

Framed within Coleman's theory of family capital, this article examines how different home variables such as family physical, human and social capital affect immigrant children's second-language acquisition in the homes of four Chinese immigrant families in Canada. Specifically, the study analyzes the relationships between family physical capital…

Civic responsibility as an ideal of higher education is rarely considered through a cultural and theoretical lens. Swidler's (1986, "American Sociological Review", 51: 273-286) framework linking ideology, culture and action was used in this ethnographic study of a research university (a) to understand dominant institutional beliefs about civic…

This chapter provides some examples and recommendations for expanding the connections between economics and institutional research. (Contains 1 figure.)