This paper explores a particular contemporary instance of the implementation of central government policy linking higher education and sustainable development. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s strategic plan for 2006-2011 (HEFCE 2006) includes a commitment to establish a baseline assessment of the contribution of the…

Research is regarded as essential for development and the application of new knowledge for the benefit of society. Higher education in Uganda has expanded rapidly in the last 20 years. Universities have become the most important institutions in the achievement of national and international goals in enhancing the quality of life, wealth creation,…

The theory of student involvement (Astin, 1984) acknowledges that as students devote sufficient time and energy to educationally purposeful activities, they can expect to make desirable gains throughout the college years. Participation in campus clubs and organizations is one form of involvement found to be associated with a host of learning and…

E-learning in the European Higher Education Area has stampeded its way to the foreground of the Quality Assurance (QA) forum, and has become a key issue among quality assurance agencies and institutions in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). Because internet-based learning is currently such a relevant topic, there is a dire need for the…

This report contains two essays on the extent and import of current research for junior college personnel. Both authors write from the vantage point of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Junior Colleges at the University of California, Los Angeles. After surveying the literature inputs at the Clearinghouse, Cohen concludes that there is a serious lack of…

This paper defines the term "institutional research" and offers a brief history of its role and scope in higher education up to 1969. A rationale for increased conduct of institutional research by community colleges is presented along with guidelines of the Association of Institutional Research for evaluating the effectiveness of such research…

This paper shares a vision of the future of institutional research (IR) for the 21st century, in which institutional researchers learn to see themselves as the critical knowledge workers in the higher education industry. To take on this role, IR needs to: (1) understand the concepts of knowledge management (KM); (2) use new tools to meet the…

The Associate Degree is a two year academic credential available with an Arts or Science focus. The British Columbia Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) initiated development of this provincial credential at the request of British Columbia's (BC's) public post-secondary institutions. In March 2003, BCCAT prepared a report detailing the…

The University of British Columbia's Planning and Institutional Research office prepared a research report for the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer (BCCAT) on the BC university graduating class of 1996 five years later. The report compared the outcomes for those students who were admitted to SFU, UBC, UNBC, and UVic as BC direct entry with…

This report provides an update on current grant projects funded through the Improving Teacher Quality State Grants Program. These include grants targeted to academic literacy in secondary education and to the retention of science and mathematics teachers. The Commission also received information on plans for the 2007 competition process, which…

This exploratory comparison of traditional and full-service schools' climates is an initial step in determining their differences. The authors established whether selected full-service and traditional elementary schools differ on five school climate factors indicating the student and teacher body composition, the students' socioeconomic status,…

Student learning assessment has become one of the central issues of public policy and accountability in higher education. Since the mid-1980s, a number of federal and state commissions and policy organizations have emphasized the importance of assessment for a variety of institutional practices, including student retention, graduation rates, and…

This study outlines a descriptive theory that seeks to grasp the complexity of the school as a state and societal institution as well as single schools as organizations. A significant characteristic of this complexity is the ambiguity of the missions and goals--the outer boundaries--of the school-institution. The more institutional ambiguity that…

Indicators of environmental performance are complex, critical, and increasingly in demand. Colleges and universities will be best served by focusing on core indicators and collaboration between sustainability and institutional research offices. (Contains 1 table.)

Institutional researchers can take advantage of a variety of resources for understanding sustainability issues and keeping abreast of developments on this front. Models exist both within and outside of higher education for analyzing and presenting data. Sustainability Indicators in Comprehensive Sustainability Reports and Fact Books are appended.…