Calculating the productivity of a college or university is more complex than determining a machine's productivity. Sixteen rational, cultural, political, and cognitive constraints that influence institutional productivity are outlined and their mediation by institutional culture and history is noted. (MSE)

The idea that different meanings of "quality" in higher education (meritocratic, social, and individualistic) may influence the assessments of college presidents of their institutions is explored. These three dimensions are combined in a model that allows a more complex view of institutional quality. (MSE)