When yes/no or multiple-choice answers do not suffice--when a qualitative understanding of a topic rather than a quantitative head count is needed--it is time to consider focus groups. They work well when learning why, how, and what for is more important than measuring how many. Focus groups are primarily an open-ended form of inquiry, enabling…

A few years ago, in "Student Success in College (SSiC)," the authors profiled twenty colleges and universities that were unusually effective in fostering student engagement and success, defined as better-than-predicted scores on the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) and better-than-predicted graduation rates. These schools are…

In the spring of 1973, a study was conducted of the interlibrary lending (ILL) process at the California State University and Colleges (CSUC) libraries. Twelve of the 19 CSUC campuses were involved in the study--four in northern California and eight in southern California, the latter already experimenting with telefacsimile interlibrary loan…

Papers concerning higher education planning and management in the 1980s that were contributed to the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems competition for the Planning and Financing Program are presented. The papers, submitted by administrators, researchers, and a student, are as follows: "Faculty Reallocation: Plattsburgh…