Quantitative meta-analysis is a very useful, yet underutilized, technique for synthesizing research findings in higher education. Meta-analytic inquiry can be more challenging in higher education than in other fields of study as a result of (a) concerns about the use of regression coefficients as a metric for comparing the magnitude of effects…

This paper suggests an alternative to the standard practice of measuring the graduation rate performance using regression analysis. The alternative is production frontier analysis. Production frontier analysis is appealing because it compares an institution's graduation rate to the best performance instead of the average performance. The paper…

Using data on upper-division students in the University of California system, we show that two distinct cultures of engagement exist on campus. The culture of engagement in the arts, humanities and social sciences focuses on interaction, participation, and interest in ideas. The culture of engagement in the natural sciences and engineering focuses…

The concept of paradigm development, it is suggested, can explain differences in organizational contexts of university departments. Departments from high-paradigm fields are embedded in a context with clearly identifiable and distinguishable dimensions. (Author/MLW)

The development, characteristics, statistical findings, and utility of a faculty salary model used for three years in a diversified higher education system are reported. The model was developed in response to needs to deal with salary equity litigation, make interinstitutional salary comparisons, and better understand factors determining salaries.…

Two surveys, in 1977 and 1987, provide data for analyzing and explaining change in these institutions. Data from a sample are compared to those for higher education in general, giving particular attention to two dimensions: access and graduate education. Local demography and economic conditions as contributors to stability are considered.…