Over the past few decades, deterioration in student achievement has provoked a pervasive public sentiment that American institutions are failing to meet the needs and expectations of society. The growing public demand for transparency and accountability has fueled the integration of state-mandated learning outcomes assessment into the standards…

As many experienced board members know, given the national debate in recent years over institutional accountability, learning--the heart of the educational enterprise--is often treated as a by-product of other more measurable processes. The fact is, no matter how excellent the curricula, no matter how stellar the faculty, no matter how talented…

"Building Institutional Capacity for Data-Informed Decision Making" is the third installment of the Cutting Edge series, which aims to help colleges engage faculty, scale successful interventions, and create a strong culture of evidence through use of data to strengthen their institutional change and student success efforts. Though the…

A National Association of College and University Business Officers project collects data on college administrative and business costs and compiles them for comparative purposes. The unpublished findings are available to participants to gauge institutional efficiency. However, some feel more institutions must participate for data to be useful. (MSE)

The way in which the University of Botswana went about building the consensus necessary to develop a new administrative and management structure is described. The process began with a commission review to address increasing demand, and progressed to recommendations, governing council response, a task force for reorganization, and implementation.…

This report provides general statistical information about San Antonio College (Texas). Section 1, Overview, offers a brief history, mission statement, outstanding former students, academic programs, and accreditation/affiliations. Twelve academic departments, offering 60 degree and certificate programs are identified. Section 2, Organizational…

Gives an overview of the Ball State University (Indiana) academic assessment program, from its origins through present and future efforts. Several current assessment activities are described--university-wide, in general education, and discipline-specific. Areas of strength in the program and challenges to conducting successful assessment are…

In 1994, Lord Fairfax Community College (LFCC), in Virginia, revised its general education and major assessment routines to include indirect measures, such as graduate and employer surveys, with direct Academic Profile testing. This report describes LFCC's first full cycle of assessment under the new routines carried out from 1993 to 1995.…

This annual report includes narrative reports about the nine colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD), summarizing college achievements and problems encountered during the 1983-84 academic year. An overview of the LACCD discusses problems related to fiscal reductions and indecision regarding tuition and funding; the…

This annual report presents narrative descriptions of the achievements realized and the problems encountered during 1984-85 by the nine colleges of the Los Angeles Community College District. First, a district overview highlights the imposition of a $50 fee, funding and enrollment declines, vocational instruction growth and development,…

An evaluation program designed to assess the impact of the Office of Staff and Institutional Development (OSID) at Leeward Community College of the University of Hawaii is described. The OSID organizes and conducts a program that focuses on organizational development, professional/personal development, and learning skills development. OSID program…