In both purpose and practice, general education in American higher education has experienced several recurring debates and national revivals. In a world with constantly evolving technology, students need a strong general education to be flexible and adaptable to the changes of the world. General education is an important component and requirement…

A study was conducted to determine whether the strategies and tactics employed in the implementation and continuation of well-established honors programs at selected community colleges followed the five stages that Martorana and Kuhns identified as phases in the life cycle of academic innovation (i.e., exploration, formulation, trial, refinement,…

The paper examines varieties of program assessment in institutions of higher education and proposes a procedure to implement systematic assessment of program outcomes. Presented in a question-and-answer format, the paper first addresses common faculty concerns about formal assessment in sections titled, "Why Not Use GPA (Grade Point Average)?" and…

This report highlights and summarizes accountability activities and initiatives submitted by Illinois' 49 community colleges. It is designed to assure that programs and services offered by the colleges are high-quality, cost-effective, and support the mission and priorities of each institution. The first section of this report, "Priorities,…

The report summarizes questionnaire responses from 454 university department heads concerning information collected in the most recent self-study or review of their department. The responses included judgments about the importance of collecting each information element for (1) internal department use for porgram planning and improvements, (2)…

In response to a legislative imperative that all public higher education institutions in Virginia develop and implement a program to measure student learning and to use the results of evaluations for the improvement of instruction and the curriculum, the Virginia community colleges have either initiated or completed a number of student assessment…

Provides direction to child care center directors in conducting a climate survey which can indicate quality and staff morale problems with measures of motivation, commitment, satisfaction/dissatisfaction, responsibility, and staff concerns. Presents advice on the construct, administering, interpretation, and reporting of findings to avoid serious…

Responding to an accrediting agency mandate for assessment of student outcomes. Earlham College (Richmond, Indiana), a liberal arts college, developed and implemented an assessment plan. The process began with review of the institutional identity and early identification of the philosophy and principles to guide the process. A timetable was…

Among the goals and recommendations for agriculture and natural resource education presented to the University of Wisconsin System institutions and Board of Trustees by the Steering Committee for Strategic Planning for Agriculture and Natural Resources are the following: (1) provide domestic and international leadership in research on food and…

The University of Phoenix has developed a comprehensive outcomes and impact assessment program to assess the effects of a university education on students, particularly adult students. The program is integrated with the existing process assessment systems. Process assessments, which the university refers to as the Academic Quality Management…

This resource contains checklists, worksheets, and examples to encourage staff to share their views and to precipitate action. It assumes an open system of college management with a desire to be efficiently and effectively responsive to local needs. Section I describes briefly some challenges the further education system faces. Section II…

Major themes that dominate institutional support for teaching are addressed by representatives of large research-oriented institutions of higher education that form the "Panel on Research and Development of Instructional Resources." The Panel is composed of the Big Ten universities and the University of Chicago. Contents are as follows: "The Panel…