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…

The contemporary context and some recent trends affecting college program reviews or evaluations, current options in purposes and practices, and impacts on programs and institutions are discussed. It is recommended that the process be viewed as a contribution to the general knowledge base for campus constituencies rather than as "right answers"…

Evaluation of the impact of prospective students' contacts with the institution is an objective of the admissions research agenda at Tufts University (Massachusetts). An annual survey gathers information on individuals who make inquiries but do not submit an application and on the parents of matriculating students. (MSE)

Successful outcomes assessment programs have many common characteristics. Institutional researchers should examine these signs of success and use them as guides for developing their own campus programs. (Author/MSE)

This document defines a wide range of measures of the outcomes (results or impacts) of postsecondary education institutions and their programs and suggests procedures for acquiring the data needed for each measure. The outcome measures described are ones identified by a survey of institutional and state-level decision makers as providing the…

A series of workshops were offered for vocational education administrators and researchers to train them in institutional research methods in a systems planning context. The basic purpose of the project was to provide an opportunity for vocational educators to become familiar with (1) research methodology; (2) to train vocational educators to…

Sample procedures, data formats; questionnaires, and explanations are presented that institutions can use to adapt and implement the planning process described in "A Handbook for Institutional and Academic Program Planning: From Idea to Implementation" (Kieft, Armijo, and Bucklew, 1978). Materials are designed for use by two-year and four-year…

The report describes the Appalachian College Assessment Project, which developed a consortium to assess cooperatively the outcomes of the general education programs of a group of private liberal arts colleges in central Appalachia. Evaluation methods included a freshman/senior essay, the Academic Profile, the Pace College Student Experiences…

Several sets of outlines, charts, and diagrams present an overview of a comprehensive institutional program at Delaware County Community College (DCCC) which incorporates planning, research, and marketing strategies. The first set of documents outlines the objective-based planning process, describes the organizational framework, defines…

This final report of the Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning (CAEL) project provides an overview of the major activities of CAEL's first three years. It includes a brief history of CAEL, a description of the developmental work, and selected important outcomes of the field research. The Operational Models Project (which involves the…

The Cooperative Assessment of Experiential Learning (CAEL) Project involves Educational Testing Service and some 250 member institutions. The purpose of the project is to develop procedures and materials that will be useful in strengthening the assessment of experiential learning in higher education. This report describes extensive findings that…