An international group evaluated the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) following university self-evaluation. This paper discusses initiation and ownership of the evaluation process, the nature of the process within the university, the impact on the university, and the wider impact. It compares self-evaluation with other approaches and comments on…

A method for evaluating research using both quantitative and qualitative analysis is presented. It is proposed as useful for a variety of evaluation needs including large-scale projects, acquisition of expensive equipment, and nomination of scientists to important positions. It is seen as especially useful for evaluation in small entities. (MSE)

A study of the use of performance indicators in assessing the quality of higher education investigated the potential contribution to quality control of 17 indicators. It is concluded that of the 17, only 7 have high or medium impact, while 10 have low to marginal impact. Concerns regarding government use of performance indicators intended for…

A study at the University of Antwerp (Belgium) investigated the ethics, sensitivity, and reliability of bibliographic methods to assess faculty research productivity. Such methods measure the impact of a university research group by counting the times the group's publications are cited by other authors. Results suggest that this quantitative…

A quality assessment at the University of Jyvaskyla (Finland) started with self-evaluation followed by a foreign visiting group's evaluation. The positive effects of the evaluation were commitment, organizational self-understanding, a new frame of planning activities, future orientation, and a new position in external relations. (Author/JDD)

The use of performance evaluation and performance indicators in Finland is reviewed, and a study of Finnish researchers' perceptions and attitudes about them is discussed. Three conclusions emerged from the study: (1) departmental indicators should be developed; (2) publications are not a bad measure of performance; and (3) most scientists support…

A discussion of quality assurance in Portuguese universities looks at the environment of expanding enrollments and new laws concerning program quality. It is proposed that evaluation should be informative, exhaustive, and concise, and should involve cooperation between evaluators both internal and external to the institution. (MSE)

A discussion of institutional and program evaluation in higher education focuses on the need for congruence between the purposes of the assessment and the procedures used to accomplish it. The factors relating to success in evaluation are examined, with special attention given to those that promote improvement. (Author/MSE)

A discussion of external evaluation of a college or university program or unit looks at two different approaches used in the United States for accreditation purposes--standards of good practice and competency-based learning and review. Methods of maintaining consistency and eliminating bias are examined briefly. (MSE)

A recently implemented program of institutional evaluation in Spanish universities, designed with the intention of improving the quality of teaching, research, and administration, is discussed. Objectives and mechanisms for assessment in each of these areas are detailed. (MSE)

A Canadian public higher education official comments on the use of performance indicators for evaluating and funding higher education institutions. Focus is on putting the controversy over their use into perspective by narrowing the issues and arguments, clarifying them, and acknowledging inherent limitations of performance indicators. (MSE)

The quality assessment process for Australian universities is examined, including its impact on quality improvement, whether judging quality at the institutional level is too coarse a measure to give accurate results, some alternatives, and whether the whole institution approach may lead to greater external interference in institutional affairs.…

Interviews with 24 academics and 2 students in 3 Finnish universities examined their attitudes toward quality assessment, the most appropriate assessment unit, connection of assessment and decision making, the value of peer review, and the issue of "bad" teaching. In general, attitudes toward quality assessment were positive. (JDD)

This article discusses the use of incentives for higher education institutions to become more efficient, effective, and responsive to government policies and offers examples of positive and negative incentives, the nature of relevant incentives, and the relationship between incentives and professional preferences. Suggestions for using incentives…

Australia's recent experience with performance indicators for evaluation and funding of higher education institutions suggests principles concerning: selecting appropriate, relevant, and reliable indicators; providing expert judgment in interpretation of indicators; considering institutional context and priorities; providing incentives for good…