The George Mason University (Mason) offices responsible for institutional reporting and assessment were merged to strengthen and solidify their functions and expertise. The organizational structure creating the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning (OIEP) was intended to engineer a new paradigm where assessment would inform the…

This study aimed to examine the core issues and challenges with web-based distance education programs in Turkish higher education institutes. Formative research method, which is a qualitative research method in nature, was selected to analyze web-based distance education programs thoroughly. The study group comprised 4 higher education institutes,…

This article emphasizes the urgent demand for measurements of university internationalization and proposes a new approach to develop a set of internationally applicable indicators for measuring university internationalization performance. The article looks into existing instruments developed for assessing university internationalization,…

During the academic year 2005-2006 a Cross University Network for Formative and Shared Assessment in Higher Education was formed among 48 academics from 16 different universities within Spain and representing a range of academic areas. The Network was formed in response to the determination of a group of individuals who were dissatisfied with, or…

Even as the number of students attending college has more than doubled in the past forty years, it is still the case that nearly half of all college students in the United States will not complete their degree within six years. It is clear that much remains to be done toward improving student success. For more than twenty years, Vincent Tinto's…

Peer moderation of group work in higher education is rapidly advancing through the use of technological developments and is increasingly being informed by pedagogical research. The highly successful WebPA online assessment system has gone through a number of development phases over its 15-year history and has now evolved into a relatively mature…

The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs has established interdisciplinary research on policy problems as the core of its educational program. A major part of this program is the policy research project, in the course of which three faculty members, each from a different profession or discipline, and about 15 graduate students with diverse…

This paper proposes a model for computer-based assessment systems that utilizes a step-wise approach to assessment design and implementation, within which the management and assessment of operational, technical, pedagogic, and financial risks are made explicit. The cyclic model has five components: planning, risk analysis and management,…

Eight issues in planning and implementing outcomes-focused assessment are presented including: multiple measures are more desirable than a single standardized examination, faculty involvement is essential, performance-based funding should be derived from additional resources, etc. (Author/MLW)

Outlines similarities and differences in the nature, structure, operation, perspectives, and problems of six graduate programs in applied sociology: Wright State University, Kent State University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Maryland/Baltimore County, Drake University, and Washington State University. (DB)

With budgets limiting counseling staffs and an increased need to retain students, a more effective method of providing services is needed. The objective is to bring paraprofessionals to the point where they can recruit, screen, select, evaluate, promote, train, supervise, and administer their own programs. (Author/PC)

On the instruction of the Council of Ontario Universities, the Advisory Committee on Academic Planning has conducted a planning assessment for planning and environmental studies. Following observations and recommendations by the Committee, the consultants' report is presented in two parts--planning and environmental studies. The planning segment…

In describing standards and guidelines for commuter student programs and services, an analysis is provided of the mission, the program, multicultural programs and services, leadership and management, organization and administration, human resources, funding, facilities, legal responsibilities, equal opportunity, access and affirmative action,…

A discussion of the emerging international need for training for department heads focuses on why such training is now a critical issue, what current management problems imply for training needs, the nature and variety of the training available, and some general avenues for future development. (MSE)

The Council for the Advancement of Standards (CAS) has put forth uniform national criteria for assessing educational effectiveness through the publication of "Standards and Guidelines for Student Services/Development Programs." This document is described briefly, and guidelines for interpretation are offered. (KS)