While considerable evidence has accumulated on state-funded merit-based scholarships, research on the effects of specific scholarship design choices has been thin, perhaps in part because cross-state comparisons are difficult. As one of the only states to enact major changes in the design of its merit-based scholarship program, Georgia provides a…

Twenty-one US states currently offer some form of merit-based postsecondary financial aid, although the generosity and eligibility requirements of merit aid programs varies from state to state. This article uses nationally representative data from high school students in the early 1990s and the early 2000s to evaluate the relationship between the…

Challenges faced by institutions of higher education when performing institutional research on different continents are examined. The discussion is based on the experiences of two universities with undergraduate programs in foreign countries. Three levels of organizational activity (strategic, managerial, operational) and several information…

A study based on national data found that the average duration of doctoral study was related to departmental emphases on scholarly careers and the resources to implement those emphases. Patterns varied by general discipline area and by specific discipline, suggesting a need for detailed analysis by discipline. (Author/MSE)

A Tel Aviv University (Israel) study applied qualitative methods to evaluate a model for improvement of university teaching. A departmental instruction specialist treats instructional quality issues comprehensively within a department. Two years of implementation in the physics department have resulted in increased instructional quality, faculty…

The role of the university in programs to stimulate economic development is examined, and the case of one such program that failed is described. Problems within the program included financial losses in large projects, corruption, widespread public criticism, and criminal convictions of two top program officers. Possible solutions, including…

A study investigated the relationship of learning style, academic success, and gender in students in a highly selective combined baccalaureate/medical degree program. Freshmen (n=100) at the University of Missouri Kansas City medical school participated. Learning styles of this group appear to be similar to those in other medical programs.…

A study of satisfaction among approximately 600 international graduate students at 1 university focused on academic program, academic appointment, and nonacademic social relationships. Analysis revealed academic satisfaction was most strongly related to contact with U.S. students, language skills, and perceived discrimination. Social satisfaction…