This chapter describes the impact of an alternative spring break program on students at the Savannah College of Art and Design over a set of years as well as its effectiveness as a service-learning tool.

This chapter is a case study of one institution's effort to institutionalize a process through which student development is promoted through active engagement with the community.

Programs that serve underrepresented minority students have long faced many challenges. Prior to the late 1970s, higher education institutions reserved academic program slots for underrepresented minority students because these students had limited access to opportunities that afforded them credentials that their white counterparts could more…

A discussion of administrative program evaluation addresses the problem and opportunity of evaluation from the perspective of the administrator or institutional researcher by suggesting criteria for deciding on the need for formal evaluation, examining several evaluation design strategies, and looking at how evaluation can enhance organizational…

The future of faculty development programs will benefit most from a systematic assessment of program goals, a factor often ignored or taken for granted while program process and product are evaluated. (MSE)

An evaluation of a counseling center must examine its goals, activities, and impact and determine the desired balance among preventive, remedial, and developmental objectives. (MSE)

Setting objectives and knowing how to evaluate results are important in public relations, to prevent counting news releases rather than assessing whether the target audience is reached. Suggestions include setting goals and priorities, researching audiences, focusing on communicating with key audiences, developing strategies, selecting…

Recent literature on academic program review or evaluation is reviewed, including case study reports of ways in which systematic reviews of programs have been designed and carried out at selected colleges. Attention is given to procedures that have been used or suggested for collecting information. (MLW)

Although college missions, goals, and resources vary widely, institutions can assess the impact of financial aid and make strategic decisions to advance enrollment objectives. Such research requires specification of institutional goals and the relative priority of quality, quantity, diversity, and cost, and data on previous cohorts. New…

A discussion of the need for and possible approaches to evaluating student support services emphasizes the importance of using objectives, strategies, and traditional and nontraditional outcome variables for a thorough assessment. (MSE)

Additional readings concerning the two themes of (1) organizational effectiveness as a consequence of managerial action and (2) assessment of services seen as assessment of staff are presented. Sources on staff renewal as a form of staff evaluation are highlighted. (MSE)

Integrated planning promotes collaborative thinking and furnishes mechanisms for linking strategic plans with operational plans. (Contains 1 figure.)

The rationale for state-level program reviews in hiqher education is illustrated by case studies in Florida and New York. Different approaches to evaluation, reviews of existing programs, and agency structure and responsibilities are also discussed. (MLW)

Without an institutional research office to look at recruitment and retention programs, DePauw University (Indiana) relies heavily on institutional trend data and comparative information to assess the effectiveness of three initiatives: recruitment of large numbers of minority students, strategic use of financial aid, and use of market…

A study of program review at 156 community colleges shows that it is widely used for accountability and program improvement; that substantial use is made of results; and that key leadership support, organizational communication, a clear understanding of purposes, and frequent action on program review recommendations at all organizational levels…