Serial Evaluation Activities (SEAs) are series' of focused evaluational studies, each dealing with a well-defined "component unit" within a complex project. Strategies for enhancing timeliness in SEAs include a comprehensive conceptual framework, a permanent institutional setting, a prearranged sample plan, utilization of item banks, and…

A college or university's intercollegiate athletics program is a visible and sensitive component of a campus about which pressures for data and information can become intense quickly. The campus institutional research professional and other campus administrators must be prepared to face this challenge knowledgeably and responsibly. (MSE)

A taxonomy of developmental planning considerations and corresponding areas in which institutional researchers and developmental professionals can collaborate to assess and improve fund-raising activities is presented. (MSE)

The Minnesota State Council on Vocational Technical Education offers four recommendations on the instructional program evaluation process. The first is addressed jointly to the State Board of Vocational Technical Education and the school boards administering Minnesota's technical institutes. It urges cooperative efforts to improve procedures and…

Describes LONESTAR, a longitudinal tracking system developed for a consortium of Texas community colleges in response to a new state mandate on remedial education. Looks at the features of LONESTAR that respond to short-term reporting requirements and facilitate long-term tracking of students. (DMM)

Information use can be defined in many ways depending on a variety of organizational, personal, and presentational factors. The experience of evaluation researchers provides some guides for practice. (Author/MSE)

A strategy is proposed for using student assessment to support the role of colleges and universities as learning-centered communities. It reframes the practice of formal, internal academic program review to focus on student learning and provides examples of data needed to support this process, some generated by the institutional researcher and…

Ensuring the integrity of the intercollegiate athletics program is a fundamental responsibility of the college president. The institutional research professional should lead in designing, coordinating, and maintaining an athletics information support system, and support staff should conduct analyses and prepare special reports as needed to shape…

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"…

The faculty athletics representative plays an important role in the athletic-academic relationship. This responsibility includes certifying student-athlete eligibility, reporting academic data as required, evaluating athlete-applicant qualifications and abilities, regular evaluation of athlete performance, and participation in evaluation of…

Evaluation of college student recruitment and retention programs is complex and has limitations that must be acknowledged. It requires an ongoing commitment to evaluation and a willingness to look at such programs within the larger context of academic policies and administrative procedures. (MSE)

Institutional administrators and research specialists must help improve and implement accountability measures if institutions are to retain academic autonomy. Current trends point to increased pressure for public accountability of higher education in the future. (MLW)

Offers examples of research efforts undertaken at Miami-Dade Community College to analyze the college preparatory program, considering early research using placement test scores, research using college-preparatory course enrollment data, and most recent research using a longitudinal database. Argues that the research process must proceed with…

As scrutiny of intercollegiate athletics programs increases, a likely means for evaluating athletics programs is self-study. This method can be valuable in enhancing internal decision making, help assure the institution and others of the integrity of the evaluation process, focus on key issues before they become problems, and improve campus…

Colleges and universities that have begun transformational changes are seeing strong, positive results, including better service to students, faster completion of transactions, more accurate and timely information, and reduction in administrative personnel. Three elements are common to the approaches taken to institutional transformation:…