The authors examine an institutional assessment model for general education that effectively incorporates instructor-driven strategies. This article is informed by the perspectives of a teaching librarian and a departmental faculty member at the University at Albany, State University of New York. As instructors, they both participated in mandated…

Quality assurance in medical education is a complex matter. Institutions and external critics of accreditation processes often question the objectivity of peer judgements. Members of accreditation panels similarly often feel at a loss for a lack of mechanisms to help them arrive at a collective assessment of the performance of an institution. In…

If it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a strong network of committed colleagues to launch an initiative like "SENSE." From its conception in fall 2006 to the first national administration in fall 2009, the Survey of Entering Student Engagement ("SENSE") has been supported by key individuals and groups, without whom there would have been…

Connecticut's school-accountability law, Connecticut General Statute 10-220(c), requires reporting on a broad-based system of educational indicators that include measures of student needs, school resources, school performance (process), and student performance. This paper presents findings of a study that, using information from Connecticut's…

This study investigated student satisfaction at a comprehensive regional university using a questionnaire grounded in the disconfirmation theory of customer satisfaction. A total of 165 students enrolled in business courses were surveyed at the beginning of the semester regarding their expectations of the university, with 104 students completing…

Recent reports by government agencies show concern regarding the extent to which American workers lack the workplace skills necessary to meet the challenges of today's workplace. The Work Keys system, a program developed by American College Testing (ACT) to help improve the job skills of the workforce, is described. A pilot project is being…

This document contains a set of materials to help technical colleges preparing for an accreditation visit. Although the details come from the Wisconsin Technical College System and pertain to the North Central Association (NCA), they can be modified to fit the circumstances of technical colleges in other states and in other regional accrediting…

This paper studied the relationship between faculty diversity and educational quality, academic integrity, and institutional effectiveness. The study sought to determine if there were significant differences among educational leaders on whether regional accreditation should be used to promote faculty diversity, and what variables accounted for any…

This paper provides advice to college and university administrators on issues and problems associated with the assessment and documentation of institutional effectiveness, in light of the current Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) criteria for institutional self-evaluation. Administrators need to: (1) get the attention of…

The United Kingdom's 1992 Education Act established the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), which was mandated to oversee an inspection system for all schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the extent to which the inspection process helped schools with their school-development planning. A survey was mailed to…

These standards for the accreditation of graduate programs of library and information studies leading to a master's degree are a result of review and revision of the "Standards for Accreditation 1972." Six areas are addressed: (1) Mission, Goals and Objectives; (2) Curriculum; (3) Faculty; (4) Students; (5) Administration and Financial Support;…

The purpose of this paper is to help higher education institutions determine how well their institutional effectiveness models match the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Institutions of Higher Education Criterion Four requirements. The paper describes each of the major requirements as a domain in a matrix with…

This essay describes the problems involved in developing a comprehensive multiple choice exam in macroeconomics. It also attempts to promote dialogue about the testing instruments used to satisfy institutional effectiveness requirements. One section briefly compares the advantages and disadvantages of using essays instead of multiple choice exams.…

This report summarizes the results of student satisfaction surveys administered at City College of San Francisco for the three academic years between 1995 and 1997. A total of 16,811 survey responses were collected by individual departments in eight instructional areas of the college. The survey addressed such issues as satisfaction with…

This publication records new developments and progress on various projects and activities conducted to meet the college's goals. In May of 1998, the District Office's centralized control-and-review authority shifted to the college leadership's autonomy and accountability. This change influenced many of the campus-based plans and decisions, and…