Strategies used by Griffith University (Australia) to control quality, in response to increasing external pressure for accountability, are outlined. The central strategy involves devolving responsibility to faculties and schools, who must develop plans for quality control within their own academic cultures. Barriers to implementation, including…

Describes the North Central Association's 1965 decision to require member schools to undertake a self-study followed by a team visitation every seven years. Offers background for the decision, a description of the decision process, and information on subsequent decisions. (DMM)

Analyzes approaches to institutional assessment currently in use, including locally developed achievement measures, external expert evaluation, self-reported data collection, nationally standardized achievement test, persistence studies, and portfolio analysis. (DMM)

Emphasizes link between objectives and quantified outcomes of rural support programs. Synthesizes a hierarchy of objectives based on the state aims of the 40 public institutions active in rural areas in England and Wales and programs they operated in financial year 1987-88. Describes allocation of financial resources between various objectives,…

Because of increased competition, widely publicized ratings, the declining population of traditional college-age students, and concern about perceived emphasis on scholarship rather than practical instruction, business administration schools are creating or turning to public relations offices to communicate with the press, public, and prospective…

The North Central Association of Schools and Colleges's periodic evaluation requirement is a fundamental stimulus for cooperative growth, improvement, and directed change. For one Michigan school district, the accreditation process provided assurance that its schools had met standards of educational quality, conducted a vigorous self-study, and…

Restructuring schools in urban settings requires a commitment to establishing and evaluating equity and excellence. Beliefs and values about schooling and the interests of all students should be made explicit and examined by educators in an attitude of critical inquiry. (CJS)

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign School of Chemical Sciences undertook a comprehensive review of management practices in three phases: (1) internal business office procedural review; (2) user opinion survey; and (3) external assessment by campus business and personnel administration. The substantial year-long effort was justified by…

Reports an exploratory study of the relationship between faculty publishing rates in basic and applied-research journals and institutional ranking based on 1995 data for 1,318 four-year colleges and universities. Results reveal a strong, positive association between scholarship and institutional ranking, with some interesting exceptions. (MSE)

Reviews development of evaluation studies together with key epistemological and conceptual issues. Uses identified concepts to analyze peer review, the traditional mode of evaluation in higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and other European countries. Lists criteria for improvement, including: range of knowledge; critical analysis…

Discussion of quality assurance in Australian higher education focuses on a case study of a university sector college. Identifies an "implementation gap" between the intentions underpinning "quality policy" and actual outcomes. Argues that institutions and external quality bodies need to consider the conditions and context of…

Presents evidence from the British Universities Council for the Education of Teachers to the House Commons Select Committee on Education regarding the current Office for Standards in Education inspection process for preservice teacher education, presenting arguments regarding cost, timing, and frequency of inspections and biases within and effects…

A critique of rankings of Canadian universities focuses on one popular 1993 ranking and comparative data for the previous year. Several problems in the ranking procedures and results of some correlational analyses of the ranking data are discussed. Implications, particularly in the wider context of public institution accountability and the…

Describes a six-part study conducted at Macomb Community College (Michigan) regarding its financial aid department's quality of service. Results showed that people calling the department for help are handled less efficiently than those who come in person, and that managers, staff, and students need to be better informed regarding financial aid.…

Of the many arguments for charter schools, one is crucial: that charters should be deliberately, thoughtfully, boldly different from existing mainline public middle and high schools. The evidence of the ineffectiveness of the traditional design of K-12 education, especially that of middle and high schools, serving both rich and poor, is…