The results of a 1976 study, "Measures of Institutional Goal Achievement" (MIGA), based on a survey of 1,150 faculty, administrators, and trustees at 45 American colleges and universities are presented, and implications for the work of college planners and administrators are assessed. Respondents, answering questions about goal priorities and…

Discusses major obstacles to excellence in community colleges: failure to develop adequate means for systematic, periodic, performance appraisal; failure to evaluate individual courses and programs periodically and systematically; failure to commit adequate time and resources to continued personnel development; lack of an adequate decision-making…

This article addresses the problem of inept, ineffective, and mediocre governing boards at America's colleges and universities. It maintains that substandard governance can almost always be traced to one of two culprits, or both: (1) most boards are orchestras of soloists; and (2) many boards tend to either lionize or trivialize the president.…

The problem of ensuring quality in mass education systems is as old as the systems themselves. Responses to this problem reflect the political and cultural organisation of different nation states. In the USA the problem has to be dealt with at a local level. The federal government is very restricted in powers in the field of education and social…

Vocational education and training (VET) policy is increasingly focused on the importance of quality in each VET institution's capacity to deliver effective programs. This report addresses institutional-level monitoring and evaluation of performance and provides a comprehensive model which institutes can use for this purpose. The model draws on…

The College of the Canyons in California has responded to recent growth in the institution and the community it serves by developing new programs and services, adding additional facilities, hiring new personnel, expanding in new directions and developing new initiatives. Enrollment at the college has increased from 6,882 in fall 1996 to 12,726 in…

Bellevue Community College (BCC), Washington, produces a yearly analysis of the College's performance in key indicators, including information from the previous year and 2 years previous to that for comparison reasons. The 13 performance indicators for BCC are: (1) program/degree completion; (2) transfer student success; (3) student retention; (4)…

No one could have anticipated the devastating results of the political, legal, and economic events occurring in California after the year 2000 and producing stiff competition for education dollars. Community colleges were among the hardest hit by state budget deficits, with over $100 million cut from an already conservative budget. Since…

This report on Institutional Effectiveness (IE) at South Texas Community College (STCC) analyzes the evolution of IE over a 5-year period. The report identifies four phases: (1) assessment (1996-98); (2) assessment and follow-up (1998-99); (3) unit planning (1999-2000); and (4) institutional effectiveness. The phased-in planning was instituted…

This document discusses institutional effectiveness at Florence-Darlington Technical College (FDTC) (South Carolina) for the 2000-2001 academic year. Full and/or interim report summaries are provided for advising procedures, library resources, and for the following departments: Accounting, Automated Office, Office Systems Technology, Health Care…

Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) surveyed its 1999-2000 graduates in the winter of 2001 to determine how satisfied they were with their PVCC experience, what jobs they had obtained, which schools they were attending, how much they earned, and what impact PVCC had upon their careers and education. Of the 277 graduates contacted, 133…

University-based community college leadership programs are meeting not only student needs but also the needs within their states. This report from the American Association of Community Colleges' (AACC's) Leading Forward initiative highlights strategies and practices of six new programs, formed since 2000, that are breaking tradition through their…

In this document we discuss 19 university league tables and ranking systems from around the world. Sixteen of these are "national" league tables collected from ten countries (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States); three are "international" or…

Customer focus groups at Lakeshore Technical College, Wisconsin, were hindered by inadequate levels of participation. A study explored the effectiveness of using network meeting management software to increase focus group participation and the number of ideas generated as well as reduce the amount of time spent on conducting the focus group…

This document reviews the results of the first comprehensive survey of the first year in Canadian postsecondary education, and examines the range and consequences of courses of study. It explores students' perceptions of their first year, and evaluates the programs and services that were offered. Chapter 1 compares and contrasts the American and…