Issues in university employment of doctoral students are discussed, including the ideal of apprenticeship, the nature of research and teaching assistantships, assistantship as a form of financial support, students' perceptions of their assistantship role, graduate student employees' efforts to organize, and ambiguity of the status of assistants as…

Outlines ten principles important for the successful practice of outcomes assessment, based on the experience of a variety of institutions. Notes several salient barriers to success (lack of faculty support, changes in institutional leadership and circumstances, limitations in assessment tools and methods, insufficient student involvement,…

It is argued that research testing the reliability and validity of college and university reputational studies should be conducted, a concern not raised by consumers and publishers. Two studies of "America's Best Colleges," published by "U.S. News and World Report," raise questions about the guide's validity and suggest that…

Concerns about published comparisons of colleges and universities are organized into a framework to guide further research. A systematic method for addressing specific issues about the guides is presented, and the environment in which the guides are used is examined. Research needed to assure that the guides make a valued contribution and are fair…

Highlights key issues for consideration in institutional research on college climate, including those that affect women, racial and ethnic minorities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students; and disabled students. These climate issues are also pertinent to majority students in diverse environments and are quickly becoming a regular…

Since its founding in 1994, the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) has grown dramatically, in large part because of its annual conference featuring the best in social work research. SSWR's growth has also given rise to an appreciation for greater diversity in methods. Although disparities in research infrastructure (and procurement of…

Five years ago the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) launched a revolution in our education system by insisting that all students should be proficient in reading and math by 2014 and demanding comprehensive reforms to reach this national goal, including strong assessment and accountability systems, a highly qualified teacher in every classroom, more…

The long-term effects of undergraduate involvement on advanced degree attainment and career choice were studied. The longitudinal study involved 299 freshmen who entered college between 1973 and 1976 and participated in the institutional research program's followup questionnaire 17-20 years later. Astin's Input-Environment Outcomes model and…

This study, part of the longitudinal national Study of Student Learning, investigated the precollege characteristics and college experiences of 825 first-generation college students compared to those of 1,860 traditional students at 23 diverse institutions nationwide. First-year gains in students' reading, math, and critical thinking abilities…

This study examined attitudes of people about benefits of the economic impacts of two local colleges (Palmer College of Chiropractic and Scott Community College) in the metropolitan Quad Cities area of Rock Island County (Illinois) and Scott County (Iowa). The study compared impacts considered important by the community with those estimated by the…

This study examined organizational climate at the University of Cyprus 4 years after its establishment in order to obtain the perceptions of employees and promote more open and constructive communication among faculty, clerical and professional staff, and the university leadership. The Personal Assessment of the University Climate Survey was…

This document summarizes roundtable discussions held in November 1996 to address the current condition of higher education, the process of change, and possible joint projects under the new Knight Collaborative group. The group defined the four fundamental steps believed necessary to create a framework for institutional change: (1) establishing a…

In December 1990, a project was begun at Mt. San Antonio College (MSAC) in Walnut, California, to develop a model accountability system based on the belief that educational quality is measured by individual achievement over time. This proposal for the Accountability Model (AM) presents information on project methodology and organization in four…

This study evaluated the European Community Course Credit Transfer System (ECTS), an experimental pilot project designed to evaluate possibilities of credit transfer within the European Community as a means of academic recognition. The ECTS program furthers student mobility within the Community by encouraging students to undertake a substantial…

This study examined five community colleges in Arizona to better understand organizational and identity change at a time when community colleges continue to evolve in response to forces and pressures surrounding them. The study used qualitative research through unstructured interviews, questionnaires, and institutional information to explore areas…