This collection presents 68 papers or summaries presented at a 1996 conference on self-study and institutional improvement for institutions of higher education. Papers are grouped in the following 10 chapters (with sample topics in parentheses): (1) "Integrity and Accreditation: Current Issues" (intercollegiate athletics, nontraditional students,…

This report provides various data on student assessment and resource management at Utah's four state universities and five public community colleges. Part 1 discusses the admission requirements of the institutions and the number of students enrolled in remedial/developmental coursework at each school. It then examines student progress measures and…

From 1980 to 1991, the University of Alberta undertook systematic reviews of all its academic and support units mostly for program improvement purposes, but also to acquire information for planning and budget decisions. This report responds to a 1988 request to examine the University's 1980-1988 experience with program reviews and to recommend…

This paper advances the perspective that more frequent and comprehensive assessments, and more frequent and complete evaluations of college and university programs, are essential if colleges and universities are to improve minority access and achievement. Without denying the need to create new sources of data and information for measuring…

The Commission to Study the Future of Community Colleges in Kentucky was established in 1988 to review the accomplishments of the Kentucky Community College System (KCCS), to assess its current status, and to provide direction for the KCCS towards the year 2000. Developed as part of a collection of articles and reports on the KCCS for use by the…

The allied medical education accreditation process in Canada, coordinated by review committees of the Canadian Medical Association in collaboration with 36 national organizations, encompasses more than 570 accredited sites and involves approximately 120 programs in 10 allied medical disciplines. To help ensure that the accreditation process…

This paper reviews the history, the concept, the process, and several models of institutional effectiveness, focusing particularly on those using the Criteria for Accreditation of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It defines institutional effectiveness as an ongoing process that includes strategic planning, mission, goals,…

This document contains texts of presentations and transcriptions of panel discussions from an international symposium on critical issues in distance higher education. The following are included: "Opening Remarks" (Thomas Sobol); "The Changing Context for Distance Learning, Some Highlights" (Harold D. Hodgkinson); panel…

This report evaluates the adequacy of the Department of Education's efforts to approve foreign medical schools for participation in the federal student loan program, and information needed by state medical boards to assess the quality of the education that foreign-trained physicians receive before granting them licenses. Findings indicate that the…

In May 1993, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board formed the Task Force on Institutional Effectiveness (TFIE) to develop a state-level evaluation and continuous improvement plan for community and technical college (CTC) workforce education and academic programs. This report presents the plan for utilizing data collected on CTC's in three…

Findings are presented of research on 902 student teaching programs. The research study focused on: (1) administration of student teaching programs; (2) selected aspects regarding the student teachers themselves; and (3) selected aspects of cooperating teachers and school districts. A prefatory abstract presents a discussion of the objectives of…

In 1990, a study was conducted at Florida's Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC) to identify institutional factors that predict pass rates on the College-Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). Statewide results of the October 1989 administration of the CLAST were used for the study, including the scores of all students who indicated that they had…

Guidelines are presented to help foundations and others ensure that the activities they fund treat women and girls fairly and address issues concerning women. Formal impact statements can help foundations examine their grant programs by asking a series of questions about: applicants' commitment to ending discrimination; the access of women and…

A study of the dynamics of institutional development for colleges and universities serving low-income students is summarized. Specific study objectives were as follows: to determine the general factors associated with the direction of development (growth, stability, stagnation or decline) for institutions receiving substantial support from Title…

Designed as a step-by-step guide to help community based educators assess the quality of their institutions' performance and identify ways to improve that performance, this workbook provides questions and forms that can be used in comprehensive self-assessment or evaluation of a specific area of practice. Following introductory material on the…