Corporate universities have emerged as a mechanism for providing companies with a wide variety of training and development activities. They are a recent but under-researched phenomenon, and given their substantial budgets, it might be expected that they would wish to evaluate what they do. The authors explore the evaluation practices of six…

Assessing student attainment in the major field of study is increasingly important to employers and accrediting bodies alike. Construction and manufacturing firms do not like engineers who design faulty bridges and airplanes. Marketing firms want to hire students who understand the difference between a niche market and a global market. School…

Drawing on the work of several prominent scholars, the author describes the evolution of quantitative critical inquiry and compares this perspective to traditional research paradigms. (Contains 1 table.)

This report contains two essays on the extent and import of current research for junior college personnel. Both authors write from the vantage point of the ERIC Clearinghouse for Junior Colleges at the University of California, Los Angeles. After surveying the literature inputs at the Clearinghouse, Cohen concludes that there is a serious lack of…

This paper defines the term "institutional research" and offers a brief history of its role and scope in higher education up to 1969. A rationale for increased conduct of institutional research by community colleges is presented along with guidelines of the Association of Institutional Research for evaluating the effectiveness of such research…

This paper shares a vision of the future of institutional research (IR) for the 21st century, in which institutional researchers learn to see themselves as the critical knowledge workers in the higher education industry. To take on this role, IR needs to: (1) understand the concepts of knowledge management (KM); (2) use new tools to meet the…

The intent of the authors in preparing this paper is to compare and contrast the roles of Institutional Research in informing decision making and governance in higher education. Using a case study format the authors will provide an example of a research project conducted within each of the following sectors of United States higher education…

While women have made progress in many areas of higher education, institutions still need to focus attention on the advancement and retention of women at the highest academic ranks. According to data from the U.S. Department of Education's 2005 Fall Staff Survey, women represent only 40.6 percent of full-time faculty and 25.1 percent of full…

Studying factors that predict bachelor's degree attainment has generated considerable empirical interest over the past few decades. Relatively few studies, however, have focused on community college transfer students and the unique factors that predict their educational outcomes. Utilizing the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 and…

The National CARES Mentoring Movement (NCMM) is a call to commitment and action to the Black community to mentor its young, providing guidance and encouragement to build happy, productive and self-sustaining lives. Objectives include: (1) Connecting vulnerable Black youngsters with caring adults; (2) Communicating to at-risk youth that their…

Although institutional researchers devote a great deal of time mining and using student data to fulfill mandatory federal and state reports and analyze institutional effectiveness, financial and personnel information is also necessary for such endeavors. In this article, the authors discuss the challenges that arise from extracting data from…

The current landscape of higher education requires those in academe to be accountable to an array of constituents. With students, parents, and government seeking proof of a return on their investment and efficient management of fiscal and human resources, it is essential to have access to appropriate and useful data when researching the operation…

Among all the students who transfer from one institution to another during their academic careers, a distinct group of "reverse transfer" students has emerged over time. Reverse transfer occurs when students begin their college careers at 4-year institutions but eventually transfer into 2-year institutions. Using student unit record data…

"Building Institutional Capacity for Data-Informed Decision Making" is the third installment of the Cutting Edge series, which aims to help colleges engage faculty, scale successful interventions, and create a strong culture of evidence through use of data to strengthen their institutional change and student success efforts. Though the…

Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia in 1819 to become a training ground for the leaders of a new republic. The institution has changed a great deal since its founding, but principles connected to "Mr. Jefferson's" legacy abound. One such ideal is student self-governance. Described in institutional literature as a core…