Enrollment management has become an important leadership function on many college and university campuses. It is also attracting critical attention here and abroad among observers of the system of postsecondary education. With this essay, the authors continue a series that examines policies and practices that are central to campus-based efforts to…

In this chapter, the authors focus on issues of validity in measuring student learning as a prospective indicator of institutional effectiveness. Other chapters in this volume include reference to specific approaches to measuring student learning for accountability purposes, such as through standardized tests, authentic samples of student work,…

"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…

"Community College Facts" includes American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) mission statement, information about AACC as an organization, AACC departments, contacts, annual revenues and expenditures. Also included is "Community College Facts at a Glance," which provides statistics on the number and type of colleges, enrollment,…

Effective school-choice plans depend on the quality of information available to families. Examining the promotional materials provided by different schools in a highly competitive and diverse urban area tells us not only about the quality of that information but also how schools respond to competitive incentives. This analysis outlines an economic…

The authors discuss the Higher Education Evaluation Center, the administrative body under the auspices of the Chinese Ministry of Education responsible for organizing and conducting evaluation of baccalaureate and associate degree programs offered at different universities and colleges in China. The Center also conducts research on regulations and…

As tuition is being introduced--or raised--at publicly supported university systems around the world, more people are embracing the idea that rankings can help consumers get the best value. Jamie P. Merisotis, president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, a Washington-based research group, says that in the last few years, national…

Despite their apparent popularity among those seeking degrees and credentials, today's colleges and universities face several interrelated public criticisms and concerns. When these competing concerns about student success, productivity, cost, and educational effectiveness all collide at the campus level, they create an array of campus tensions…

This report is the support document to "Tracking Our Success: How TAFE Institutes Measure Their Effectiveness and Efficiency". It comprises reports on each of the nine technical and further education (TAFE) institutes that have taken part in the study. Information was collected via in-depth interviews with chief executive officers and…

In higher education, convergences occur when academic affairs and student affairs find common ground and partner to promote student learning. Such a moment occurred at North Georgia College and State University (NGCSU) when the associate dean of students made an appointment with the new executive director of institutional effectiveness to discuss…

Using the UK experience as a template, this paper explores the concept of competencies as a viable bridge to employer engagement. In this context, the definition of competency coalesces into three primary interpretations (input, output and "behaviour"), leading to three applications: work related skill sets, standards and…

The effects of school inspections on school improvement have been investigated only to a limited degree. The investigation reported on in this article is meant to expand our knowledge base regarding the impact of school inspections on school improvement. The theoretical framework for this research is partly based on the policy theory behind the…

While evaluating the effectiveness of a portion of the public information system at the Toledo Art Museum, nonclassical approaches to data-gathering presented problems in measuring program aspects which are not easily quantified. There is a necessity to clarify what kinds of information can validly be gathered with naturalistic techniques for an…

Points to problems in the conceptualization and outcomes of accreditation. Imposes a hierarchy of immediacy on the accrediting agency, the institution seeking accreditation, and the consumers of services of the institutions or their graduates. Evaluates Better Business Bureau, Underwriter's Laboratories, and Standard and Poor's as possible models…

This publication provides a general description of the key features of U.S. accreditation of higher education and recognition of accrediting organizations. Accreditation in the United States is about quality assurance and quality improvement. It is a process to scrutinize higher education institutions and programs. Accreditation is private…