This chapter discusses issues and challenges encountered in using large-scale data sets to study educational experiences and subsequent outcomes for American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. In this chapter, we argue that the linguistic and cultural diversity of Native peoples, coupled with the legal and political ways in which education…

Research studies show that high school experiences, engagement, and academic achievement, as well as entering expectations and attitudes, are important predictors of student success. Therefore, to better understand first-year student engagement, it makes sense to consider the backgrounds and precollege characteristics of entering college students.…

Student affairs research is informed by student development theories which help explain how students grow and develop during college. Knowledge of student development theories can help institutional researchers formulate research questions and interpret their results. Introduces several conceptual frameworks for understanding the learning and…

To meet the sustainability challenge, colleges and universities will have to reorient their educational programs. Institutional research (IR) can help assess and demonstrate the success of such initiatives. The change that is required in the way people view the world and their place in it is what the author calls a "sustainable mindset." A…

Two student affairs researchers describe four questions that define the scope, breadth, and depth of student affairs research: "Who are today's college students?"; "How do students experience college?"; "What do students learn and who do they become?"; and How does college make a difference?" Discusses how student affairs researchers or staff can…

When academic advisers are trained in the principles and practices of team-centered developmental advising, as at Valencia Community College (Florida), and interventions create the expectation for student success, advisers are better equipped to teach students to approach their education in purposeful ways. Technology that delivers accurate,…

This chapter discusses how alumni research can be used to inform key audiences about the impact of college on alumni, including the preparation of alumni for the workforce, alumni experiences as students, and whether alumni may be inclined to support their alma mater.

Issues in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of student services for a new population of students are examined, including: the place of student development; basic services; the relationship of services to institutional mission; faculty, curriculum, and academic environment; defining quality; student information systems; and the relationship…

A multifaceted assessment process used at a women's college (Alverno) allows the development of each student to be observed and improved as she moves through the curriculum. A corresponding evaluation process allows the curriculum content to be validated against external, real-world standards. (Author/MSE)

At a critical point in one university's history, a value-added student assessment model was developed. Data generated by it have been used to improve student learning and development throughout the curriculum and to help clarify the institution's mission. (Author/MSE)