Using data on upper-division students in the University of California system, we show that two distinct cultures of engagement exist on campus. The culture of engagement in the arts, humanities and social sciences focuses on interaction, participation, and interest in ideas. The culture of engagement in the natural sciences and engineering focuses…

The structure and process of college institutional research is compared with three different ways in which science is conceptualized. It is concluded that, although institutional research has much in common with science, it is distinct because the dynamic nature of institutional research prevents development of a cohesive body of knowledge.…

The use of a semantic differential measure to investigate the institutional image of Tufts University (Massachusetts), both internal and external, is reported. The study focused on (1) differences between the current and desired image, and (2) differences among alumni, current student, and other constituencies' views of the institution.…

The derivation of discipline cost indexes, developed to permit accurate interinstitutional comparisons of relative costs among disciplines, is explained using expenditure data from five peer institutions. How the indexes have been used in one research university's budget allocation process is then described. (Author/MSE)

Introduction of faculty development programs into a university through department chairs and deans rather than faculty found deans to respond with more emotional distance but greater readiness to conceptualize applications and make helpful arrangements. Chairpersons generally reacted more defensively, discounting faculty problems or the…

To address concerns that universities are overcharging the federal government for indirect costs of research programs, data from seven major research universities were used to simulate a standardization of costs and policies to eliminate differences widely assumed to contribute to rate variation. Results suggest universities are not overcharging…

A longitudinal study of over 2,000 graduates from eight college types generally supports the validity of Holland's premise: that model environments reinforce the characteristic predispositions and attitudes of their corresponding personality types. There are implications for the study of inter- and intra-institutional diversity. (MSE)

A study explored two distinct methods of calculating a precise measure of gender-based wage differentials among college faculty. The first estimation considered wage differences using a formula based on human capital; the second included compensation for past discriminatory practices. Both measures were used to predict three specific aspects of…

Research on college students' evaluations of their male and female teachers is synthesized and compared with results of research on student evaluation of hypothetical male and female teachers. Results suggest the interaction of gender, teacher characteristics/behaviors, and student perceptions and expectations is complex. (MSE)

A study of the relationship between class size and college student achievement in classes ranging from 13 to 1,006 students revealed that at this level, class size may be a less important factor in achievement than has been assumed. (MSE)

Issues involved in selecting an administrative strategy for achieving salary equity for men and women in institutions of higher education are discussed. Possible strategies are reviewed and compared based on equity of salary adjustments, political constraints, cost to the institution, and effectiveness in removing inequities. (Author/MSE)

The extent to which a two-year college's effectiveness is linked to dominant organizational culture type (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, or market) was examined. A survey of faculty and administrators in 30 representative colleges found that perceived effectiveness is strongly related to culture type, with adhocracy (characterized by employment of…

Norms of undergraduate teaching behavior were examined in a survey of 302 biology, history, mathematics, and psychology faculty in 2 institution types, research universities and comprehensive colleges. The study investigated the perceived impropriety of specific planning, in-class, interpersonal, curricular, and testing practices. The survey…

A study in one private university classified four academic disciplines as hard or soft and pure or applied, then compared student evaluations of courses for organization, breadth of coverage, group interaction, enthusiasm, grading, and individual rapport. Results suggest a single evaluation form may not be appropriate for all disciplines.…

A study of families' means of paying for college using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study strongly indicates that part of the process of deciding how students should pay for college is the parents' college financing experience. These effects appear in patterns in parent contribution, amount of financial aid received, and use of…