Institutional researchers are often tasked with assessing why college-wide initiatives succeed or fail. This can be a difficult task: researchers need to discriminate between multiple feasible explanations, work with limited data, and produce compelling narratives. Process tracing is a qualitative methodology that enables researchers to make valid…

This study examined the current role of part-time higher education at first degree and Higher National Certificate/Diploma levels in Scotland. It looked at patterns of participation and availability, and also assessed the advantages and disadvantages of part-time study from the perspective of students, institutions, and employers. The research…

This report examines best practices in the delivery of Student Support Services (SSS), one of the three Special Programs for Disadvantaged Students known as the TRIO programs. Data have shown that participation in student support services has a positive effect on student outcomes, but many participants do not receive enough services to receive…