Heightened national goals for degree attainment in the United States means increasing prominence for community colleges, which entails greater scrutiny in the form of accountability. Technology and a new generation of accountability measures appropriate to the distinctive community college mission are available to meet this challenge. This article…

Accountability of higher education institutions is discussed in the context of recent criticism of the institutional accreditation system. It is suggested that institutions reevaluate their responsibilities and reaffirm appropriate core values; however, application of those values will be influenced by the principal clients: students, employers,…

The relative power of college culture, school functioning, and mission in explaining student performance outcomes was examined. The relationship between institutional attributes/cultures and undergraduate instructional effectiveness as perceived by faculty and administrators was studied with 320 four-year colleges. Respondents completed the…

States benefit considerably when their stocks of "educational capital" grow. From a workforce and tax revenue standpoint, state rates of return on baccalaureate education are far higher than those associated with any other educational step. Additional benefits attributable to higher education--ranging from enhancements in citizen participation…

Drawing from a survey of 320 colleges, a study investigated the contribution of "institutional culture" variables on faculty/administrator perceptions of effectiveness, independent of institutional characteristics such as size, type, selectivity, and control is described. Independent effects were established for perceptions of student…