The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of important theories and frameworks that ground research and assessment of co-curricular learning.

This chapter focuses on conceptual models that may enable institutional researchers and scholars to better study the student veteran experience.

Graduate programs in higher education administration and leadership have sought to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and competencies for higher education leadership; that is, to prepare globally minded leaders who can navigate the internal and external demands of, and for, higher education. With the use of the Lattuca and Stark model of…

This chapter describes how canonical correlation was used in conjunction with an item response theory model to address the relationship between college students' civic engagement involvement and attitudes as undergraduates. The constructs of interest were students' participation in civic, political, and expressive activities, as well as…

The authors outline how the University College (UC) model can serve as an effective vehicle for others.

Evaluative statements from alumni have legitimacy with both internal and external stakeholders. Thus, alumni studies can provide valuable evidence of institutional effectiveness and lend themselves to both locally designed and commercial survey instruments for data collection. Under ideal conditions, the results of alumni studies equip faculty and…

Recent literature on academic program review or evaluation is reviewed, including case study reports of ways in which systematic reviews of programs have been designed and carried out at selected colleges. Attention is given to procedures that have been used or suggested for collecting information. (MLW)

Presents a framework for creating competency-based models, including an analysis of the utility of national competency banks. Presents a checklist that institutional researchers can use during and after the implementation phase to guide institutional success. Concludes with a bibliography of selected Internet-based resources in the area of…

The potentials and problems of using computer programs for developing college planning models and policy are discussed, and the capabilities of a number of commonly-used programs are outlined. The need for understanding and participation by nontechnical administrators is emphasized. (MSE)

Effective utilization of community agents in the marketing process of community colleges is discussed. It is suggested that community-based marketing improves the college's outreach capability and encourages development processes within the community. The various stages of developing community-based processes are explained. (Author/SF)

This chapter describes how an action research framework facilitates using evaluation and assessment results to improve programs and demonstrate institutional effectiveness. (Contains 1 table.)

Addresses the dual impact of advancing information technology and increasing demands for institutional accountability, which have brought new challenges to college/university offices of institutional research. Offers a model of institutional research dissemination that is a compromise between internal reporting concerns and external accountability…

The University of Toledo has applied a systems approach to the design of an academic program evaluation model. The systems approach seems to be the most appropriate because it emphasizes the whole system instead of component systems. Selected evaluation models are reviewed, Toledo's research paradigm is described, and the function of a university…

Efforts of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst illustrate the use of cost information in decision-making. The Instructional Cost Index can be used to determine the unit costs of instruction and, combined with information from an induced course load matrix system, can provide data on the costs of programs. (LBH)

Creative responses of the poorer higher education institutions to the demands of production under restraints of minimal resource allocation are described. It is suggested that similar cooperative arrangements and group efforts could help other institutions facing financial restraints. Sources for additional information are cited. (Author/SF)