The dimensions, status, and improvement of institutional research in junior colleges are considered in this topical paper. Its dimensions are discussed in terms of definition, purposes, and boundries and its status is then viewed from different perspectives. First, it is admitted that the present role of institutional research is difficult to…

Recounts Triton College's efforts to identify its distinctive elements. Reviews empirical evidence showing that Triton's school schedule, curricular offerings, and continuing education and support services are distinctive among local colleges. Discusses students' and staff members' perceptions of Triton. Considers the value of the research to the…

Describes a method of evaluation which ensures maximum yield. Mentions common pitfalls in evaluation procedures and proposes Reality-Based Evaluation (RBE) as a safeguard against them. Outlines RBE and concludes that evaluation results must play an active role in bringing about change. (JG)

Describes the Kansas Community College Research Consortium (KCCRC), focusing on motivations for organizing a research consortium to meet accountability demands, the KCCRC's organization and operating procedures, determination of objectives and dissemination of results, strengths and weaknesses, and examples of KCCRC studies. (DMM)

Provides references to ERIC documents dealing with marketing community colleges. Covers the purpose of marketing, planning, and implementing marketing programs, the extent to which marketing is being used, descriptions of programs and activities at individual institutions, and the role of institutional research in support marketing. (DD)

Describes the Los Rios Community College District's district-coordinated institutional research model. Considers the coordination of centralized and campus-based research, types of research conducted, quality control, the district research council, setting research agendas, program implementation and monitoring, information dissemination, and the…

Describes Santa Barbara City College's decentralized research program, considering the roles of the president, vice presidents, deans, institutional research committee members, and data-processing director. Explains how the research agenda is determined, projects monitored, results/implications identified, and findings disseminated. Highlights…

Presents the research model used in the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District, which operates through a part-time institutional researcher guided by an institutional research committee. Discusses the committee's role and the use of research results in policymaking and other areas. Provides examples of research. (DMM)

A 1983-84 marketing plan is presented for Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC), which is designed to maximize the effective use of shrinking resources to meet the needs of the college's clientele. After introductory material discusses the problems and challenges facing NVCC and the role of marketing in understanding the environment in which…

Project FOLLOW-UP was conducted to develop, test, and validate a statewide management information system for follow-up of Texas public junior and community college students. This activities manual provides an overview of the resultant student information system (TEX-SIS) and its characteristics. Seven subsystems comprise SIS, each with its own…

Describes the centralized research model used by Miami-Dade Community College. Explains that the district's central office assumes responsibility for conducting all phases of the institutional research program (e.g., determining the research agenda, carrying out projects, monitoring projects, and disseminating results). Highlights strengths and…

The Student Outcomes Assessment Program (SOAP) at Pima Community College (PCC) in Arizona has six major components: (1) the use of success indicators to assess the college's success in achieving its mission; (2) a classroom assessment mini-grant program designed to support faculty research with a direct effect on learning; (3) the use of general…

Presents a model for assessing institutional effectiveness within the context of an accreditation self-study, drawing from the recent experiences of the Collin County Community College District (CCCCD). Reviews the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' criteria for institutional effectiveness and the institutional research, organizational,…

Describes the educational master planning process used in the Los Rios Community College District (California) to develop policy and administrative proposals. Illustrates problems in collecting and presenting data and techniques for constructing meaningful reports that are jargon-free, easily updated, and use clear, uncluttered graphs. (JG)

Total Quality Management (TQM), a technique traditionally reserved for the manufacturing sector, has recently spread to service companies, government agencies, and educational institutions. TQM places responsibility for quality problems with management rather than on the workers. A principal concept of TQM is the management of Process Variation,…