Branding in universities is a topical issue, but arguably few UK universities have fully developed "successful" brands in the manner of commercial organizations. This qualitative paper explores the opinions of 40 opinion formers on which UK universities have successful brands and the associations these brands have. Current literature on…

Graduate training in sociology involves more than meeting organizationally imposed demands such as satisfying departmental requirements, taking exams, and completing a dissertation. More central is the development of identity through institutional and interactional forces. We examine the experience of graduate students as tied to the social…

We are universally testing children to see if elementary schools are doing their job. So, too, in high school. Only in college is a person deemed educated merely for having collected enough hours. Open admissions, the absence of a required core, and ubiquitous indoctrination have so devalued those credit hours that today's degree reliably…

The aim of this paper is to clarify some notions about image and prestige planning. Starting from the Welsh example of language policy aiming to revitalise a language in danger of further decreasing in number of speakers and in centrality to Welsh life, definitions of four related terms are explored: image, status, prestige and identity. Paired…

As competition for top athletes intensifies, and as challenges associated with recruitment increase, universities must develop and employ recruiting strategies based upon attributes that student-athletes identify as important to their decision-making process. The study investigates college choice decision attributes of student-athletes, identifies…

"Hold school!" was the directive that Principal Patricia Ashmore received from the deputy superintendent of Madison County Schools when she was appointed to Velma Jackson Magnet High School five years ago. The explicit instruction came as a direct result of looking at student achievement, attendance, and graduation data that confirmed…

IMHE-Info is the newsletter published by the Institutional Management in Higher Education (IMHE) programme. This issue includes: (1) How Do Rankings Impact on Higher Education?; and (2) OECD International Assessment of Higher Education Outcomes. IMHE News, publications of interest and upcoming events are included.

Here, the narratives of a group of non-traditional students who entered traditional UK universities are examined. A number of participants felt there was a kind of romance or exotic quality to the sights, sounds and smells of traditional institutions, which constituted part of the attraction. The process of becoming a student at an elite or…

As part of a critical history of the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA), a survey of higher education executives was conducted to ascertain the association's reputation. The questionnaire was sent to the presidents, chief academic officers, and chief financial officers of 102 Southern Association member institutions of…

This study investigated the relationship between college reputation, institutional financial health, and quality of education provided to the student. The study used data from a small representative sample of private four-year colleges participating in two national assessment efforts: American College Testing's College Outcome Measures Program…

A college guide provides prospective students various facts about life on and off campus at almost 300 U.S. colleges. It is designed to help the student make the most intelligent educational investment possible. It is selective, covering some of the best and most interesting institutions in the nation, providing written essays about them. Each…

Strategic planning is discussed as a viable, effective method for coping with change to help an institution achieve its goals. A nine-step model of strategic planning is presented, and the results of a critique of a planning process at a major western research university are described. The nine steps are to: develop a planning culture, planning…

As it is difficult to know how much damage negative publicity can cause or how an organization should react to it, the best measures are seen as preventive. Advocacy or issue advertising, which attempts to tackle controversial subjects and present facts and arguments that will project the sponsor in a positive light, is one such measure which…

Two samples of doctoral program participants were surveyed for opinions about factors of relative importance in their selection of a counselor education program. Replies came from a national stratified sample of 55 programs comprising 249 recent doctoral degree graduates plus a second sample consisting of 211 doctoral program entrants. Data were…

The effect of institutional reputation, college and employer location, and employer's alma mater on hiring practices when selecting baccalaureate-level college graduates was studied. Questionnaires were returned by 91 randomly selected companies. While institutional prestige was not a significant factor in employee selection, accreditation was…