ERIC Number: ED348921
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1988-Aug
Pages: 66
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Persistence and Impact: An Analysis of Academic Program Improvement Project Activity, 1980-1986.
Rabitoy, Neil
This report examines the long-term impact of Academic Program Improvement (API) grants made from 1980 to 1986 at the California State University (CSU), by assessing the factors that contributed to or inhibited permanent adoption of successful innovations. Questionnaires from and interviews with project directors and administrators associated with funded projects served as data sources. Findings showed that projects which have had the greatest persistence were those with strong, aggressive faculty leadership and committed administrative support. These projects also involved activities which were compatible with established campus goals and were perceived by the campus faculty as obviously beneficial. Faculty apathy or opposition, low-level leadership, lack of persistence, and expense all contributed to project failure. The results revealed a need to address ways of reducing the gap between project success and persistence and ways of improving project dissemination efforts. The length of API funding did not appear to be an important factor in project persistence. Overall, it was determined that 56% of the projects persisted and did contribute to enhancing the instructional effectiveness at CSU. Appendices, which comprise the bulk of the report, include data on API grant activity and background data. (GLR)
Descriptors: Administrator Attitudes, College Instruction, Comparative Analysis, Educational Quality, Excellence in Education, Higher Education, Instructional Improvement, Performance Factors, Persistence, Program Effectiveness, Program Evaluation, Program Improvement, Questionnaires, State Universities, Surveys, Teacher Attitudes
California State University Academic Publications Program, CSU Chancellor's Office, 400 Golden Shore, Suite 132, Long Beach, CA 90802 ($11).
Publication Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: California State Univ., Long Beach. Office of the Chancellor.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A