This study replicates and extends a 2004 content analysis of three major higher education journals. The original study examined the methodological characteristics of all published research in these journals from 1996 to 2000, recommending that higher education programs adjust their graduate training to better match the heavily quantitative and…

Technology is central to the daily routine of university life. Yet, without any formal technology prerequisites, students come to college with differing technological skills, stratified by gender, socioeconomic status, and racial backgrounds. Beyond skills, students' varied computing histories can result in a range of technology identities that…

In this article, the authors present a study of experienced faculty's beliefs about the assessment of interdisciplinary student work. The study focuses on faculty's close analysis of student work produced in interdisciplinary courses, such as integrative final papers, written examinations, and capstone presentations. The authors begin by reviewing…

Academic selectivity plays a dominant role in the public's understanding of what constitutes institutional excellence or quality in undergraduate education. In this study, we analyzed two independent data sets to estimate the net effect of three measures of college selectivity on dimensions of documented good practices in undergraduate education.…

The Chronicle of Higher Education recently reported on a conference of scholars and senior administrators at Harvard discussing "The Future of Religious Colleges" (McMurtrie, 2000). The irony of the meeting's venue is readily apparent. Having been founded by Puritan Christians in 1636 and soon given the motto, Christo et Ecclesiae, the beginning…

The intent of this study is to present a systematic approach for evaluating the leadership effectiveness of deans and directors. We demonstrate the utility of multilevel structural equation modeling to examine variance in faculty and staff assessments of effectiveness and discuss the relevance of our model from individual and institutional…

Developed the Postgraduate Research Experience Questionnaire (PREQ) to measure the extent to which Australian Ph.D. and postgraduate students are satisfied with their research supervision. Evaluated the usefulness of these student evaluations for benchmarking across universities and disciplines. Found that the evaluations did not vary…

Adam Smith's discussion of the payment modes of teachers and resulting consequences for the quality of teaching and process of curricular innovation are reviewed through the conceptual lens of modern agency theory. Smith's analysis of higher education in his day (eighteenth century) sheds light on faculty incentive and assessment problems that…

A study asked college faculty (n=253) to evaluate six recommendations for college instructional improvement drawn from the literature. Recommendations addressed student-teacher contact, systematic advisement, feedback on student performance, faculty knowledge of students, classroom egalitarianism and tolerance, and demonstrated concern for…

Traditional approaches to defining academic quality (reputational, resources, and outcomes or value-added) are criticized as not providing useful information. An alternative perspective is offered, focusing on fundamental course-level academic processes and defining the quality of such processes as the level of understanding of course content…

Classroom research projects are encouraged as a form of college faculty development. In these projects, participants examine and seek to improve selected aspects of their own teaching. Regular meetings of peers allow for discussion and transformation of perspective. Gathering interpretive data provides evidence to convince uncommitted departmental…

College diplomas are seen as not necessarily representing academic achievement, but the fact that a student has sat through enough courses to accumulate sufficient credits for graduation. A case is made for 10 measures of achievement to serve as a basis for graduation. (Article originally published in 1937.) (AF)

A variety of contributory causes for serious inequalities in the actual college operation are noted, and 13 general propositions are offered that enunciate the broad approaches toward greater equality in higher education. (Article originally published in 1956.) (AF)

State responsibility for chartering, incorporating, and authorizing postsecondary institutions to operate has become crucial in recent years. It is acknowledged that states have made major progress in strengthening their authorizing and regulatory functions but continued progress is needed. (Author/LBH)

New pressures on accreditation and the unique factors that are the foundation of its continuing value to postsecondary education are addressed. The expanding variety of institutions to be accredited, government regulation, state authorization, legal sanctions, and self-regulation are also discussed. (Author/LBH)