Comparison of undergraduate student survey results of 1983, 1986, and 1989 at the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) indicate that reports of faculty/staff sexual harassment of female undergraduates have declined over the past six years. Analysis suggests that the sexual harassment policy and grievance procedure established in 1982 have been…

Analysis of doctorates conferred in six fields indicates that the sharp increase in Ph.D.s conferred during the 1960s was driven primarily by increases in bachelor's degrees conferred. The end of draft deferments in 1968 precipitated a subsequent contraction which has continued because of depressed academic job markets and flight from the arts and…

This survey of 331 institutions of higher education found that attributes of the postindustrial environment--scarcity of resources, competitiveness, and turbulence--are negatively associated with the effectiveness of four-year colleges and universities. Participative decision making, domain offense strategies, and political decision processes…

The relationship between state/provincial governments and universities in Canada and the United States is discussed, focusing on state coordination of public universities. Salient cultural and political differences between the two countries are examined in the context of a theory that differences stem from organizing principles growing out of the…

Two theories concerning students' decisions to leave college are compared, and the convergence and discriminant validity of the two theories are examined empirically. The extent to which the theories could be merged to help researchers understand the role of institutional and noninstitutional variables in student persistence is discussed. (MSE)

Reports on changes in pricing decisions at public and private colleges in a low-cost and a high-cost state in the 1980s. Five liberal arts colleges studied used several pricing strategies: "elite" pricing strategy; "prestige" pricing strategy; and price reduction strategy. Study found multiple causes for price increases, more sophisticated pricing…

A study examined the results of 14 major longitudinal studies of student educational attainment for evidence of specific effects of community colleges in the attainment of bachelor's degrees by students, controlling for differences in student characteristics. Results suggest that community college students are less likely to achieve bachelor's…

The "academic ratchet theory," states that faculty increase their discretionary time by reducing institutional responsibilities. Data from four liberal arts and two research universities indicate that class-size utility is asymmetric around teaching method-dependent norms and that research university faculty prefer smaller teaching loads more…

A study explored the relative importance of three explanations for gender stratification in college administrative employment by modeling their separate and cumulative effects on increase in status, responsibility, and salary achieved with promotion. Findings indicate gender has a substantial negative impact on women's attainment, and the impact…

The balance between college teaching and faculty scholarship is examined in the context of growing economic concern over the education of an internationally competitive workforce. "Aggregative scholarship," the effort to integrate and interpret highly specialized research findings for interconnections and trends, for both specialists and…

Based on interviews with 39 college teachers, a questionnaire was developed identifying 2 orientations to learning: knowledge transmission and learning facilitation. A survey of 170 faculty using the questionnaire found departments with high scores on knowledge transmission discouraged a deep approach to study; those in which learning facilitation…

Analysis of 642 slang terms that college students use to characterize peers at Holy Cross College (Massachusetts) and University of California, Davis suggests that undergraduate slang usage is socially complex, the language is reflective of campus and academic life, and that it portrays undergraduate life from the perspective of dominant student…

A study investigated the relationship of social interaction and learning among women college students in a supplemental instruction program for science featuring a collaborative classroom structure. It was found that this culture of community and cooperation promoted intellectual risk-taking and connected understanding of concepts. Some new ways…

This study examined trends in dispersion of total research and development expenditures for the top 200 academic institutions between fiscal year (FY) 1979-80 and FY 1989-90. Although the most prestigious universities registered a significant overall decrease, dispersion did not adversely affect ratings of institutional quality. Medical and…

Controlling for precollege aptitude and other influences, a study (n=2,416) found that male intercollegiate football and basketball players demonstrated net freshmen-year declines in reading and mathematics, while nonathletes and athletes in other sports showed modest net gains. Female athletes made smaller net gains in reading than nonathletes,…