* * * * * * * * * * * * The Electronic AIR * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Electronic Newsletter * * of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) * * Serving Institutional Research Professionals * * and Those Engaged in Mgt. Research, Policy Analysis & Planning * * * * March 10, 1998 . . . . . . . . . . .Volume 18, Number 4 * * Part A * * Editor - Larry Nelson, Pacific Lutheran University * * (NELSON_L@SALT.PLU.EDU) * * Guest Editor, Jobs Editing - Jacque Frost, Purdue University * * (jlfrost@reg.purdue.edu) * * Subscription Mgt. - Norm Gravelle (air@mailer.fsu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Current Subscribers = 2470 * * Next Issue Target Publication Date: March 30, 1998 * * Next Issue Copy Deadline: March 27, 1998 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Table of Contents * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * THE CHANGING SCENE * * AIR NEWS - AIR Statistics Institute, University of Georgia * * AIR NEWS - Chapter Abstracts of NDIR Volume Number 80 * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - CASO's Internet University * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Higher Ed Outcomes Assessment * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Standard Survey Response * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - TENNAIR News * * NEW PRODUCT - JMA Higher Education UNIT COST/REVENUE MEASURES CD * * CONFERENCE - Canadian Institutional Research & Planning Assoc. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * THE CHANGING SCENE * * "A way to keep up with news about our colleagues." * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * This portion of the newsletter is devoted to keeping you informed about changes such as readers who relocate to new positions and/or institutions, professional recognition awards and honors, retirements, deaths, newly hired colleagues, promotions, etc. If you become aware of a change on your campus or elsewhere which should be mentioned in "The Changing Scene," please send me a note at with the key facts. Keep it brief, but include the information you think others would like to know. KAREN SPAHN, manager of the Planning Information System at Arizona Board of Regents, was recently named as executive director of institutional research at University of Phoenix. Best wishes, Karen! Robert T. Blackburn, Emeritus Professor of Higher Education at the University of Michigan and an expert on research on college faculty, died March 1 at the Arbor Hospice Residence in Ann Arbor, MI. He was 74. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AIR NEWS - AIR Statistics Institute, University of Georgia * * Reported by Norm Gravell, AIR (ngravell@mailer.fsu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * STATISTICS INSTITUTE: This is a brief note to ensure you are aware of the AIR 1998 Statistics Institute, "Applied Statistics for Institutional Research, Planning and Management" and to let you know there are still openings available. The Association for Institutional Research (AIR) Applied Statistics Institute will be held March 22-26, l998 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education on the University of Georgia campus in Athens, Georgia. This is the sixth year of the AIR Institute series, developed in response to requests for professional development opportunities dealing with the key components of institutional research. Instructors are recognized experts in the field who have years of experience in institutional research. Workshops will use a combination of lecture, discussion, and "hands-on"small-group exercises. The Institute will also provide an excellent opportunity for participants to expand their professional network. The instructor vitae and complete Statistics Institute information is available on the AIR Web Site at http://www.fsu.edu/~air. Please send an e-mail to air@mailer.fsu.edu or call 850-644-4470 if you would like to have a registration form faxed to you. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AIR NEWS - Chapter Abstracts of NDIR Volume Number 80 * * Reported by Fred Volkwein * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NDIR #80 (an NDIR EDITOR'S RECOMMENDATION) TITLE: Increasing Graduate Student Retention and Degree Attainment EDITOR: Leonard L. Baird CHAPTERS: 1. Using Research and Theoretical Models of Graduate Student Progress,by Leonard L. Baird. Baird examines current research and theoretical models of graduate student progress and explores their implications for the study of graduate student retention and time to degree. 2. Measuring Graduate Student Retention, by Paul D. Isaac. Isaac discusses the definitions, measures, data, and personnel needed to study retention of master's and doctoral students. Gives practical advice for the institutional researcher. 3. From Facts to Action: Expanding the Graduate Division's Educational Role, by Maresi Nerad and Joseph Cerny. This chapter outlines a step-by-step process for obtaining information, increasing understanding, and improving graduate student progress. 4. Examining Graduate Education Through Structural Modeling, by Amaury Nora and Alberto F. Cabrera. The authors examine the advantages of using structural modeling to study graduate student progress and illustrate this method with a study of graduate student engagement in professional and scholarly activities. 5. The Use of Retropective National Data for Institutional Evaluation, by James Ploskonka. The author discusses the use of an easily available national data set for the study of time to doctorate and its relation to discipline, finances, gender, and age. 6. Enhancing Success in Doctoral Education: From Policy to Practice, by Susan S. Lipschutz. Lipschutz describes the positive role that administrators can play in helping graduate programs identify and overcome obstacles to students' progress. 7. Studying Graduate Student Retention and Degree Attainment: Resourcesfor Researchers, by Leonard L. Baird. Baird discusses key resources for understanding, researching, and increasing graduate student retention and degree attainment. He also examines specific policy issues. ====================================================================== Editor's Note: Under the general sponsorship of the AIR Publications Committee, New Directions for Institutional Research (4 volumes per year)is published by Jossey-Bass in San Francisco. Annual subscriptions (at discount to AIR members) are available through the national AIR Office in Tallahassee (air@mailer.fsu.edu). Single volumes and back issues are available for $22 plus $5.50 shipping from Jossey-Bass Inc., Publishers, 350 Sansome St., San Francisco, CA 94104. Toll free phone: 888-378-2537. Fax: 800-605-2665. Home page: http://www.josseybass.com * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - CASO's Internet University * * Reported by Dan Corrigan * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CASO's Internet University: http://www.caso.com This site lists over 2,400 online college courses, with complete descriptions, contact information, tuition data, etc. We also list 1000s of online study resources and articles about online ed. This site offers the Internet's most comprehensive listing of online college courses. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Higher Ed Outcomes Assessment * * Reported by Ephriam Schechter * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Web page "Internet Resources for Higher Education Outcomes Assessment" is now at . If you have links or bookmarks to this page's old address at the University of Colorado, please change them to this new address at the University of North Carolina. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Standard Survey Response * * Reported by Ronald P. Matross * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, has developed a standard response to college guide surveys. It incorporates the Common Data Set and adds additional information not yet in the Common Data Set. It allows for viewing on the Web or downloading in rich text format. We are now referring the start-up and lesser known guide publishers to that site, rather than filling out their questionnaires. We are still doing the larger ones, such as Peterson's, College Board, and U.S. News. You can see it at: http://www.opa.pres.umn.edu/stsur/ucds97.htm * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - TENNAIR News * * Reported by Glenn W. James * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Remember that the TENNAIR web site contains sections about the Spring workshop, the annual conference, and other TENNAIR information. Web Manager Mike Gilbert has made some changes and added new links within the primary web site and also the TENNAIR membership directory. Check out the changes, and take a look at the continuously updated directory! Here are the URLs: TENNAIR Web Site: http://www.tntech.edu/www/admin/ir/tennair.html TENNAIR Membership Directory: http://www.tntech.edu/www/admin/ir/member.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEW PRODUCT - JMA Higher Education UNIT COST/REVENUE MEASURES CD * * Reported by John Minter * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * JMA Higher Education UNIT COST/REVENUE MEASURES CD 1997-98 Edition http://www.jma-inc.net or http://www.edmin.com/jma NEW - with 12 month unduplicated head count enrollment factors (Using the 12 mo enrollment factors you can get a substantial reduction in unit cost over the traditional opening fall enrollment factors. We give both) Instruction Costs Operating Costs (including Salary and Wages) Salary and Wage Costs Total Operating Salary and Wage Research Costs Public Service Costs Academic Support Costs Student Services Costs Institutional Support Services Costs Plant Operation, Maintenance Costs Debt Service Costs Financial Aid Net Tuition Revenues Government Revenues Private Gift Revenue Investment Income Excel 5.0 Tables and *.dbf Files Private 4yr with Carnegie Classification identifiers Public 4yr with Carnegie Classification identifiers Public 2yr with Carnegie Classification identifiers Traditional Opening Fall Enrollment Factors 12 Month Unduplicated Head Count Enrollment Factors 9/10 Month Full Time Faculty Factors http://www.jma-inc.net or http://www.edmin.com/jma * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - Canadian Institutional Research & Planning Assoc. * * Reported by Joan Bessey * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Seventh Annual Conference Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association October 18th - 20th, 1998 Hotel Newfoundland St. John's, Newfoundland Ongoing Theme - The Canadian Institutional Research and Planning Association was established to advance research in post-secondary education, to promote good practice in policy-making, management, planning and research and to foster cooperation between professionals in all sectors of this field. Previous conferences have attracted participants from universities, colleges, government, and the private sector who share an interest in post-secondary education in Canada. Each year, presentations are sought that chronicle innovations or current practice in such areas as enrollment management, student outcomes, evaluation, environmental scanning, emerging technology and resource planning and analysis. 1998 Theme - The special theme for this year's conference is "Developing Partnerships". In this era of downsizing and financial restraint, developing strong partnerships has become vital to the long-term success of post-secondary institutions. As the boundaries between the traditional modes of post-secondary education become less defined, partnerships that would have been unheard of ten years ago are now emerging. The scope of this topic is quite broad and includes intra-institutional partnerships created to better achieve institutional goals, partnerships between institutions in an effort to create synergistic new approaches (including university and college partnerships), partnerships between public and private sector institutions, and partnerships between post-secondary institutions and government. Proposals for contributed papers, panels, or workshops that address either the ongoing or 1998 themes may be submitted by forwarding the attached proposal cover sheet to the Program Chair. Submissions are encouraged from university, college, government and private sectors and should be submitted on or before April 1st, 1998. Site Information - The city of St. John's is very unique. Hotel Newfoundland is situated downtown, overlooking the Narrows and close to shopping, restaurants, heritage areas, walking trails, and George Street (the night-life capital of Canada!). The hotel offers a full slate of amenities including a swimming pool, squash courts, health club, fine dining, lounge and gift shops. Registrants to the conference will be offered an attractive room rate of $109 plus taxes for either single or double occupancy. For further information contact: Kevin Clarke, Program Chair Centre for Institutional Analysis and Planning Memorial University of Newfoundland, A1005, St. John's, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7 Phone: (709) 737-2464, Fax: (709) 737-4775 E-mail: kclarke@morgan.ucs.mun.ca Paul Chancey, Local Arrangements Chair, Centre for Institutional Analysis and Planning, Memorial University of Newfoundland, A1005 St. John's, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7, Phone: (709) 737-2463 Fax: (709) 737-4775 E-mail: paulc@morgan.ucs.mun.ca This announcement and other CIRPA information including instructions for submitting a proposal can be found by accessing the CIRPA web site at http://www.usask.ca/cirpa/. This newsletter is continued in Part B, sent separately. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you wish to subscribe, change your e-mail address, or request a* * subscription for someone else, send it to Norm Gravelle AIR Execu-* * utive Office, (air@mailer.fsu.edu) (Florida State University). * * If you have AIR news, send it to Larry Nelson, Editor, at: * * (NELSON_L@SALT.PLU.EDU) (Pacific Lutheran University). * * (Please limit submissions to 72 characters or fewer per line and * * use mixed case, NOT ALL CAPS--NO NEED TO SHOUT.) * * If you have news for the SCUP electronic newsletter, send it to * * Terry Calhoun, SCUP Publ. Dir.,(terry@scup.ra.itd.umich.edu). * * For further information regarding individual or organizational * * membership in the Association for Institutional Research, contact * * Terrence Russell, Executive Director, AIR, 114 Stone Bldg., * * Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-3038; * * Telephone: (904) 644-4470 or on Internet: (air@mailer.fsu.edu). * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *