* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 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 * * * * September 21, 1998. . . . . . . . . . .Volume 18, Number 17 * * Part B * * Editor - Larry Nelson, Pacific Lutheran University * * (nelsonlw@plu.edu) * * Jobs Editor - Jacque Frost, Purdue University * * (jlfrost@reg.purdue.edu) * * Subscription Mgt. - Norm Gravelle (air@mailer.fsu.edu) * * Suggestion: Easier to Read Using a Monospaced Font Such as Courier * * Get Back Issues at: http://ike.engr.washington.edu/general/air.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Current Subscribers = 2867 * * Next Issue Target Publication Date: October 12, 1998 * * Next Issue Copy Deadline: September 9, 1998 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Table of Contents * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Online Learner Support Available* * NEW PRODUCTS - New From John Minter Associates * * CONFERENCE - ASHE Annual Meeting November 5-3, Miami, FL * * CONFERENCE - NEAIR Conference, November 14-17, Philadelphia, PA * * CONFERENCES - NCTLA/ACT Assessment Institutes * * CONFERENCE - Mid-American AIR Annual Mtg. Oct. 14-16, Springfield MO* * CONFERENCE - 1998 IUPUI Assessment Institute, Nov. 8-11,Indianapolis* * HELP RESPONSE SUMMARY - Assessing Effectiveness of an IR Office * * HELP - "Capstone" Course(s) as Assessment Tools/Admin. Evaluations * * POSITION LISTING SUMMARY * * PARTING THOUGHT * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEWS FROM THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY - Online Learner Support Available* * Leslie Fournier, (lfournier@node.on.ca) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The NODE's Learner Support pages [ http://node.on.ca/support ] are designed to help students with many aspects of their education. The site is comprehensive yet concise, and as clear and self-contained as possible. - - - - - The Reference Shelf is a listing of online basic reference tools, as well as links to online libraries and library catalogues. Think of this as your "jumping-off" place into cyberspace research. The Virtual Librarian coaches you through the basics of searching the Internet, teaches you how to critically evaluate the information you received, and gives you a primer in searching techniques so you won't be overwhelmed. The Technology Toolkit demystifies Internet applications, explaining everything from e-mail and listservs, to Archie and Gopher. Great for those who are familiar with the web but are ready to branch out. You can find Learner Support at http://node.on.ca/support/ Visit us, bookmark us, recommend us to others, and come back often! Learner Support is a free service of the NODE Learning Technologies Network ( http://node.on.ca ), a not-for-profit electronic network, facilitating information and resource sharing, collaboration and research in the field of learning technologies for post-secondary education and training. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NEW PRODUCTS - New From John Minter Associates * * John Minter, John Minter Associates, Inc. (jminter@tesser.com) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Benchmarks of Service, Resource, and Budget A fresh look at traditional comparative data to answer the questions Board members and legislators are constantly asking: Who do you serve? What do you offer? What does it cost? Compared to campuses like ours -- A new CD scheduled for release the end of November and a Seminar October 26 for Independent institutions and November 2 for Public 2 year institutions. Check the details and other higher education data CD's at: http://www.jma-inc.net * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - ASHE Annual Meeting November 5-3, Miami, FL * * Reprinted From: AERA-J List (aera-j@asu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * This is a friendly reminder that registration for this year's annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) is due by October 12th. This year's meeting will be held in Miami, Florida from Thursday, November 5th thru Sunday, November 8th. However, the ASHE International Pre-Conference meeting begins a day earlier, at 10:00 AM November 4th, for those interested in comparative and international higher education issues. Please see the ASHE International website for more information, at: http://www.ncup.org/ASHE-International * Conference Registration: You can print out and mail in a conference registration form by going to the following web address: http://128.206.157.63/program/con_regis.htm * Conference Hotel Information: You can find out all about the Wyndham Hotel Miami-Biscayne Bay at the following address: http://tiger.coe.missouri.edu/~ashe/1998.htm * Conference Program: The complete conference program is online at: http://128.206.157.63/program/default.htm James Forest (jjfforest@earthlink.net) Technology Facilitator, AERA-J http://aera.net/divisions/j/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - NEAIR Conference, November 14-17, Philadelphia, PA * * Craig Clagett, Prince George's CC (cc5@pgstumail.pg.cc.md.us) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The North East Association for Institutional Research (NEAIR) will celebrate its 25th Anniversary in Philadelphia on November 14-17, 1998. The conference will feature 14 pre-conference workshops, 3 general sessions, and over 60 concurrent sessions. The conference theme is "The Future is Now: The Role of Institutional Research in Campus Transformation." Learn how technology is changing campuses and our profession. Celebrate our past and prepare for your future at the best NEAIR conference ever! To review the preliminary program and obtain registration forms, see the NEAIR conference website at: (www.lasalle.edu/~thorpe/neair98.htm), or contact the NEAIR membership secretary, Brenda Bretz, at (bretz@dickinson.edu) for a conference registration packet. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCES - NCTLA/ACT Assessment Institutes * * From: National Center for Teaching, Learning & Assmt.(nctla@psu.edu)* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * NCTLA/ ACT/ LAUREATE ASSESSMENT INSTITUTE Turning Results into Improvement Strategies Burlington, Vermont -- October 15, 16, and 17, 1998 Sheraton-Burlington Hotel Atlanta, Georgia -- December 3, 4, and 5, 1998 Chicago, Illinois -- March 18, 19, and 20, 1999 San Antonio, Texas -- April 15, 16, and 17, 1999 For educators, administrators, and institutional teams: * help develop, implement, or enhance assessment plans to enrich student learning * create a more coherent and effective curriculum * improve student advising * increase faculty development activities * provide documentation of student achievement * examine campus climate for the non-traditional student * aid institutional growth * prepare for accrediting visits * help to communicate with community leaders, statewide agencies, and accrediting agencies Sponsored by: The National Center on Postsecondary Teaching, Learning, and Assessment (NCTLA) -- part of the Center for the Study of Higher Education at The Pennsylvania State University, ACT and LAUREATE. For registration and further information: Phone: (814) 865-5917 FAX: (814) 865-3638 E-Mail: (nctla@psu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - Mid-American AIR Annual Mtg. Oct. 14-16, Springfield MO* * Martha Kirker, SW Missouri State University (mak576t@mail.smsu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Mid-American Association for Institutional Research 1998 Conference October 14-16, 1998 Southwest Missouri State University University Plaza Holiday Inn Springfield, Missouri Theme: Research, Assessment and Planning: Partners for a More Predictable Tomorrow The topic for the professional development workshop on Wednesday is Managing Outcomes Assessment from the Perspective on an Institutional Researcher. The keynote speaker on Thursday is Stephen D. Spangehl, Associate Director, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Chicago, Illinois. Registration and preliminary program are at the MidAIR and SMSU web sites: www.ukans.edu/~oirp/midair/index.html www.smsu.edu/assessment/midair Contact: Martha Kirker E-Mail: (MAK576T@mail.smsu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * CONFERENCE - 1998 IUPUI Assessment Institute, Nov. 8-11,Indianapolis* * Trudy Banta, Indiana U.-Purdue U. Indianapolis (tbanta@IUPUI.EDU) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis presents the 1998 Assessment Institute in Indianapolis, November 8-11, 1998. The theme of this year's Institute is "Collaboration: Key to Assessment" and includes a program of full-day and half-day workshops for all faculty and administrators, with special sessions for student development professionals and health profession educators. The Institute provides in-depth learning opportunities with scholars/practitioners, including Thomas A. Angelo, Trudy W. Banta, Peter T. Ewell, George D. Kuh, and Jeffery A. Seybert. Workshop topics include: Assessment of Professional Service; Using the Grading Process for Departmental & General Education Assessment; Using Program Costs in Comprehensive Assessment, Developing and Implementing Assessment Surveys; Using Electronic Portfolios in Assessment; Implementing an Effective Assessment Program for the Entire Campus; Developing an Assessment Center in Health Professions; Assessing General Education Outcomes: Evidence from Inside and Outside the Classroom; Analyzing Survey Data; Web Applications in Assessment; Assessing Service Learning; and Implementing the Seven Principles: An All-Campus Approach. Also included is a Best Practice Fair, featuring assessment instruments, methods, and approaches from assessment practitioners in higher education. The Assessment Institute is sponsored by IUPUI's Office of Planning and Institutional Improvement. For more information about the Institute, please see the website at: http://www.hoosiers.iupui.edu/paiimain/conferen.htm or contact me at the location listed below Trudy Banta Vice Chancellor, Planning and Institutional Improvement Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis 355 N. Lansing St., AO 140 Indianapolis, IN 46202-2896 Phone: (317) 274-4111 Fax: (317) 274-4651 E-Mail: (tbanta@iupui.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HELP RESPONSE SUMMARY - Assessing Effectiveness of an IR Office * * Anne Marie Stamford, U. of Scranton (stamforda1@UofS.EDU) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Editor's Note: From time to time, I ask persons who submit help requests that I believe to be of broad interest to our readers to submit a summary of the responses they receive. What follows is such a summary. - - - - - This is a long-overdue summary of the responses to my e-mail request in July concerning methods of assessing institutional research. Here's my original query: I need some information on how to assess the effectiveness of an institutional research office. I would like to hear from others who have attempted this, and see a description of how they conducted the assessment, including a copy of any instrument they used. I would also welcome advice, comments or information on articles that may have been written on this subject. I received a total of 12 responses (including two from people with whom I communicated with before my query was published in electronic AIR). Another five people requested that I share any information I received with them. Most of my respondents included documents with their responses, including survey instruments, program review results, and copies of papers or presentation materials from various conferences. Here's a list of the respondents: Mark Meredith, U. of Colorado, (mark.meredith@colorado.edu) R. Dan Walleri, Mt. Hood Community College, (wallerid@mhoc.oc.or.us) John Kalb, Florida State U., (jkalb@mailer.fsu.edu) Frank Doherty, James Madison University, (dohertfj@jmu.edu) Samuel Baldwin, Clark Atlanta University Craig Claggett, Prince George's Community Julia Duckwall, Johnson County Community College Charles Harrington, U. of Southern Indiana Pat Windham, FL State Brd. of Comm. Colleges, 850-488-0555, ext. 172 Frank Abou-Sayf, (abousayf@uhunix.uhcc.hawaii.edu) Laura Schartman, Oakland University, (schartma@oakland.edu) David Molnar, Barry University. A few tips I've gleaned from the materials that were generously sent to me: 1. You can't assess what you don't know--define your functions and proposed outcomes first. 2. Identify your customers and their needs. 3. The use of survey instruments, in combination with other methods such as interviews, is a popular route to take. Some analysis of results beyond just quantification is helpful. 4. The use of external reviewers -- other IR professionals--can be a valuable. 5. Consider assessing both your process and your products. For the people who asked me to share materials with them: I'm happy to do so, but I'm going to ask permission of my contributors first, and I'm asking the recipients to cover the cost of duplicating and mailing, since the volume of material is considerable. Anne Marie Stamford, Assistant to the Provost University of Scranton Scranton, PA 18510 Phone: (717) 941-7520 FAX: (717) 941-4386 E-Mail: (stamforda1@uofs.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * HELP - "Capstone" Course(s) as Assessment Tools/Admin. Evaluations * * Lynn Thaxter, Moberly Area Comm. Coll. (lynnt@hp9000.macc.cc.mo.us) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * I am looking for information about any capstone courses in general education, particularly in community colleges. Is anyone familiar with such a course? We are considering developing one as an assessment tool and are looking for good models. I am also looking for information about any instruments geared toward evaluation of administrators, particularly an instrument that would allow faculty and staff to evaluate the performance of deans and other similar administrators. Does anyone know of such an instrument? Does anyone have a home-grown variety that they would be willing to share? Lynn Thaxter, Assistant to the President Moberly Area Community College 101 College Avenue Moberly, MO 65270 E-Mail: (lynnt@macc.cc.mo.us) Phone: (660) 263-4110 x208 FAX: (660) 263-6252 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * POSITION LISTING SUMMARY * * Jacque Frost, Purdue University (JLFROST@REG.PURDUE.EDU) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The following list of job openings of interest to professionals in institutional research, planning, and policy analysis summarizes listings that have been placed on the AIR job listing web site since the last issue of The Electronic AIR was mailed. Persons wishing to read or retrieve the full text of job openings should point their web browser (either graphical or text-based) to: http://www.fsu.edu/~air/jobs.htm Individuals wishing to submit position announcements to be added to the AIR web page and to be mentioned in this section of The Electronic AIR should send them to: Jacque Frost, Electronic AIR Jobs Editor, (jlfrost@reg.purdue.edu) or Larry Nelson, Electronic AIR Editor, (nelsonlw@plu.edu). You will receive an e-mail acknowledgment of receipt of your position announcement. Every effort will be made to have it posted on the AIR web page within 2 working days following its receipt. It will also be cited in the next issue of The Electronic AIR (unless the closing date has passed). Persons seeking jobs in institutional research, planning, or policy analysis should plan to check the AIR web page every couple of days for new positions. Point your browser to the following URL: http://www.fsu.edu/~air/jobs.htm - - - - - DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH, Undercurrents Market Research, Atlanta, GA Deadline Date: October 31, 1998. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY AND INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Benton Harbor, MI Deadline Date: Application review begins November 1, 1998 and continues until position is filled. SENIOR RESEARCH AND PLANNING ASSOCIATE (2 positions), Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Deadline Date: For full consideration, materials should be on file no later than September 30, 1998. The review of candidate credentials will commence at that time and continue until the positions are filled. RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, Collin County Community, Plano, TX Deadline Date: Open until filled. ASSISTANT DEAN, PLANNING & RESEARCH, Northlake College, Irving, TX Deadline Date: September 18, 1998 DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX Deadline Date: None given (re-advertised position). COORDINATOR OF EVALUATION, Collin County Community College District, Plano, TX Deadline Date: None given. DIRECTOR, INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, CA Deadline Date: Friday, October 23, 1998 DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH AND POLICY STUDIES, University of Massachusetts, Boston, MA Deadline Date: Application review will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. SENIOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH ANALYST, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ Deadline Date: None given. COORDINATOR FOR PLANNING AND COMPARATIVE STUDIES, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Deadline Date: Review of applications will begin September 23, 1998, and will continue until the position is filled. ASSESSMENT OFFICER, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Deadline Date: Review of applications will begin September 23, 1998, and will continue until the position is filled. SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE, Central Michigan University, Pleasant, MI Deadline Date: Review of applicants will begin September 21, 1998, and continue until the position is filled. DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Delgado Community College, New Orleans, LA Deadline Date: Review of applications will begin on October 1, and will continue until the position is filled. RESEARCH ANALYST, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN Deadline Date: Review of applications will continue until the position is filled. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, NJ Deadline Date: September 28, 1998. PLANNING ANALYST, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Deadline: Position will remain open until filled. Search will be closed when a sufficient number of qualified applicants have been identified but not earlier than September 28,1998. DIRECTOR, ASSESSMENT, City University of New York, New York, NY Deadline Date: October 28, 1998 ASSESSMENT OFFICER, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC Deadline Date: Review of applications will begin September 23, 1998, and will continue until the position is filled. DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH, Iowa State University, Ames, IA Deadline Date: The search committee will begin its review November 15, 1998. SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE , Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI Deadline Date: Review of applicants will begin September 21, 1998, and continue until the position is filled. SCIENCE RESOURCES ANALYST (2 positions), National Science Foundation, Arlington, VA Deadline Date: None given. ASSOCIATE ACADEMIC PLANNER, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI Deadline Date: October 1, 1998 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * PARTING THOUGHT * * Larry Nelson, Pacific Lutheran University (nelsonlw@plu.edu) * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Reader contributions of possible future "Parting Thoughts" are welcome. Send them to Larry Nelson (nelsonlw@plu.edu). - - - - - Today's item is from Robert Ploutz-Snyder (rploutzs@nycc.edu). Thought I'd submit the following "Dilbert Humor." A magazine recently ran a "Dilbert Quotes" contest. They were looking for people to submit quotes from their real-life Dilbert-type managers. Here are some of the submissions: 1. As of tomorrow, employees will only be able to access the building using individual security cards. Pictures will be taken next Wednesday and employees will receive their cards in two weeks. 2. What I need is a list of specific unknown problems we will encounter. 3. This project is so important, we can't let things that are more important interfere with it. 4. Doing it right is no excuse for not meeting the schedule. No one will believe you solved this problem in one day! We've been working on it for months. Now, go act busy for a few weeks and I'll let you know when it's time to tell them. 5. My boss spent the entire weekend retyping a 25-page proposal that only needed corrections. She claims the disk I gave her was damaged and she couldn't edit it. The disk I gave her was write-protected. 6. Quote from the boss: "Teamwork is a lot of people doing what 'I' say." 7. We know that communication is a problem, but the company is not going to discuss it with the employees. 8. We recently received a memo from senior management saying, "This is to inform you that a memo will be issued today regarding the subject mentioned above." 9. One day my boss asked me to submit a status report to him concerning a project I was working on. I asked him if tomorrow would be soon enough. He said, "If I wanted it tomorrow, I would have waited until tomorrow to ask for it!" 10. As director of communications, I was asked to prepare a memo reviewing our company's training programs and materials. In the body of the memo one of the sentences mentioned the "pedagogical approach" used by one of the training manuals. The day after I routed the memo to the executive committee, I was called into the HR Director's office, and was told that the executive VP wanted me out of the building by lunch. When I asked why, I was told that she wouldn't stand for "perverts" (pedophiles?) working in her company. Finally he showed me her copy of the memo, with her demand that I be fired, with the word "pedagogical" circled in red. The HR Manager was fairly reasonable, and once he looked the word up in his dictionary and made a copy of the definition to send to my boss, he told me not to worry. He would take care of it. Two days later a memo to the entire staff came out, directing us that no words which could not be found in the local Sunday newspaper could be used in company memos. A month later, I resigned. In accordance with company policy, I created my resignation letter by pasting words together from the Sunday paper. 11. This gem is the closing paragraph of a nationally-circulated memo from a large communications company: " (company name) is endeavorily determined to promote constant attention on current procedures of transacting business focusing emphasis on innovative ways to better, if not supersede, the expectations of quality!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * If you wish to subscribe, change your e-mail address, or request a * * subscription for someone else, send it to Norm Gravelle, AIR Exec-* * utive Office, (air@mailer.fsu.edu) (Florida State University). * * If you have AIR news, send it to Larry Nelson, Editor, at: * * (nelsonlw@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 32306-4462; * * Telephone: (850) 644-4470 or on Internet: (air@mailer.fsu.edu). * * AIR Web Page: http://www.fsu.edu/~air * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *