The College as a Social System: Student Perceptions of Students,Faculty, and Administration

Abstract

This is a report on a new instrument for institutional research, (Transactional Analysis of Personality and Environment-(TAPE), based on the semantic differential and unique in its potential for analysis of the integration among students, faculty, and administration in a college, A total of 3,016 students from twenty-one colleges rated the following concepts on the 52 scales in Form A or the 52 scales in Form B: “My College,” “My Self,” “Students,” “Faculty,” “Administration,” and “Ideal College.” Ratings of satisfaction with aspects of college life also were made. The data presented indicate that individuals who perceive great discrepancies between themselves and their college tend to be dissatisfied and consider dropping out. Furthermore, those colleges which have large mean Self- College discrepancies also tend to have high mean dissatisfaction scores. Data are also presented to exemplify the intra- and inter-institutional research comparisons possible with TAPE.     

PUBLIC TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE FUNDING AND PROGRAM PATTERNS

Several sets of data were employed in efforts to address the major concerns of this study. The first was a national survey of state directors of two‐year colleges. From them basic data regarding the distribution of funding for public two‐year college institutions on a state‐by‐state basis was obtained. It was found that 57% of funding nationally was derived from state legislatures, 17% from local or regional governments, 14% from tuition, and 10% from other sources. Also computed from the survey data was the distribution of full‐time enrollments by generic program. It was found that about half of the full‐time students were enrolled in occupational programs.

Using selected national data, the cost per credit‐hour for 1979‐1980 full‐time students was computed to be $115 if 24 credit‐hours are considered a full‐time load, and $92 using 30 credit‐hours as a full‐time load.

Also determined were the correlations between selected population data and certain public two‐year college demographics. Strong positive relationships were found between state populations, number of colleges in the state, and the magnitude of the states’ gross weights (fraction of total national full‐time enrollments found in that state).     

Resource Dependence in the Further Education Marketplace: considerations for the managers of college mergers

Abstract

In 1993 all institutions designated by the government as ‘further education providers’ were removed from local authority control (under the provisions of The Further and Higher Education Act 1992). All such colleges are now responsible for institutional self‐management, a task which, in the context of the current post‐16 education environment, presents a number of challenges.

Allied to a range of government generated targets, further education (FE) institutions find themselves subject to increasingly intense competition from their perceived local rivals. This is significant because a substantial proportion of college funding is based upon student recruitment (as well as the retention upon and the completion of programmes by students). Thus, there is an inevitable emphasis placed upon competing for the available student cohort. At the same time the FE sector is also subject to wider government measures, including the ongoing capital expenditure cuts for the sector introduced in the 1995 Budget.

In the context of considerable external influence and growing competition, many FE colleges are consequently exploring alternative strategies for coping with a complex and uncertain environment. In particular, a growing number of institutions have examined a merger strategy as a response to the pressures within the sector. By 1998, it has been suggested that 100 FE colleges will disappear due to college mergers. It would therefore appear that integration between institutions is at least being explored by a number of colleges, whilst it has been undertaken by a small number of other providers of FE.

The main focus of this article is to examine the motives of colleges seeking to merge with another FE institution, to identify the advantages and disadvantages associated with such a strategy and to explore the important issues for institutions involved in the merger process.

The article is a preliminary study of college mergers within FE and will initially note that the FE market is fundamentally different to an unrestricted, free market. In the context of government regulation it will be asserted, using a resource‐dependence model, that colleges are locked into a financial dependence upon the government. In turn, the government is then able to demand that specific criteria are pursued across the FE sector. On this basis, it will be noted that the merger is an increasingly prominent strategic option for those institutions responding to this financial dependence.

Given the nature of the FE market, the established resource dependence and the characteristics of FE colleges, the article will subsequently examine the perceived advantages and disadvantages derived by institutions pursuing a merger strategy. This will then be extended to embrace an examination of the key management issues that colleges will encounter when considering integration.

The article will therefore be of interest to academics and practitioners focusing on the nature of the external environment and markets in the public sector, the response of FE colleges to markets, competition and the government, and those examining mergers as a strategic option.     

DEMOGRAPHIC AND ACADEMIC FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FIRST‐TO‐SECOND‐TERM RETENTION IN A TWO‐YEAR COLLEGE

ABSTRACT

Two‐year public colleges are known to experience the lowest retention rates of all colleges and universities. In addition, the lowest rate of consecutive‐term retention within the two‐year college occurs from students’ first to second term. The literature on factors related to retention in two‐year colleges, however, is strikingly inconclusive. The purpose of this study was to determine demographic and academic factors associated with first‐to‐second‐term retention at a regional campus of a two‐year public technical institution. The interaction between these factors was also studied. Those demographic variables found to be significantly related to retention included educational objective, full‐time/part‐time enrollment status, employment status, and age. The only academic factor found to be related significantly to retention was first‐term GPA. No significant interaction effects between these variables were found. A list of target groups for retention strategies was developed from the results of the study.     

Community College Governance,Funding, and Accountability: A Century of Issues and Trends

Community colleges in America are now very visible and highly respected institutions of higher education. More than 1,000 community colleges in all 50 states now comprise nearly 25% of all colleges and universities in the U.S., with over 6.5 million students, or about 45% of all college students.

State and local governance and coordination of community colleges vary from single-state governing boards to minimal state control and strong local governing boards. The relative degrees of state and local control of community colleges generally “follow the money,” in that accountability to state and local governing board and state legislatures is generally about proportional to the funds provided by each level of government.

Funding for operational support of community colleges comes primarily from state and local governments, with considerable federal support for grants and subsidized loans to students. In 2000–2001, the largest proportional funding sources for community colleges were: state governments (44.6%), local governments (19.5%), tuition and fees (19.5%) and the federal government (5.4%). State lotteries in at least 38 states represent a relatively new source of funds for community colleges, often in the form of student scholarships.

Many of the earliest public junior colleges charged no tuition, especially in California in the early 1900s. Now many community college students pay $3,000 or more per year in tuition and fees, and recent annual tuition increases in many states have been in double digits. This is a troubling trend that threatens to reduce access to higher education for poor people.     

JOB DUTIES OF INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCHERS IN SOUTHERN TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

The objective of this study was to determine the types of duties being performed by institutional researchers in Southern two‐year colleges. Research was based on a mail survey submitted to all two‐year colleges accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Of 326 colleges surveyed, a total of 301 (92 percent) responded. Respondents completed a survey designed with the assistance of a panel of experts. This included a section posing statements about institutional research tasks in a discrepancy model, and a second section consisting of statements about the overall research function organized in a five‐part, Likert‐type scale

The survey found that less than half of Southern two‐year colleges employed an institutional researcher on a half‐time or greater basis. It also identified a number of discrepancies in the job duties now being performed by institutional researchers and the duties those individuals felt they should be performing

Among those duties which should not be performed were external reporting, program supervision, grant development, and clerical functions. Tasks identified as needing to be performed included increased research project completion, academic program evaluation, planning studies, outcomes assessment, financial analysis, and policy development     

The Cognitive Value of Two‐Year Colleges for Whites and Blacks

Although community college educators believe their programs benefit their students through cognitive development, until now no good evidence was available. The fourth follow‐up of the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 allows the controlled assessment of the value of two‐year institutions. The results indicate that while whites benefit cognitively from two‐year post‐secondary programs, blacks do not.

In 1947, the President's Commission on Higher Education (1947, p. 9) concluded that, “The first goal in education for democracy is the full, rounded and continuing development of the person. ... To liberate and perfect the intrinsic powers of every citizen is the central purpose of democracy, and its furtherance of individual self‐realization is its greatest glory.” From these principles the specific goals of higher education are derived (Bowen, 1977). The formal academic program and extra‐curricular life of an academic community are intended to help students develop in three respects: cognitive learning, affective development, and practical competence (Bowen, 1977). It is assumed that as these goals are realized so are the powers of the individual.

Whenever there are goals to be reached in any endeavor, it is natural to ask whether they are in fact being realized. Bowen (1977) compares education to an industry that is responsible for disclosing both its costs and outcomes. Assessing the outcomes of higher education is necessarily a complex task; nevertheless attempts have been made to pull together information from a variety of studies and draw conclusions from them (e.g., Feldman and Newcomb, 1969; Bowen, 1977; Pace, 1979). In general the effects of college attendance have been found to be positive. Attending college raises the level of knowledge and cognitive

powers of students, increases psycholgocial well‐being, understanding, tolerance and self‐reliance, and helps students develop skills and traits that make them more adaptable to a variety of social and work situations (Bowen, 1977).

Comprehensive evaluations of higher education have been limited to four‐year colleges. For example, Kar‐weit and McPartland (1981) studied the cognitive gains produced by postsecondary schooling, and found that college attendance enhanced vocabulary skills, but only maintained mathematic skills. In contrast, little has been done to evaluate outcomes of community college attendance, although educators within community college systems stress the importance of accountability in establishing the much maligned credibility of community colleges (Roueche and La Forge, 1974; Miller, 1979).

The absence of research on community colleges is in part due to the variety of functions that community colleges have assumed. Community colleges were originally intended to open the doors of education to all high school graduates, especially the economically disadvantaged (Monroe, 1972). Emphasis was placed on providing two years of additional general education beyond high school, and on low‐cost preparation for students who wished to transfer to four‐year colleges in the third year. In 1947 the President's Com‐mision on Higher Education (1947) suggested that the emphasis of two‐year colleges should be shifted to preparation for semiprofessional white collar and vocational occupations. This preparation was not to be at the expense of general education, but in addition to it, for those who desired to learn specific occupational skills. As the popularity of community colleges grew, it also became apparent that many economically disadvantaged students were also academically disadvantaged, and community colleges found themselves in the business of providing remedial courses for many students who were not ready to enter regular academic programs.

Although research indicates that community colleges in general place greater emphasis on occupational education than when originally conceived, they remain, at least in philosophy, committed to providing an education that contributes to the intellectual development of their students, whether they are in academic or vocational programs (Monroe, 1972; Cross, 1974). This commitment is in recognition of the fact that cognitive skills such as verbal ability and basic mathematics competence, and affective development in the areas of self‐awareness and interpersonal relations, are necessary to practical competence in most work and social situations.

Community college curricula, in general, reflect a commitment to intellectual and affective development. The general education requirement in community colleges varies greatly, but usually consists of a specified number of elective courses to be chosen from the humanities, natural sciences, mathematics, and the social sciences (Monroe, 1972). Remedial programs are primarily for academic deficiencies in reading, language, and mathematics (Monroe, 1972).

Although community college programs seem designed to further cognitive and affective development, critics (Scigliano, 1976; Hudson and Smith, 1976) question the ability of community colleges to provide a good general education. Nevertheless, there is little evidence on this point one way or the other. Existing studies are lacking in several ways. For example, Rou‐eche and Kirk (1973) and Lavin et al.(1979) determined the success of programs for academically and economically disadvantaged students in community college programs by looking at grade point averages and completion rates; however, neither of these measures establish gains in cognitive or affective development. Rossmann et al.(1975) measured cognitive development by gain scores on reading and mathematics tests, but they were unable to compare gains against a control group of noncollege attenders.     

ARTICULATION AND TRANSFER ISSUES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGE ART PROGRAMS IN ILLINOIS

This study documents trends and issues pertaining to articulation and transferabil‐ity of students in art programs at community colleges in Illinois to 4‐year institutions. There has been a discernible lack of consensus and data regarding the current state of articulation in art, both institution‐specific and statewide. Many problems arise when art students attempt to transfer from community colleges to 4‐year institutions. A survey was conducted among selected art faculty at Illinois community colleges to seek relevant information. The findings of this study may direct collaboration between community colleges and 4‐year institutions for purposes such as facilitating transfer and articulation in art.     

高校人事管理干部素质之管见

人事管理工作对于高校的发展至关重要,而搞好高校人事工作的关键则在于广大人事管理干部,高校人事管理干部应具备的素质是多方面的.本文就高校人事管理干部应具备的素质进行阐述,并针对当前高校人事管理干部素质中存在的问题提出对策和建议.     

THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGES: MISSISSIPPI'S SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

Mississippi's system of public community and junior colleges developed as a response to changing educational needs in the state. The need to provide secondary education to rural areas of the state led to the agricultural high school movement in 1908. Time diminished the need for these schools, so the state's educational leadership proposed using the facilities to offer college‐level coursework. In 1928, Mississippi counties were authorized to join together in forming junior college districts. The colleges began as agencies of local government and continue so to the present. A state‐level office with coordinating responsibilities was established at the State Department of Education. The state's system of 2‐year colleges began just 1 year before the national economic depression. Easy access and low costs made the junior colleges attractive to Mississippians then and now. The junior college mission was to offer university transfer programs to students. After World War II, the junior colleges expanded their missions to include vocational and technical training. This was in response to the demands of business and industry as well as the needs of veterans returning to the workforce. Postwar industrial development in the state gave the junior colleges a greater role in workforce training. Mississippi's two‐year colleges have experienced demographic and technology changes that reflect national trends. In contrast to most other states, Mississippi's community and junior college leadership continues to identify university parallel programs as their primary mission.     

高校的科技创新如何为地方经济建设发展服务

人才培养、科学研究和服务社会,是国家赋予高等教育的三项主要职能。地方高校承担着为地方经济建设与社会发展培养大批各类人才、服务区域经济发展、促进地方小康社会全面建设的重任。广东石油化工学院地处广东省茂名市,而茂名既是中国南方最大的石化生产基地,又是中国最大的水果生产基地,如何把广东石油化工学院的科技创新和知识优势转化为产业优势,从而推动地方区域经济的全面快速发展,这是广东石油化工学院学人需要不断研究和探讨的重要课题。同时,为地方经济发展做贡献是地方高校义不容辞的责任。     

我国公办高校事业经费拨款模式改革

以我国现行高等教育财政拨款模式“基本支出加项目支出”特征为基础,分析了该模式在保障拨款效率和公平上的优势与不足,并初步设想了拔款模式的改革方向：对可供分配的经常性拨款的一部分实行绩效拨款,通过招投标确定项目拨款的拨款对象和拨款数额。     

Prospect

ABSTRACT

The 1988 Education Reform Act introduced a schools’ quasi‐market intended to reward schools financially for recruiting pupils and to give them a financial incentive for ‘good’ educational performance. The paper examines this linkage by analysing data on financial performance for over 300 English Local Education Authority (LEA) and Grant Maintained (GM) secondary schools from 1990/91 to 1995/96, correcting for inflation and changes in LEA delegation ratios. On average over 6 LEA areas, real school budgets per pupil declined by 0.6% a year while examination performance at GCSE improved. Statistical analysis shows that while change in pupil numbers is the most important variable explaining school budget change, half as much is explained by variations in LEA and government financial policy, thus weakening market incentives. It was also found that the proportion of socially disadvantaged pupils, as measured by free school meals, is associated with a loss of pupils over time and hence a decline in budget. GM status had no discernible effect on pupil recruitment, once social disadvantage and other explanatory variables were taken into account. It is suggested that both ecological and open systems theories of how organisations change in response to external environmental pressures explain the differential success of schools in attracting resources.     

THE HUMANITIES CURRICULUM IN THE COMMUNITY/JUNIOR COLLEGE

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of the humanities curriculum in the nation's community and junior colleges. Data on course offerings and enrollments in humanities’ courses (e.g., foreign languages, history, literature, philosophy) were obtained in spring 1975 and spring 1977 from a representative national sample of 178 two‐year colleges. Among the findings reported were: (1) during the same time period that two‐year colleges experienced a modest enrollment increase (7.4%), enrollments in 7 of the 12 humanities areas studied actually decreased; and (2) the humanities courses offered at most two‐year colleges were extremely limited both within and across subject areas. Recommendations on how humanities departments can increase their course enrollments are offered.     

RECENTLY PUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

To discover the organizational components that nurture good teaching at 2‐year colleges, the author undertook a comprehensive survey of faculty development programs at Ohio 2‐year colleges. A review of the literature uncovered several variables that need to be considered when assessing the state of faculty development in higher education institutions. The most important of these appears to be institutional support, that is, a climate that fosters and encourages faculty development. To assess these elements, a 65‐item, four‐part survey was constructed. Unfortunately, the results force the researcher to draw the conclusion that Ohio 2‐year colleges are not doing a better job of emphasizing or supporting teaching.     

AN UPDATE ON REVERSE TRANSFERS TO TWO‐YEAR COLLEGES

Reverse transfers, students who transfer from four‐year to two‐year colleges, now make up 20% of the two‐year college enrollment. This paper will describe reverse transfers in terms of demographics, educational goals, and academic performance. Data from thirteen two‐year colleges includes official student records on a 1984 class of newly enrolled students and a survey of this same cohort.

Reverse transfers differ significantly from two‐year natives in terms of race and other demographic characteristics. Reverse transfers were older, more likely to be married, employed full‐time, and had higher socioeconomic status indicators. Reverse transfers’ parents were more likely than native students’ to have earned a college degree.

Two‐year students who had already earned a college degree had short‐term occupational goals aimed at upgrading job skills or making themselves more employable. Those who had not yet earned a degree were most likely to aspire to the bachelors degree. Reverse transfers earned significantly higher grades than natives. Reverse transfers were less likely to be enrolled in remedial courses or to indicate a need for special help in basic skills in order to succeed at the two‐year college.     

CONSTRUCT VALIDITY EVIDENCE FOR BRACKEN SCHOOL READINESS ASSESSMENT,THIRD EDITION,SPANISH FORM SCORES

Convergent and discriminant validity evidence was examined for scores on the Spanish Record Form of the Bracken School Readiness Assessment, Third Edition (BSRA‐3). Participants included a sample of 68 Hispanic, Spanish‐speaking children ages 4 to 5 years enrolled in preschool programs in Puerto Rico. Scores obtained from the BSRA‐3 Spanish Record Form were compared with scores from the Nonverbal Index of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children, Second Edition, and the Preschool and Kindergarten Behavior Scales, Second Edition. As expected, the correlation between school readiness scores and nonverbal intelligence was significant and moderate in the positive direction and the correlations between school readiness scores and behaviors were low. Discriminant validity evidence for BSRA‐3 scores was demonstrated using Steiger's Z test to compare correlations of similar and dissimilar constructs. As hypothesized, significant results emerged.     

TUITION AND THE OPEN‐DOOR: A RELATIVE PERSPECTIVE

This research was initiated to explore the effects of changing tuition rates on the open‐door policy of U.S. community junior colleges. Tuition trends in the two‐year colleges of 50 states were assessed using data gathered from the 1975 and 1980 editions of the AACJC Directory, 1980 Fact Book for Academic Administrators, and recently published journal articles. The relationship between tuition rates and enrollment levels in each state were analyzed. The analyses point to a trend of continuous increase in tuition rates for U.S. public two‐year colleges since 1951. Even though the percentage of increase in tuition for recent years has been higher for two‐year colleges than for four‐year colleges, there remains a substantial difference between the average annual tuition of the two types of institutions. There appears to be a negative correlation between tuition and enrollment at two‐year colleges for 1974‐1975 (—.27) and for 1979‐1980 (—.21). Based on these findings, it would appear that further increases in tuition might serve to close college doors for those not able to afford the rising costs of education. Suggestions are offered for internal and external actions to help maintain open access despite rising tuition costs.     

CURRICULUM APPROVAL IN ILLINOIS COMMUNITY COLLEGES: LOCAL AND STATE PROCESSES

Following a discussion of the historical relationship between education and democracy, from which the concept of curriculum emerges as a legitimate field of research, this paper traces the development of curricular diversity in U.S. two‐year institutions and reviews the control and coordinating functions of curriculum governance in the community college systems of several states. The paper focuses on the system of curricular administration in Illinois, in which primary responsibility rests with the local two‐year school board and a coordinating function with a state agency, the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). The state process is summarized and the local process of course and program approval from initiation to implementation in Illinois community colleges is identified. The data suggest that while the state role in curricular governance is formally defined as one of coordination, the local community college curriculum administrators may in fact view it as one of control.