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The role and impact of diversity in higher education has permeated conversations about student access and achievement for many years. Language articulated by various courts suggests that higher education policies should reflect a broad conceptualisation of diversity beyond that of the magnitude and proportion of race and ethnicity, yet institutions struggle to measure diversity in a manner that effectively supports the management of diversity goals and meets the legal requirements for targeted strategies. Building on methodologies from biology and political science, this paper proposes a new way of conceptualising and measuring diversity that addresses the limitations of traditional diversity metrics and accounts for race and race-neutral attributes within a single model. Using data from over 1500 colleges and universities, the development of a composite diversity index is demonstrated as a strategy for meeting organisational need to account for and measure multiple diversity attributes.

A case study approach illustrates the various statistical and political issues that analysts encounter when conducting a salary-equity study for a single institution. Highlights the importance of integrating various stakeholders in the process of assessing salary equity. (EV)

Presents the results of a collaborative research project conducted by a community college and a university, which obtained information and students' perceptions about academic preparation, the transfer process, and experiences from a cohort of students who earned 12 or more units at the college and then transferred to the university. (Contains 15 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Proposes a role for institutional research in changing institutional attitudes about priority placed on student retention efforts. Identifies organizational/attitudinal barriers to improving student retention efforts relative to theory on stages of grief (denial, hostility, bargaining, depression, acceptance); outlines tactics for moving the organization through each stage. Describes efforts at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. (Author/MSE)

The study proposes using path analysis and residual plotting as methods supporting environmental scanning in strategic planning for higher education institutions. Path models of three levels of independent variables are developed. Dependent variables measuring applications and enrollments at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are used. (Author/MSE)

This study used a theoretical framework with multiple variables in multivariate analyses (factor, multiple regression, and path analyses) to investigate the sociopsychological predictors of weight loss. Responses from 309 participants of a comprehensive weight-loss program indicated that self-assurance was the most significant predictor of actual weight loss, followed by weeks completed. Other factors, such as program satisfaction and perceived importance, indirectly predicted weight loss through the intervening variables of self-assurance and weeks completed. Differences in the factors predicting weight loss were observed between completers and dropouts. The implications of these results for professionals concerned with weight control are discussed.

Reducing attrition in programs, especially in weight-reduction programs, is a major challenge for nutritionists. The purpose of this study was to investigate the determinants of completion of a weight-reduction program and to provide suggestions for retaining participants. A model that explains attrition behavior was tested on a group of 309 participants in a comprehensive 10-week weight-reduction program. The dependent variable was program completion. The independent variables were program, personal, attitudinal, environmental, demographic, and intention. A principal-components factor analysis was used to determine the structure of the variables related to program completion. Six major factors were identified: self-assurance, social ease, social support, perceived importance, program satisfaction and demographic variables. Stepwise multiple-regression analysis determined the factors that most effectively predicted program completion. Path analysis explored the direct and indirect effects on program completion. The results indicated that self-assurance was the most significant factor influencing program completion. Program satisfaction did not have a direct effect on program completion when considered in the presence of the other independent variables. It is suggested that to retain participants in weight-control programs, weight-control educators should develop participants' self-assurance, social support and social ease, and help participants perceive the program as important to their health and well-being. (JNE 24:14-20, 1992)

The number of regression studies being employed in sex discrimination cases is increasing. The need for caution in the case of multiple regression must be emphasized. Statistical concerns in sex discrimination cases are highlighted. (MLW)

The effect of administrative service as department chair on the scholarly careers of academic chemists is explored through an analysis of their publication and doctoral student productivity records over a two-decade period. The results indicate no significant difference in the productivity levels of the experimental and control groups. (Author/MLW)

Organizational barriers to information use vary with types of decisions and the phases of information collection, analysis, and communication. Strategies suitable for one environment will not always work in others. (Author/MSE)

Correlational and path analyses were used to examine the effects of four situations on self-reported ethical behaviors on four primary ethical dimensions among undergraduate communication students. The four situations are: students' ethical beliefs, students' perceptions of professors' ethical beliefs, and students' perceptions of ethical beliefs of their peers. (Author/MLW)

The question addressed is whether large enrollment provides economy of scale for institutional operation. The answer is masked by the complexity of an institution. The manner in which complexity, size, costs, and enrollment interrelate is examined. Curricula and complexity may severely affect per student cost. (MSE)

A study on a survey of department heads in 25 major universities that examines what department heads perceive to be the component parts in making assignments to faculty is discussed. The importance of evaluating faculty based on effort required rather than on time devoted to given tasks is stressed. (Author/MLW)

Professionals in nine education specialty areas ranked educational journals by perceived degree of importance. The data were used to analyze degrees of similarity among the areas. Results suggested that education specialty areas are nonoverlapping and noninterdependent and that the field of education is more a mosaic of specialties than a unified whole. (Author/MJL)

To determine to what extent instructional efforts differed between men and women at a large land-grant university, the following variables were investigated: number of weighted student credit hours, number of sections taught, number of different courses taught, and didactic hours by level course. (Author/MLW)

26 five-point statements are used to examine perceptual differences among beliefs and behaviors in five primary ethical situations for 323 undergraduate communication students in two mid-Atlantic public universities. Analyses indicate significant differences among means over the five situations. Also, there are significant agreements among ranks for the students', professors', and peers' beliefs, as perceived by the students, and between the self-reported behaviors of the students and their perceptions of the behaviors of their peers. Factor analysis establishes the basic structure of these five ethical situations in a two-dimensional space.

Objectives: This study explored new models of diversity for health professions education that incorporate multiple attributes and examined differences in diversity based on urbanicity, geographic region, and institutional structure. Methods: Simpson's Diversity Index was used to develop race, gender, and interprofessional diversity indices for health professions schools in the United States (N = 318). Sullivan's extension was used to develop a composite diversity index that incorporated multiple individual attributes for each school. Pearson's r was used to investigate correlations between continuous variables. ANOVA and independent t-tests were used to compare groups based on urbanicity, geographic region, and Basic Carnegie Classification. Results: Mean (SD) for race, gender, and interprofessional diversity indices were 0.36(0.17), 0.45(0.07), and 0.22(0.27) respectively. All correlations between the three indices were weak. The composite diversity index for this sample was 0.34(0.13). Significant differences in diversity were found between institutions based on urbanicity, Basic Carnegie Classification, and geographic region. Conclusions: Multidimensional models provide support for expanding measures of diversity to include multiple characteristics and attributes. The approach demonstrated in this study enables institutions to complement and extend traditional measures of diversity as a means of providing evidence for decision-making and progress towards institutional initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role and impact of diversity in higher education has permeated conversations about student access and achievement for many years. Language articulated by various courts suggests that higher education policies should reflect a broad conceptualisation of diversity beyond that of the magnitude and proportion of race and ethnicity, yet institutions struggle to measure diversity in a manner that effectively supports the management of diversity goals and meets the legal requirements for targeted strategies. Building on methodologies from biology and political science, this paper proposes a new way of conceptualising and measuring diversity that addresses the limitations of traditional diversity metrics and accounts for race and race-neutral attributes within a single model. Using data from over 1500 colleges and universities, the development of a composite diversity index is demonstrated as a strategy for meeting organisational need to account for and measure multiple diversity attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article looks at the application of the nearest neighbor method for reference group formation in higher education in the U.S. to minimize the impact of politics in the process. It discusses the importance of reference groups as well as outlines the steps in choosing methods for reference group formation. Clarification of the purpose, determination of the composition, and selection of a methodology are among of the steps identified in selecting a method.

Focuses on the real-world challenges faced by a hypothetical researcher when studying the faculty salary structure at a university. Issues for consideration in evaluating the appropriateness of the salary structure; Measurement of the effects of occupational experience versus academic seniority on earnings; Explanation of financial considerations for making adjustments.