Building a Culture of Compliance at Liberal Arts Colleges and Predominantly Undergraduate Institutions.

What barriers to compliance do research administrators face at liberal arts colleges and predominantly undergraduate institutions? What solutions can be offered to overcome these challenges? All academic institutions that receive government funding must abide by the same federally imposed rules and regulations for financial assistance, whether for student aid or sponsored projects. However, universally imposed grant requirements are fundamentally flawed because they assume that all colleges and universities operate with similar structures. Liberal arts colleges and predominantly undergraduate institutions must meet the same grant requirements imposed on larger institutions, but research administrators at these establishments often lack the infrastructure and institutional investment to effectively manage compliance. The existing literature recognizes that compliance with federal regulations requires capacity and additional financial resources. However, recent studies fail to address the challenges faced by research administrators at a micro level. Through a survey of the field, this project ultimately shows that a culture of compliance can be achieved through a shared commitment at the individual, institutional, and federal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]