Showing papers on "Institutional research published in 2013"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors extend their understanding of research productivity by examining features of managerial practice and culture within university departments and find that autonomy and egalitarianism, along with a strong cultural ethos supporting achievement and individualism are characteristics of high functioning departments.
Abstract: This research extends our understanding of research productivity by examining features of managerial practice and culture within university departments. Adopting a robust comparative research design, capturing both interview and survey data sourced from multiple stakeholders from New Zealand universities, we seek to identify factors associated with superior research performance. The findings show that autonomy and egalitarianism, along with a strong cultural ethos supporting achievement and individualism are characteristics of high functioning departments. These comprise core features of commitment-oriented work settings, but we find them to be largely absent from the work environments of low performers. This disparity leads us to consider whether certain managerial practices, when coupled with a supporting set of cultural characteristics, are crucial to influencing research performance outcomes. Management and academics in higher education settings should consider these findings of interest and benefit, ...
117 citations
TL;DR: This paper found that the NSSE benchmarks provided dependable means for 50 or more students and were significantly related to important institutional outcomes such as retention and graduation rates, using national data from NSSE 2008.
Abstract: Surveys play a prominent role in assessment and institutional research, and the NSSE College Student Report is one of the most popular surveys of enrolled undergraduates. Recent studies have raised questions about the validity of the NSSE survey. Although these studies have themselves been criticized, documenting the validity of an instrument requires an affirmative finding regarding the adequacy and appropriateness of score interpretation and use. Using national data from NSSE 2008, the present study found that the NSSE benchmarks provided dependable means for 50 or more students and were significantly related to important institutional outcomes such as retention and graduation rates.
88 citations
TL;DR: Terenzini suggests that those forms of intelligence retain their overall relevance today, but that they also require some important redefinitions as mentioned in this paper, such as adapting to the dramatic transformations in information technologies and analytical power; greater awareness and responsiveness to the changing state, national, and international educational and political scenes; the need for more extensive familiarity with the research literature, and subtler and more savvy political skills.
Abstract: In reconsidering the three “tiers of institutional intelligence” needed for effective institutional research practice he first offered 20 years ago (Terenzini in Res Higher Educ 34:1–10, 1993), Terenzini suggests that those forms of intelligence retain their overall relevance today, but that they also require some important redefinition. The major changes deal with adapting to the dramatic transformations in information technologies and analytical power; greater awareness and responsiveness to the changing state, national, and international educational and political scenes; the need for more extensive familiarity with the research literature, and subtler and more savvy political skills.
48 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present the findings of a study which monitored the entire student experience in a large metropolitan multi-campus university during 2005-2011 and discusses the trends in perceived importanc...
Abstract: Over the last decade, the assessment of student experience has gained significant prominence in Australian higher education. Universities conduct internal surveys in order to identify which of their services students rate higher or lower on importance and performance. Thus, institutions can promote highly performing areas and work on those needing improvement, while students are given an opportunity to influence decision-making in both academic and non-academic spheres of campus life. National student surveys conducted by the government aim to maintain quality assurance in the sector, benchmark outcomes, and, in some cases, reward better performing institutions. This paper outlines the findings of a study which monitored the entire student experience in a large metropolitan multi-campus university during 2005–2011. A specially designed biennial survey was repeated across the years, and completed over the period by 10,562 students from all key cohorts. This paper discusses the trends in perceived importanc...
42 citations
TL;DR: In 2011, staff at the University of Minnesota Libraries-Twin Cities undertook a project to measure how often, and in what ways, students used the Libraries' services as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: In Fall 2011, staff at the University of Minnesota Libraries-Twin Cities undertook a project to measure how often, and in what ways, students used the Libraries' services. Partnering with the University's Office of Institutional Research, the team investigated ways to match library service usage to individual accounts while retaining patron privacy to determine who was - and was not - using the library. With complete data sets, the group was able to determine overall usage rates for undergraduate and graduate students and compare how students in different colleges used library services. This article discusses data gathering techniques, analysis, and initial findings.
42 citations
01 May 2013
TL;DR: A full and critical evaluation of the open source CKAN software for use as a Research Data Management (RDM) tool within a university environment and an outline proposal for how CKAN can be used effectively for data analysis, storage and publishing in academia are offered.
Abstract: This paper offers a full and critical evaluation of the open source CKAN software (http://ckan.org) for use as a Research Data Management (RDM) tool within a university environment. It presents a case study of CKAN's implementation and use at the University of Lincoln, UK, and highlights its strengths and current weaknesses as an institutional Research Data Management tool. The author draws on his prior experience of implementing a mixed media Digital Asset Management system (DAM), Institutional Repository (IR) and institutional Web Content Management System (CMS), to offer an outline proposal for how CKAN can be used effectively for data analysis, storage and publishing in academia. This will be of interest to researchers, data librarians, and developers, who are responsible for the implementation of institutional RDM infrastructure. This paper is presented as part of the dissemination activities of the Jisc-funded Orbital project (http://orbital.blogs.lincoln.ac.uk)
39 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the elaboration of institutional research practice, which is an important element of any research university, and what are the most viable alternatives regarding the structure, staffing, and responsibilities of the institutional research office.
Abstract: This article focuses on the elaboration of institutional research practice, which is an important element of any research university. The study addresses three questions. First, how did institutional research arise, and what is its raison d'etre in a research university? Second, how can institutional research contribute to the improvement of the research university? And third, what are the most viable alternatives regarding the structure, staffing, and responsibilities of the institutional research office? To answer these questions, the article will draw on the historical and current state of institutional research data from different countries derived from an extensive literature review and several case studies conducted while launching and running the institutional research office at a newly established research university, the Higher School of Economics in Moscow, Russia.
34 citations
TL;DR: This work measures the distortion introduced to university-level bibliometric productivity rankings when the number of co-authors or their position in the byline is ignored and recommends against the use of bibliometrics that ignore co-authorship and real contribution of each author to research outputs.
Abstract: Accurate measurement of institutional research productivity should account for the real contribution of the research staff to the output produced in collaboration with other organizations. In the framework of bibliometric measurement, this implies accounting for both the number of co-authors and each individual's real contribution to scientific publications. Common practice in the life sciences is to indicate such contribution through the order of author names in the byline. In this work, we measure the distortion introduced to university-level bibliometric productivity rankings when the number of co-authors or their position in the byline is ignored. The field of observation consists of all Italian universities active in the life sciences (Biology and Medicine). The analysis is based on the research output of the university staff over the period 2004---2008. Based on the results, we recommend against the use of bibliometric indicators that ignore co-authorship and real contribution of each author to research outputs.
33 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a behavioral typology of first-time community college students was used to examine college-level variation in students' patterns of use of 105 community colleges in California.
Abstract: In this study, I draw on Bahr’s (Research in Higher Education 51:724–749, 2010; New Directions for Institutional Research S1:33–48, 2011) behavioral typology of first-time community college students to examine college-level variation in students’ patterns of use of 105 community colleges in California. I find that students’ patterns of use vary greatly across the colleges, and, further, these patterns tend to cluster in such a fashion that colleges may be classified based on dominant or disproportionate patterns of use. Using k-means cluster analysis, I identify five types of community colleges, including Community Education Intensive, Transfer Intensive, Workforce Development Intensive, High-Risk Intensive, and Mixed Use. I describe each of these community college types and then investigate whether the patterns of student use that characterize the identified types appear to be primarily a consequence of institutional policies and practices or, conversely, a product of localized community demand and the associated circumstances and choices of the students who attend a given college. The evidence, though limited, tends to support the latter: variation in patterns of student use across institutions appears to be primarily a product of localized community demand. Finally, I draw on established performance indicators to examine the implications of the identified patterns of student use for observed institutional performance. I find that institutions that differ in terms of dominant or disproportionate patterns of student use also differ significantly and systematically on a number of measures of institutional performance.
33 citations
TL;DR: This article examined perceptions of post-doctoral women bench scientists working across fourteen major US research universities, and how both individual and institutional experiences influenced their desired futures, revealing three distinct career paths (research, teaching, and industry).
Abstract: This study examines perceptions of post-doctoral women bench scientists working across fourteen major US research universities, and how both individual and institutional experiences influenced their desired futures. Findings reveal three distinct career paths (research, teaching, and industry). This study provides insight into individual career decision processes involving as to how gender is experienced in male-centric cultures, how experiences of barriers are reframed, and how obstacles influence choices. These women emphasized strong desires to contribute to their respective fields and to collaborate with others, a key relational aspect missing in their current work. All participants indicated aspirations to have both a career and a full life beyond the lab. Findings further suggest a post-doctoral environment laden with gender and family biases including subtle discrimination and challenges specific to women working in male-centric cultures. A strong relationship between experiences of gender and fami...
33 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors draw attention to the central role institutional research professionals play in positioning higher education institutions in a competitive and globalized environment, and the need for them to have a well-developed set of skills (both generic and specialized) to provide and inform the decision-making process.
Abstract: The upcoming challenge for higher education institutions (HEIs) globally is how to respond to an increasing variety of societal needs but with fewer public resources and increased accountability demands. In this chapter we draw attention to the central role institutional research (IR) professionals play in positioning HEIs in a competitive and globalized environment, and the need for them to have a well-developed set of skills (both generic and specialized) to provide and inform the decision-making process. We conclude by posing some questions to consider for the practice of IR into the future.
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors focus on the overall complexity of public and transnational institutions in given issue areas, moving away from a level of analysis that concentrates on overlaps between only two distinct, and mostly public, institutions.
Abstract: One of the core institutional phenomena and challenges in today’s international relations is a growing degree of fragmentation. Ongoing regulation and legalization processes have led to material and functional overlaps between international institutions. As a consequence, “problems of fragmentation arising from the segmentation of governance systems along sectoral lines” have become unavoidable.Institutional research has sought to catch up with this emerging phenomenon, as it has kept pace with previous tides of institutional developments. After a first wave of research on security and trade regimes, and a second wave attending to the further diversification and growing importance of institutions operating in other issue areas, a “third wave” started to break in the mid-1990s, putting stronger emphasis on the increasing complexity and interlinkages among international institutions. This special issue builds on the insights of these growing strands of institutional research, sharing its major starting assumption with them: a thorough understanding and explanation of core aspects of an institution—its genesis, development, compliance pull, fairness, problem-solving effectiveness, etc.—is not possible without taking into account its wider institutional environment.This common ground and the merits of existing scholarly approaches notwithstanding, there are still major gaps in the literature on institutional interlinkages and complexity. Seeking to fill these gaps, this special issue is• scaling up: Compared to research on institutional interlinkages, this special issue focuses on the overall complexity of public and transnational institutions in given issue areas, moving away from a level of analysis that concentrates on overlaps between only two distinct, and mostly public, institutions.• asking different questions: Many studies addressing this overarching level of institutional complexity suffice with a simple stock-taking paired with abstract conceptual approaches, In particular, they attend to the normative question whether a centralized or a polycentric global governance architecture is preferable. Building on a rise of more analytical approaches it is time to advance this sprawling scholarly debate towards elaborate concepts and theory-driven analyses that tackle more specific questions on the causes and consequences of, and responses to, institutional complexity.• focusing on global environmental governance: Unlike with studies on institutional interlinkages, more encompassing and comparative approaches on environmental cases are largely missing from the research program of institutional fragmentation. With their material complexity and a plethora of institutional arrangements, environmental domains offer prime cases for analyzing and contrasting institutional fragmentation and its implications.In short, the objective of this special issue is to address what we consider the more pertinent questions, both theoretical and empirical, around the phenomenon of institutional fragmentation for several realms of global environmental governance: biological diversity, climate change, forestry, renewable energy, and sustainable resource use in the Arctic. In the following, we first introduce the concept of fragmentation in more detail. We then spell out our rationale by showing how we build on, and differ from, related approaches. Finally, we put forward novel research questions on the causes, consequences and management of fragmentation, and outline how the various contributions provide insights on these questions. (Less)
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss available models that describe organizational maturity and propose a comprehensive maturity model for higher education, and discuss the challenges of higher education around the world in responding to pressures of massification and globalization, increasing forms of accountability and competition, new stakeholder expectations, and rapidly changing technologies.
Abstract: Although institutional research has been a significant feature of U.S. higher education for more than 50 years, it is not so well understood in other parts of the world. As higher education around the world faces increasingly challenging times in responding to pressures of massification and globalization, increasing forms of accountability and competition, new stakeholder expectations, and rapidly changing technologies, IR will inevitably evolve to become a stronger force. The authors discuss available models that describe organizational maturity and propose a comprehensive maturity model for IR.
TL;DR: In this article, the challenges of developing research resources for leading Vietnamese universities were examined and a literature review on the challenges to research resources development, and the research questions and research methods were described.
Abstract: This paper examines the challenges of developing research resources for leading Vietnamese universities. The first part of the paper presents the background to the study, including literature review on the challenges to research resources development, and describes the research questions and research methods. The next part provides empirical findings on types of research resources, availability of resources, and challenges for resources development at leading Vietnamese universities. In the final part, the paper discusses the major findings and provides suggestions for further analysis on Vietnam’s university research sector.
TL;DR: Data is reported before and during a one-day retreat for nurse researchers and administrators from local universities and health care organizations designed to establish a regional nursing research partnership to assess research involvement and institutional research resources.
Abstract: Background. Collaborative nursing research across academic and practice settings is imperative to generate knowledge to improve patient care. Models of academic/practice partnerships for nursing research are lacking. This paper reports data collected before and during a one-day retreat for nurse researchers and administrators from local universities and health care organizations designed to establish a regional nursing research partnership. Methods. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to address the study aims: (1) to assess research involvement and institutional research resources; (2) to assess interest in and concerns regarding cross-institutional collaborations; and (3) to describe perceptions of the purpose of a partnership and resources needed to ensure success. Results. Participants had differing perceptions of accessibility to resources; participants in practice settings reported less accessibility to resources, notably grant development, informatics, and research assistant support. Participants were interested in collaboration although concerns about conflict of interest were expressed. Four themes related to partnering were identified: harnessing our nursing voice and identity; developing as researchers; staying connected; and positioning for a collaborative project. Conclusion. Academic-practice research collaborations will become increasingly important with health care system changes. Strategies to develop and sustain productive partnerships should be supported.
TL;DR: In this paper, the opportunities and drawbacks of institutional research as a particular form of higher education research in Europe and its relationship to institutional-level policymaking are discussed, with an emphasis on institutional research on student matters and student experience and engagement.
Abstract: The article addresses the opportunities and drawbacks of institutional research as a particular form of higher education research in Europe and its relationship to institutional-level policymaking. Through emphasis on institutional research on student matters, and student experience and engagement in particular, we offer suggestions for future directions of institutional research arguing in favour of methodological pluralism and especially ‘interpretivist turn’ by a way of application of critical-reflexive approaches. Further, the article makes a case for student engagement in institutional research to aid relevance, legitimacy and accountability of this type of research.
TL;DR: This paper investigated how students' views toward undocumented immigrants' access to public education change during college and found that significant predictors of senior-year views include various student characteristics and predispositions, political contexts, college experiences, and institutional contexts.
Abstract: This study investigates how students' views toward undocumented immigrants' access to public education change during college. A multilevel analysis among a national sample of 12,388 undergraduates, drawn from the Cooperative Institutional Research Program's (CIRP) Freshman Survey and College Senior Survey, revealed that significant predictors of senior-year views include various student characteristics and predispositions, political contexts, college experiences, and institutional contexts. Given the often-hostile debates over undocumented immigrants' participation in American education, the findings have broad implications for college access, campus climate, and the way institutions of higher education think about their role in shaping students' understanding of this compelling issue.
TL;DR: In this paper, a case study focused on Chinese teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) academics with the purpose of identifying factors that influence their research capacity building was conducted.
Abstract: Research capacity building has become a prominent theme in higher education institutions across the world. To build research capacity, it is necessary to identify areas of challenges academics face within the academia. This case study focuses on Chinese teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) academics with the purpose of identifying factors that influence their research capacity building. Six TEFL academics from a Chinese national university were interviewed and institutional research documents were analysed. Findings showed that obstacles and difficulties in conducting research were more related to departmental factors than individual characteristics. The institution was keen on developing a research culture, and encouraged research and publications. Departmental support for research was improving, but it seems that it was more generic than tailored to individual needs. The findings of this study provide implications for research administrators in further supporting TEFL academics’ research capacity building.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine the issues related to globalization, growth, and competition in higher education and alert campus leaders to the impact they may have on the institution and higher education in general.
Abstract: Globalization, growth, and competition are challenges faced by many postsecondary institutions across the world. Institutional researchers have a prominent role to play in examining the issues related to these challenges and alerting campus leaders to the impact they may have on the institution and higher education in general.
Book•
31 Oct 2013
TL;DR: New Content in Digital Repositories explores the new types of content being stored in institutional repositories with a focus on research data, creative works, and the interesting challenges they pose in areas such as metadata, persistent identifiers, and software and exchange protocols.
Abstract: Universities are under pressure to make their research output more accessible, both from government funding and policy guidelines. Academic libraries have traditionally played an important role by exposing research output through a predominantly institution-based digital repository, with a focus on storing published works. New publishing paradigms are emerging today, with a focus on research data, huge volumes of which are being generated globally. Repositories are the natural home for managing, storing and describing institutional research data. New Content in Digital Repositories explores the new types of content being stored in institutional repositories with a focus on research data, creative works, and the interesting challenges they pose in areas such as metadata, persistent identifiers, and software and exchange protocols.
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Onodera et al. as mentioned in this paper identified the unique health related needs of the Chinese international student (N=91) and identified barriers to utilization of the available health care services on the university campus.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to identify the unique health related needs of the Chinese international student (N=91) and identify barriers to utilization of the available health care services on the university campus. The setting was a university campus in Arkansas which had an overall enrollment of 8864 students on the main campus during the fall of 2011 (Institution Research, 2011) with 351 international students of which 148 declared China or Taiwan as their home country (Onodera, Y., 2011). The study design was a needs assessment utilizing a survey approach. The survey was developed and administered utilizing the Qualtrics survey system. The survey was developed by the author specifically for this project based on a review of literature and working with personnel in the International and Multicultural Student Services. Findings include lack of responsibility for own health care needs, failure to seek medical attention with perceived need and an underlying dependence on International and Multicultural Student Services. The authors would like to thank Yasushi Onodera, Director of International and Multicultural Student Services Arkansas Tech University (ATU) for supporting this project; Earnest Yang, Academic Advisor (ATU) for translation services; Peng "Jack" Feng, undergraduate student in the Department of Nursing (ATU) who served as research assistant for one semester; and ATU Department of Nursing for publication support. Introduction The rise in international students on college campuses will require accurate assessment and intervention to provide appropriate student health care services. The number of international students on college campuses in the United States (U.S.) continues to rise (Institute of International Education, 2010; Lewin, 2010). International students "... enrich the campus community and expand our intellectual, ethnic, and cultural experiences" (Carr, Koymama, & Thiagarajan, 2003, p. 131). According to the Institute of International Education, the number of international students in the U.S. rose 3% to 690,923 during the 2009/2010 academic year. "This year's growth was primarily driven by a 23% increase in Chinese student enrollment in the United States to a total of nearly 160,000 students, or more than 18% of the total international student population, making China the leading sending country" (Institute of International Education, 2010, p. 1; Mellman, 2011). The Chinese international student represents a rise in the middle class in China. These students are able to pay full tuition (Bartlett & Fischer, 2012) to universities that have taken a hit in other areas during hard economic times. The increase in international students on college campuses is an important consideration for university administrators, student health service providers, as well as primary care providers in the community. Background Working with personnel in the office of International & Multicultural Student Services (IMSS) at Arkansas Tech University, China was identified as the largest group of international students on campus. Institutional Research for Arkansas Tech University groups Asian with Pacific Islander for student demographic purposes. The number of Asian/ Pacific Islander students rose from 65 enrolled in the fall of 2006 to 137 enrolled in the fall of 2011 (Institution Research, 2011). The director of IMSS provided the fall enrollment for Chinese students as 134 and Taiwan 14 (Onodera, 2011). The health care concerns identified by IMSS personnel included; a lack of education on how to care for self, overuse of the emergency department, and lack of education about how their body works including reproductive health. Working with the director of IMSS allowed a firsthand glimpse into the life of the international student on campus. Participation in the mandatory orientation program for all new international students allowed an opportunity to see what type of information the student is receiving about health and wellness and the services that are available to them on campus and in the community. …
TL;DR: This paper suggests starting with the function of continuing education, regardless of how and by whom it is carried out, and identifying some key values that might guide the practice of continuingeducation, arguing that in some cases, these values must be in tension with the impulses of the broader institution.
Abstract: A distinct lack of clarity regarding the identity of university-based continuing education seems commonplace. Continuing educators have tended to focus on the institutional structure of continuing education, linking its identity to its degree of centralization, size of budget, and whether it houses its own faculty members. This paper suggests starting with the function of continuing education, regardless of how and by whom it is carried out. It then proceeds to identify some key values that might guide the practice of continuing education, arguing that in some cases, these values must be in tension with the impulses of the broader institution. Universities today, by necessity, are large bureaucratic institutions with little flexibility. This situation provides continuing education with the opportunity to address the gaps or tensions in the system by offering programs that are more responsive to participants' needs and that allow for a deeper exploration of the values of specific interest groups. UCE programs can also provide alternative entry points to those who want to further their education but have little access to mainstream university programs. Finally, continuing educators can help communities of interest connect with relevant university departments and thereby contribute to the university's mission.
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on an initiative, funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York, to provide five universities in three African countries with essential modern web-based research performance measurement tools.
Abstract: This paper reports on an initiative, funded by Carnegie Corporation of New York, to provide five universities in three African countries with essential modern web- based research performance measurement tools. The strategic objectives of the project are to develop and strengthen institutional research performance; strengthen and improve research management processes; allow the participating universities to identify research strengths and weaknesses in specific faculties, schools and disciplines and to determine research priorities; assist participating universities in identifying regional and international research collaborators, identifying areas of research investment and funding, strategic planning, benchmarking, and assessing researchers for tenure and recruitment. The vendors of InCites and SciVal were invited to a one day meeting and were required to address some broad functional areas of research performance measurement. The vendors also provided trial access to the tools to enable the universities to undertake individual evaluations in their institutions. The project so far has shown new dynamics among different stakeholders in some of the participating universities. The process of assessing the research performance measurement tool brought together academics, staff of the research office and librarians. At this early stage, it is evident that the project represents a high level opportunity for librarians to add value and reinforce their role in the university's research life cycle, acquire new skills and forge collaborative relationships with academics, postgraduates, researchers and institutional research support entities.
TL;DR: This paper introduces a context‐specific multi‐dimensional model that provides critical insights into challenges and complexities that the Saudi health leadership must attend to and defines a set of four essential benchmarking dimensions for guiding future policy reforms.
Abstract: – In recent years, effective leadership initiatives have been emphasized in the healthcare industry all over the world. This paper aims to examine contemporary healthcare development in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and prescribe four essential policy dimensions to its leadership, depicting the imperative needs for direction, integration, revision, and evidence – the “DIRE needs” approach., – The paper reviews literature on the contemporary KSA health system and provides guidelines for policy reforms vis‐a‐vis the emerging challenges., – First, the paper offers a conceptual model to examine the ongoing and future health policy development of the KSA. It identifies four key policy dimensions – direction, integration, revision, and evidence and links these to the scope of broader health sector reforms. Second, it characterizes these dimensions as key initiatives for health resource capacity and infrastructural development, essentially the primary health care, which need to be taken up by KSA mainstream health services leadership. Third, it underlines the importance of integrating institutional research and information systems for evidence‐based policy‐making and practicable implementation. Fourth, it offers a social science research perspective to the need for multi‐dimensional health policy reforms in the KSA., – This paper opens up KSA health leadership initiatives that may be viewed as the DIRE needs, to be mainstreamed in the domains of policy and strategic planning, research and development, and healthcare management practices., – Social research in KSA health policy and planning is rare. This paper introduces a context‐specific multi‐dimensional model that provides critical insights into challenges and complexities that the Saudi health leadership must attend to. It defines a set of four essential benchmarking dimensions for guiding future policy reforms.
01 Sep 2013
TL;DR: The results suggest that the BIRCWH program has been successful in bridging advanced training with establishing independent research careers for scholars.
Abstract: Background: The Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) program is a mentored institutional research career development program developed to support and foster the interdisciplinary research careers of men and women junior faculty in women's health and sex/gender factors. The number of scholars who apply for and receive National Institutes of Health (NIH) research or career development grants is one proximate indicator of whether the BIRCWH program is being successful in achieving its goals. Primary Study Objective: To present descriptive data on one metric of scholar performance—NIH grant application and funding rates. Methods/Design: Grant applications were counted if the start date was 12 months or more after the scholar's BIRCWH start date. Two types of measures were used for the outcome of interest—person-based funding rates and application-based success rates. Main Outcome Measures: Grant application, person funding, and application success rates. Results: Four hundred...
01 Jan 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (DPhD) at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
Abstract: of a Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate School of The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
01 Aug 2013
TL;DR: The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has been involved in seven benchmarking projects in the period from 2009 to 2012 as mentioned in this paper, where the authors provided a brief overview of each benchmarking exercise.
Abstract: Benchmarking has traditionally been viewed as a way to compare data only; however, its utilisation as a more investigative, research-informed process to add rigor to decision-making processes at the institutional level is gaining momentum in the higher education sector. Indeed, with recent changes in the Australian quality environment from the Australian Quality Assurance Agency (AQUA) to the Tertiary Education, Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), benchmarking has become a pragmatic tool in comparing themes and discipline standards across the sector. The paucity in benchmarking literature and institutional research is a key driver for universities to build capacity to use benchmarking both as a practical tool and as a research process to inform institutional decision-making. The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has been involved in seven benchmarking projects in the period from 2009 to 2012. This article will provide a brief overview of each benchmarking exercise and the lessons learnt along the way. It also outlines how the university has built capacity to inform strategic decision-making by using different types of benchmarking.
Dissertation•
28 Jun 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors focus on the impact of both fiscal pressures and stress and the influence of internal and external stakeholders on how the public research university is adapting institutionally from a governance perspective, and individually from a role perspective.
Abstract: This dissertation focuses on the study of faculty roles and governance in public research universities It considers the impact of both fiscal pressures and stress and the influence of internal and external stakeholders on how the public research university is adapting institutionally—from a governance perspective, and individually—from a role perspective It considers the structures, processes, and role demands that impact academic governance utilizing organizational theory, higher education governance theory, and role theory It considers the critical importance of the organizational context of the public research university vis-a-vis society focusing on key aspects of the university as an organization and the importance of dimensionality of role
Two sets of data were utilized in this study: the Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System (IPEDS) of the National Center for Education Statistics for the period between 1987 and 2007; and the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) triennial Faculty Survey at UCLA’s Cooperative Institutional Research Program for the period between 1989 and 2004 Six hypotheses were developed to identify trends regarding faculty hiring (tenure system, non-tenure system, and part-time), faculty roles, stress and satisfaction
While these data provided overall support for the changing nature of faculty in the public research university, specifically the growth of non-tenure system faculty, future research would focus on how faculty are spending their time in the governance process This could include: the administrative roles of faculty; how the roles of tenure-system and non-tenure system faculty have continued to diverge or converge; as well as exploring how to balance institutional mission foci to build on complementarities and reduce conflicts From an organizational perspective, future research would consider a more granular exploration of the interplay between the role of the institution in society and the role of the individual within the public research university
TL;DR: The institutional research community plays a critical role in assuring that these efforts capture the diverse manifestations of the postsecondary and tertiary education systems and promote responsible comparisons as mentioned in this paper, which is a challenge in higher education data standards.
Abstract: Efforts to develop common higher education data standards are expanding both within and across countries. The institutional research (IR) community plays a critical role in assuring that these efforts capture the diverse manifestations of the postsecondary and tertiary education systems and promote responsible comparisons.
01 Mar 2013
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore the relationship between institutional research strategies and scholarly communications, and see how each may have affected the other and how they might do so in the future.
Abstract: University research strategies make statements about research ambitions, but rarely speak directly about scholarly communications. At the same time, communication of all sorts has become central to a university, whether to support recruitment, present a public profile, or to respond to events. This chapter seeks to explore the relationship between institutional research strategies and scholarly communications, and to see how each may have affected the other and how they might do so in the future. It describes the purpose and structure of an institutional research strategy, and how these are changing. It highlights the linkages between strategy, implementation plans, and policies, where the latter encourage desired behaviours. In the context of scholarly communications, the research strategy is the public document in which an institution states its commitment to such forms of communication: that discovering new knowledge and sharing that discovery in meaningful ways are at the heart of the institution. The discussion then moves to the changing nature of scholarly communications, including the Open agenda, and questions how scholarly communications fits into the wider spectrum of institutional communications. The chapter concludes that there has probably been little direct connection between research strategies and approaches to scholarly communications, but that this is changing. Both institutions and individual researchers wish to demonstrate the quality, relevance and accessibility of their research, in order to be attractive to collaborators, funders, and employers. Successful institutions will ensure that strategy and scholarly communications activities are mutually supportive, to the benefit of their researchers and the organisation.