By almost any measure, higher education is a vital part of the U.S. economy and society. Yet there is concern that the sector is inefficient or ill equipped to adapt to a changing environment. The information revolution, an aging population, demographic shifts, and a declining fiscal base all present it with major challenges. In Pursuit of Prestige describes the results of a two-year study of higher education in the United States designed to shed light on these issues. This volume examines higher education as an industry. It focuses on how institutions serve four identifiable markets that generate revenues (student enrollment, research funding, public fiscal support, and private giving). They analyze higher educational institutions' investment, pricing, and marketing behaviors, and the nature of competition among schools. They review the industry's basic conditions and market structure, then define the three key dimensions--degree level, scope, and resource allocation--by which institutions map out strategies for competing for markets. The heart of the book is an analysis showing how these strategies are carried out based on site-visit data from 26 highly diverse colleges and universities. This broad sampling covers all geographic regions of the country and every type of institution from elite research universities to community colleges. The authors then consider what strategies are possible in particular markets and how they affect students and competing institutions. Their conclusion draws out the implications of strategy and competition for the various customers of the U.S. higher education industry. Groundbreaking and genuinely exploratory in methodology.

In Pursuit of Prestige: Strategy and Competition in U.S. Higher Education

Business & Money

Gates, Susan M.

Goldman, Charles A.

Brewer, Dominic J.

Economics

Transaction Pub

A detailed review of the quality assurance and productivity oversight processes being applied today by agencies given the task of assessing and evaluating education and professional development activities, this book identifies what is working well, and what could be improved. Using the results of a Rand research study conducted, the authors present four successful approaches, key factors to consider and critical lessons learned about the assessment process. Using documentation of organizations engaged in assessment, interviews with experts, conferences, and site visits, the authors also examine the main task of assessment to focus on quality and productivity of specific providers and explore the overall purpose of such studies to provide a higher-level assessment of the system as a whole. They analyze these two main purposes of assessment as they impact stakeholder and system-level needs as well as provide opportunities for program-wide improvements. This book also discusses the emerging trend of corporate learning organizations, and demonstrates how such organizations are now indispensable tools in promoting communications among stakeholders and developing strong links between professional development programs and the system's basic mission. The authors analyze key similitaries and differences among the approaches studied and present four basic models of assessment and evaluation. Each model's strengths and specific applicable characteristics are classified with six crucial factors most important to consider when deciding what model might serve your system best. Three key steps in the process of assessment, regardless of the model selected or the system assessed, are detailed with the several lessons learned in the field concerning their successful application. Finally, for providers in professional development courses meeting the challenge of a lack of preexisting evaluation tools, guidelines for developing measures of learning outcomes are presented with their specific needs in mind.

Ensuring Quality and Productivity in Higher Education: An Analysis of Assessment Practices, ASHE-ERIC/Higher Education Report Volume 29, No. 1, 2002

Education & Teaching

Higher & Continuing Education

Jossey-Bass

Examines the factors influencing the cost-effectiveness of civilianization--in particular, the way in which workforce substitution occurs, and the effects of substitution on the overall workforce.

Comparing the Costs of DOD Military and Civil Service Personnel (1998)

History

Americas

Rand Publishing

Presents findings and policy recommendations on interships in support of DODOs goal of determining effective ways to recruit the civilian workforce it needs to replace the large number of retiring workers and to respond to the workforce changes likely to accompany the impending U.S. military transformation.

Intern Programs as a Human Resources Management Tool for the Department of Defense

Engineering & Transportation

Engineering

RAND Corporation

Describes and analyzes the results of a 2004 survey on the child care needs and choices of military families. It defines outcomes of potential interest to DoD (reported child-care usage, unmet child-care need, and unmet child-care preference), details the distribution of these outcomes among military families, and analyzes the relationships between these outcomes and military readiness and retention.

Examining child Care need Among Military Families (Technical Report (RAND))

Zellman, Gail L.

Moini, Joy S.

Suttorp, Marika

Business Culture

What are the differential effects of regulation and policy on small businesses? What is the impact of special regulatory treatment for small businesses? This book sheds light on these issues through analysis of the regulatory and public policy environment with regard to small businesses, including focused studies in four key areas: health insurance, workplace safety, corporate governance, and business organization.

In the Name of Entrepreneurship? The Logic and Effects of Special Regulatory Treatment for Small Business

Leuschner, Kristin J.

Defense acquisition is one of the most urgent issues that the Department of Defense faces today. In an effort to provide the department and the nation with guidance on defense acquisition challenges, the authors present detailed proposals to improve defense acquisition through initiatives focused on competition, novel systems, risk management, organizational factors, prototyping, and the acquisition workforce.

From Marginal Adjustments to Meaningful Change: Rethinking Weapon System Acquisition (Rand Corporation Monograph)

Birkler, John

Arena, Mark V.

Drezner, Jeffrey A.

Blickstein, Irv

RAND has been providing ongoing analysis of the defense acquisition workforce; this volume documents the methods and data and provides a user’s manual for a model for projecting the future workforce supply.

Analyses of the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce: Update to Methods and Results through FY 2011

Computers & Technology

Daugherty, Lindsay

Roth, Elizabeth

Srinivasan, Sinduja

Computer Science

RAND Corporation analysts developed an approach for estimating the district resources required to put in place and operate principal pipelines—pipelines for preparing, hiring, supporting, and managing school leaders—based on data they collected from six urban districts that participated in The Wallace Foundation’s Principal Pipeline Initiative. This report presents that approach and estimates of those resources and expenditures.

What It Takes to Operate and Maintain Principal Pipelines: Costs and Other Resources

Barrett, Mark

Wang, Yan

Kaufman, Julia H.

Harvey, Melody

Business

The Wallace Foundation’s University Principal Preparation Initiative (UPPI) is a four-year effort to support the redesign of seven universities’ principal preparation programs—with engagement of state and district partners—according to evidence-based principles and practices. This report provides insight into the first year of UPPI implementation.

Launching a Redesign of University Principal Preparation Programs: Partners Collaborate for Change

Herman, Rebecca

Wang, Elaine Lin

Mean, Monica

Perera, Rachel

Tsai, Tiffany

Whipkey, Katie

Andrew, Megan

Schools & Teaching

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