Evaluating and Responding to College Guidebooks and Rankings: New Directions for Institutional ResearchThe proliferation of college guidebooks and reputational rankings has become of increasing concern to many in the higher education community. Public relations and admissions staff view such publications from a marketing perspective and the potential positive or negative consequences for enrollment. College presidents share these concerns along with the broader implications for the overall stature of their institutions. The validity and integrity of the information reported is of particular interest to those who work in the area of institutional research. Acknowledging the fact that the public, the consumers, has a great need for information about different institutions in order to make informed college choices for themselves or their children, all of these groups in higher education share alarm about the burden imposed on institutions in responding to the ever-increasing number of publishers requesting information for these guidebooks and rankings. This volume explores some of the major facets of and issues surrounding college guidebooks and ratings. The background and development of these publications are traced, followed by discussion of major issues and perspectives—consumer use of the publications, validity of ratings, and the institutional burden of supplying the needed information. View from both the institutions and the publishers are presented. This is the 88th issue of the quarterly journal New Directions for Institutional Research. For more information on the series, please see the Journals and Periodicals page. |
Contents
EDITORS NOTES | 1 |
Validity Issues for Reputational Studies | 45 |
Survey Response | 61 |
Copyright | |
3 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
1995 Jossey-Bass Publishers academic administrators America's Best Colleges Association for Institutional Barron's best buys Bruce Hunter campus changes chapter College Admissions college guide colleges and universities comparative construct validity consumer cost counselors data base definitions developed DIRECTIONS FOR INSTITUTIONAL editors educational quality effort enrollment decisions evaluate faculty financial aid Fiske Guide gift aid graduation rates Guide to Colleges guidebook publishers guidebooks and ratings HBCUs high school higher education higher education community Hossler impact of guidebooks important Institutional Research issues lege liberal arts colleges Machung major Marsha K measures methodology Money Guide Money Magazine Money's percent Percentage professional programs prospective students questions rate and rank readers reputational rankings reputational studies requests Scholastic Aptitude Test scores selectivity standard survey response students and parents subfactors Terenzini tion tuition undergraduate education variables Webster weights Winter 1995 Jossey-Bass Wintergreen/Orchard House World Report