Correlates of Quality in Selected Programs in Regional Institutions.

The study sought to exp and the number of potential correlates and quantitative indicators of quality included in a single study, to examine quality at regional institutions rather than using the more traditional approach of ranking elite institutions, and to improve the methodological approach to the study of quality by including a measure of program quality as the dependent measure. The dependent measure, program quality was derived from program reviews written by experts following onsite visits to the programs and review of pertinent documents. Three sets of data were collected for the study. Departmental level data were collected for 81 programs in three states. The initial variable set of 170 measures on faculty, students, program, support and facilities was reduced to 36 variables due to unavailability data. Six cluster variables formerly used by Conrad and Blackburn (1985) were analyzed in relation to the dependent measure; they were Scholastic Productivity, Curricular Content, Local Library, Scope, and Youth. Scholastic Productivity and Curricular Content had moderate correlations with program quality. These results indicate productivity is a vital aspect of quality, but is not as strong a determinant of quality as found in earlier studies. Data were collected from a subsample of the study through the distribution of two questionnaires. The student experience data were collected for 272 respondents in ten programs. The items on the questionnaire (adapted from Pace, 1979) were collapsed into four scales: Academic, Social, Activities, and Total Experience. The only scale to correlate with the dependent variable was academic. The correlation was moderate and negative. The leadership data were collected for 90 respondents in eight programs. The leadership items (adapted from Rasmussen, 1978) were collapsed into four scales: Administrative, Academic, Personal Qualities, and Interpersonal. The Academic and Administrative scales correlated significantly with program quality. The limitations of the study are outlined and directions for future research are suggested.PhDEducational administrationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/160901/1/8600584.pd