Investing in the Future: Lessons on Advancing Institutional Effectiveness from Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Author: Morelon, Carla
Date: 2016-08-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Black Colleges,Organizational Effectiveness,Institutional Evaluation,Educational Practices,Partnerships in Education,Institutional Cooperation,College Admission,Correlation,Enrollment Trends,Outcomes of Education,College Curriculum,Administrator Attitudes,School Surveys,Institutional Advancement,Information Technology,Technology Integration,Information Systems,College Faculty,Capacity Building,Deans,Department Heads,Educational Finance,College Administration,Enrollment Management,Academic Achievement,College Students,School Holding Power

The Southern Education Foundation (SEF) engaged a group of 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in a study of institutional effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to: (1) identify the issues related to capacity and institutional practice that contribute to overall campus effectiveness; and (2) to understand what, and how, an initiative could support institutional effectiveness for the group of HBCUs receiving direct support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The research project addressed the following questions: (1) What is the data capacity of the institutions; (2) What opportunities exist for cooperative arrangements/agreements with partnering HBCUs or non-HBCUs; (3) What is the relationship between admissions/enrollment and overall institutional effectiveness; and (4) How do curricula offerings and strategies impact campus effectiveness and student outcomes? To answer the research questions, the SEF team engaged in a mixed methods research study of the 13 participating HBCUs. The first phase of the research process involved securing an agreement to participate in the study, identifying a key contact person, and obtaining approval from the institutional review board (IRB) at each campus. Next, the SEF research team designed and distributed an online survey instrument that asked both multiple-choice and open-ended questions about the areas critical to institutional effectiveness such as institutional data capacity and use. The survey was distributed to key institutional leaders that included senior level practitioners (assistant director level and above), faculty and administrative faculty (deans and department chairs) who address curricular issues, admissions/enrollment management, institutional research/effectiveness/assessment, collaborative arrangements, and business and finance. The second phase of the study involved convening HBCU leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, to discuss the issues most critical to advancing institutional effectiveness at their campus. Twenty campus leaders from 11 of the participating HBCUs attended the convening. The major findings from the analysis regarding curricular matters,the use of technology in admissions and enrollment, and collaborative agreements are provided in this report. The findings from the survey and focus group responses were used to detail two possible initiatives that could help advance institutional effectiveness at the HBCUs: (1) Support to Increase Faculty Capacity at HBCUs; and (2) Support the use of institutional data to advance institutional effectiveness.