Institutions of higher education in the United States are hitting a crisis manifested most noticeably in financial terms: shrinking budgets, decreased investment in faculty, soaring tuition rates, and reduced financial aid for students with the greatest need. But while educational spending has increased, there has been no appreciable change or improvement in student achievement. Yesterday’s inherent faith and trust in higher education’s purpose and value has morphed into today’s skepticism and demands for accountability and assessment. This book describes what universities can do to recapture the public trust and ensure long-term financial viability by reducing costs while increasing quality and productivity. The book explores concrete strategies for assuring quality and productivity in the areas of: organizational change, assessment, faculty development, technology, curricular change, and classroom activity. A collaborative effort by scholars and practitioners who have taken the lead in improving educational productivity at their universities, this volume introduces an array of practical approaches easily accessible by faculty and administrators alike, without requiring a background in economics or finance. This book makes it clear that all segments of the academic community have important roles to play in ensuring the survival of higher education.

Table of Contents:
About the Authors. Foreword. Introduction. Part I: Organizational Strategies. 1. Institutional Transformation in a Climate of Reduced Resources (Alan E. Guskin, Mary B. Marcy). 2. Random Acts of Progress Versus Planned Productivity Via Strategic Planning (Lori S. Franz, Daniel R. Morrison). 3. The Holon Frame Work: Process Improvement and Control for Higher Education (Gary A. Bell, Maggie A. Cooper, Jon P. Warwick, Michael S. Kennedy). 4. Incentive-Based Budgeting: Lessons From Public Higher Education (Rex Fuller, D. Patrick Morton, Ann Korschgen). 5. The Integration of Faculty responsibilities and Institutional Needs (Gary S. Krahenbuhl). Chapter 6. Crisis as Opportunity: An Entrepreneurial Approach to Higher Education Productivity (Richad A. Cherwitz, Thomas J. Darwin). Part II: Assessment Strategies. 7. Benchmarking Departmental Activity Via a Consortial Approach: The Delaware Study (Michael F. Middaugh, Heather K. Isaacs). 8. Potluck or Planning? Program Quality Requires Intentional Focus (Cathy L. Livingston, Kathleen C. Rentsch). 9. Measuring Productivity and Quality in Graduate Education (Suzanne T. Ortega). 10. Integrated and Systemic Assessment as Learning: The Alverno College Approach to Productivity (Zohreh Ememi, William H. Richards, Tim Riordan). Part III: Faculty Development Strategies. 11. Preparing Future Faculty to Improve Productivity (Jerry G. Gaff, Anne S. Pruitt-Logan). 12. Developing Faculty Productivity: Learning to Teach Large Classes Well (Lee F. Seidel, Victor A. Benassi). 13. Using Soft-System Management Methodology to Develop an Online Part-Time Staff Development Resource (Uma Patel, Peter Mangan). 14. The Reflective Practice Project: Faculty Productivity Beyond the Numbers (Laurel J. Black, Mary Ann Cessna, John Woolcock). 15. Meeting Institutional Goals Through Technology (Michael L. Rodgers, David A. Starrett). Part IV: Technology Strategies. 16. Aligning Technology With Institutional Mission Through Integrated Planning (Ellen L. Nuffer). 17. Mobile Computing at Seton Hall University: Using Technology to Increase Learning Effectiveness (Stephen G. Landry, Heather Stewart). 18. Increasing Instructional Capacity Through Virtual Learning and Cross-Institutional Collaboration (Sally Kuhlenschmidt, Myk Garn, Sandy Cook, Stan Cooke). 19. What Are the Relevant Costs of Online Education? (Michael W. Maher, Barbara Sommer, Curt Acredolo, Harry R. Matthews). Part V: Curricular Strategies. 20. High Attrition in Doctoral Education: Is It Inevitable? (Orlando L. Taylor, Terroly P. Carter). 21. Building Bridges for Student Engagement: The Key to Enhancing Learning Productivity (Charles Schroeder). 22. The Cognitive Approach as a Basis for Enhanced Curricula (Georges N. Nahas). 23. Restructuring a Capstone Course to Enhance Learning Productivity (Gloria Edwards). 24. Accreditation of Prior Learning in a Nurse Education Program (Ian Scott). 25. Enhancing Engineering Education Productivity Through Interdisciplinary Team Teaching (Frances S. Johnson). Part VI: Classroom Strategies. 26. Classroom Productivity: A Six-Step Model for Working With Faculty (Barbara E. Walvoord). 27. Student-Assisted Teaching: Harnessing the Power of Peers for Improved Learning and Increased Productivity (Judith E. Miller, James E. Groccia, Marilyn S. Miller). 28. Improving College Teaching Productivity Via Mastery Learning (J. Ronald Gentile). 29. The Studio Model: Responding to the Challenges of Large Enrollment Quantitative Science Instruction (Karen Cummings). 30. The Group Research Project: Using Student Experience to Enhance Learning and Retention (Janis L. Massa). 31. The Archaeological Research Portfolio: A Solution to the Content Versus Abilities Dilemma (Susan Dobyns, Kathleen Swart). Conclusion. Index.