Department chairpersons from English and biology departments at four year institutions were surveyed and analyzed. The results of this survey were compared to those obtained by McGuire in a survey of history department chairpersons. / There are a number of characteristics of the chairperson and their perceptions which do not show an association with discipline. These include the age of the chairperson and sex, the length of term of office, the administrative training which the chairperson received before coming into office, their perception of power of the central administration and faculty influence and departmental autonomy. / There were several characteristics and perceptions which did show an association with discipline. These included method of selection, coming to the position from outside of the department, specified term, previous administrative experience, perception of responsibilities, competition for budget, perception of departmental strength and stature, perception of enrollment, and perception of staffing trends. In addition, these associations were as one would have predicted from the Biglan model with English and history associated more closely than either is with biology department chairpersons. / In addition, discriminant function analysis was used to separate the responses of the department chairpersons by discipline, type of institution (public or private), department size and highest degree awarded by the department. Each of these groups could be significantly separated individually by functions generated from the variables dealing with each of the research questions or from the post hoc variables generated by the univariate analyses. Further, groups comprised of discipline in combination with any other structural variable (size, type of institution, or highest degree) could be separated by functions generated from the variables dealing with influence or with teaching. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-09, Section: A, page: 2582. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

In the 1970s, a new type of educational institution was created in Costa Rica in response to community demand for increased access to higher education. Loosely modeled on the American community college, the parauniversity was to serve community needs, provide technical education, and offer courses that would transfer to the universities. In 1980, a law was passed authorizing these institutions as part of the Costa Rican higher education system and funding them through the national budget. / The promise of the parauniversity, however, did not materialize. These schools neither articulated successfully with the universities nor offered programs that satisfy community demand. Their mission is poorly understood by the community, business and industry, the universities, and even educational leaders in the parauniversities themselves. / The purpose of this study was to survey the perceptions of leaders influential in the education community concerning the mission and intent of the parauniversity at its inception and at the present, and to offer recommendations for its future. These data were gathered by a questionnaire and interviews. A second source of data was publications and historical documents. The findings confirmed the lack of agreement on the institution's mission and its place in the university system. / Based on the data gathered, recommendations for change were offered in five areas: the law and decree, status of the parauniversities in the higher education system, funding, programs, and articulation policies. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-03, Section: A, page: 0737. / Major Professor: Louis Bender. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1992.

This study examines the process an institution of higher education goes through in developing a strategic marketing plan. Although the literature is bulging with recommendations for the implementation of marketing in the management of higher education institutions, the information available on how to implement is sparse. While much has been written on tactics that an institution can employ, little attention has been given to the issue of how an educational institution becomes marketing-oriented in practice. Therefore, how an individual institution goes about assessing its strengths weaknesses and opportunities, and uses this information in the design of an institutional marketing plan is the focus of this study. / Conceptually, the research assumes that the managerial implications and ramifications of institutional change, and their relationships within the political framework, are the crux of understanding the process of implementing strategic thinking and marketing in a university. This political framework, coupled with a holistic approach, permits this study to address what is done and the problems and situations incurred during the process of doing. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-07, Section: A, page: 1666. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

The problem addressed by this evaluation study concerned the strengths and weaknesses of a process for evaluating university faculty performance for the purpose of dispersing discretionary/merit pay increases. The purpose of this evaluation was to systematically collect, analyze, and interpret process data in order to make informed decisions concerning the improvement of a Peer Review Process. / Four evaluation objectives were outlined through a participatory approach by members of the department of Educational Research Development and Foundations (ERDF) at the Florida State University for evaluating their Peer Review Process. (1) To define by consensus the purposes served by the ERDF Peer Review Process. (2) To review and validate defined criteria and standards for evaluation of faculty in the areas of teaching, research, and service. (3) To identify additional concerns of the faculty about the Peer Review Process. (4) To investigate problems of reliability. / Qualitative and quantitative methods used included combined interviews, surveys, and statistical analyses. The results of these analyses produced four central issues which were addressed as policy issues in a final Peer Review Committee (PRC) meeting. / The "policy meeting" produced a recommendation for only one procedural change. Participatory evaluation findings indicated that the process would be improved by the use of an unweighted technique for calculating performance ratings as opposed to the weighted rating technique. The procedures associated with the remaining three Policy Issues remained unchanged. / There are relatively few studies in the literature which adequately describe what actually occurs in a peer review system, e.g., criteria and procedures employed, participants, etc. This study not only provides a comprehensive description of a peer review system, but the demonstration of the participatory approach may also serve as a model for the evaluation of such systems. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-02, Section: A, page: 0316. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

An exploratory study of a merit pay allocation system within a single college of a university was undertaken to relate the elements of the system--annual faculty salary increases, faculty workload and productivity data, and departmental statements of merit criteria--and to evaluate the objectivity and consistency of the system. / Annual percentage merit and discretionary increases were chosen as the dependent variables for the analysis. Demographic data, faculty workload and productivity data, and salary increase data were collected for 113 ranked faculty members who were on contract with the university from 1981-1986, the five-year period of the analysis. Linear regression was used to describe the relative correlational effects between the merit and discretionary salary increases and the faculty workload and productivity variables. / The major conclusions of this study were summarized as follows: (1) the merit and discretionary regression models did relate merit and discretionary increases to faculty productivity; (2) the discretionary model was more consistent than the merit model while rewarding administrative service and years of experience regularly; (3) there was no evidence to suggest that illegal reward criteria (race and gender) were being used to discriminate against certain groups in awarding either merit or discretionary increases; and (4) the analyses of departmental differences did not add new information to the findings nor strengthen predictions about awarding merit and discretionary increases. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-12, Section: A, page: 4299. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The use of new and more flexible rating procedures along with increased faculty demands to take part in the evaluation process has begun to focus more attention on methods employed to obtain student ratings of faculty. This study addresses these issues by examining the effects of faculty choices pertaining to items, classes and administrative procedures, within the context of an ongoing university-wide project. Scales were developed to assess the effects of faculty choices in the following areas: student opinion about faculty performance and student opinion about the rating process, faculty opinion about specific characteristics of the rating process, and faculty opinion about the usefulness of the rating project. / The results of a 2 x 2 x 2 MANOVA with six depedent variables indicated that average student opinions about faculty performance were not related to faculty choices. Although teachers did prefer to choose classes, they did not expect the results of the student ratings to be more useful when class choice was permitted. No faculty preference was shown for choices related to items or administrative procedures. The results did not support the assertion that faculty members will use evaluative situations characterized by increased choice to improve educational programs. / These findings suggest two possible scenarios. The first one posits a faculty that does not and will not care about faculty choices associated with student ratings. The second situation is characterized by a faculty that is confused, disgusted, intimidated or bored by the complex issues surrounding the topic of student ratings, and is therefore, unable to make or use choices effectively. / If the first scenario is true, it would be prudent to abandon attempts to provide the faculty with choices related to student ratings. However, if the second scenario is closer to the truth, the faculty is in need of institutional support designed to clarify the procedures and goals associated with the application of summative and formative approaches to student ratings. The implementation of an educational program designed to address these needs should enlighten the faculty, encourage more effective use of student ratings, and support institutional goals. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-01, Section: A, page: 0100. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1985.

The purpose of this ex post facto study was to determine the extent of use by governmental entities of research funded by Florida's Service Through the Application of Research (STAR) Program and to identify factors which contributed to utilization of the research. The following years were used for this study: 1979-80, 1980-81, and 1981-82. The conceptual framework for this study was that of accountability. / The dependent variable in this study was utilization of STAR research. Statistical analyses used to determine significance at the 0.05 level indicated a positive relationship between utilization and the following independent variables: (a) agency commitment to resolving the problem identified, (b) the quality of communication between the agency and the researcher(s), (c) agency perception of three identified research models as they apply to the STAR program, (d) establishment of an agency-researcher network which continued after formal completion of the STAR project, and (e) involvement of the agency liaison in utilization of the STAR research. / Eighty-seven percent of the governmental respondents reported using STAR funded research as a result of projects conducted during this three year period. Three issues consistently emerged in responses to questions asked regarding the use of research under this program. First, the initial understanding by the agency and the researcher(s) regarding the nature of the problem identified was vital. Second, a strong commitment on the part of both the governmental entity and the SUS researcher to resolution of the problem was necessary. Finally, the practicality or applicability of the research findings was deemed of paramount importance to the subsequent utilization of that research. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-06, Section: A, page: 2045. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

The purpose of this study was to examine the retirement adjustment of faculty members retired from the nine state universities in Florida between 1975 and 1980. Specifically, the five objectives for this study pertained to respondents' conditions prior to their retirement, the extent that they engaged in pre-retirement planning, the conditions which they expected to experience in retirement, the actual conditions experienced in retirement, and the number of years retired. Each condition was examined relative to the availability and utilization of university facilities and services to retired faculty, their participation in professional and non-professional activities, and their annual income. / Of these nine universities, faculty retired from the four oldest institutions were chosen as the sample for the study. A total of 230 faculty retired from the Florida State University, Florida A and M University, the University of Florida, and the University of South Florida were selected to receive a 45-item mail survey. There was a 60 percent return rate. / The results indicated that a moderate to high correlation exists between respondents expected conditions for retirement and their pre-retirement conditions, extent of pre-retirement planning and actual conditions experienced during retirement. When the actual conditions experienced during retirement were correlated with the number of years retired, very low correlations were found. Also, no relationship was found to exist between the four variables correlated with adjustment to retirement (actual and expected conditions, pre-retirement planning, and number of years retired.) / An examination of the effects that fulfillment of the five conditions (availability and utilization of university facilities and services, participation in professional and non-professional activities, and annual income) had on adjustment to retirement indicated that these conditions combined did not have a significant effect. The fulfillment of these conditions explained only about 14 percent of the variability in the adjustment to retirement. Only participation in professional activities had any statistical effect, though low, on faculty adjustment to retirement. / Since data revealed that the five conditions for retirement had no significant effect on adjustment to retirement, faculty adjustment to retirement may be more a product of their occupational status than the fulfillment of their expectations for retirement. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-12, Section: A, page: 3058. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1987.

By any method used to measure the length of time required to earn the doctorate, the duration of doctoral study has increased since the 1960s. All academic fields nationwide experienced increases in the length of time required to complete the doctorate. / The purpose of this study was to identify and describe the trends in the lengths of time required to complete the doctorate in each of four broad academic fields over a twenty year period of time at one research university, to discover how the lengths of time required to complete the doctorate in each broad academic field compared with each other over the twenty year period, and to analyze the elements that were associated with the increased lengths of time required to complete the doctorate in each broad field over the twenty year period. / At Florida State University, the length of time spent in graduate study and the length of time that elapsed between earning the baccalaureate and the doctorate increased by approximately 25 percent between 1968 and 1987. Each broad field studied, which included the natural sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, the humanities and the professions, experienced increases in the duration of doctoral study. The increases in time-to-degree varied by broad field. / Several elements were found to be associated with the increased length of time required to earn the PhD. The elements included: (1) Changes in the source of financial support for doctoral students; (2) Increased responsibilities for supporting a spouse and/or family; (3) Massive expansion of new knowledge and information; (4) Changes in the requirements for the doctorate; (5) Limited availability of grant funding for university research; (6) The poor economy during the 1970s and 1980s; and, (7) The glut of PhDs in the labor market and the subsequent decrease in demand for new PhDs. No clear pattern or model for explaining the increases in time-to-degree emerged. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 52-05, Section: A, page: 1662. / Major Professor: Allan Tucker. / Thesis (Ed.D.)--The Florida State University, 1991.

The purpose of this national descriptive survey was to ascertain graduate faculty and masters level nurse practitioner (NP) opinions regarding: the present and future need to address relevant practice concerns and political education content within the formal curriculum; the appropriate curricular methods for including such material; and the relation between professional nursing ethics and NP attitudes toward political involvement. The conceptual framework was drawn from Easton's (1965) flow model of the political system, depicting a continuous and dynamic interaction between the political system and society. / A data collection instrument was developed from sources in the literature. It consisted of demographic questions, current practice issue and political education topics, and a revised version of the Professional Ethics and Political Attitudes Questionnaire (Forrest, 1979). The instrument was validated by a panel of experts and field tested for reliability. / Thirty-seven geographically stratified nationally accredited masters programs consented to distribute the survey instrument to three faculty members and three graduates of each program. To compensate for incorrect addresses among the graduates, 10 additional masters prepared NPs were selected from a 1982 regional NP list. The final sample was composed of 232 potential subjects who returned 187 usable questionnaires for an adjusted return rate of 84.2%. / Data analysis revealed that NPs tended to indicate practice issues and political education topics were not addressed in the programs they attended as students more frequently than faculty indicated they do not address the material. However, there was agreement among respondents that there is strong future need for such content and the favored curricular method for addressing the majority of it was a specific course, e.g., Current Issues. / Responses to a series of statements designed to measure political attitudes revealed that faculty and NPs expressed similarly high levels of political advocacy. There was agreement that professional ethics imply an obligation for responsible political involvement and strong agreement that NPs have the educational background to lobby for their professional concerns. / Study findings have implications for future curriculum development. Recommendations were made for further research. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 44-02, Section: A, page: 0404. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1983.