A tremendous amount of data can be applied to support the development of the self-study. Among these are various NJ admission systems statistics found in cyclically prepared reports covering such areas as the following (these examples are not comprehensive, but are merely illustrative of some of the data available through a number of databases maintained by the University, including the student registration database, the undergraduate longitudinal database, the student basic skills/placement database, and the course analysis system. All these databases permit comparative, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies to be conducted):

Students

- admissions (numbers, trends)
- enrollments (numbers, trends)
- academic profile (GPA., high school information, standardized test scores)
- financial aid
- basic skills and remediation data
- grade distributions
- graduation/retention rates
- time to degree
- degrees conferred by discipline
- alumni satisfaction
- student survey data
- student evaluations of faculty/classes

Faculty

- distribution by race, campus, rank, tenure, status (FT/PT), trend data
- workload by campus, rank

Alumni (basic demographics)

Instruction

- average class meeting size
- number of sections offered
- frequency distributions of organized class sizes
- doctoral program ratings and student characteristics (NRC database)

Staff (distribution data similar to those for faculty)

- TQM/QCI survey results

Finances

- current funds revenues and expenditures
- categorical support for higher education (e.g., state support, grants, etc.)
- trend data

Sponsored Research

- by discipline
- trend data
- by source

AAU comparative data (comparisons on many dimensions mentioned above)

In addition many of the studies (vice infra) that will be accessed as resources in the self-study contain relevant data. In each of the major sections of the self-study (e.g., institutional overview and each of the selected topics) outcomes data will be provided as a basis for assessing the existing status and efficacy of our efforts in the fulfillment of our mission. From the data and observations, inferences will be drawn and recommendations based upon substantiated evidence will be made.

Organizational Structure of Each Committee

It is envisioned that there will be a total of 10 committees involved in the self-study. The steering committee comprises representatives of each University constituency (board members, faculty, administrators, and students representing the three regional campuses). It will have a faculty member as chair and a coordinating committee comprising the chair and senior campus officials appointed by the President, who will facilitate the work of the steering committee and see it is provided with staff support. The coordinating committee will ensure that the other self-study committees complete their reports on time and will act as liaison between the committees and the steering committee through a group of university and campus process coordinators. University and campus process coordinators, appointed by the President in consultation with the coordinating committee, will act as liaison between the coordinating committee and the working groups to facilitate communication, plan for the accreditation visit, and provide support to the effort overall.

Each campus will have an "overview" committee that will be responsible for developing an overview which will then be condensed and synthesized through the work of the coordinating and steering committees into a single document.* Individuals to serve on the campus overview committees will be identified by the provosts of the Newark and Camden campuses (for those respective campuses) and by the University Vice President for Academic Affairs (for the New Brunswick campus) and will be formally appointed by these same individuals, given their charge by the steering committee, and their composition will reflect all campus constituencies. Campus overview chairs will be appointed by these campus leaders in consultation with the President, and they will also ensure appropriate staff support to assist the chairs in carrying out their charge.

*Each campus overview will be included as an appendix to the self-study. Each committee (with one exception, CSPAD, see below) examining a selected topic will be University-wide in composition with appropriate representation from each of the regional campuses and will include representation from all appropriate constituencies (e.g., students, faculty, administrators).

Individuals will be identified by campus leadership and will be appointed by the President. A chair for each committee, also appointed by the President, will be responsible for carrying out the charge provided to it by the steering committee. Each selected topic committee will submit a report and recommendations. Staffing of the selected topic committees will be provided by the Office of Institutional research and Academic Planning and the Office of the Vice President for Undergraduate Education.

The Committee on Standards and Priorities in Academic Development (CSPAD), a presidential standing committee comprising distinguished university faculty, will be charged by the steering committee to review graduate/professional education and research. In its report the committee will be asked to address the impact of professional program accreditation and the funding and management of Rutgers' centers, bureaus, and institutes.

Studies underway or to be undertaken during the self-study period include the following:

Attrition

Utilizing an autopsy survey design, undergraduate students who have withdrawn from the university for an extended period of time have been sent a questionnaire that asks them various questions about their educational experiences at Rutgers and their reasons for leaving the university.

Continuing Student Opinion Survey

This survey, currently in progress, examines the attitudes of currently enrolled students concerning their academic performance with respect to outside/internal employment and interaction with faculty. It is being conducted in cooperation with a graduate sociology class.

Graduating Student Survey

This survey was last conducted in 1992 and will be repeated again this year. All graduating undergraduates will be surveyed to determine their attitudes, goals, experiences while at Rutgers, and future plans. Descriptive statistics will be used in explaining the results of the survey.

Academic Support Needs Assessment

This Assessment will involve a survey of students at the Newark Campus and will complement recently completed surveys of New Brunswick and Camden students to determine awareness and satisfaction with academic support services. In New Brunswick about 1100 students (a random sample of day students) and in Camden 750 students were sampled with a return rate of about 65%. Similar methods will be used in Newark.

Transfer Study

A detailed retrospective study of the success of transfer students will be undertaken to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the Rutgers'- N.J. Community College dual admissions program, which guarantees admission to Rutgers for community college students who meet specific standards during their course of study at the community college.

C.I.R.P.

Rutgers participates each year in the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) which collects information concerning incoming students' demographic characteristics, attitudes, and plans involving 1,400 institutions and over 8 million students. Valuable information over a number of years is available to review the changing profile of our students.

R.U.C.S.

Rutgers University Computing Services (R.U.C.S.) provides broad computing support for faculty, students, and administrators across three campuses. A survey will be conducted to determine current levels of satisfaction with R.U.C.S. among faculty, students, and administrators. The information gained will help establish benchmarks for gauging current performance and the future pace of improvements. Descriptive statistics will be used to quantitatively convey survey results.

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