Institutional Research and Modern University Management (Research and Reference of American Institutional Research Models)

Author: Cai Guochun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-03-01
Features: After World War II until the late 1960s, the United States was the first country to cross the threshold of "mass higher education." With the process of higher education massification, American universities faced a series of unprecedented management issues and competitive pressures, directly triggering a transformation known as the "Revolution in Higher Education Management." The core of this transformation lay in exploring modern university management models and promoting the scientificization of higher education management. "Institutional Research" (IR) formally entered the stage of American higher education at this time and gradually became an indispensable part of university management in the United States, serving as a means and symbol of the scientificization of modern higher education management. "Institutional Research" is a specialized term with specific connotations, which was once translated as "Organizational Research," "College Research," and so on in Chinese literature. The introduction of the term "Institutional Research" into Chinese literature began in the 1980s. Starting from the early 1990s, Chinese scholars began to formally focus on this field, and to this day, research enthusiasm and practical interest in "Institutional Research" within China are on the rise. The book seeks to answer the following questions: (1) What is Institutional Research, and what is it not? What role and function does it play in modern university management? (2) What is the relationship between the nature and functions of Institutional Research? What factors are needed to ensure the realization of these functions? (3) Has the application of Institutional Research in American university management been worth? Can we it? How should we it?
The fundamental conclusions drawn by the book around these questions are as follows: Institutional Research is conducted within a higher education institution, where researchers, based on the context of their own schools, carry out analytical and consulting research on practical issues in school management and operations. It is a specialized field set by higher education institutions to improve their management decisions and operational conditions. Institutional Research serves two functional aspects in modern university management: (1) providing data and information services; (2) providing decision-making and consulting services. The realization of Institutional Research's functions is based on the following two factors: (1) the methodological foundation of the research itself, i.e., the effectiveness of Institutional Research. It requires Institutional Research to follow the procedures of general scientific research, systematically collect, analyze, interpret data, and provide research reports. (2) The institutional guarantee of the combination of "research" and "decision-making," i.e., the directness of consulting services. This depends on effective communication between "researchers" and "decision-makers" within the higher education institution, relying on a well-designed "organizational structure." The success of Institutional Research in American university management lies in the fact that both of these factors are well-ensured. The lack of progress in China's past similar practices can be attributed to the same issue. The "Institutional Research phenomenon" in American university management is worthy of attention and.
As China advances the massification and marketization of higher education, in order to improve the scientificization of university management and promote the sustainable development of higher education research in China, we urgently need to the experience and models of American Institutional Research. The pressing issues that need to be addressed are: (1) deconstructing the traditional management philosophy of university administrators based on "experience" and constructing a modern university management concept based on "scientific rationality"; (2) reviewing the functional positioning of higher education research institutions in Chinese universities, updating the organizational design of higher education research institutes (departments), and providing institutional guarantees for the effective implementation of Institutional Research; (3) accelerating the development of higher education data resource construction in China, fostering inter-institutional data sharing relationships, and establishing an institutional data resource repository that meets the needs of Institutional Research; (4) incorporating "Institutional Research" into the field of graduate education in higher education, developing China-specific higher education management EdD and EdM professional degree programs, and cultivating professional talents capable of fulfilling the requirements of Institutional Research positions; (5) establishing a national-level professional organization for Institutional Research to promote the practice of Institutional Research in Chinese universities and enhance the professionalism of researchers.
Excluding the preface and conclusion, the book consists of thirteen chapters, which can be divided into five parts. Part (Preface and Chapter 1): The rationale for the topic selection and a review of domestic research progress; Part (Chapters 2 and 3): The concept and history of Institutional Research; Part (Chapters 4 to 7): The functions of Institutional Research and the conditions for their realization; Part (Chapters 8 and 9): The process, procedures, and applications of Institutional Research; Part (Chapters 10 to 13 and conclusion): Exploring the issues of advancing Institutional Research practices in China.