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Postsecondary Education

From community college courses to doctoral programs, postsecondary education encompasses all forms of schooling after completion of high school or its equivalent. RAND's research on postsecondary education programs and institutions throughout the world has been influential; research in Qatar, for instance, led to reform of the National University and a realignment of postsecondary education to societal needs.

Commentary

The Shared Savings Model: An Innovative Way to Attack Rapidly Rising College Costs

The challenge facing policymakers is how to lessen the college cost pressure felt by families while incentivizing institutions to innovate to reduce cost and improve quality. What if cost savings from increased productivity were quantified and a portion returned to institutions?

Oct 22, 2015
Report

Leveraging Shared Savings to Promote High-Quality, Cost-Effective Higher Education

This Perspective proposes a new funding model in higher education that leverages the savings generated when institutions increase productivity.

Oct 22, 2015
Report

Competency-Based Programs Are an Innovative Approach to Higher Education

Among other benefits, competency-based education programs have the potential to increase the alignment between graduate skills and employer needs, as well as address degree-completion rates by offering new pathways to students.

Oct 22, 2015
Research Brief

Aligning Education and Training to Meet Energy Workforce Needs

Energy-sector employers in West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania report having difficulty filling semiskilled jobs. And the sector's technology is changing quickly. How can the region's leaders improve the workforce-development pipeline?

Aug 31, 2015
Report

Energy-Sector Workforce Development in West Virginia

The production of natural gas and gas liquids from shale in West Virginia has increased demand for workers. Ten action items can help the Community and Technical College System of West Virginia and other stakeholders support a well-aligned and coherent workforce-development pipeline.

Aug 31, 2015
Report

Energy-Sector Workforce Development in Southwestern Pennsylvania

Technological innovations in the energy sector have increased demand for semiskilled labor in southwestern Pennsylvania. How can postsecondary educational and training programs adapt to the evolving skills demand?

Aug 31, 2015
Commentary

Political Scientists and the Military

For civilian academics interested in bridging the political science–military gap, five recommendations to acquire basic information about the military could encourage improved interaction, better policy-relevant scholarship, and an enhanced policy process.

Aug 10, 2015
Commentary

What's Next for REF?

In 2014, the research of 154 UK universities was evaluated, accounting for the efforts of 52,061 academic staff members. For the first time, the impact that the research had on wider society was part of the assessment. As we approach the next assessment period, there is opportunity for discussion to tweak and refine future measures of impact.

Jul 8, 2015
Report

Getting the Most Out of University Strategic Planning: Essential Guidance for Success and Obstacles to Avoid

Higher education institutions exist in a competitive marketplace. Strategic planning can help them maintain stability and respond constructively to external threats. We identify factors that promote or impede planning process success.

Jun 15, 2015
Dissertation

Assessing the Feasibility of International Branch Campuses: Factors Universities Consider when Establishing Campuses Abroad

Explores the steps in the decision-making process higher education institutions go through when establishing an international branch campus and key factors used to evaluate the potential campus.

May 26, 2015
Research Brief

Planning for Higher Education Programs: Effectively Using Data and Modeling to Understand Workforce Needs

Workforce data sources provide valuable information, though no source should be used on its own. The information should be used to manage new and ongoing degree programs and for periodic strategic planning.

Apr 23, 2015
Commentary

Three Cheers for Research Users Engaging in REF 2014

In the UK, research outputs from universities are assessed every five years to determine future funding allocations from government. In 2014, for the first time, the Research Excellence Framework included an assessment of research impact. Research users played key roles throughout the process.

Mar 31, 2015
Commentary

REF 2014 Shows That Research Impact Can Be Assessed

For the first time anywhere, the UK has allocated funding to universities according to an assessment of research impact. An evaluation of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 process reveals that it worked, allowing different types of impacts drawn from a wide range of disciplines to be compared and scored.

Mar 27, 2015
Commentary

REF 2014 Impact Submissions: Part of a Cultural Shift?

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) has incentivized universities to be more focused on their contribution to society beyond academia. The inclusion of impact as a component of the REF is leading to a cultural shift in the academic sector.

Mar 27, 2015
News Release

It Worked: REF 2014 Was Successful in Assessing Research Impacts

RAND Europe's evaluations of the impact element of the UK's Research Excellence Framework 2014 show that researchers can describe the wider societal benefits of their research, and that these impacts can be assessed and compared.

Mar 25, 2015
Research Brief

Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation

Research summary describing our evaluation of the preparation process for the new impact element of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 by UK universities, to assess the process and identify improvements.

Mar 25, 2015
Report

Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Approach and Evidence

As part of a review of the preparation process for the impact element of the REF 2014 within UK higher education institutions to assess the process and identify future improvements, this report provides an in-depth analysis of the gathered data.

Mar 25, 2015
Report

Preparing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation: Findings and observations

As part of a review of the preparation process for the impact element of the REF 2014 within UK higher education institutions to assess the process and identify future improvements, this report summarises the approach and describes the key findings and observations.

Mar 25, 2015
Research Brief

Assessing impact submissions for REF 2014: An evaluation

Research summary describing our evaluation of the assessment process for submissions to the impact element of the Research Excellence Framework 2014 by UK universities, to explore strengths, weaknesses and implications for future similar exercises.

Mar 25, 2015
Report

Assessing impact submissions for REF2014: An evaluation

A review of the assessment process for the impact element of the REF 2014 within UK higher education institutions to assess the process and identify future improvements.

Mar 25, 2015

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RAND Topic:
Postsecondary Education

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