In this field study (N = 405) population profiling was introduced to examine general and specific classes of nonresponse (active vs. passive) to a satisfaction survey. The active nonrespondent group (i.e., purposeful nonresponders) was relatively small (approximately 15%). Active nonrespondents, in comparison with respondents, were less satisfied with the entity sponsoring the survey and were less conscientious. Passive nonrespondents (e.g., forgot), who represented the majority of nonrespondents, were attitudinally similar to respondents but differed with regard to personality. Nonresponse bias does not appear to be a substantive concern for satisfaction type variables--the typical core of an organizational survey. If the survey concerns topics strongly related to Conscientiousness and Agreeableness, the respondent sample may not be representative of the population.
As tuition and state support become increasingly constrained, private fund raising is becoming an ever more important source of institutional revenue. Internal faculty and staff giving campaigns are a key part of fund-raising efforts. This study, carried out at a mid-sized, state-assisted, Midwestern university, provided critical information about which types of employees are more likely to contribute and about faculty perceptions of the giving process. Human resources and development records were merged into a database for statistical analysis. Also, a sample of fulltime faculty was interviewed concerning motivation for giving, barriers or situations that prevent faculty from giving, best communication methods, and other relevant factors. Administrative staff, fulltime employees, blacks and whites, employees who were alumni, those who lived in the university's home city, employees who had ever given previously to the university, those with higher previous giving totals, employees with higher salaries, and those employed for a greater number of years were significantly more likely to give. Faculty generally understood the purpose of employee giving campaigns and agreed that departmental representatives were a good means of communication about the campaign. They felt that direct appeals to support needs at the individual department level might cause more faculty to participate than does a broad-based generic campaign approach. They would also like to be able to detail very specifically how their donations are used. Implications are included for which employees should be solicited and how the employee annual giving campaign should
The study sought to determine whether students with disabilities are disadvantaged because of state and institutional performance-based policies providing incentives for 4-year graduation. In a longitudinal study of 32,187 students at a Midwestern Research University, the retention and graduation rates, and mean years to graduation, of students with disabilities were compared with students without disabilities. This study demonstrated that the presence of a disability does not negatively influence eventual graduation, but that it does influence the amount of time to degree completion. However, as the transition to college for students with disabilities can be more difficult, it is important that the institution has interventions in place to assist students with disabilities to assimilate into college. The discussion focuses on policy and practice implications linked to performance-based outcomes related to students with disabilities.
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