A degree granting institution is an organization that offers a higher education diploma, certificate, or other academic credentials for a specific field of study. The top level domains that identify this type of organization are its mission, purpose, size, and other characteristics.
Mission
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The mission of degree-granting institutions isn’t as cut and dry as a college degree, as the name suggests. There are multiple facets to a college or university, ranging from pre-professional training, to career education, to continuing education and ancillary services. Oftentimes, one institution may be a feeder school for another, and these connections can prove a bit costly. As such, a robust mission statement is essential for institutional success.
In particular, the mission of a college or university is to produce graduates that are prepared for productive lives in the real world. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, ranging from in-class tutoring, to campus counseling, to career and internship placement. On top of this, some schools offer a slew of perks and benefits that can be hard to beat.
For instance, the University of Phoenix is a large, public, for-profit institution that offers a wide array of online courses, as well as local and off-campus programs, including correspondence courses, technical and vocational education, early admission programs for high school students, and more. It also has one of the largest libraries in the nation, with an estimated 1.2 million books and journals. Another impressive feat is the state of the art computer facility, as well as a plethora of research, teaching, and administrative perks.
Although the University of Phoenix might be considered an oddball, it is worth noting that in 2010 the college had a student enrollment of more than 25,000, making it one of the larger degree-granting institutions in the country. Despite this hefty enrolment, the institution has managed to stay one step ahead of the competition with a strong focus on innovation.
Purposes
Most degree-granting institutions offer a variety of academic programs, ranging from bachelor’s degrees to graduate and professional studies. They are also often governed by publicly elected or privately appointed officials.
Among the key objectives of institutions are to foster the intellectual development of students and to ensure their successful attainment of their objectives. In addition, they are committed to ensuring that their students are free to pursue education and research. This is complemented by appropriate policies to ensure academic honesty.
These objectives are developed through comprehensive planning and evaluation. They take into account the institution’s stated goals, and they are based on a realistic assessment of available resources. Academic planning includes a range of activities, such as the definition of program objectives and the recruitment and development of faculty. Planning and evaluation are conducted with a standardized and systematic approach, and results are communicated to all appropriate institutional constituencies.
In addition to academic goals, institutions also strive to meet other objectives related to diversity, equity, and personal development. These objectives should be clearly defined and reflect the mission and purposes of the institution. The mission should provide direction to curricula and student expectations. It should also emphasize the enhancement of communities served by the institution.
Institutions also conduct fundraising according to their policies. They portray their needs accurately to potential donors. Among the policies that an institution should have in place are gift acceptance procedures that protect academic integrity.
Academic programs at degree-granting institutions are evaluated by well-qualified academic staff and faculty. They ensure that students receive high-quality instruction. Programs are designed to be coherent, with a consistent design and depth. They are also validated by a systematic assessment of student achievement.
Size and characteristics of their student population
In our quest to find the top of the line institutions, we surveyed the size and characteristics of their student populations. It’s important to note that the sample size is based on the total undergraduate enrollment. There are a number of notable exceptions.
The most obvious reason to conduct this type of survey is that the data collected will be a rich source of information on trends in higher education. For example, in recent years, the District of Columbia has become more inclined to attend college outside of the DC area, leaving many of its residents to seek out the lesser known universities. This trend is reflected in our findings. Some of the larger public universities have sizable student populations compared to their private counterparts.
We conducted the survey in the fall of 2016 to provide us with an early start on our preparations for the 2022 census. As of this writing, we have a list of 451 US-based institutions and four institutions from around the globe. However, we have yet to receive responses from 13 of the larger institutions. Several of these institutions are infamous for missing the mark when it comes to participation, while others offer an unparalleled degree of individualized attention.
The best part is that we’ll soon be able to use our results to compile the most relevant data about higher education in the US. One interesting feature of our survey is that it focuses on the quality of undergraduate education, not just the quantity. That is, we’ll be looking at colleges that have excellent student support and faculty, as well as strong academic and extracurricular offerings.
In our survey, we found that the best performing institutions were in the enviable position of being able to take advantage of federal and state funding to better serve their students. These institutions are more likely to have a large faculty, a diversified curriculum, and an assortment of student organizations.
Planning and evaluation
Planning and evaluation as top-level domains of degree-granting institutions is a process through which an institution assesses its mission, purpose, and effectiveness. It involves institutional leaders and external perspectives. The results of planning and evaluation are used for resource allocation and improvement of institutional performance. This information is regularly communicated to appropriate institutional constituencies.
Institutions enroll multiple student bodies and must meet the expectations of each individual body. The data gathered for each body is evaluated to determine whether it meets the expected standards for each of the bodies. Evaluation endeavors are effective in improving academic offerings and student experience. They utilize quantitative and qualitative methods.
In addition to academic planning, evaluation includes evaluation of the mission and purpose of the institution. These evaluations are conducted periodically to assess the pertinence of the mission and purpose. For example, to ensure the quality of a new academic program, the faculty and administration must review the proposed opportunities for new sources of revenue. If the opportunity is not acceptable, it is not endorsed.
Integrated and broad-based planning and evaluation are also necessary to demonstrate institutional stability and to enhance student success. The results of planning and evaluation activities are also utilized to improve the quality of academic programs. During evaluation, the mission and purpose of the institution is examined to ensure its ability to continue to meet the needs of its students.
The principal focus of evaluation is the quality of the academic programs offered by the institution. The evaluation process is comprehensive and systematic. It involves a range of stakeholders from faculty and administrators to prospective and current students. Various aspects of an institution’s operations are evaluated, including student success, operational processes, and mission.
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