Using Typological Approaches to Understand College Student Experiences and Outcomes : New Directions for Institutional Research, Assessment Supplement 2011

Facing a new round of criticisms on the quality of undergraduate education in American colleges and universities, higher education administrators are eager to find-or create-effective programs and practices that can enrich student experiences and enhance outcomes. In order to do that, those who work at colleges and universities need to have a better understanding of their students. Institutional researchers, with access to a wealth of student data, have the analytical expertise to supply information that can guide institutional policy and practice. Typological frameworks particularly can be used to generate such information, and this volume presents rich examples of typological approaches to the study of college students.