This book addresses primary issues in evaluation in an international, a national and a long term perspective. The essays demonstrate that arguments about the nature and techniques of evaluation must entail far broader considerations than those often promoted by policy makers.

PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION Demonstrating Institutional Effectiveness In this era of increasing pressure on higher education institutions for accountability, Planning and Assessment in Higher Education is an essential resource for college and university leaders and staff charged with the task of providing evidence of institutional effectiveness. Michael F. Middaugh, a noted expert in the field, shows how colleges and universities can successfully measure student learning and institutional effectiveness and use these results to create more efficient communications with both internal and external constituencies as well as promote institutional effectiveness to support student learning. "How can the assessment of institutional effectiveness be used to provide a solid foundation for planning? Middaugh has crafted a comprehensive, practical guide that also explains what accrediting agencies really want and need to know about these topics." Elizabeth H. Sibolski, executive vice president, Middle States Commission on Higher Education "Only Michael Middaugh, the unquestioned national leader in this field, could write such a lucid overview of how to make institutional assessment and planning really work as a tool rather than as a tedious requirement. He helped invent and shape the focus of national assessment rubrics and now offers his insights into how to make them work for your institution." John C. Cavanaugh, chancellor, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education "Middaugh provides extremely helpful and practical guidance and insights on how colleges and universities can use assessment tools and frameworks to improve both academic programs and administrative operations. A valuable and timely book for all higher education leaders." James P. Honan, senior lecturer on education, Harvard Graduate School of Education

This book presents an exciting and novel approach to explore the concept of the ‘ideal student’. Written in the context of higher education, the concept aims to promote a more transparent conversation about the explicit, implicit and idealistic expectations of university students. It would address concerns that implicit rules or unspoken practices can result in diverse but patterned student experiences, widening social inequalities. The concept of the ideal student can provide students, especially those less familiar or confident with higher education, with a better and clearer understanding of what is valued, expected and rewarded at university. With increasing student diversity, there is an urgent need for greater openness and awareness of the different expectations and ideals of students. The key questions explored include: •How is the ideal student imagined and envisioned? •To what extent are these constructions realistic and achievable? •Are certain students more likely to aspire, identify or embody these ideal characteristics? •Are there any features of the ideal student that are widely shared and recognised? •How do people from different social backgrounds construct their ideal student? •How can staff support students to develop desirable characteristics for university? A number of issues are unpacked as the book discusses the nuances of what it means to be a university student. The Ideal Student is written for a general audience and will be of particular interest to those working or studying in higher education, especially staff, students and senior leaders. "This clearly written and engaging book will be of interest to HE practitioners, students and researchers who want to support more inclusive learning environments." Professor Louise Archer, Karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education, UCL Institute of Education, UK "This is a rigorously informed and illuminating reconsideration of the notion of the Ideal Type of student in higher education." Professor Gill Crozier DPhil, FRSA, University of Roehampton, UK "Based on solid empirical work, combining qualitative and quantitative data, the book offers an insight into the perception of whom and what the ideal student is." Professor Lars Ulriksen, Department of Science Education, University of Copenhagen, Denmark "In their well-written and clearly structured volume Wong and Chiu summarise valuable data-driven research that sheds light on the important question of what characterises the ideal student." Stefan T. Siegel & Tobias Böttger, University of Augsburg, Germany Billy Wong is an Associate Professor in Widening Participation at the Institute of Education, University of Reading. Tiffany Chiu is Senior Teaching Fellow in Educational Development at the Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship and Programme Director for the PG Cert in University Learning and Teaching at Imperial College London. She is a Senior Fellow of the HEA.