Alternative Methods of Describing Characteristics of Colleges and Universities

CONSIDERABLE interest has developed recently in assessing and describing the college environment. This interest stems from the assumption that the kinds of changes that take place in the student between his matriculation and his graduation often depend upon the type of environment to which he is exposed. Because these changes may involve the student’s behavior, knowledge, attitudes, and aspirations, people responsible for educational policy and vocational guidance need comprehensive, meaningful, and nonredundant comparative information about the environments of different colleges. Similarly, those involved in educational research