Marvin W. Peterson

Professor of Higher Education, University of Michigan.

Dr. Peterson's scholarly interest focuses on organizational and administrative behavior, governance and academic administration, institutional research and planning, inter-institutional coordinating, governing and planning agencies, research design and methods in higher education.

Current Research:
Dr. Peterson's research includes: the nature and role of organizational and administrative environmental patterns in promoting or improving undergraduate teaching; learning and student assessment; the organizational and administrative factors influencing support for diversity and promoting retention; graduation and improved academic performance of minority students; organizational change and new modes of organization.

Education:
BS in Engineering, Trinity College; MBA, Harvard University; PhD in Higher Education, University of Michigan.

Professional Experience:
Faculty, administrative, and research positions at the Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University and at the University of Michigan. Former Director of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the University of Michigan.

Appointments at the University of Michigan: the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education, the Institute for Social Research, the National Center for Postsecondary Improvement, the National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning, and Program in Higher and Continuing Education.

Activities and Awards:
Dr. Peterson is past president of the Association for the Study of Higher Education, the Association for Institutional Research, and the Society of College and University Planning. He is also active in the Higher Education Colloquium, the American Association for Higher Education, the American Education Research Association, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

In 1978, he was selected as one of Change magazine's "100 Young Leaders of the Academy." He has been a visiting scholar at National Center for Higher Education Management Systems and was awarded a Fulbright travel grant to study the structure and function of German higher education. He has been a visiting faculty member or consultant at several universities including those in Austria, Brazil, the Netherlands, the People's Republic of China, Germany, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Uruguay, and Hungary. He received three recognitions from the Association for Institutional Research, the Distinguished Member Award for contributions to the field of institutional research, the Outstanding Service award in 1988, and the Sidney Suslow Award for scholarly contribution in 1997. In 1991, he received both the Distinguished Service Award and the Founders Award for distinguished achievement from the Society for College and University Planning. He also was awarded the Alumni Medal of Excellence in 1976 from his alma mater, Trinity College, where he was a member of the Board of Trustees from 1969-1975. He was also identified for exemplary "Perspective on Success" for his 25th Anniversary MBA class by the Harvard Business School.

He has served on national advisory boards and task forces for The American Council on Education, National Center for Postsecondary Governance and Finance, National Center of Educational Statistics, ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education, New York State Department of Education, Southern Regional Education Board, National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, Education Commission of the States, Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and others. He has consulted widely for higher educational agencies and institutions, has participated in in-service workshops, and is a regular speaker at national and international conferences and association meetings.

Research Grants:
Dr. Peterson has received numerous grants from government agencies and foundations supporting various research and institutional improvement projects. Major sources include the US Department of Education's FIPSE and Research and Development Center Competition, USAID, the National Institute for Mental Health, the Natural Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Exxon Foundation, the Kellogg Foundation, the Ford Foundation and varied other private contracts and grant sources.

Selected Publications:
ASHE Reader on Planning and Institutional Research (1999), "Planning and Management for a Changing Environment" (1997); "Assessing Organizational and Administrative Context for Teaching and Learning" (1991); ASHE Reader on Organization and Governance in Higher Education (Third Edition, 1986 and Fourth Edition, 1991); Key Resources in Governance, Management and Leadership (1987), The Organizational Context for Teaching and Learning: A Review of the Research Literature (1986), Institutional Research in Transition (1985), Improving Academic Management: Handbook for Planning and Institutional Research (1980), Black Students on White Campuses: The Impact of Increased Black Enrollment (1978), and Benefiting from Inter-institutional Research (1976). Dr. Peterson has served on editorial boards or as consulting editor for scholarly journals including the Journal of Higher Education, American Education Research Journal, Research in Higher Education, Review of Higher Education, Planning for Higher Education, ASHE-ERIC Research Report Series, Higher Education Handbook of Theory and Research and Change magazine. He was also editor of the Jossey-Bass monograph series, New Directions in Institutional Research.