Abacus Associates - an international public opinion and strategic research firm

Abacus consists of three associates, each with a Ph.D. from a leading university in public opinion research: the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and The University of North Carolina. We bring an added advantage to our higher education work in that the all three associates are former academics. Our backgrounds and experience in higher education, as well as our rigorous training in survey research and statistical methodology, enable us to communicate with credibility and authority to the public, policymakers, and the higher education community.

Our higher education clients include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Association of Academic Professionals, Bryn Mawr College, California Faculty Association, Connecticut State University System, Illinois State Faculty Association, National Education Association, and University Faculty of Florida.

The following are some examples of our higher education work that we have permission to share with a broader audience:

2007 Higher Education Issue Survey
This report (PDF), prepared by Abacus Associates in 2007, presents the results of in-depth interviews with state legislators who are responsible for higher education policy in each of the 50 states and identifies how proponents of higher education can most effectively work to influence public policy in this area.

2004 Higher Education Member Survey
This article (PDF), was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on the 2004 member survey we conducted for NEA. The purpose of this survey is to understand the experience and attitudes of NEA higher education members, and to inform the broader higher education community about how higher education employees experience and perceive their jobs and how they might want to change them.

2003 Higher Education Issue Survey
This report (PDF), prepared by Abacus Associates in 2003, presents the results of in-depth interviews with state legislators who are responsible for higher education policy in each of the 50 states and identifies how proponents of higher education can most effectively work to influence public policy in this area.

Focus on Distance Education
This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on focus groups we conducted with faculty members from around the country. Through this research, we gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of experiences with and opinions of distance education among faculty who have taught distant education courses.

NEA Survey of Higher Education Members and Leaders
This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a national survey we conducted of NEA higher education members and leaders. The study examines opinions toward governance issues, factors that affect the quality of education, and opinions about NEA's “new unionism.”

Part-Time Faculty: Quality Issues
This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a survey of part-time higher education faculty in four states: California, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington.

Faculty and Staff Look at Their Roles in Governance
This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a survey we conducted of NEA higher education members. The purpose of this research is to measure the relevance of NEA's "new unionism" to higher education and to examine the participation of college and university employees in institutional governance issues.

Design Engineers Evaluate Their Education
This article (PDF) from the AIAA Bulletin describes the key findings from an Abacus study of design engineers' evaluations of their undergraduate training. The purpose of the study was to identify strengths and weaknesses in the undergraduate curriculum in design engineering, as well as to evaluate the importance of internships and extracurricular activities in the training of design engineers.


	Higher Education Abacus consists of three associates, each with a Ph.D. from a leading university in public opinion research: the University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, and The University of North Carolina. We bring an added advantage to our higher education work in that the all three associates are former academics. Our backgrounds and experience in higher education, as well as our rigorous training in survey research and statistical methodology, enable us to communicate with credibility and authority to the public, policymakers, and the higher education community. Our higher education projects include surveys, focus groups, interviews with faculty, staff, and policy makers on a wide variety of topics, and statistical analyses of faculty salary and other institutional data. Our work addresses a range of topics, including legislative agendas for higher education, expanding the size of a state university system, student evaluations of their college and curriculum, faculty experience with distance education, the impact and application of merit pay, governance in higher education institutions, and faculty priorities. We have analyzed the concerns and priorities of almost every subgroup in the higher education community: full-time faculty, part-time/adjunct faculty, students, administrators, academic professionals, education support personnel, union leaders, and the leading legislators on higher education policy in state capitals of all 50 states. Our projects compare and contrast the concerns and priorities of faculty at all types of institutions: two-year community colleges, four-year colleges, regional and flagship universities. Our higher education clients include the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Association of Academic Professionals, Bryn Mawr College, California Faculty Association, Connecticut State University System, Illinois State Faculty Association, National Education Association, and University Faculty of Florida. The following are some examples of our higher education work that we have permission to share with a broader audience: 2007 Higher Education Issue Survey This report (PDF), prepared by Abacus Associates in 2007, presents the results of in-depth interviews with state legislators who are responsible for higher education policy in each of the 50 states and identifies how proponents of higher education can most effectively work to influence public policy in this area. 2004 Higher Education Member Survey This article (PDF), was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on the 2004 member survey we conducted for NEA. The purpose of this survey is to understand the experience and attitudes of NEA higher education members, and to inform the broader higher education community about how higher education employees experience and perceive their jobs and how they might want to change them. 2003 Higher Education Issue Survey This report (PDF), prepared by Abacus Associates in 2003, presents the results of in-depth interviews with state legislators who are responsible for higher education policy in each of the 50 states and identifies how proponents of higher education can most effectively work to influence public policy in this area. Focus on Distance Education This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on focus groups we conducted with faculty members from around the country. Through this research, we gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of experiences with and opinions of distance education among faculty who have taught distant education courses. NEA Survey of Higher Education Members and Leaders This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a national survey we conducted of NEA higher education members and leaders. The study examines opinions toward governance issues, factors that affect the quality of education, and opinions about NEA's “new unionism.” Part-Time Faculty: Quality Issues This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a survey of part-time higher education faculty in four states: California, Michigan, Minnesota, and Washington. Faculty and Staff Look at Their Roles in Governance This article (PDF) was prepared by Abacus Associates and is based on a survey we conducted of NEA higher education members. The purpose of this research is to measure the relevance of NEA's "new unionism" to higher education and to examine the participation of college and university employees in institutional governance issues. Design Engineers Evaluate Their Education This article (PDF) from the AIAA Bulletin describes the key findings from an Abacus study of design engineers' evaluations of their undergraduate training. The purpose of the study was to identify strengths and weaknesses in the undergraduate curriculum in design engineering, as well as to evaluate the importance of internships and extracurricular activities in the training of design engineers.