Document review/analysis. Prior to the on-site visit, documents were reviewed
to establish an understanding of the institution and its context. These included three key
documents related to the case study institution that were available publically: the
Statement of Purpose (which includes the Mission, Vision, and Purpose statements); the
Strategic Plan; and the Philosophy of Education, entitled Liberation to Lead: A Liberal
Arts Education at McFeely College [pseudonym] as well as the college web site,
academic catalogue as posted online, and institutional fact book as made available online.
The analysis of these documents served to orient the researcher to the institution, provide
some descriptive statistics about the institution, establish an understanding of how the
institution choose to state and present its own conception and orientation toward student
development, and to identify areas for further exploration during interviews.