Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the University of Northern Iowa’s tuition and fees system for the period May 24, 2007 through July 3, 2007

Report on a review of selected general and application controls over the University of Northern Iowa’s tuition and fees system for the period May 24, 2007 through July 3, 2007

Report of the Academic Building Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Academic Building Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Dormitory and Dining Services Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Dormitory and Dining Services Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Recreational Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Recreational Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Student Health Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Student Health Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Utility System Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Utility System Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Parking System Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Parking System Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Ice Arena Facility Revenue Note Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Ice Arena Facility Revenue Note Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Indoor Multipurpose Use and Training Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Regulated Materials Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Regulated Materials Facility Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Memorial Union Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Memorial Union Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Athletic Facilities Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

Report of the Athletic Facilities Revenue Bond Funds of Iowa State University of Science and Technology as of and for the year ended June 30, 2008

University admission marks in Catalonia: Some highlights from the empirical research

The results of the examinations taken by graduated high school studentswho want to enrol at a Catalan university are here studied. To do so,the authors address several issues related to the equity of the system:reliability of grading, difficulty and discrimination power of the exams.The general emphasis is put upon the concurrent research and empiricalevidence about the properties of the examination items and scores. Aftera discussion about the limitations of the exams' format and appropriatenessof the instruments used in the study, the article concludes with somesuggestions to improve such examinations.

Monitoring the university admissions process in Spain

The examinations taken by high-school graduates in Spain and the role ofthe examination in the university admissions process are described. Thefollowing issues arising in the assessment of the process are discussed:reliability of grading, comparability of the grades and scores(equating),maintenance of standards, and compilation and use of the grading process,and their integration in the operational grading are proposed. Variousschemes for score adjustment are reviewed and feasibility of theirimplementation discussed. The advantages of pretesting of items and ofempirical checks of experts' judgements are pointed out. The paperconcludes with an outline of a planned reorganisation of the highereducation in Spain, and with a call for a comprehensive programme ofempirical research concurrent with the operation of the examination andscoring system.

Outpatient prescriptions practice and writing quality in a paediatric university hospital.

BACKGROUND: The writing of prescriptions is an important aspect of medical practice. This activity presents some specific problems given a danger of misinterpretation and dispensing errors in community pharmacies. The objective of this study was to determine the evolution of the prescription practice and writing quality in the outpatient clinics of our paediatric university hospital.¦METHODS: Copies of prescriptions written by physicians were collected from community pharmacies in the region of our hospital for a two-month period in 2005 and 2010. They were analysed according to standard criteria, including both formal and pharmaceutical aspects.¦RESULTS: A total of 597 handwritten prescriptions were reviewed in 2005 and 633 in 2010. They contained 1,456 drug prescriptions in 2005 and 1,348 in 2010. Fifteen drugs accounted for 80% of all prescriptions and the most common drugs were paracetamol and ibuprofen. A higher proportion of drugs were prescribed as International Nonproprietary Names (INN) or generics in 2010 (24.7%) compared with 2005 (20.9%). Of the drug prescriptions examined, 55.5% were incomplete in 2005 and 69.2% in 2010. Moreover in 2005, 3.2% were legible only with difficulty, 22.9% were ambiguous, and 3.0% contained an error. These proportions rose respectively to 5.2%, 27.8%, and 6.8% in 2010.¦CONCLUSION: This study showed that fifteen different drugs represented the majority of prescriptions, and a quarter of them were prescribed as INN or generics in 2010; and that handwritten prescriptions contained numerous omissions and preventable errors. In our hospital computerised prescribing coupled with advanced decision support is eagerly awaited.