Donald A. Coffin

Curriculum Vita

Contact Information:

Current Position:

Associate Professor of Economics Division of Business and Economics, Indiana University Northwest, 1987-present.  Dean, 1998-2000.  Associate Dean, 1997-1998.

Scholarly Activities

A. Published Papers

" 'These people aren't real big on player reps': Career Length, Mobility, and Union Activism in Major League Baseball," in Lawrence Hadley et al. (eds.), Sports Economics: Current Research, Praeger Publishers (Westport, CT: 1999), pp. 203-212.

"Steel in Indiana: Challenges, Opportunities, and Change," Indiana Business Review, July, 1999, pp. 1-8 (with Gary A. Lynch).

"Northwest Indiana," Indiana Business Review, December, 1998, pp. 23-24 (with Gary A. Lynch).

"If You Build It, Will They Come?  Attendance and New Stadium Construction in Major League Baseball," in John Fizel et al. (eds.), Baseball Economics: Current Research, Praeger Publishers (Westport, CT: 1996), pp. 33-46.

"Using The Competitive Edge," Journal of Economic Education, Vol. 24, No. 1, Winter, 1993, pp. 62-69.

"The Northwest Indiana in Recent Historical Perspective," Papers and Proceedings of the Northwest Indiana Business Research Conference, October, 1992.

"The Impact of Historic Districts on Residential Property Values," Eastern Economic Journal, Vol. XV, No. 3 (July-September, 1989), pp. 221-229.

"Objectives, Inputs, and Outputs: A Planning Model for CETA Training Programs," Evaluation Review, Vol. 9, No. 6 (December, 1983), pp. 77-91.

"Environmental Quality, Compensating Wage Differentials, and Excess Wage Costs," Journal of Economics, Vol. IX, 1983, pp. 128-131.

The following papers appeared in Northwest Indiana Business Conditions, a (roughly) quarterly newsletter published by Indiana University Northwest.

“The Northwest Indiana Economy in Recent Historical Perspective,” NWIBC, Vol. 1, No. 1 (November, 1992), pp. 2-9.

“Tracking Developments in the Northwest Indiana Economy, NWIBC, Vol. 1, No. 4 (August, 1993), pp. 7-11.

“The Northwest Indiana Economy in 1993,” NWIBC, Vol. 2, No. 3 (May, 1994), pp 16-19.

“Decentralization and Demographic Change in Northwest Indiana, 1970-1990,” NWIBC, Vol. 2, No. 4 (October, 1994), pp. 5-7, 11.

“Patterns of Bank Location in Northwest Indiana,” NWIBC, Vol. 2, No. 4 (October, 1994), pp. 11-16.

“The Northwest Indiana Economy in 1999: A Look Back and a Look Ahead,” NWIBC, Vol. 5, No. 1 (Winter, 1999), pp. 1-5 (With Gary A. Lynch).

B. Unpublished Conference Papers

“Salary Arbitration as a Determinant of Player Performance in Major League Baseball,” Western Economic Association Meetings, July, 1999.

“Using a Business System Approach as a Model for an Objectives-Based Faculty Evaluation System,” American Association of Accounting and Finance Annual Meeting, December, 1998 (with E. Little and C. David Strupeck).

“Price Discrimination in the Economy and in the Principles of Economics Textbook,” Western Economic Association Meetings, July, 1998.

“Tuition and Enrollment at Indiana’s Public Institutions of Higher Education,” Atlantic Economic Society Meetings, October, 1996.

“Patterns of Bank Location in Northwest Indiana,” Eastern Economic Association Meetings, March, 1994.

“Employer Search and Employee Quality: Evidence from the Amateur Draft in Major League Baseball,” Midwest Economic Association Meetings, March, 1992.

“A Retention Model of Employment Discrimination: The Case of Major League Baseball,” Midwest Economic Association Meetings, March, 1991.

“Organization Development in a School System,” Operations Research Society of America/The Institute of Management Science Meetings, October, 1999 (with C. L. Scott).

“On the Shape of the Aggregate Labor Supply Curve,” Midwest Business Economic Association Meetings, March, 1986.

“Real Wages and Labor Market Equilibrium, Midwest Business Economic Association Meetings, March, 1986.

“Comparative Advantage and Regional Economic Growth: Economic Base and Shift-Share Analyses,” Midwest Economics Association Meetings, March, 1985.

“Forecasting Gentrification,” Midwest Economics Association Meetings, March, 1984 (with Michael A. Nelson).

“State Employment Effects of Changes in Effective Minimum Wage Rates, 1960-1970,” North American Regional Science Association Meetings, January, 1982.

C. Teaching Materials

“An Application of Collaborative Learning in a Course in Urban Economics,” in Sharon J. Hamilton and Edmund Hansen (eds.), Sourcebook for Collaborative Learning in the Arts and Sciences at Indiana University, Indiana University Center for Media and Teaching Resources (Bloomington, IN: 1992), pp. 110-112.

Study Guide to Accompany Modern Labor Economics by Ronald Ehrenberg and Robert Smith, HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. (New York, NY: 1991).

Student Workbook to Accompany Modern Labor Economics by Ronald Ehrenberg and Robert Smith, Scott-Foresman and Co. (Glenview, IL: 1987).

EDUCATION

Ph. D., West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, Economics, 1979.

B.A., DePauw University, Greencastle, IN, Economics, 1969.  Phi Beta Kappa.

PAST EMPLOYMENT

1980-1987.  Assistant Professor of Economics, Department of Economics, Illinois State University, Normal, IL.

1976-1980.  Principal Planner, Division of Planning and Zoning, Department of Metropolitan Development, City of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN.

1976-1980.  Adjunct Instructor in Economics, Department of Economics, Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN.

1975-1976.  Instructor in Economics, Department of Economics, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY.

1974-1975.  Lecturer in Economics, Department of Economics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV.

1973-1974.  National Teaching Fellow in Economics, Alderson-Broaddus College, Philippi, WV.

INDIANA UNIVERSITY GOVERNANCE AND SERVICE

A. University Assignments

Associate Faculty Annual Conference Planning Committee, 2000.
President’s Faculty Advisory Group, 1999-present.
Statewide Economic Development Committee, 1998-present.
University Faculty Council Finances and Facilities Committee, 1997-1998.
University Faculty Council Agenda Committee, 1994-1997.
University Faculty Council, 1994-1997.
University Faculty Council Long-Range Planning Committee, 1994-1996.
Distance Education Faculty Advisory Committee, 1995-1996.
Accountability and Assessment Planning Task Force, 1994-1995.
Partnership for Statewide Education Curriculum Planning Committee, 1994-1998.
Partnership for Statewide Education Business Advisory Group, 1994-1996.
Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching (FACET) Steering Committee,
     1993-present.  IUN Campus Liaison, 1997-1998; 2000-present.
Program Planning Committee, FACET Annual Retreat, 1991 (Co-Chair).

B. Campus Assignments

Marketing Committee, 1999-2000.
Academic Council, 1998-2000.
President’s Task Force on Campus Self-Assessment, 1998 (Co-Chair).
Budgetary Affairs Committee, 1997-1998 (Chair).
Chancellor Performance Evaluation Committee, 1997-1998.
All-Campus Promotion and Tenure Committee (1997-1998)
Faculty Organization Executive Committee, 1988-1992; 1994-1998.
Chair, Faculty Organization, 1994-1997.
Faculty Board of Review, 1996.
Survey and Curriculum Committee, 1990-1991; 1993-1994.
Outcomes Assessment Committee, 1987-1994.
Salary Committee, 1992-1994; 1997-1998.
Faculty Development Committee, 1991-1992.
Academic Affairs Committee, 1988-1990.

C. Division of Business and Economics Assignments

Promotion and Tenure Committee, 1993-1994.
Curriculum Committee, 1992-1995, 1997-1998 (Chair).
Outcomes Assessment Committee, 1990-1992, 1996-1998 (Chair).
Undergraduate Curriculum Committee, 1988-1990.
Graduate-Undergraduate Committee, 1988-1990.
Honors and Awards Committee, 1987-1988.
Editor, Northwest Indiana Business Conditions, 1992-1992.

D. Other

Indiana University Faculty Leadership Institute, 1998.
Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching, 1990-present.
Indiana University Conference on the Relationship Between General Education   
     and Professional Education, 1990.

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Member, Board of Directors, Indiana High Speed Rail Association, 1998-present.
Chair, Task Force on Educational Issues, Northwest Indiana Forum Winning
     Communities Project, 1998-1999.
Member, Task Force on Economic Development, Northwest Indiana Forum 
     Winning Communities Project, 1998-1999.
Session Organizer, three sessions on Current Issues in Teaching Economics, 
     Western Economic Association Meetings, July, 1998.
Referee, Journal of Economic Education, Quarterly Journal of Business, and 
     Growth and Change.
Review of The Business of Major League Baseball (by Gerald W. Scully), in 
     Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 43, No. 5 (July, 1990).
Review of The Conflict Between Equilibrium and Disequilibrium Theories: The
     Case of the U.S. Labor Market (by Richard E. Quandt and Harvey S. Rosen),
     in Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Vol. 43, No. 1 (October, 1989).
Review of Cities in Transition (by T. Stanback and T. Noyelle), in Growth and 
     Change, Vol. 15, N0. 2 (April, 1984).
Chair, Statistical Analysis Committee, Society for American Baseball Research, 
     and Editor, By the Numbers (the Committee’s newsletter), 1989-1993.

Information on consulting activities available on request.

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