This brief seeks to serve as a clarion call for all educators and policymakers who believe higher education is a viable pathway to socioeconomic prosperity and eradicating centuries of generational poverty for Black people residing in the U.S. Despite the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which marked the end of de jure segregation in the…

Researchers Barbara Gault, Elizabeth Noll, and Lindsey Reichlin, from the Institute for Women's Policy Research (DC), assess the unique needs of community college students who are also parents. The majority of students with children attend community college. Single parents, the majority of whom are mothers, are more likely to work fulltime and…

Policymakers and educators are increasingly expressing concerns that the U.S. is lagging behind other countries in educating the next generation of mathematicians and scientists. In response, the federal government, private foundations, and many "institutions of higher education" (IHEs) are encouraging STEM (science, technology,…

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) documents dimensions of quality in undergraduate education and provides information and assistance to colleges, universities, and other organizations to improve student learning. Its primary activity is annually surveying college students to assess the extent to which they engage in educational…

College leaders are cracking down on illegal and destructive behavior by fraternities and other campus groups. In establishing and implementing policy, trustees and presidents should collect data on how Greek life affects education, focus on campus physical conditions, reward appropriate behavior and punish destructive behavior, encourage student…

Presents a typology of quality-assurance systems for higher education and evaluates the alternatives. Argues that total quality management strategies are best suited to higher education's purpose because the model is internal to the delivery of the service, continuous, and process-oriented, but notes, however, that there are deep, often…

A discussion of academic freedom and university autonomy in Africa first looks at the concept and social utility of those two attributes, and the operational conditions for their realization, then examines the general conditions under which African intellectuals work and the specific situation of academic freedom. Several directions for the future…

This is a report of the National Advisory Groups of Sigma Xi to explore the nature and quality of undergraduate education in science, mathematics, and engineering and to identify the significant topics and issues that should be addressed in charting a policy for undergraduate education. The topics identified are: (1) "Quality of Instruction"…

In response to widespread frustration over faculty salary negotiations, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) linked faculty salaries to changes in its financial resources. The policy united the entire college community and paid dividends in many ways. Faculty have become more directly involved in fundraising and recruitment activities, and in the…

The Success Project was initiated by the San Diego Community College District in 1985 to improve remedial instruction and support services, increase faculty participation in instructional decision making, and provide a means for following up on decisions. In the first year, task forces on instructional assessment, student assessment, remediation,…

Designed for community colleges that wish to improve their accreditation self-studies, strategic planning, and program reviews by gathering information about students and their learning outcomes, this working paper presents a bank of questionnaire items focusing on student and college outcomes. The item bank is organized into five major…

A project at Stanford University Medical School (California) was undertaken to train students to deal effectively with sexism and to promote change by increasing sensitivity of university leaders. Training involved sexual harassment workshops for medical students and faculty, and leadership retreats for deans and chairpersons. Five workshops were…

Eckerd College overcame its financial and enrollment problems through a comprehensive strategy involving creation of a multigenerational learning community, improvement of the overall college environment for education, generation of substantial revenues from new sources, and reduction of expenditures. (MSE)

This paper reviews the issues facing trustees of liberal arts colleges, including such external challenges as ideological criticism, college costs, national economic trends, and competition from other types of institutions. Trustees are urged to address such issues as external criticism of the institution, concerns of students and parents about…