Discussions of the barriers to completion in community colleges have largely focused on student success in introductory college-level math and English courses, and rightfully so, since these courses are typically required for degrees. However, there is a much broader range of courses that also serve as "gatekeepers" in the sense that they are…

This article presents findings from a qualitative study examining the similarities and differences between American Indian/Alaska Native student perceptions and the perceptions of state representatives, university presidents, and faculty about persistence factors and barriers to degree completion specific to American Indian/Alaska Native students…

In 1989, a two-year study was completed comparing the academic progress of community college transfers, senior college transfers, and continuing juniors (natives) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). The study samples were comprised of 673 former community college students and 393 senior college transfers who entered UIUC in…

The report offers a comparison of instruction time for beginning languages at St. Olaf College (Minnesota) and 17 other colleges and universities, and concludes with recommendations for curricular change at St. Olaf College. Contact hours ranged from 80 hours (St. Olaf) to 171 hours. The study was undertaken in response to faculty concern that not…

This study used publicly available information to identify institutional controllable variables that influence graduation rate and to group colleges using these factors. The dependent variable for the correlation analysis was the six-year graduation rate of the fall 1993 freshman cohort (as reported by US News and World Report) at more than 1,400…

This publication summarizes the responses of the State University of New York constituent institutions to the 1991 Attrition/Retention Survey (91-10) administered by the Central Office of Institutional Research. It includes racial/ethnic detail and partial history of later cohorts as of fall 1991 along with trends in attrition and retention of…

Problems inherent in the holistic scoring of essay examinations written by limited-English-speakers are examined, particularly in the context of one California state college in which English writing skills, holistically assessed, are required for graduation. These problems include lack of interrater reliability, raters' perceptions of their role,…

The growth in enrollments of hearing-impaired students at colleges and universities indicates that the issue of accessibility is being addressed; however, it is not clear whether institutions have made adequate accommodations to meet the communicative and educational handicaps imposed by severe to profound hearing impairment. A survey was…

This study explores data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a tool for assessing and benchmarking the performance of public research universities. Using of national databases such as those conducted by the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Education Statistics, DEA analysis was conducted of the research and instructional outcomes…

The question of how to best prepare nurses for practice continues to be debated extensively. The crux of the debate is whether a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) should be required of all registered nurses in the United States or whether an associate degree in nursing (ADN) and diploma programs adequately prepare novice nurses for practice.…