In this book, the authors bring together in one place essential information about college students in the US in the 21st century. Synthesizing existing research and theory, they present an introduction to studying student characteristics, college choice and enrollment patterns, institutional types and environments, student learning, persistence,…

This practical guide to outcomes-based assessment in student affairs is designed to help readers meet the growing demand for accountability and for demonstrating student learning. The authors offer a framework for implementing the assessment of student learning and development and pragmatic advice on the strategies most appropriate for the…

This book presents the results and implications of a major new national study exploring the effects of institutional racial composition on African American students' development and their educational outcomes, taking into account individuals' background characteristics, their perceptions of the institutional environment, and their experiences in…

This book fills a significant void in the research on ethnic minority cultural centers, offers the historic background to their establishment and development, considers the circumstances that led to their creation, examines the roles they play on campus, explores their impact on retention and campus climate, and provides guidelines for their…

The results of several cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of students at liberal arts colleges and other postsecondary institutions are reported to demonstrate that liberal arts education has beneficial effects not produced by any other kind of training. Chapters include: approaches to evaluating liberal education; measuring cognitive,…

The intent of a recent study was to extend earlier studies on college environments into the 1970's by examining the impacts of various aspects of the academic environment at 12 California colleges and universities. The effects are investigated of several aspects of the college environment on students' satisfaction with the college experience,…

Princeton University graduates of the class of 1954 were interviewed to determine what aspects of their undergraduate education they value and how their undergraduate years may have enriched their lives. The author, a professor of psychology at Princeton from 1950-1954, interviewed 32 of his former advisees 25 years after their graduation. The…