Reports on the growth and effectiveness of community colleges, identifying 11 trends including increasing diversity, increasing demands for accountability, and increasing partnerships with businesses and other educational sectors. Stresses the importance of the community-college activities professional in such areas as recruitment, orientation,…

Student activities professionals must determine whether students' wants are also true needs. A six-step needs assessment method modified from Kaufman's method is presented, and ways to conduct a needs assessment are identified. (MLW)

A review of changes in campus recreational activities in the past three decades looks at the emerging artists, the kinds of performers they were and their messages to students, and the social, political, and economic forces shaping their popularity. (MSE)

Changing demographics on college campuses have called for corresponding changes and re-evaluations in campus activities programing. Program boards increasingly find themselves dealing with "alternative" programing. Some ideas for programing are presented. (MLW)

A short history of the National Association for Campus Activities from the viewpoint of an entertainment professional who is also an associate member representative is presented. Changes over time have included performers managing and booking themselves; rise of professionalism; specialization and image building; and arrival of the full-service…

Describes St. Louis College-Meramec's campus activities budgeting process as a guide for other community colleges. The process involves only two meetings and occurs at the end of each school year to minimize problems associated with student turnover. Explains before-meeting, first meeting, and second meeting activities and rules and offers…

Four or five events together constitute a lively arts 'series'. Ways to make a college series a success are discussed, covering: goal setting, the talent, and promotion. The usual series range from four to six performances and allows a season ticket holder to experience varied selections of performing arts attraction. (MLW)

In a speech to campus activities planners, a student affairs professional proposed that his colleagues must become involved in organizational politics, learning about the alliances between and among individuals and groups on campus and following specific procedural and interpersonal guidelines in engaging in a political battle. (MSE)

Resource conservation and recycling on college campuses is a growing trend and should be considered a campus service, with adequate tools for success. Students should be involved both in implementing the program and in raising awareness within the campus community. The effort can be linked to academic disciplines, including political science,…

ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center), a national database funded by the U.S. Department of Education to collect and analyze literature on all areas of education and education-related fields, is described. Samples of student activities literature found in a search of ERIC are provided, along with a list of database vendors. (MLW)

The revolution taking place on college campuses arises from the increasing enrollment of nontraditional students: minority, women, and older, returning students. It will be impossible to ignore them or assimilate them into the traditional white, middle-class orientation of colleges and universities. Issues in student programming are discussed.…

A sampling of entertainment and service programs provided by colleges and universities specifically to fill the needs of the growing adult student population illustrates the range of possibilities for creative programing. Ideas discussed include child care, programs for seniors and children, professional entertainment, and various support…

The design and rationale for the University of South Carolina's required credit-bearing freshman orientation course are described, and ways in which the course offering could be made better are discussed. (MSE)

One means of addressing the need for student leadership education is the weekend retreat. Putting together a successful retreat experience involves assessing the needs of the target group and evaluating resources available; developing ownership and advocacy for the retreat; establishing learning outcomes; designing the format; and implementing the…

Student activities programs are usually dependent on teams of students and advisers. Theory, potential outcomes, basic steps, and resources for team-building are introduced, and improving output potential, basic steps in team-building, and giving and receiving feedback are discussed. (MLW)