The Four Skills News Project is an example of communicative language learning, developed for final year German students at the University of Liverpool. It focuses on how students use and practise their reading, writing, listening and speaking skills via the creative use of news reports and digital technology. Each student creates an avatar using…

"Transition from school to work" courses are an excellent way to help fourth-year university students as they complete their studies and prepare for the world of work. In this paper we present "The Bases of Competence" (Evers, Rush, & Berdrow, 1998), a model of the advanced skills used by university graduates in the…

Reviews the practice of holding exit interviews with graduating psychology students at Loyola University (Louisiana). Discusses the benefits and limitations of exit interviews, stating that they provide unique data unavailable from other sources. (GEA)

A survey of the best in event ideas, settings, and themes for alumni programs is discussed. Traveling reunions at Greenhill School, a private screening of "Ghostbusters II," morning breakfasts of alumni at Purdue University, are among those described. Capturing the attention of graduating seniors before they leave campus is advocated. (MLW)

The speech communication unit of the Department of Communications at the University of South Carolina at Aiken uses an exit interview to obtain students' evaluations of their educational experiences, to assess students' understanding of core concepts, and to evaluate the quality of students' communication skills. The three-member speech…

Ways to establish a senior class gift and pledge program are discussed. Senior gift campaigns solicit an out-right cash gift, collected before graduation. Pledge programs can run anywhere from a 1-year commitment, to a 25-year commitment. (MLW)

A study by Andrew M. Greeley and Joe Spaeth in 1972 that offered clues about why people support higher education institutions was used by Brown University to improve their alumni program. A survey of Brown's seniors provides data on student attitudes about Brown and their involvement as alumni.

Senior seminars established at St. Mary's College (Maryland) as capstone courses for majors are intended to offer an interdisciplinary perspective and enable students to demonstrate mastery of skills. Assignments typically include writing a major paper, conducting a research project, or leading a class discussion. (MSE)

Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) graduates are known to be well-educated and capable, so the career center focuses more closely on finding the right job fit for graduates than on just finding jobs. Program components include an expanded staff, access to a database of alumni contacts, seminars on job searches and networking, resume reviews, and…

Examines the concerns of Kalamazoo College (Michigan) seniors about job security as they approach graduation. Many of the liberal arts school's students seek security over financial success. Kalamazoo programs help prepare graduates with off-campus work experience and exposure to career options. (MSE)

Reports on a program that gives college seniors in a public relations curriculum needed professional experience by assigning them to work with professionals in a nearby city. (RL)

Activities are described that illustrate the ways new emphases on structure, liberal arts curriculum, attention to basic skills, a global approach, four-year study courses, and non-lecture pedagogy are being incorporated into college curricula across the country. An opening essay ("The General Education Reform: Accomplishments and Future Agenda")…

Six undergraduate humanities courses and programs with a variety of structures and focuses are described, and sources of further information are given. (MSE)

The Jackson State University Critical Thinking and Outcome Measures Program, whose academic focus is curriculum reform, is described in this report. The program guides students in developing the skills to think critically, to reason clearly, to express their thoughts cogently, to value open and thoughtful dialogue, and to be receptive to the free…

The use of cognitive social learning theory to help students plan independent study projects is examined and illustrated in the context of a Manchester Metropolitan University (England) senior project program. The theoretical model drawn from the theory focuses on self-regulated learning, and its application emphasizes students' development of…