The use of focus groups to assess existing college student leadership efforts and as a step in developing better programs is examined. Procedures include assembling a planning team, identifying information needs, determining the composition of focus groups, soliciting and training volunteers, and using focus group results to design a program. (MSE)

Reviews the literature and the recent history of student participation in college and university governance. Presents data from studies attempting to assess the nature and extent of such participation and examines learning opportunities in student participation. Suggests ideas and models for thinking about participation in the future. (RJM)

An overview of the development and evaluation of an early alert procedure for identifying and assisting students experiencing academic difficulty at Irvine Valley College (IVC), in California, is provided in this report. The first section introduces IVC's new personal computer-based Early Alert Retention System (EARS) software, as well as the…