Institutions of higher education ultimately aim to deliver a quality education to students and help their students succeed while at their institution, and beyond. However, despite the emphasis academic administrators place on student success, the foundational elements of running an institution--academic operations--are often overlooked. While…

ACTA's What Will They Learn?® (WWTL) project is designed to help students choose the best college or university for them. The printed report and its online companion WhatWillTheyLearn.com represent the only assessment of U.S. colleges and universities that focuses on what schools are actually teaching. This report assigns grades to over 1,130…

"What Will They Learn?" has been documenting for the last 13 years the crisis of weak core curriculum requirements. In addition to helping students choose the right college for the right reasons, American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) works with college and university leaders on campuses around the country to strengthen curricula…

In this 12th edition of its flagship annual survey of college general education curricula, "What Will They Learn?," American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) shines a light on the wide disparity in academic standards at institutions of higher learning across the country. "What Will They Learn?" reviews the core curricula…

In the United States, colleges and universities have traditionally undertaken the important task of preparing citizens to participate fully and effectively in the civic, political, and economic spheres of the republican system. They have done so by joining a general education curriculum--common to all students--to an area of specialized knowledge,…

Ten years ago, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) gathered data on 100 colleges from the U.S. News & World Report's annual list of "Best Colleges and Universities." ACTA questioned whether these elite institutions were requiring their students to take rigorous, college-level courses in the core areas crucial for…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a curriculum for college developmental writing classes, developed in prior design research and based on self-regulated strategy instruction. Students learned strategies for planning, drafting, and revising compositions with an emphasis on using knowledge of genre organization to guide…

Internships for academic credit serve as a joint venture between the university and the business communities, helping both groups meet their organizational objectives. Businesses gain qualified, temporary workers with verifiable skills for specific job needs. Administered properly, the academic credit does not merely certify on-the-job training,…

The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has released "What Will They Learn? 2012-13," the fourth edition, evaluating the general education requirements at 1,070 colleges and universities. Unlike other college rankings, ACTA does not consider an institution's wealth, prestige, or popularity. Rather, ACTA rates institutions…

What does it mean to be a college graduate? One knows about the time and ever-increasing amount of money that a diploma demands. But when it comes down to what matters--the skills and knowledge acquired--what does a college degree mean? That is the question the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) answers in this book. Inside one will…

The crisis in higher education is about more than money. It is about what one has been paying for, paying for dearly. The public, even in these hard times, supports higher education with its tax dollars. And families make huge sacrifices to send their sons and daughters to college. They deserve in return higher education that provides real…

Based on a survey of master's level nurse practitioner (NP) educational programs, this report presents data on: (1) types of programs and their characteristics; (2) programs by NP role preparation (single track, dual track, or combined NP/clinical nurse specialist); (3) course content areas included in core master's and clinical (didactic and/or…

Describes the findings of a study of Native American Studies in the State University of New York Community College System. Details information on specific courses offered and their enrollments; coverage of Native American topics in broader courses; and reasons for lack of courses. Includes the questionnaire. (WL)

Information is gathered to determine to what extent non-credit instructional activities at State University of New York (SUNY) institutions, particularly at the community college level, has increased. This report summarizes the responses of SUNY constituent institutions to the biannual survey of Non-Credit Instructional Activities and…

Between October 1982 and May 1983, a survey was conducted to study educational practices across Canada with regard to the general education component of community college programs and to ascertain the opinions of faculty and administrators about what these practices should be. By means of a questionnaire mailed to a stratified cluster sample of…