Five positions on the nature and purpose of basic studies in the college curriculum are considered. The five positions are summarized as follows: (1) to develop essential skills; (2) to introduce students to disciplines of knowledge; (3) to introduce students to the basic modes of thinking or ways of knowing; (4) to develop understanding and…

Basic writing (BW) programs and teachers are often victims of the various political systems of academia. Administrators seldom devote energy or funds to BW programs and expend little effort to secure qualified faculty for them. BW courses are most frequently taught by part-time faculty, largely in unsupervised situations and without a common…

Despite the fact that, of all the 50 states, Utah has the highest percentage of state and local government expenditures for education and the highest proportion of adults who have graduated from high school, one out of every five adults in Utah lacks basic literacy skills. At present, the following adult literacy programs offer instruction in…