The word "idea" assumed special meaning in composition studies when Stephen M. North, in "The Idea of a Writing Center," showed how an idea can evoke and ignite intense expectations and aversions surrounding literacy instruction. In particular, North lamented the "false sense of knowing" that made getting a message through (in this case, about…

In 1990 Helon Howell Raines published "Is There a Writing Program in This College? Two Hundred and Thirty-Six Two-Year Schools Respond," in which she reported on her study, via survey and eight follow-up telephone interviews, of two-year college writing programs across the country. Raines asked questions about departmental and institutional…

Analyzes six junior college catalogs for informational accuracy about curriculum offerings, concluding that the catalogs contain misleading language. (RB)

Outlines the eight-step program used at Emanuel County Junior College, Swainsboro, Georgia, to prepare students for the Board of Regents' competency test in reading and writing. (RB)

Argues for a continuing focus on writing across the curriculum. Explores one community college which encouraged writing across the curriculum through a cross-curricular committee, staff development, and a common book program. Concludes that a single writing teacher or department cannot promote writing as well as such a unified effort can. (SG)

Describes a peer method of teaching writing at Nassau Community College in Garden City, New York. (RB)

Focuses on how writing center directors can use the resource of peer tutors and discusses the rationale for, the selection of, and the evaluation of tutor applicants. (AEA)

Describes several diagnostic tools used to determine specific problems of students referred to a writing lab, including structured interviews, protocols (asking a student to compose aloud for 15 to 20 minutes on a short topic), and back-pedaling (questioning what a student already knows about a given topic). (AEA)

Discusses a managerial training course which uses concepts from literature to illustrate interpersonal attributes. Describes four activities to aid course participants in developing and applying managerial skills. (RS)

Describes a freshman composition course which was broadcast twice weekly over a local cable television service. Notes that despite technical problems and complicated recordkeeping procedures, the instructors found that students improved their writing skills as much as their counterparts in traditional classes. Notes that a large number of highly…

Explores issues, problems, and procedures involved in large English departments which use portfolio assessment and where part-timers and full-timers need to collaborate in this process. Offers recommendations involving the relationship of part-time and full-time teachers in such programs. (SR)

Describes an innovative curriculum project at Piedmont Community College in North Carolina called CONCUR, which designed classes specifically for developmental students, applying the principles of contextual learning by creating the context of a publishing company. Discusses motivation, grading, the reading workshop, providing books, pages…

Reviews the importance of assessment in placing students in two-year college composition courses and describes the development of the objective English Qualifying Examination used at Northern Virginia Community College. Includes sample test items. (MKM)

Provides an overview of the individualized English program used at American River College in Sacramento, California. Includes a bibliography of texts used. (HOD)