When U.S. English learners (ELs) attend college, they are more likely to enroll in 2-year community colleges than in 4-year colleges. Prior research points to the tension between English as a second language (ESL) programs providing support to ELs and lengthy ESL programs acting as barriers to ELs seeking access to mainstream college coursework.…

This study argues for the importance of analyzing individual students' responses to writing instruction in crafting histories of the field of rhetoric and composition. I engage in an archival study of student writing at the University of Kansas during the turn from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, specifically through a genre-based local…

This article reports the development of a "course trailer" video series that communicates the professional and academic value of general education courses' core competencies and describes the results of a survey measuring the impact of those videos on student perception. Although general education programs represent a staple of U.S.…

Journalism education may be at a tipping point. It is unclear, however, what new form curricula might take. Through an analysis of individual course titles and descriptions that appeared in the 2013-2014 undergraduate catalogs of 68 selected universities, this exploratory study finds that most departments/schools are not offering classes that…

Using multilevel modeling, moral reasoning was investigated with respect to individual characteristics and school-related (i.e. university/college) factors. Researchers observed significant effects for the individual characteristic of political orientation. Additionally, all investigated school-related factors were significant. Only main effects…

The movement incorporating sustainability into the academic mission of higher education has grown quickly in the last few decades. At the same time, vast interpretations of sustainability exist as institutions work to incorporate it into the curriculum. Therefore, using interviews with 42 individuals and observations of 67 courses, this study…

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…

Given the downturn in Information Systems (IS) program enrollments, IS departments housed within schools of business are justifiably concerned about attracting more students into their programs. While some reasons for the downturn may be beyond the control of the academic community, it has been argued that IS programs are suffering, in part,…

Over the past three decades, researchers have studied doctoral research training programs using large scale surveys making visible trends in numbers of and kinds of research courses required, or using focused qualitative methods to gain rich, textured accounts of graduate school experiences. Both kinds of studies fail to capture the local,…

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…

The writing of college catalog course descriptions in behavioral terms is urged, and examples of such descriptions are offered. (MJB)

It is argued that most course descriptions in college catalogs say little and tend to be unintentionally deceiving. An alternative is suggested that employs a combination of reference numbers and limited text allowing the reader to determine key elements of the course such as instructional modes and arrangements, and singular features and…

The colloquium reported in this document was conducted as part of the assessment process of the University of Central Texas in an attempt to suggest qualities for effective syllabi. The colloquium resulted from a student perception survey conducted by the university in fall 1989 which indicated non-congruence between what was stated in the…

Foreign language teachers' catalog course descriptions are criticized for using inappropriate arguments for them and for not clearly articulating the need for language study. These arguments favoring language study are categorized as sociopolitical, instrumental, and cognitive, and are examined individually. (MSE)

The importance of defining the college experience in specific terms in publications for prospective students is discussed. The academic area is the most vital to describe, since college work differs greatly from high school in the emphases on academic diversity, self-initiative, and study outside the classroom. Publications should describe…