Survey responses from 47 of 49 Illinois community colleges and interviews with 20 staff show that the predominant approach to academic-vocational integration is applied academics. Less evident are multidisciplinary courses, linked or cluster courses, and learning communities. Many barriers result from the long-standing separation of vocational and…

This paper describes the Orange Plan, a learning support system at Orange Coast College (California) which creates alternatives to traditional educational experiences. The Orange Plan is composed of four subsystems: (1) learning contracts, (2) information systems, (3) resource consultants, and (4) interdisciplinary studies courses. Each subsystem…

Established in 1966, in an era of educational creativity, Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) has consistently fostered innovation in instruction and programming and a student-centered approach to education. In 1976, in recognition of a need for change fostered by a switch in academic calendars, loss of vetarans enrollment, reduced state funding,…

BASIC TO THIS STUDY WAS THE ASSUMPTION THAT, IF ACQUAINTANCE WITH SOCIAL SCIENCE CONTENT AND METHODOLOGY IS OF ANY VALUE, ALL JUNIOR COLLEGE STUDENTS SHOULD STUDY THE SOCIAL SCIENCES. TO LEARN HOW JUNIOR COLLEGES WERE PROVIDING SUCH COURSES FOR TERMINAL STUDENTS, THE AUTHOR VISITED 25 COLLEGES, WHERE HE INTERVIEWED FACULTY, VISITED CLASSES, AND…

At Norwalk Community College in Norwalk, Connecticut, a small group of faculty created three interdisciplinary courses with the belief that they would assist students in developing more finely honed critical thinking skills. One course is in the hard sciences, another in the social sciences, and another in the humanities. This paper discusses the…

This paper details the benefits of interdisciplinary studies, with particular focus on the Humanities Enrichment Program at the Community College of Philadelphia. The program uses a team-teaching, linked-course paradigm. Two courses from different disciplines are aligned, and faculty from each discipline teach the linked courses as humanities…

This descriptive and evaluative report focuses on the work of Reading Area Community College's (RACC's) Basic Skills Articulation Team in developing a Basic Skills Integration Plan (BSIP) for the systematic integration of basic skills instruction into the college curriculum. Section A provides an introduction to the creation and activities of the…

Following a review of the mathematics topics taught in accounting, electronics, auto, food and clothing, and metals courses at Linn-Benton Community College, Albany, Oregon, recommendations were made to grant one semester of mathematics credit for completing a two-year sequence of these courses. The other required semester of mathematics should be…

This paper recounts development of a community college humanities course titled Human Rights/Human Wrongs: The History, Philosophy, Law, Art, and Literature of the Human Rights Movement. The author argues that a special focus, interdisciplinary course provides a broader base for exploring and understanding most of the pressing issues of our time.…

Arguing that a successful general education program depends upon an integrated curriculum, this paper urges community colleges to take a strong leadership role in developing a curriculum that is consistent with historical, cultural, and biological realities. After underscoring the need for interdisciplinary education, the paper provides a…

Describes Sacramento City College's Higher Education Learning Package (HELP), which integrates reading, writing, study skills, and content instruction within the regular classroom to improve basic skills and personal development of nontraditional, high-risk students. Considers the HELP program's team-teaching approach, three-phase implementation…

As part of a statewide staff development grant, Chemeketa Community College, in Oregon, makes funding available to faculty to participate in interdisciplinary internships for applied academics. Stipends of $1,000 are available per term, while preference is given to proposals that create new course links, connect technical professional instruction…

This digest discusses the rationale for integrating academic and occupational education. It describes models for, and barriers to, integration, and offers suggestions for advancing integration efforts. Integration of academic and occupational education reinforces the shifting paradigm from teaching to learning and requires that students become…

The past and current condition of general education in the two-year college is examined in this four-part monograph. Part 1 reviews the history of general education, tracing its roots in the European tradition of liberal education from Greco-Roman antiquity to the end of the 19th century in America. In addition, the 20th century general education…

Suggests that both general and developmental education focus on such preparatory skills as communicating effectively and thinking critically. Describes current approaches combining general and developmental education. Explains the mechanics of cross-over teaching between the two domains. (PAA)