Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York, is a leader in the learning community movement. The college, which has run learning communities for many years and has a long history of implementing innovative programs for its students, is one of six colleges participating in the National Center for Postsecondary Research's Learning…

Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, New York, is a leader in the learning community movement. The college, which has run learning communities for many years and has a long history of implementing innovative programs for its students, is one of six colleges participating in the National Center for Postsecondary Research's Learning…

This series of Junior College Resource Reviews focuses on the community college's role in literacy development. After Roger Yarrington's overview of the topic, Robert McCabe and Susan Skidmore consider "The Literacy Crisis and American Education." In light of the changing nature of work and the severe decline in the communication skills of youth,…

Although general education is supported philosophically by local institutions and by the state and national governments, students in Vocational, Technical, and Adult Education (VTAE) systems often express doubts about the usefulness and relevance of required general education courses. Frequently, conflict between general education instructors and…

This digest defines interdisciplinary courses, presents the benefits and challenges of offering them in the community college, and describes six existing interdisciplinary courses at community colleges around the country. Interdisciplinary courses are characterized by the following: they tend to be highly innovative; they incorporate concepts and…

In spring 1984, a study was conducted at Sacramento City College (SCC) to explore whether students' reading and study skills improved after participation in an "adjunct" skills course (i.e., a team-taught course which presents reading, writing, and study skills education within the context of a regular college course). The study focused on 38…

The Higher Education Learning Package (HELP) program at Sacramento City--an interdisciplinary approach to basic skill development for high-risk, nontraditional students--has four goals: (1) promotion of student retention at the community college through cognitive and attitudinal development, (2) personal development of students through a…

A study was conducted to examine the effect of Miami-Dade Community College's Intercurricular Studies Division on the level of self-actualization of students participating in the program. The two-semester program emphasized development of the student as a total person: first semester courses utilized the concept of "self" as an…

Describes La Guardia Community College's interdisciplinary approach to the teaching of critical thinking, focusing on the program's impact on literacy, reasoning, problem solving, and critical attitudes. Presents guidelines for integrating critical thinking. Discusses the importance of professional development to encourage curricular changes,…

In response to the academic needs revealed by students' reading scores and faculty perceptions of students' skill deficiencies, Sacramento City College (SCC) developed two programs of integrated skills and content instruction. Using a team-teaching format, the HELP (Higher Education Learning Package) and Adjunct programs seek improvement of…

In fall 1996, a learning community (LC) involving a biology, a philosophy, and an English composition course was conducted at the Superstition Mountain campus of Central Arizona College. Entitled "Brave New World," the LC met the syllabi-required outcomes for the three courses, while also concentrating on environmental, political,…

Over the past decade, faculty in the Humanities department at Raritan Valley Community College, in New Jersey, have developed two interdisciplinary, team-taught courses organized on a thematic basis. To determine student and faculty perceptions of these courses, the college distributed questionnaires to students in one of the courses, conducted…

Solano Community College (SCC) undertook its first effort to link college composition to content area classes in 1989-90, without team teaching. All students in a particular composition class were also enrolled in a designated biology or history section. This "scotch-taping" of classes resulted in several drawbacks. Instructors spent…

Focusing on innovations in workforce preparation and emerging practices in community colleges, this report examines tech prep programs and efforts to integrate academic and vocational education. Following an executive summary and introduction, section 1 outlines federal initiatives and other sources of support for innovation in workforce…

In an effort to promote personal growth in an increasingly de-personalized society, an interdisciplinary humanities course, focusing on the needs of career students, was developed at Hagerstown Junior College (Maryland). The course, "The Arts: A Creative Synthesis", combines art, drama, and music with the intention of introducing…