A study of black college students to assess whether they are better served by predominantly black colleges or by integrated, predominantly white colleges is discussed. About 3,000 freshmen and seniors at eight predominantly white and seven predominantly black colleges were studied in four states with different social mores and attitudes toward…

Perspectives of academic staff who have been involved in teaching externally are presented in three papers. In "Teaching Students Externally: The First Twelve Years," Frank Molloy examines three aspects of teaching by the external mode: preparing materials, making assignments, and providing educational experiences for students at the…

Progress toward the full participation of minorities in higher education during the past three decades is reviewed. Attention is directed to: the potential pool of qualified high school graduates who could enter postsecondary education; the participation and enrollment rates of minorities; factors related to retention and success in undergraduate…

In the summer of 1979, Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) introduced the PLATO computer-based individualized instruction system as a supplemental teaching tool in remedial English and mathematics courses. As part of a comprehensive evaluation of the system, surveys of the attitudes of students, faculty, and administrators towards PLATO were…

Nonnative English speaking college students often find themselves in a remedial course along with native speakers of English who are there on the basis of their high school performance. To determine how well the nonnative student can write, the English teacher could give a two-part diagnostic test. The first part of the test would assess the…

Perspectives on testing and grading are considered; and strategies, reference materials, and sample test items are presented. Attention is directed to specific impacts of testing and grading on students and teachers, purposes of testing and grading, and common complaints of students and teachers. Extra activities proposed for the teacher include…

Characteristics of outstanding faculty are considered, based on descriptions provided by 46 University of North Dakota students who were nominated for the university's 1982 Outstanding Teacher Awards. Based on descriptions in the students' own words, 124 separate characteristics were identified, and categorized as follows: teacher-student…

The term "value added" refers to the assessment of the amount of learning that takes place during the college years. Two experiments, Value Added I and Value Added II, attempted to measure college students' attainment of eight liberal education objectives: (1) writing ability; (2) analytical ability; (3) sensitivity to ethics, morals,…

A history of the University of Kentucky Community College System (UKCCS) begins this presentation and analysis of data on UKCCS enrollment, instructional programs, financial support, and student characteristics. Section 1 looks at fall 1981 headcount enrollments for each of the 14 UKCCS campuses in terms of distribution by enrollment status,…

The personal adjustment of gifted and normal college students was compared, and the effects of different educational programs for the gifted were assessed. Sixty-three males and 61 females who had been identified as gifted during elementary or junior high school by the California public schools were divided into three groups based on the degree of…

Highlights are presented from 10 critical papers prepared by a panel of experts to describe the relevance of the Statewide Longitudinal Study (SLS) of California community college (CCC) students to each panelist's area of expertise, to identify policy issues or considerations related to SLS data, and to prepare recommendations. The paper begins by…

Oakes College at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) is a residential liberal arts college for individuals from minority groups, "new students" who are from poverty backgrounds or are the first in their families to go to college, and women re-entering school. These students are more likely to need remedial or tutorial help…

As part of its continuous planning and evaluation process, Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) surveyed a sample of day and evening students (N=8,018) from throughout the district regarding the functions, services, and facilities of the school. The survey solicited information on students' characteristics, reasons for attending MATC, prior…

During the spring semester, 1982, a study was conducted at Queensborough Community College (QCC) to determine the characteristics, course preferences, and academic performance of non-degree students, that is, the 18% (N=2,133) of the total student body (N=11,800) without a declared curriculum. The study showed that the mean age of the non-degree…

Projects involving students more directly in research, evaluation, and teaching in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota are described in this newsletter issue. Results of the projects seem to underscore the role that student-faculty relationships play in the growth and development of college students. It is suggested that with more student…