The land-grant colleges and universities of the United States, established by the provisions of the land-grant act of 1862, receive from this and other land-grant acts, as well as from the second Morrill Act of 1890 and the Nelson amendment of 1907, Federal funds for instruction, administration, and permanent improvements in the institutions. This…

A study of minority graduate student needs at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) found three areas needing improvement: (1) recruiting efforts; (2) social support; and (3) cultural environment. A mentoring program was then designed to address these needs by providing a personal and academic support network for minority students,…

This study, part of a larger project on doctoral student attrition, presents an in-depth account of the educational experiences of three doctoral students who dropped out. The students, a woman in sociology who left after the first year, a man in psychology who completed all but a dissertation, and a woman in Art History who left after four years…

This study explores the dynamics and effects of mentoring relationships, with particular emphasis on the experiences of women and minorities as proteges. It draws upon quantitative and qualitative data gathered from a survey of 587 academic scientists and interviews with 55 academic scientists, in 3 disciplinary areas: physics and astronomy,…

This guide is designed to help adult students survive and succeed in their college studies. Its 15 chapters contain practical advice on the following topics: obtaining the help available to adult students, confronting and overcoming fears and concerns, enrolling in a program and financing its costs, getting acquainted with the campus during…

This study examined how high-achieving Latino college students perceive the receptivity of their institutions to a Latino presence on campus. The multi-institutional study had the prime objective of identifying areas for institutional improvement and increasing awareness by college administrators of specific campus climate issues facing talented…

The mattering scales are designed to assess the perceptions of adult learners about their educational environment. They answer these questions: Do I feel I matter to the institution? and Do I feel noticed, appreciated, welcomed? To determine the extent to which adult learners feel they matter, five scales are designed to assess their perceptions…

This booklet presents questions that can be used by a college or university task force looking at the freshman year experience and/or the broader undergraduate experience. It can also be utilized to aid the process of campus self-study or assessment. The questions are arranged under three major headings: (1) Campus Policies, Processes, and…

Seven articles on higher education research and development are presented, including a review of higher education research pertaining to equality of opportunity and accountability. Remaining articles cover the following: an evaluation of college-level student services in Australia; perceptions of academic scientists, employers, graduates and…

Of all challenges facing open-door community colleges, none is more important than the need to renew and improve teaching quality in order to accommodate increasingly diversified student populations. Several policies have been particularly helpful to open-door institutions in improving student retention and achievement, including the following:…

This report presents results of a survey of U.S. postsecondary institutions with agriculture and natural resources programs, concerning institutional support for reentry orientation and alumni networking programs. Reentry orientation" involves programs that help international students become aware of the adjustment aspects of returning home,…

A strategy to improve retention and graduation rates of culturally-diverse students in postsecondary settings is described, along with a framework for counselors and educators working with these students. A guided studies seminar in psychological education utilizes a highly-structured educational program and emphasizes the Deliberate Psychological…

The dynamics of responses of white colleges to increased black enrollment were investigated during 1974 and 1975. Interracial teams first undertook field work at 13 colleges and universities that experienced a substantial increase in black enrollments between 1968 and 1972, and students, faculty, and administrators at 4 of the 13 institutions were…

A student attrition research methodology and results of attrition research at Barber-Scotia College are examined. Questionnaire responses from 137 students indicated the degree of student satisfaction with academic and social services provided by the college. Data are presented on student enrollments by class during 1970-1980, and on student…

Attitudes and perceptions of Old Dominion University students regarding the desegregation controversy and the university environment were surveyed. The study sample consisted of 363 whites and 136 blacks: about 1 out of 20 full-time white undergraduates and 1 out of 4 full-time black undergraduates. In addition to Likert-type attitudinal…