The Student Opinion Survey was sent to a random sample of 2,600 Open University (OU) students who had gained at least two credits and were studying during 1984. The response rate was 84 percent. Responses to open-ended questions on about one-third of those questionnaires were analyzed to determine the significant phenomena in students' experiences…

The University of Virginia's School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS), serves a broad, ethnically diverse and talented community of over 15,000 adult students each year. The SCPS mission is to facilitate lifetime learning by providing educational opportunities of the highest quality so that learners can achieve their personal and…

A handbook to help teaching assistants (TAs) define and implement teaching goals and to present materials effectively is presented as part of the Teaching Assistant Development Program at the University of California at San Diego. A checklist gives 20 skills that a TA needs to develop to be a good teacher. Behavioral learning goals and process…

An examination of the results of two surveys of the attitudes of entering freshmen at Muir College, University of California at San Diego (UCSD) is presented. The surveys were conducted in 1968 and 1984 in conjunction with national surveys coordinated by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program. Information is presented on: (1) changes in…

In 1989, the Center for the Study of Community Colleges received a grant from the Ford Foundation to assist community colleges in defining their transfer rates and collecting data to support those definitions. The Center invited 240 community colleges with at least a 20% minority enrollment to participate in a Transfer Assembly. Interested…

This book presents a comprehensive model of how institutions adapt to improve the environments they provide African American, Hispanic, and American Indian students without relinquishing historical standards. The model is based on the experiences of ten institutions that have graduated higher numbers of minority students as compared to their…

Two major areas of focus emerge from this synthesis of national reports: the question of how to teach students critical and autonomous judgement with regard to the mass media, and how best to use new information and communication technology (NICT) and the media for educational purposes. It is noted that, although there are differences of approach…

A statewide Indiana study designed to pilot selected learning outcomes in foreign language programs is reported. It investigated the usefulness of the state's "Guide to Proficiency-Based Instruction in Modern Foreign Languages for Indiana Schools." The report outlines the project's background, the need for proficiency-based goals, the…

The field of Indian Studies has been forced to bear unusual burdens in its effort to establish itself at the university. Many of the first Indian Studies programs were so involved in student relations that academic content was shoved into the background preventing Indian academics from following tenure track positions at the university level.…

The collective bargaining agreement between the Board of Trustees of the California State University and the California Faculty Association chapter (18,000 members) of the National Education Association (NEA) covering the period August 16, 1983-June 30, 1986 is presented. Items covered in the agreement include: unit recognition; definitions;…

The collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Minnesota and the University Education Association of the National Education Association, covering the period July 1, 1984-June 30, 1987 is presented. The Association chapter consists of 329 full-time and part-time faculty at the Duluth and Waseca campuses. Items covered…

Past and current methods used in academic quality rankings of U.S. colleges and universities are discussed. In addition to a literature and historical review, modern quality rankings are compared with early (pre-1959) rankings, including past rankings of medical, dental, legal and black education. Also considered are the exemplary 1982 evaluation…

Since 1978, annual studies have been conducted of the flow of transfer students from the California community colleges to the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU) systems. The studies have focused on trends in the numbers of transfers and the ethnicity, majors, and age of transfer students. Findings from the…

Statistical information on Kentucky college and university enrollments for the fall of 1987 are provided, including listings of the membership of the Commonwealth of Kentucky Council on Higher Education, and the presidents of Kentucky's senior colleges and universities, junior and community colleges, seminaries, and business colleges. The 41…

Oklahoma State University applied for and received federal funding to offer instruction in Spanish and French to university faculty, staff, and spouses. Students participate in two types of classes: (1) informal instruction using a cognitive, proficiency-based approach with informal evaluation and little or no homework, and (2) intensive…