Describes a study which used scales based on Rotter's social learning theories to predict absenteeism among community college students. Only two variables were significantly related to avoidable absences: high concern for grades was related to high absenteeism and belief in the importance of attendance for learning was related to low absenteeism.…

Surveyed 53 delinquents, 141 high school students, 87 community college students, 81 alcohol distribution establishments, and 92 members of law enforcement community in Harford County, Maryland, to examine perceived and actual illicit alcohol procurement methods of underage persons. Found that majority of alcohol procurement by underage persons…

Discusses ways to motivate students to participate in and take assessment efforts seriously. Indicates that a strong institutional commitment to testing, administrative support of assessment, integration of testing into the curriculum, student and faculty participation in testing operations, and reporting test results are major factors in…

Discusses the special challenges to community college assessment programs posed by linguistic, cultural, religious, and ethnic diversity in student populations. Provides an overview of important considerations for developing assessment activities. Describes the efforts of North Seattle Community College to address these considerations. (MAB)

Assesses the impact of tuition increases and the amount of student aid awards on the academic persistence of traditional college students. Suggests that these students are sensitive to tuition changes and that available grants are unable to mitigate the negative impact of tuition increases on persistence. (22 citations). (MAB)

Describes the author's experiences during the 1970s while he was a graduate student; at that time, he knew almost nothing about community colleges. Presents a profile of the author's institution, Westchester Community College in New York, and the faculty search process that the college now uses. (PA)

Presents findings from Johnson County Community College follow-up surveys of nonreturning students. Indicates that most nonreturning students had achieved their educational goals, had improved various cognitive and noncognitive behaviors because of their college experiences, and planned to reenroll in college eventually. Describes reasons for…

Compares persisters and noncompleters enrolled in an office occupations major at Utah Valley Community College in terms of scores on Super's Work Values Inventory and Holland's Self-Directed Search. Found little relationship between work values and retention. (DMM)

Randomly assigned Mexican-American community college students (n=189), who varied by level of acculturation, to one of four stimulus conditions varied by counselor ethnicity and cultural responsiveness. Highest ratings of cultural competence were obtained when counselor was portrayed as culturally responsive and lowest ratings when counselor was…

Investigated social sensitivity and self-concept in junior high school, high school, and community college students (total n=90), one-half of whom had learning disabilities. Learning-disabled students at all grade levels were significantly less accurate at interpreting social situations than were their nondisabled peers and had significantly lower…

Describes a study conducted at a large urban community college to investigate relationships among stop-out behavior and demographic characteristics, enrollment patterns, and external commitments. Compares college graduates who enrolled continuously with those who stopped out at least once while completing course requirements. (DMM)

Describes the development of a sociolinguistic inquiry method to explain the verbal communication processes operating between tutor and student. Explains the coding of audiotaped tutoring sessions in terms of the interaction moves of initiation, reply, evaluation, marker, and addition. Presents preliminary results and implications for research and…

Identifies barriers to minority student access and success in college, including lack of preparation, financial needs, and students' perceptions of the academic environment. Offers examples of programs designed to overcome these barriers through early intervention, creative recruitment, and a supportive institutional climate. Presents guidelines…

Sees minority transfer from two- to four-year colleges as a national economic issue. Argues that socioeconomic status is a better indicator of potential transfer problems than race/ethnicity. Contends that idealism has established minority transfer as a national priority for many philanthropic and professional organizations. Recommends a…

Two-year campuses are known for students who contend with extraordinary obstacles to get degrees and for teachers who make the efforts required to get the job done. The author contends that, because dedicated teachers and striving students deserve more than college, government, and corporate policy allow them, instructors need to raise the profile…