A cosmopolitan education must help us identify with those who are unlike us. In Martha Nussbaum's words, students must learn "enough to recognize common aims, aspirations, and values, and enough about these common ends to see how variously they are instantiated in the many cultures and their histories." It is commonly thought that reading serious…

The results of a large scale (N=1001) cross-sectional (Years 6, 8 and 10) study of students' ideas about the composition of unpolluted air, the nature of air pollution, the biological consequences of air pollution, and about acid rain and the Greenhouse Effect are reported. A range of persistent alternative conceptions were identified, in some…

This handbook provides information on procedures related to advising and general administrative functions at Barton County Community College (BCCC) in Kansas, in seven parts. Part I describes the philosophy, goals, and objectives guiding academic advising at BCCC and outlines student responsibilities and confidentiality concerns. Part II details…

This study surveyed chief executive officers (CEOs) in higher education about ethical issues pertaining to multiculturalism in academe. Using the Delphi technique of a three-round survey to ascertain consensus on issues, it polled CEOs at all 779 colleges and universities that are members of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.…

In response to that fact that, since 1991, almost 60% of students had received failing grades on midterm exams in a general psychology course, the instructor undertook a project to apply principles of total quality management (TQM) to identify the causes of poor achievement. Efforts ware made to help students discover their mistakes, and thus…

This study compared the attitudes of minority students with learning disabilities and their parents to both student-centered homework and teacher-directed homework assignments. An adapted alternating treatments design was used to compare the return rates between traditional teacher-directed homework and student-centered assignments with 40…

Despite nearly universal agreement that students need to do more, think more, and be more active in the classroom, most classrooms are still firmly teacher centered. While teachers use various questioning strategies to develop and enhance critical thinking, historically they are the generators of the questioning process. Thus, many students are…

This digest summarizes the literature on principles of changing behaviors in students with behavior disorders. Principles include: (1) focus on behaviors that need to be changed; (2) identify new behaviors to be developed; (3) provide opportunities to practice new behaviors; (4) treat social skills deficits as errors in learning; (5) teach…

This guide is designed to help school financial aid administrators provide effective entrance counseling for first-time student borrowers of subsidized Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans. A section on what is required for entrance counseling specifies both regulatory requirements and the…

Issues in requiring community service for high school graduation are addressed in this document. The debate is not whether community service is valuable, but whether making it mandatory lessens its positive effects. Proponents of mandating student volunteerism argue that it provides a valuable learning experience; gets all students involved;…

Components of successful internship programs for undergraduates are identified, along with the functions of the team who contribute to a successful internship. Principal team members are the faculty internship coordinator, the faculty supervisor, and the agency supervisor. The student will benefit from taking an active role in the placement…

Materials for running a student government program at the junior high school level are provided in three general sections. Section 1 is a description of student government operations. Topics covered include student government responsibilities and activities, student council meeting procedures, parliamentary rules, responsibilities of the…

This student handbook describes the process and components of Whatcom Community College's Individualized Degree Program (IDP), which offers students the opportunity to design an associate degree or certificate plan to meet their educational goals. After introductory material presents a history of the IDP's development and the purpose of the…

The authors give practical answers to some common questions asked about non-graded programs and individualized learning. (Editor)

In spring 1985, Morton College's (MC's) counseling staff instituted a student development model for academic advising to encourage students to assume greater responsibility in planning their educational and career goals. During their first academic advising appointment: (1) new students are made aware of the importance of their commitment to their…