This psychometric study was designed to test the feasibility of measuring college students' preferences for developmental and prescriptive advising styles as separate constructs. Part 5 of the Academic Advising Inventory (Winston & Sandor, 1984b) was revised into two independent scales, one for measuring preferences for developmental advising…

Most information advisors receive about first-year advisees pertains to students' academic achievement and high school courses. To assist students effectively with the transition to college, advisors need additional information. We describe a collaborative process used to develop a pre-matriculation, academic motivation instrument that provides…

Many people enter scientific careers by way of graduate school. Some aspects of success in graduate school depend on informal sharing of knowledge that occurs among students. To formalize some of the student-to-student teaching, I have articulated eight practical ideas based on my experience about how students can perform well and develop habits…

For years administrators at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, in Richmond, Virginia, had a hunch that students were not taking full advantage of the college's advising services. Still, they were disappointed two years ago, when the Community College Survey of Student Engagement revealed that their students rarely used career services and…

The release of the newest Sixteen Personality Factor Questionnaire (16PF), Fifth Edition, is the evolution of Raymond Cattell's conceptualization of the primary components of personality by analyzing adjectives describing human behavior. This updated version continues to measure the same 16 primary personality factors with improved reliability and…

This article describes the results of a three-month experiment in the use of computer-based semantic networks for curriculum development. A team of doctoral and master's degree students developed a 1200-item computer database representing a tentative "domain of competency" for a proposed MA degree in Workforce Education and Lifelong…

This guide for doctoral students (especially those from minority groups) and their mentors examines the alliance between the doctoral student and his major professor (dissertation advisor). Mentoring is examined as an element of the doctoral process, including discussion of the roles of the mentor/protege in the alliance, the choosing of a mentor,…

This report discusses the increasing prevalence of transfer students and explores problems relating to educational access for minorities, artificial barriers to transfer (curricular, financial, and procedural), and college adjustment. Recommendations are made to both two-year and four-year institutions in the areas of: (1) curriculum, suggesting…

The two studies reported examined the validity of several Evaluation/Survey Service (ESS) surveys for accurately reflecting changes in students' perceptions resulting from changes made by an institution in its policies, programs, services, or environment. In study 1, personnel from nine postsecondary institutions identified items on various ESS…

This handbook, created for use at Houston Baptist University (Texas), is designed to assist student advisors in order to make the role of an advisor a more meaningful and significant experience. The handbook, is divided into three sections. The first section contains research data concerning academic advising. Included are definitions of advising,…

This study developed predictive models on persistence and success in engineering at the end of the sophomore year by examining 11 intellective and 9 non-intellective variables. The project's long-term purpose was to contribute to the improvement of academic advising for students considering engineering majors and thus improve student retention.…

Foreign student trainees in English as a second language (ESL) teacher training programs in the United States have special concerns regarding their teacher preparation programs. These concerns include feelings of anxiety and competition with their native English speaking peers, being expected to have cultural understanding not only of the United…

The importance of diagnostic testing for appropriate student placement at open door colleges is discussed, along with approaches to upgrade teacher skills. It is suggested that colleges typically select students who are skilled and motivated enough to acquire knowledge by the approaches currently offered, and that colleges thus act as screeners…

Information relating to course choice and commitment, and use of pre-enrollment information and advisory resources, were collected at the time of enrollment in 1980 from 1,375 first-year students at the University of New South Wales. The students were enrolled in the faculties of arts, architecture, and engineering. Multivariate analyses were used…

As more and more students arrive at colleges increasingly unprepared, the issue of how to teach effective study skills becomes more important. Yet, research on study skills is far from conclusive. Study skills may be defined as any activity or behavior which enhances the learning and recall of new academic material, and includes such activities as…