Summarizes research linking alcohol abuse to poor academic performance, decreased student retention, and problems for the campus community. It provides an overview of 3 theoretical perspectives on reducing problematic alcohol consumption, discusses brief interventions as the treatment of choice, and offers suggestions to college counselors for…

Assessed perceptions of college students who chose not to return to school in the spring semester. They rated 13 key attributes related to campus-support activities and the core benefits of attending the institution. Found that advising played an important role in non-returning students' perceptions of benefits offered by the university. (EV)

Examines the question of how to restructure college campuses to encourage the new kinds of collaborative and contextual learning vital for the future of higher education. Because these new forms of learning draw on the interplay of both the university's and community's resources, this quest is described as the search for a college commons.…

Presents survey data from departmental heads in one "old" or chartered university and one "new" or statutory university. Compares the heads' roles in the two types of university and compares the results with those of a previous study in l995-96. Although the role has become more similar, differences remain, most notably…

Suggests that educators focus on the experience of African American students attending predominantly white institutions in an attempt to identify and address the underlying thinking which supports racism. Describes studies on how Caucasian students perceive their African American peers and argues that campus agendas for diversity can succeed, but…

Tests a learning productivity model for undergraduates using hierarchical linear modeling. Perceptions of the campus environment influenced student learning productivity by affecting institution-level student effort, learning efficiency, and student gains. Student affairs professionals can promote higher levels of student learning by helping to…

Generating public support for large capital investments in a public university's decaying facilities is a difficult task at best. This chapter describes how one institution built support for a $2.3 billion investment by the state and how this has lead to changes in the delivery of student services. (Contains 10 references.) (Author)

Asserts that the Individual Psychology of Alfred Adler should be used as a foundational theory for student affairs work. The success of community building programs is explained and the concepts of Individual Psychology are summarized. Also asserts that the current drive to develop programs to develop community on college campuses is firmly rooted…

This article describes one institution's efforts to improve the sense of campus community. Two years ago, the institution determined that this was a key to achieving the campus's goal of improving retention. The article details the planning process, examples of projects, and assessments. The report discusses how goals were achieved or not…

Uses students' responses from the dialogues of a town hall meeting to examine the beliefs, attitudes, and knowledge about racial and cultural diversity at a mid-size, predominantly white university. Four major themes emerged: perceptions about race, stereotypical beliefs about cross-cultural interactions, uncomfortable campus climate, and…

Parents are demanding greater inclusion in issues relating to campus safety and security. This article examines the historical evolution of relations between parents, students, and universities, discussing two pieces of key legislation and describing strategies to optimize common interrelationships between parents and institutions. (Contains 14…

College student interpretation of the messages conveyed by the formal examination process are discussed. It is proposed that while students will most often interpret the spaces, props, equipment, and people involved in examinations as they were intended, sometimes the message is misinterpreted or challenged, making it dysfunctional. (MSE)

Four studies of leadership reach different conclusions, all apparently consistent with the experiences of practitioners. The themes of functionalism and culturalism in the study of organizations are illuminated and the usefulness of research using multiple points of view to examine a limited number of cases is suggested. (Author/MLW)

Explored relationship of students' college living environment during their first year to retention and whether or not positive correlation of residence hall living to persistence extends to Black students at predominantly White university. Results indicated that race, sex, place of residence, and aptitude were related significantly to persistence…

A study that looked at how colleges and universities encourage students to get involved in outside activities is discussed. Students who are actively involved in academic and out-of-class activities are better integrated into the institution. Student affairs officers, faculty members, and students were interviewed. (MLW)