Two recent reports, the Association of American Colleges'"The Challenge of Connecting Learning" and The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's "Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate," urge higher education to reshape the college curriculum and refocus its attention on what constitutes faculty…

Undergraduate education is illiberal because the progression from general to specialized learning does not support students in learning how to make choices or explore their consequences. Courses late in the student's program, rather than at the outset, that explore disciplinary boundaries and interconnections could be useful. (MSE)

An American Council on Education survey of almost 360 colleges and universities found that few institutions have experienced controversy over course content, speeches, or faculty lectures, suggesting that reports of widespread efforts to impose "politically correct" thinking on college students and faculty are exaggerated. Some…

Roughly 20 years after Black studies and other ethnic studies fields evolved from campus protest, new questions are arising about the role of separate ethnic studies departments in face of the movement toward multiculturalism in the college curriculum. Very real economic realities underlie the academic and social concerns. (MSE)

Contends that a college-level capstone course in sociology should synthesize prior knowledge and foster continuing affilation with the discipline. Discusses six pedagogical principles that promote a continuing relationship with sociology. Describes content and instructional procedures used in a senior seminar at Rider College (New Jersey). (CFR)

Compares a college-level senior seminar at Christoper Newport University (VA) to a rite of passage for new members in the field. Describes the structure, content, and assignments used in the course. Lists criteria used to evaluate student papers and presentations. (CFR)

Cites reasons for concern about the standard measures of program quality in graduate study. Focuses on a report from the National Research Council (NRC) and proposes some alternative evaluation standards. (DDR)

Examines current academic-advising practices of distance-education programs, analyzing: advisor/student communication, delivery systems, support or reference materials, required occasions for academic advising, group advising, and evaluation. Frequently reported advising practices included communicating by telephone, using faculty advisors, and…

Details a study that focused on assessing changes in attitudes during and after a practical course in doctor-patient communication within a biomedically oriented curriculum. Results indicate that female students are more patient. Contains 49 references. (DDR)

Discusses the advantages of a four-year undergraduate liberal arts program for preparing students to lead educational, therapeutic, and recreational experiences in outdoor settings. Recommends a curriculum design that balances training and education with reflection and action (praxis). Outlines the content of an outdoor leadership curriculum and…

Asserts that information literacy has become the collaborative imperative in higher education. Addresses the ways in which Wayne State University's (Michigan) new undergraduate library and its redesigned freshman orientation course provides opportunities to develop information literacy. Discusses the importance of establishing a collaborative…

Describes a study conducted at Oakland University (Michigan) to examine the degree to which syllabi in general education classes reference general education guidelines. Finds that knowledge transmission was primary in syllabi, whereas skills and attitude development were less emphasized. Proposes that syllabi can be used better by promoting the…

Discusses why world history instruction is flourishing in higher education. Describes the new Advanced Placement (AP) world history course and states that the course is comparable to college-level world history courses. Considers to which college world history course the AP course is most comparable. (CMK)

Interdisciplinary courses are needed to illuminate the meaningful relationship of science to other subjects. Discusses the nature of the geology curriculum and how it is interdisciplinary by nature. Contains 19 references. (DDR)

Argues for more multicultural education in the United States at all levels, but particularly in higher education. Earlier conceptions of multiculturalism (assimilation, transitional multiculturalism, residual multiculturalism/tokenism) have not succeeded; a variety that both emphasizes the core values of cultures, and serves as a unifying factor…