This collection of papers covers, from a European perspective, the basic aspects of investments in physical educational facilities, as well as important issues in the economics of education. Four themes are covered. The first presents the art of the economic analysis of educational projects. The second focuses on the contribution of performance…

Describes the mentoring program at Canisius College, New York. Program evaluation showed it had a positive impact on the retention and academic performance of freshmen and provided an opportunity to demonstrate the college's concern for students. Both faculty and students reported benefits from the program. (JAC)

Seven success patterns and five nonsuccess patterns are identified as prevalent types of undergraduate performance. Students showed significant differences in demographic characteristics, admission credentials, college performance, and post-college plans. Results indicated that colleges should offer many subenvironments, each emphasizing and…

In June 1979 the United States Supreme Court issued a civil rights opinion about handicap discrimination. A summary of the ruling is provided along with an effort to distinguish between those questions addressed and resolved by the Court and those discussed but not disposed of. (Author/MLW)

Undergraduate financial aid is seen as integral to larger institutional issues and deserving of strategic status in planning. Three areas of student aid--the institution's rationale regarding aid, institutional research, and student strategies for utilizing aid--are addressed from the planning perspective. (Author/JMD)

The Christian college and the secular university are compared for their distinctive advantages and values. Prospective students and their parents are advised concerning how to investigate these differences in terms of their own needs and expectations, and how to make informed decisions. (CTM)

In a period of consumer orientation, it is perceived that higher education must respond to calls for accountability and questions about academic ethics and fair practice. Discussions include the student as consumer activist, the government as protector, public confidence in education, and possible college reactions. (Author/MLW)

Examined effects of an individualized faculty advising program, study-skills training, and a tutorial center on the academic performance and retention of Black freshmen enrolled at a predominantly White university. Data suggest that nonresidency, off-campus employment, and organizational involvement adversely affect academic performance and…

Describes three precollege programs at the University of Virginia (i.e., the Research Assistantship, Introduction to Engineering, and Summer Transition programs), which facilitate the academic and social integration and increase the retention of at-risk students. Suggests that hands-on experience has helped students acquire the requisite academic…

In response to declining enrollments, Regis University (Colorado) is looking to increase retention and graduation rates by improving campus life. Efforts include creation and renewal of academic clubs and athletic teams, a program to ensure availability of student employment on campus, and a first-year seminar combining teaching, advising, and…

College and university development officers are encouraged to adjust their expectations of volunteers to the current reality of graduates' schedules and commitments. Five barriers to volunteering (economic, time and distance, language and cultural, environmental, and competitive) are identified, and techniques for overcoming them are offered. (MSE)

A study with 2,453 college students investigated the construct validity of the student commitment to institution as a factor in academic persistence. Results suggest factors such as institutional quality, practical educational utility, student-institution fit, and loyalty to institution were more predictive of persistence than similarity of…

A study at a State University of New York community college investigated the effectiveness of an admissions/counseling process. Results suggest the program promoted more positive student attitudes toward the institution after two semesters, slightly higher grades, and significantly higher retention, with the results particularly apparent over…

Issues in university employment of doctoral students are discussed, including the ideal of apprenticeship, the nature of research and teaching assistantships, assistantship as a form of financial support, students' perceptions of their assistantship role, graduate student employees' efforts to organize, and ambiguity of the status of assistants as…

Recent appellate court decisions concerning private social clubs, unreported decisions brought by fraternities, and developments in related case law have strengthened the position that college social fraternity chapters at public colleges and universities may claim a full range of legal protections under the constitutional doctrine known as…