Suggested strategies for running a more effective college alumni program include effective calendar organization; careful staff utilization; administrator visibility; increased efficiency; effective use of alumni volunteers and student workers; good office communication; broad information dissemination across campus; consistent use of priorities;…

College alumni program professionals offer specific ways to make good use of limited resources in the areas of program planning, scheduling, time management, staff communication, use of technology, involvement of board members, use of volunteers and student workers, coordination with other campus programs, and staff motivation and appreciation…

Orientation for first-year college students is important for students, parents, and the institution. It should fit institutional traditions, values, and culture, involve parents, be staffed by well-trained current students, and be carefully evaluated for improvement. Mississippi State University's program focuses on retention and is festive,…

A study of long-term doctoral student persistence patterns at Cornell University (New York) indicates students are more likely to complete their degrees, and in less time, if they receive fellowships rather than research or teaching assistantships, especially if fellowships are awarded in the first year. (MSE)

A survey of 1,720 second-year undergraduates at the University of Brighton (England) gathered basic demographic information and data on their financial status, including the form(s) of student financial aid applied for and awarded, parent contributions and other income sources, housing, transportation, and school and other costs. (MSE)

Discussion of student assistants in academic libraries focuses on a study of 40 academic libraries in Texas with church affiliations that investigated ways to motivate student assistants to shelve more productively. Student attitudes are discussed, and it is concluded that a small across-the-board pay incentive is an effective motivator. (17…

Described is cooperative education, a strategy for relating education and work. The benefits, growth in cooperative education, and labor market studies are included. Appended is a list of cooperative education training and resource centers and their directors. (KR)

Progress of British students embarking on doctoral degrees in the 1980s was analyzed for factors in completion of doctoral degrees. Results show funding had insignificant positive impact on completion rate, completion rate was highest in the sciences, ability (measured by first degree type) affected doctoral completion, and part-time status (or…

Residence hall students' (N = 1,186, 52% male, 90% White, 66% freshmen) involvement in their living community is influenced significantly by precollege student characteristics (gender, ethnicity), classification, attitudes (toward hall director, house cabinet, academic comfort, social environment, group study), and environmental variables (noise,…

In order to understand and predict students' achievement and persistence at learning activities, many contemporary motivational models consider how much students are motivated for their school work. However, students' achievement and persistence might not only be affected by their amount of study motivation, but also by the motivation to engage in…

Many colleges and departments at Tennessee Technological University, as well as most other major universities, are progressing toward more interactive instructional materials. The benefits of implementing instructional technology are numerous and diverse. However, because of increasingly austere budgets, a focused and cost-effective approach to…

This longitudinal study examined adolescents' mental health, academic achievement, and behavioral adjustment in relation to work intensity during high school. Data were collected from approximately 1,000 adolescents during a 4-year period, beginning in the subjects' freshman year of high school. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed…

In spring 1991, in-class surveys were completed by 1,495 students enrolled in a random sample of courses at the Santa Ana and Orange campuses of Rancho Santiago College (RSC) to determine their attitudes about RSC and its programs and services. Study results included the following: (1) most respondents were "satisfied" or "very…

The concept of an extended school year was first defined in "A Nation at Risk," which recommended lengthening the school calendar to 200-220 days per year (compared to the current average of about 180 days). Little research is available to prove the benefits of an extended calendar, and many question if this practice is a cost-effective…

This interim report summarizes the progress and future directions of the Gender Equity Plans submitted by Washington State's public four-year universities and colleges, and its community college system. The report represents a monitoring of institutional and system efforts to address issues of gender equity affecting students in the areas…