Examines the factors which most affected students' final grades in introductory chemistry courses at a culturally diverse community college. Indicates that no single parent earned an "A" in any of the four sections, although class attendance and final examination performance proved to be the strongest indicators of final grade. (MAB)

Describes the national mood toward immigration as evidenced by the 1994 passage of Proposition 187 in California, and its effect on the community college mission. Reviews benefits and drawbacks of the measure for educational institutions and examines approaches to illegal immigration taken in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. (16…

Describes the development and activities of Community Colleges for International Development, Inc. (CCID), a 70-member consortium of community colleges promoting global economic development through postsecondary international education. Provides brief descriptions of CCID programs in Suriname, Guyana, Russia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Taiwan,…

Describes the growth and role of community college English-as-a-Second-Language programs in serving growing numbers of immigrant students, highlighting the importance of support services and networking. Reviews Florida Community College at Jacksonville's response to immigrant student needs and makes five recommendations for improving program…

Discusses the growing community college reliance on adjunct professors to absorb greater numbers of students in the face of declining budgets. Describes policies for assigning courses, benefits for students from adjuncts' expertise and special skills, concerns held by adjuncts and other faculty, and opportunities for administrators to show support…

Provides excerpts from President Clinton's address to the 1995 American Association of Community Colleges Convention. Discusses the importance of education in economic recovery and of community colleges in providing educational opportunities to nontraditional students. Reviews government initiatives to improve education, such as Tech Prep,…

Argues community colleges must employ Total Quality Management (TQM) to enhance student learning and faculty productivity and not just in terms of administrative functions. Describes characteristics and requirements of TQM, and details its uses and advantages in classroom assessment of student performance, emphasizing faculty development and the…

Reviews problems of using traditional assessment procedures and instruments on nonnative students, citing linguistic and cultural factors. Drawing from interviews with nonnative students, describes assessment procedures utilized abroad, reports nonnatives' perceptions of assessment in United States as limited and insufficient, and offers…

Argues for greater two-year college faculty involvement in grant proposal writing. Lists available library resources on funding sources; reviews types of grants provided by government agencies; discusses community, national general purpose, special purpose, family, and corporate foundation support; and describes the specific steps in writing a…

Discusses shortage of African-American teachers to serve as educational role models and describes New York State's program allowing minority students to enter teacher education programs jointly at two- and four-year institutions. Reviews advantages of joint-enrollment efforts and program characteristics from top proposals submitted to the State…

Presents guidelines for colleges on selecting employee health insurance carriers and retirement investment programs. Reviews types of insurance programs, presenting examples from several states. Discusses mechanisms for reducing insurance premiums, including claim reduction, self-funding, mail-order pharmaceuticals, and forming consortia with…

Provides a primer on multimedia instructional technology, including examples of applications from the Maricopa Community Colleges. Identifies needed equipment and software components, the players in multimedia development and use; various uses of multimedia; and issues to consider. Looks at ways community colleges have overcome problems and…

Explores the use of local area networks (LAN's) in learning laboratories and how they are improving learning outcomes for certain student populations (e.g., deaf and developmental students). Describes how LAN's alter the instructor's role and how instructors can manage student-driven classrooms. Offers guidance on implementing a network system.…

Describes how automation has transformed the library and how super-catalogs have affected the process of doing research. Explains how faculty and librarians can work together to help students to use the available databases effectively, by teaching them Boolean logic, standard record formats, filing rules, etc. (DMM)

Details a number of strategies community colleges can use to deal with the high costs of educational technology, including partnerships with business/industry; computer networks such as BITNET and INTERNET; philanthropic foundations; and working with companies attempting to establish a market for new products. Offers examples of successful…