A retention taskforce was established at Sinclair Community College (SCC) in Ohio to develop a plan to increase student retention. The 24-member taskforce, representing key areas within the college, worked for 15 months to prepare the plan. The plan was designed to be comprehensive, touching upon all points where the students interact with the…

With the dramatic growth in the use of computers in recent years, questions have been raised concerning the role of computer education in community colleges. Four principal reasons can be advanced for implementing an academic/instructional computing program: (1) to increase computer awareness among students to prepare them for the growing number…

This six-part report describes the recently developed 5-year strategic plan of action for Colorado Northwestern Community College (CNCC), reviewing the mission and goals of the college, stating 21 organizational objectives in order of priority, and detailing implementation activities for each of the 5 years of the plan. Part I provides a brief…

This paper describes the formation of the Appalachian Consortium, assesses its impact after one year of operation, and examines its future development. Consortium goals were to provide in-service, staff development opportunities for the instructional faculties of the consortium's member colleges (three community colleges and a state university)…

By using a computer program to identify bacteria, students sharpen their analytical skills and gain familiarity with procedures used in laboratories outside the university. Although it is ideal for identifying a bacterium, the program can be adapted to many other disciplines. (Author)

HIGH SCHOOL ALGEBRA GRADES OF 157 STUDENTS WERE BETTER PREDICTORS OF THEIR PERFORMANCE IN COLLEGE ALGEBRA (MATH 101) THAN EITHER THEIR SCHOLASTIC APTITUDE TEST-MATHEMATICS PORTION OR THEIR SEQUENTIAL TESTS OF EDUCATION PROGRESS-MATHEMATICS SUBTEST SCORES. THE AVERAGE OF THE STUDENTS' ALGEBRA I AND II GRADES SHOWED A CORRELATION WITH THEIR MATH 101…

As writing spreads across the curriculum, faculty members are becoming aware of the extent to which writing is a mode of learning, a way of incorporating new knowledge and of interpreting and analyzing. Effective ways in which a teacher can respond to student writing are discussed. (MLW)

In answer to why faculty and administrators rely on quantification of faculty performance (i.e., productivity measures), two reasons are given: (1) it is the only evaluation that is persuasive to a democratic audience (the public); and (2) it is better than none at all. (MSE)

Annually, a study is conducted by Miami-Dade Community College to determine the education and employment status of vocational program graduates and their reactions to various aspects of college services and courses. Study findings are based on a survey for former students, Department of Labor and Employment Security Files, State University System…

Data and findings are presented from a 1980 follow-up survey of 3,505 students who graduated from Manitoba community colleges between August 1978 and July 1979. The report first provides information on the labor market outcomes of survey respondents, including employment status, earnings, average hours worked per week, relationship of job to…

Teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) can use prewriting activities at the earliest stages of instruction to help their students acquire good language skills. Prewriting involves energizing student participation in thinking, talking, group interaction, and skeletal writing activities that become components of a writing task. Concentration…

Reports the responses of 106 undergraduates to statements designed to show whether course content can be more effectively taught by two instructors, each devoted to his own training and interests, than by one. (Editor)

The correlation between teaching excellence and research efforts is investigated in a study done at the University of Maryland. Data suggest that productive faculty--as evidenced by their writings, addresses, and external funding--are among those identified by both their students and their professional colleagues as proficient instructors. (MLW)

Describes a Hebrew University program for academically disadvantaged students, focusing on a workshop component which emphasizes learning skills and study strategies. An evaluation of the workshop indicates that it leads to improved achievement in several academic fields (including the natural sciences). (DH)