Describes dividing up the responsibilities of the department chairperson among senior members of the department, then reconsiders the profession and the state of the humanities. Discusses views advocating "excellence," cultural literacy, great books, and a core curriculum in the humanities. Identifies political tasks and continued communication as…

The study investigated the effectiveness of a flexible modular system for teaching composition. It was hypothesized that measures of compositional ability would significantly favor students in the experimental course, and students in the experimental course would register significantly higher in affective measures of interest and involvement. The…

This document presents the final recommendations and background papers of a task force empowered by the Michigan legislature to consider the mission and roles of the state community colleges, alternative funding modes, and the responsibilities and interrelationships of the state and local governing boards. Following an overview of recommendations…

Presents an annotated bibliography of ERIC materials, covering problems, practices, and priorities in institutional research; the role of the institutional research office; and research guidelines and procedures. (DMM)

As part of an effort to reassess its enrollment forecasting methodology and techniques, the Florida Division of Community Colleges conducted a national survey of state directors of community/junior colleges to identify successful forecasting practices. A conceptual framework for analyzing responses was developed from a review of the literature on…

Writing and discussion are excellent ways for students to master content, develop analytical abilities, and become active and collaborative learners. The Writing Across the Curriculum movement offers a theoretical framework for the use of writing in instruction, maintaining that writing skills are primarily thinking skills, that writing is a…

There are now established methods and models to assess critical thinking in any discipline. The approach selected will depend on how critical thinking is defined, whether national norms are needed, and how the results will be used. (Author)

Considering the complicating effect of cultural differences in writing conventions, this study examines discourse tradition as influenced by Confucian/Taoist precepts and those of U.S. academic environments, the latter requiring rational argumentation, justification, and proof. Pedagogical implications of native-speaker and nonnative-speaker…

From fall 1990 to fall 1994, Florida's Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) experienced a decline in enrollment among first-time-in-college students. To determine reasons for the decline, M-DCC examined characteristics and high school of origin of first-time students in the period, categorizing students as direct-entry (i.e., entering within 1…

In 1990, a study was conducted at Illinois Central College (ICC) to identify pre- and post-enrollment variables that could serve as predictors of student persistence and to compare persistence between vocational and academic program students. From a population of 656 Applied Science students and 671 Arts and Science students who were first-time,…

With Perkins tech prep funds, Lee College (Baytown, Texas), working with the Gulf Coast Tech Prep Consortium and the Goose Creek Consolidated Independent School District, developed a school-to-work apprenticeship model for tech prep programs. An advisory committe provided guidance in identifying targeted apprenticeable jobs, program content, and…

As part of the Flexible Calendar Project, Cosumnes River College adopted a school calendar that provided for two 16-week semesters (the fall semester ending prior to Christmas recess) separated by a three-week intersession that was devoted to educational experimentation and professional staff development activities. After the second year…

A review of research on instructional methods at community colleges since 1970 is presented. Studies of individualized instruction, programmed instruction and computer application, media approaches, affective approaches, student-faculty interaction and learning outcomes, and peer tutoring are discussed. Positive impacts of the various methods are…

The key to tenure is evaluation; this paper is the result of dissatisfaction with the basic pattern of evaluation that prevails throughout California. The present Quality Control Model of Faculty Development is widespread, deeply entrenched, and grounded on assumptions and premises that are limited, obsolete, and contrary to the interests of…

The Learning Center (LC) at South Plains College (SPC), in Texas, was established to provide remedial instruction in learning strategies, reading, and writing; college-level instruction in critical thinking and human development; tutorial assistance; study skills seminars; and other services. During the 1994-95 academic year, over 3,466 students…