In the past few years, dozens of states, localities, and schools have proposed or enacted "free college" policies, also known as College Promise programs. While a handful of states have run Promise-like programs for decades, the 2014 launch of the Tennessee Promise and the Obama administration's focus on the concept catalyzed several…

From 1997 until his retirement in 2011, Michel Hersen served as the dean of the School of Professional Psychology (SPP) at Pacific University in Oregon. Through teaching, supervision, and modeling, Michel promoted his vision of a professional school that could compete on the national stage. He grew the program from a regional focus to one with a…

Having started early in the 1920s as a spontaneously launched educational activity by civil organisations under the influence of American audio-visual theory and practice, Chinese educational technology was later put under governmental management. This paper is composed of five parts covering mainly the historical development of educational…

At the 12th Annual National Learning Communities Conference in November 2007, Juan Carlos Huerta, Gale Stuart, Lauren Chism, and Michele Hansen participated in a panel discussion about new directions in learning communities assessment and research. The intent of the panel discussion was to hear from those involved in learning community assessment,…

Examines the evolution of the writing center at Queens College City University of New York. Asserts that a sense of community is the most important element of a writing center. (MM)

Sylvan Learning Systems, a company best known for its tutoring and testing operations, plans to create a network of private, for-profit universities in a dozen countries overseas, at the rate of about one institution a year. The director of the U.S. Information Agency will leave his post to head the venture. The plan has received mixed reactions.…

Rising energy costs and staff reductions pose problems for those who direct aquatic programs for the disabled. At the same time, aquatics programs for the disabled are increasing in number, broadening in scope, and offering new opportunities for research and development of materials. (PP)

Presents one composition instructor's personal memoir regarding the horrific treatment he was exposed to as a marginalized member of a college English department. Considers the kind of atmosphere and collegiality to which successful college English departments should aspire. (HB)

Changes in information technology threaten the traditional role of the college library on campus. Library administrators must position the library politically as well as technologically to play a central role in services, technology, and organization, and to enable the library to retain an integral place in the university's intellectual life. (MSE)

Systematic staff appraisal/performance management has been assumed to be an important part of quality management in higher-education institutions, but past approaches to it have had confused purposes and have made minimal contributions to enhancing institutional performance. For performance management to be relevant, it must focus on leadership of…

The European trend toward transition education--programs designed by governments to ease the transition between compulsory education and work--is analyzed, including the variety of programs underway, differences between transition and other school-based education, administrative issues, and assessment of qualifications and certification. (MSE)

Strategies at several private and public colleges and universities to support advancing information technology are described. Trends include distributed computing, database connectivity, and increased computer use in teaching. Common instructional concerns include facilitating use of technology and developing "supertech" classrooms.…

Examines the historical roots of community services in community colleges. Offers suggestions for keeping community colleges on the frontier of the development of these institutions (e.g., bringing the program into the instructional mainstream, emphasizing program planning, encouraging instructional innovation.) (DMM)

The first of two reports to the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges on student aid and its administration, this report describes major trends in financial aid over the past decade; characteristics of student aid recipients and financial aid officers; and operating costs, staffing, and workload. Following background information…

Those who manage college alumni association World Wide Web sites should prepare for three trends: (1) alumni Web sites are featuring more valuable offerings, including forms to update personal information, program information, extensive class home pages, and class notes; (2) more campuses are using professional designers; and (3) campuses are…