Reacting directly to the fact that even the best syllabus is worthless to the student who does not read it, this essay draws inspiration from research of the past decade, especially from the learning-focused syllabus concept that was introduced by three researchers at the University of Virginia, and uses a questionnaire to gauge our community…

College graduates are expected to acquire certain skill sets that are necessary and sought after by potential employers, as many industries in the United States continue to grow a global footprint. Employers also value good communication skills, and communication classes are a staple of most general education curricula, including those taught on…

The TRiO Program is not an acronym; it refers to a number (initially three, now eight) of U.S federal programs, which increase access to higher education for economically disadvantaged students. TRiO programs are designed to assist first-generation college students, persons with disabilities, and low-income persons. This qualitative research study…

Service learning has grown in popularity within higher education as a teaching pedagogy shown to foster student engagement as well as strengthen the relationships between the community and community college. Research has demonstrated that service learning places a focus on students gaining the hands-on experience tied closely to course objectives…

A retired engineer and grandfather relates learning experiences at a community college. (DS)

Reviews briefly the literature associated with the Conference on College Composition and Communication's "Students' Right to Their Own Language" statement. Explores the status of standard English at community colleges in Michigan, as expressed in first-year composition course objectives and descriptions. Considers the history of the…

AN INCIDENT AT ONE JUNIOR COLLEGE AND THE ENSUING CONTROVERSY OVER WHETHER OR NOT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO WEAR HATS IN CAMPUS BUILDINGS IS USED AS AN EXAMPLE OF A MORE SERIOUS ISSUE CONCERNING THE JUNIOR COLLEGE'S RELATION TO THE COMMUNITY IT SERVES. THE ISSUES DISCUSSED CONCERN THE DEGREE TO WHICH A COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAN BE RESPONSIVE TO…

Argues that course syllabi and instructors' presentation of them set a tone for interaction with students. Relates incident in which a student in the author's class disrupted the class by regularly leaving to feed a parking meter. Student's behavior sparked discussions among colleagues regarding ways of presenting syllabi in relation to classroom…

A study was conducted to assess faculty and student preferences regarding the goals and content of Saddleback College's (California) liberal arts mathematics course. Following a review of the literature, an extensive list of course goals, content areas, and prior student preparation needs was formed into a questionnaire, which was administered to…

Although the goal of science courses for non-majors should be to increase the scientific literacy of students, many such courses become watered down versions of courses in the major and do not provide enough depth to make science meaningful to students. At the Wabash Valley Region campus of Ivy Tech State College, in Indiana, a project was…

The offshoots of women's studies programs, such as cultural diversity, men's studies, and African-American studies, are now viewed as being at odds with women's studies although they share the same goal of transforming the curriculum. Most notable among these is men's studies and its relationship to women's studies. The challenge for teachers is…

Collaborative learning refers to small-group instruction that incorporates five elements: clear, positive interdependence among students; group self-evaluation; interpersonal behaviors that promote each member's learning; individual accountability; and frequent use of small-group social skills. These elements have been implemented in colleges…

A study involving four sections of a general psychology course at Delta College (Michigan) was conducted to determine: (1) the effectiveness of repeated, cumulative testing on long-term retention of information; (2) its effect on students' ability to generalize information learned as measured by the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) general…

After the determination that the Principles of Accounting course offered at Herkimer County Community College, New York, had a higher attrition rate than other introductory courses, a study was conducted to develop a computer-assisted diagnostic system which could identify the learning deficiences of accounting students and prescribe corrective…

A project was undertaken at Ricks College to develop a systematic library-use instructional model to be integrated into the existing genealogy curriculum. In addition to surveying relevant literature and making appropriate contacts with two- and four-year academic libraries, a needs assessment was conducted, instructional objectives were written,…