Reviews the most recent ERIC literature concerning the status of the liberal arts and humanities in community colleges; efforts to link the liberal arts with the world of work; interdisciplinary and other nontraditional humanities courses; liberal arts students; and honors programs. (AYC)

A fourth year honors thesis research course in psychology at the University of Toronto uses the device of adversarial interaction to improve critical thinking. Course components, including thesis submission, research seminar, student relations, and supervision, are designed to simulate the constraints, criticism, and relationships of actual…

Issues in setting academic standards for students in the United Kingdom's university honors curricula are discussed, particularly as they are affected by recent changes in education such as modularization of courses, distance education, and the widening range of skills covered in courses. Some issues are specific to teacher and professional…

Described is a curriculum survey of general chemistry courses at the college level and an evaluation survey of the advanced placement chemistry examination. Results indicated that the AP chemistry course should remain broad in coverage and should expand its laboratory component. Analyses also indicated that the AP exam was appropriate and valid.…

Using multi-institution data and a longitudinal, pretest-posttest design, this study investigated the impact of honors programs on student experiences of good practices in undergraduate education as well as cognitive development in the first year of college. We found students in honors programs advantaged in terms of the good practice measures…

This digest describes community college honors programs with regard to their origins and goals, consistency with institutional missions, and effectiveness. Potential goals for honors programs at community colleges include: (1) providing advanced students an opportunity to learn more than they would in a non-honors curriculum; (2) retaining a…

This paper describes the organizational structure, managerial responsibilities, and working policy of the 26-year old Andrews University Honors Program, an undergraduate program that was designed to attract talented and motivated students to the school, and operate effectively even during times of declining college enrollment. First, the paper…

The first step in developing the honors program at North Arkansas Community College (NACC) involved establishing the following four program objectives: (1) to develop students' skills in critical thinking, research, and the application of knowledge; (2) to explore the historical, philosophical, and cultural backgrounds of disciplines; (3) to…

The Richmond (California) Unified School District's System for Choice allows parents and students to select from a variety of programs designed to satisfy diverse interests and needs. This publication describes offerings at De Anza High School, a Paideia school. De Anza is the only high school in the district that offers Classical Studies, a…

The Honors Program at Northern State University (South Dakota) is an ongoing, enriched program for academically talented and highly motivated students. Its purposes are to (1) stimulate creativity, intellectual curiosity, and critical evaluation of ideas and behavior; (2) enhance skills in critical research, writing, and speaking; and (3) develop…

An oral communication course, offered at Michigan State University during the 5-week summer session, was conducted for academically talented high school students. Students learned about the responsibility of creating and delivering ethical, informed, and rhetorically sensitive messages. Each student researched one socially significant issue, and…

A study of the preferences of 49 college honors students enrolled in a basic speech-communication course demonstrated that current teaching practices in honors courses do not match the students' optimal learning styles. The students answered questions about their expectations and experiences in an honors speech-communication course and 25 of them…

Drawing from a 1984 survey conducted by Moraine Valley Community College, this report provides composite and individual descriptions of 19 community college honors programs. Section I provides an overview of the survey on community college honors programs, which sought information on the organization of the program; the curriculum; and honors…

This publication is the first in the series, "New Dimensions in Higher Education," which developed from a concern for the problems facing colleges and universities. Independent study and its implications for increasing educational effectiveness are examined in terms of: honors programs; independent study programs; the interest in, and scope,…

A study to identify special programs for academically gifted students developed by community colleges in the 19-state North Central region is described. Barriers to program development, program characteristics, program management, faculty, student admission and maintenance requirements, program size and services, marketing and recruitment, and…