The administration of a comprehensive fringe benefits program at the University of Florida, a large institution with about 11,000 faculty, support, and administrative and professional employees, is described. Topics examined include the benefits office function, retirement, obstacles in program administration and information dissemination, special…

A Ball State University (Indiana) program to strengthen student retention involves a Freshman-Year Experience Committee of 40 professionals representing key units in academic and student affairs who collaborate to respond to the needs of first-year students. The committee has designed policies for freshman dismissal and midterm evaluation that are…

Addresses youth violence and gangs and describes two initiatives that have effectively responded to gang-related problems. The development and characteristics of school crime and gang activity are discussed, including the political context that conditions intervention, and the proactive strategies that can reduce safety risks and provide better…

The Reaching Success through Involvement process requires influential adult school members and student leaders to form an improvement-minded community of learners. The process helps group leaders develop leadership and learning skills, create high-quality cultures, and promote other learning groups. A study of 17 participating schools showed…

The Ottawa Board of Education (Ontario, Canada) has committed revenues generated by a districtwide recycling program to help fund the MacSkimming Outdoor Education Centre. A partnership between recycling and outdoor education is valuable in developing an environmental ethic among students and in finding new ways to fund outdoor education. (LP)

Discusses issues associated with implementation of a new problem-based dental curriculum at the University of Queensland (Australia), focusing on costs and challenges of implementation based on a 1996 survey of staff involved. The origins and rationale of the new curriculum are examined, and both direct and indirect costs are explored, with…

The tension between "urban" and "research" in an urban research university has led to the creation of a small, service- and community-oriented honors program that serves the needs of academically talented students at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Another hallmark of the program is its constantly evolving…

Describes the origins, design, and students of the honors program at the University of California at Irvine. Over half the honors program students are foreign born and over half use English as a second language. The program encourages development of leadership skills and provides a supportive academic community within a growing research university…

In response to widespread frustration over faculty salary negotiations, Wheaton College (Massachusetts) linked faculty salaries to changes in its financial resources. The policy united the entire college community and paid dividends in many ways. Faculty have become more directly involved in fundraising and recruitment activities, and in the…

Discusses the library media program for the Duneland (Indiana) school district, two-time winner of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) National Library Media Program of the year Award, 1973 and 1993. Highlights personnel, staff development, budgets, student access, library collections, technology, Internet and filtering policies,…

Describes the U.S.-SiberLink Project that linked universities in Santa Barbara, CA, Washington, D.C., and Yakutsk, Siberia. Discusses the project's multimedia Web site and traces development of the project as students in the three cities discuss topics, find research materials, share writing for peer review, and communicate via e-mail and…

Presents findings from a two-year evaluation of a family literacy program in rural Appalachian Ohio. Demonstrates positive results for both impact/outcome and process objectives. Highlights an extensive network of interpersonal and interagency relationships that maximized resources and supported families as they changed. Suggests the importance of…

Notes that teachers see the computer as a tool to help them teach better, while students use computers to play games, chat, and design Web sites. Describes the after-school program Kids Learning In Computer Klubhouses (KLICK!) that operates clubhouses within local middle schools. Discusses what participants have accomplished for themselves, their…

The University of New Brunswick's Renaissance College is Canada's first undergraduate interdisciplinary leadership program. The 3-year outcomes-based program values experiential learning and exposes students to a multitude of perspectives. Forty percent of the courses are electives taken outside the college, including two Canadian and…

Describes the ongoing problem of graduate level preparation for community college teaching, and the need for such faculty. Describes a program in which two-year college and university faculty collaborate to train graduate students as community college faculty. Discusses getting the program started, implementing it, and taking stock. (SR)