This bibliographic guide to the literature that has contributed to the two-year college field over the past 20 years provides annotations to over 650 books, articles, and research reports. The guide is organized into the following chapters: (1) the development of community college literature; (2) general resources on two-year colleges; (3)…

General education is the process of developing a framework on which to place knowledge stemming from a variety of sources. Its goals are to help students think critically, develop values, understand traditions, respect diverse cultures and opinions, and, most importantly, put that knowledge to use. Even though its goals parallel socially supported…

The Western College Reading and Learning Association (WCRLA) has been a lead organization in promoting a professional consciousness among teachers of remedial studies and managers of learning laboratories. Its members are also creating an academic discipline centering on the principles of instruction. The theories of this discipline have been…

Drawing from literature on research, innovative programs, and association positions, this paper provides an overview of two-year college mathematics curricula, instruction, and faculty. Introductory material places the discussion in the context of changes that have taken place in the community college over the past 20 years, highlighting increases…

The Urban Community Colleges Transfer Opportunities Program (UCCTOP) was initiated in 1983 to stimulate the transfer of minority students from community colleges to universities. Collecting data on the effects of the UCCTOP activities proved to be one of the most difficult aspects of the project as community colleges typically do not have reliable…

Four-year institutions as well as community colleges are concerned about maintaining the humanities in the curriculum. Several issues faced by advocates of the humanities are presented along with specific proposals for changes in instruction, curriculum, and patterns of support. (JMF)

The idea of general education has ebbed and flowed for generations. Recent calls for general education, appearing both in the professional and popular literature, demand an integrative curriculum that brings people toward common understandings. The content of what is taught matters less than that a continual effort be made to enhance social…

Considers ways of measuring educational outcomes. Summarizes results from the Center for the Study of Community Colleges' administration of the General Academic Assessment, which measures the general education/liberal arts knowledge of two-year college student cohorts. Reveals direct relationships between test scores and credits taken and…

A discussion is presented of Hispanic community college students and the prospects and problems related to their transfer to four-year institutions and progress toward the baccalaureate degree. First, the question of Hispanic student transfer rates is placed in the context of community college enrollment/transfer patterns in general and Hispanic…

The proportion of community college students transferring to a four-year institution dropped considerably during the 1970's and early 1980's, a situation leading to accusations that the colleges do not prepare their students sufficiently well for transfer. However, several other factors have an influence on transfer rates. The fact that most…

In 1991, a study was conducted of the liberal arts education in American community colleges, comparing 1991 curriculum and enrollment data with information compiled in previous years (i.e., 1975, 1977, 1983, and 1986). Data were obtained by requesting catalogues and class schedules from every fifth college listed in the directory of the American…

In 1986, the U.S. Department of Education published the immensely popular "What Works: Research about Teaching and Learning," a compendium of research summaries pertinent to the home, classroom, and school. In 1988, graduate seminar students at the University of California, Los Angeles, attempted to develop a series of "What…

Projecting the prospects and possibilities for community colleges accurately is not an easy exercise due to the vulnerability of both internal and external conditions to unanticipated forces. One aspect of the community college that is particularly affected by external forces is enrollment. Enrollments are influenced by legislation, the decline in…

When compared with university freshmen, students beginning their collegiate studies in community colleges are less likely to attain the baccalaureate. However, after equating for differences in the students' entering abilities, socio-economic background, employment status, on-campus residence, and pattern of attendance, the difference is slight.…

Five major issues are currently confronting community colleges. The first issue relates to the need for a new measure of institutional functioning based on curriculum content (which is poorly represented by traditional program labels such as transfer or occupational programs) and student intent (which is rarely reflected by either program labels…