In the 2000s, changes in the external environment, including changing student demographics, increased competition, and declining government support, are affecting public higher education administrators. The growth in online enrollment is increasing at a rate higher than the total higher education enrollment, and the majority of university…

Implementing blended accelerated learning programs or courses requires a systematic approach, not just the addition of new technologies. Small colleges face challenges when they move toward blended learning because of already-constrained resources. In this article, we will survey issues faced by small colleges in moving to blended learning,…

Although voluntary departures are frequent among new professional student affairs staff members at small colleges and universities, there is little systematic study of the processes involved in departing a job at one campus to accept a student affairs position at another. Potentially awkward dynamics surrounding staff departures can complicate…

Despite the continuing economic slump, enrollment at private, nonprofit colleges is expected to increase slightly this fall compared with last year, according to a report to be released this week by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities. Undergraduate enrollment is anticipated to grow by 0.2 percent, with combined…

More than 200 schools currently use some form of the Outward Bound-adapted model of outdoor orientation (OO). Assisting students with the transition to college is a primary goal of these programs (Bell, Holmes, Vigneault, & Williams, 2008). This study was conducted at a small Midwestern liberal-arts college with a strong environmental mission.…

This report describes private colleges serving adults which since 1936 have been required to register with the provincial government of British Columbia, Canada or, since 1993, with a regulatory body created by the government. The sector has always included career colleges, but registration was expanded temporarily in the 1990s to include all…

Evidence suggests that college preparation programs successfully support students through college preparation and application process. However, most research into college preparation programs does not attend to students' collegiate experiences once they leave college preparation programs. This dissertation explored the long-term influence of Small…

Colleges survive sometimes because they are able to merge with another institution (a for-profit company, another private college, a state university). The change at the College of Charleston was shaped in the 1970s, when the college did not "merge" with a state institution--it "became" a state institution, which grew.. and…

In this study the author examines the use of small peer-led collaborative learning groups to change students' perceptions of mathematics and their success in developmental mathematics classes at a small tribal community college. The quasi-experimental study involved both quantitative and qualitative data. Rationale for, methods of, and outcomes…

The purpose of the study was first to calculate the full-time and part-time retention rates for each category of 2-year institution and to examine the differences, if they existed, between and among the three types of colleges. Secondly, the study explored the differences in the full-time and part-time retention rates of first-time students within…

This quantitative study was developed to determine the influence tactic used most often by teachers in a small college classroom. It was hypothesized that the rational persuasion tactic, which is defined as "using logical arguments and factual evidence to persuade the target". (Fu & Yukl, 2000, p. 252) would be the most commonly employed tactic by…

This research examined how two decidedly different groups of community college presidents from across the United States viewed the competencies, characteristics, and professional skills identified by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) (2005) as important for effective community college leadership. The two groups participating in…

Neosho County Community College, is a small college in Kansas. It set out to measure outcomes in every course, program, and in general education. It wound up creating a simple, elegant, inexpensive, faculty-driven system that transformed the college culture from an emphasis on what was being taught to what was being learned.

Colleges and universities across the country are seeking ways to strategically position their campuses within the growingly competitive landscape of higher education. The presidents of these institutions are approaching these changes with a watchful eye on the fiscal, environmental, and human resources involved. The purpose of this study was to…

In his best-selling book, "Deep Economy," Bill McKibben comments on the benefits of "small" education. Smaller institutions, he argues, resemble farmers' markets--one gets wonderful and quality seasonal food from people he knows and trusts. But, one cannot get everything there that he may want precisely when he wants it. Given personal preferences…