The EXCEL Program began as a National Science Foundation-sponsored STEM Talent Expansion Program in 2006 and, because of its significant impact on retention of STEM majors, has since become an institutionalized program at the University of Central Florida. The University of Central Florida EXCEL Program annually recruits approximately 200…

The purpose of this study was to better understand sport management students within departments of parks, recreation, and tourism, and to address the often uneasy fit faculty experience when trying to educate sport and recreation students in the same classes. Researchers sent a 16-item online questionnaire to 1,337 undergraduate sport management…

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English and math were finalized in 2010 and, as of July 2012, have been adopted in full by 45 states. These standards provide a framework that is intended to ensure that all students who graduate from high school in the United States have attained the knowledge and competencies that prepare them well for…

Mark Van Doren, the noted literary scholar, once remarked, "The college is meaningless without a curriculum, but it is more so when it has one that is meaningless." Many current critics of undergraduate curricula in America assent to the crucial need for programmatic renewal in our colleges and universities. They bemoan the cookie-cutter…

In the first decade of the 21st century, the nation, the states, and colleges and universities began to grapple with the challenges of globalization, changing demography, the implications of the digital era, and of a less expansive public sector. Although not a transformative period for higher education, the decade saw significant innovations in…

This practicum reviews the history of community influences on the teaching, research, and service functions of higher education in America. It discusses the role of major social institutions on higher education policy and curriculum in carrying out these three major functions. The study reveals a major shift of influence from church to business,…

Mission statements of state universities in Florida are presented, as are statements of each school's interest in new academic programs and data for each university. The institutional statements were drafted in connection with systemwide planning guidelines by the Florida Board of Regents. Following each university role and scope summary are lists…

A report on veterinary medical education in Florida and the need for veterinary care in Florida is presented. Overviews of the veterinary profession and veterinary medical education are also given, including the areas of history, careers in the field, licensure, salaries, animal disease research, accreditation, curriculum, enrollment, educational…

Proposals of state universities in Florida developed in accordance with 1978 Systemwide Policy Guidelines are presented. The first section of the institutional statement was developed at the institution's discretion without format or content requirements and generally includes information such as a description of the historical development of the…

A report on pharmacy education in Florida and the United States and on Florida labor supply is presented. Overviews of the pharmacy profession and pharmacy education are also given, including the areas of history, careers, licensure, salaries, accreditation, curriculum, enrollment, degrees awarded, and tuition and fees. Information on the colleges…

In response to a legislative directive, a study was conducted of dental education in Florida, the report of which constitutes part of the Comprehensive Health Professions Education Plan for the state. The study encompassed dental, dental hygiene and dental assisting education, with information provided on professional and educational aspects of…

A study of various forms of credit or non-credit used in Florida colleges and universities examines their relationship to traditional college credit, courses, and programs. An expansion in the kinds of credit and their usage is a focus of concern of Florida's Statewide Course Numbering System (SCNS). The practices of Florida postsecondary…

The development and validation of an employer-centered action system for curriculum development and evaluation are described. The system used a descriptive/action research design whereby a research team interviewed all major employers in Broward County Florida in a two-year period. Results of an employer needs assessment and task analyses were…

The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared…

This report presents the results of a review of health professions education in Florida and the social and economic forces affecting the supply and demand for health professionals in the state. Individual sections focus on medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, pharmacy, public health, nursing, physician assistantship, physical therapy,…