It was once difficult for students at Normandale Community College's World Languages and Cultures Department to imagine they would travel to exotic places such as Senegal and Peru but the internationalization initiative of the World Languages and Cultures Department put these life-changing experiences within reach. The World Languages and Cultures…

State community college systems and their two-year colleges have spent the 2010s reexamining and redesigning decades-old developmental education tracks to ensure students get what they need--and only what they need--with an eye toward moving them more quickly into college-level courses and, eventually, the degree or certificate they want.…

The economic news has been dire--from growing unemployment numbers to the slashing of state and local budgets. Schools have been forced to look at cost cutting measures--from larger classes to the elimination of some programs. Yet, amid all the bad news, there is some good news to be found for career and technical education (CTE)--and some…

Developmental education, also termed remedial education, refers to curricula intended to improve the academic skills and knowledge of students who are underprepared for undergraduate coursework, particularly in the areas of mathematics, reading, and writing. Many practitioners and researchers agree that developmental education should be improved,…

A study of rural community colleges in Minnesota and Michigan was conducted to determine to what extent the colleges were fulfilling their stated purposes, whether Minnesota's centralized state community college system is as responsive to community needs as Michigan's decentralized system, and the major criteria identified by community college…

Each semester, hundreds of children find themselves on the campus of a tribal college or university. While their parents are busy working toward that associate's or bachelor's degree, the children are getting their own dose of college life. From Ilisagvik College in Barrow, Alaska--the "northernmost accredited community college"--to…

A COMMITTEE OF THE CITIZENS LEAGUE RECOMMENDS THAT THE MINNESOTA STATE LEGISLATURE ESTABLISH COMPREHENSIVE "COMMUNITY" COLLEGES TO REPLACE THE PRESENT PARALLEL AND UNCOORDINATED DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL POST-HIGH SCHOOLS AND JUNIOR COLLEGES, THE FORMER OFFERING NO ACADEMIC COURSES AND ONLY THE LATTER PROVIDING TRAINING IN THE…

Discusses the emergence of a global, technology-drive, skills-based economy where manufacturers are now talking about the need for qualified workers. Describes Minnesota's severe worker shortage that threatens to choke the state's continued economic growth. Recounts Dakota County Technical College's decision to take a leadership role to address…

Since 1970 North Hennepin Community College in Minneapolis has enrolled 3,411 in its Seniors on Campus program for senior citizens. The key to initiation and continuing development of the program described here is involvement of senior citizens themselves in the Senior Advisory Committee. (JT)

Describes the process used to evaluate the writing across the curriculum (WAC) program in the Minnesota Community College System, focusing on evaluation components (i.e., workshop surveys, faculty and student surveys, faculty interviews, student compositions, and subject experiments). Considers programmatic and evaluation coordination. Reviews…

This paper describes a Developmental Education Outcomes Study being conducted for 21 Minnesota state community colleges. The goals of the study were to examine the academic performance of students placed into developmental reading, writing, and mathematics courses and to identify areas where improvement was needed. Subjects were all 20,543…

The final recommendations are presented for the Minnesota Higher Education Coordinating Board's study to assess the future viability of Minnesota's community colleges and vocational-technical institutes (V-TEC). After introductory material noting that the study was initiated in anticipation of enrollment declines and fiscal hardships, the report…

These curriculum studies were intended to determine the feasibility of new career programs in public service and aviation and to set priorities in improving or establishing them. The investigators visited administrators at selected institutions, employed consultants from many public and private agencies, and studied current literature. After study…

Describes a study of the attitudes and values of 273 Minnesota community college personnel toward affirmative action. Independent variables used in the study were institutional location, respondents' level of responsibility, race, sex, and program. Reveals more positive attitudes among administrators, counselors, minorities, females, and liberal…

Presents and compares results of a 1980 survey of a 25-percent random sample of community college teachers in Minnesota with similar information collected in 1956 and 1968. Focuses on professional activities, satisfaction and dissatisfaction with careers, attitudes toward collective bargaining, and selected demographic variables. (DMM)