This study assesses the impacts of the Science program at Piedmont Virginia Community College and its flagship capstone research experience, Supervised Study, through psychosocial perceptions associated with persistence in science and through a comparative analysis of subsequent science bachelor's degree attainment. Supervised Study involves…

The purpose of our mixed-methods study was to examine the motivations and obstacles associated with curricular revisions in music education degree programs. During Phase I, we surveyed a nationwide sample (N = 533) of music education program coordinators. Participants who had engaged in the curriculum revision process within the previous decade…

College enrollment has increased over the past 10 years and is projected to continue growing over the next 10 for both full- and part-time students. At the same time, institutions face low retention and graduation rates. One policy that shows promise in increasing completion rates, especially for adult learners and those who served in the…

This paper describes and compares the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by "U.S. News and World Report" in 2004 with the profiles of the top accounting programs in the United States as identified by the "Accounting Degree Review" in 2014. The "Accounting Degree Review"'s list…

A capstone experience, as an exit degree requirement, allows Master of Public Administration (MPA) students to build quasi-experimental practices by applying learned knowledge and skills throughout their curriculum in the United States. Accredited MPA programs have implemented their capstone courses differently to achieve required standards. Small…

This paper examines primarily the courses in the accounting major and a portion of the business core of the best thirty accounting programs in the United States as identified by the Accounting Degree Review. A thorough examination of each school's web site has been conducted to gather current (2014) information concerning the requirements for a…

The focus of this essay is to examine how general education requirements and advising are connected in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. To do this, we begin with a brief description and history of general education requirements. We move next to a description of the advising system and general education requirements…

The author of this article questions what has been gained from Berrett's exploration of the connections between competency development and individual required courses. She concludes from this analysis that students' competency development is a responsibility that cuts across many courses and many levels of expected student proficiency. To put it…

The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) launched Quality Collaboratives (QC): Assessing and Reporting Degree Qualifications Profile Competencies in the Context of Transfer in 2011 as a three-year project that engaged educational, assessment, and policy leaders in student learning outcomes assessment and transfer pathways.…

General education requirements are a cornerstone of the U.S. system of higher education, making up approximately 30 percent of the average undergraduate degree program (Brint, Proctor, Murphy, Turk-Bicakci, & Hanneman, 2009). While there appears to be a consensus among U.S. educators and employers that general education is a valuable component…

Virginia's response to criticism dealing with teacher education programs has been to establish cut-off scores on the National Teachers Examination and to develop a provisional certification for all beginning teachers. These changes in teacher certification regulations are discussed. (DF)

This report presents the results of a review of all significant instructional efforts in the computer science discipline in Virginia institutions of higher education, with emphasis on those whose instructional activities constitute complete degree programs. The report is based largely on information provided by the institutions in self-studies. A…

In order to determine the changes in high school graduation requirements and their impact on vocational education programs, a longitudinal study was initiated to track high school and vocational education program enrollments in Virginia and the United States for five years beginning with the 1984-85 school year. A questionnaire was prepared and…

This report on graduate education, requested by the Virginia General Assembly, was developed by a task force that included graduate students, faculty, and administrators. The task force based its work on a previous report issued by an advisory committee of chief academic officers, a review of recent literature on graduate education, and their own…

A restructured administrator preparation program, the Regional Principal Preparation Program, is described in this report. The program is characterized by university/school cooperation, onsite delivery, job-relevant curriculum, full-time internships, mentorships, adequate candidate assessment, individualized educational programming, and followup…