An overview is provided of recent efforts to review and redefine the associate degree, with special focus on a workshop sponsored by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) and the Miami-Dade Community College District (MDCCD) which attempted to sharpen the focus of the inquiry into the definition of the associate degree. First,…

Ways that colleges and universities provide opportunities for students to improve their writing are discussed in two essays and program descriptions. In "Reinventing the Rhetorical Tradition: Finding Ways to Revalue Writing," Patrick Hartwell and Greg Waters briefly describe activities at colleges that center around the rhetorical…

Recent research on student achievement conducted by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) indicates that American students are deficient in reading, mathematics, writing, and other skills. To reverse this trend, the Accountable Curriculum, a program that raises expectations for students was created. The program is a departure…

A collection of nine papers related to international recognition of studies and degrees is presented. The papers are as follows: "Problems of Equivalence of Studies and Diplomas in Higher Education Systems" (Hanna Jablonska-Skinder); "Unveiling the Hidden Information in Credentials: A Proposal to Introduce a 'Supplement to Higher…

Alternative instructional delivery options such as self-paced and flexible enrollment courses are designed to increase enrollment, promote retention, and encourage student success without lowering academic standards. The Fast Track Associate's Degree Program, developed by a team of faculty, staff, and administrators at Richland Community College,…

Improvement of the lower division undergraduate program of the General College of the University of Minnesota is addressed. Attention is directed to the history of the program, the status of the project when the General College Assembly adopted its 1981 statement, and the nature of the work to be completed during the 1981-82 year. Reference is…

In 1990, a study was conducted to compare the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) passing rates of St. Petersburg Junior College (SPJC) students with those of other Florida community college students and students from state universities. The SPJC samples consisted of 756 students who took the CLAST for the first time in October 1989 and…

A variety of general education programs and evaluation approaches are described, with a focus on assessments of student attitudes and achievement. The introductory essay by Jerry G. Gaff, "A Practical Approach to Evaluation," presents a three-step evaluation approach, as well as suggestions for general education program directors, deans,…

This issue of "Forum," a journal designed to present ideas of California community college faculty, begins with "Community Colleges Can Keep the Door Open," by Jean B. Trapnell, which urges community colleges to reassess and integrate the new goals associated with lifelong learning with the primary goals of providing transfer,…

An article on graduate liberal studies (GLS) and descriptions of GLS programs are presented. In "The Concept of Graduate Liberal Studies," Allie M. Frazier considers GLS curricular offerings, characteristics of students pursuing these studies, and the future of GLS. GLS degree programs allow adults to pursue a liberal education, which is…

The theme of this journal issue is "Institutional Renewal." Projects designed to address the issues of the 1980s at 18 colleges are described, and 15 definitions of institutional renewal are presented. Participating colleges were provided expert advice through the Association of American College's (AAC) Project Lodestar (renamed…

Approaches used by colleges and universities to implement values clarification and inquiry, moral education and development, and normative and applied ethics into the curriculum are examined, along with the way that the schools are defining values education in terms of their own students and mission. In "Values in the Curriculum," Edward…