Research conducted by the Center for the Study of Community Colleges in Los Angeles on the status of the community college liberal arts curriculum found that liberal arts programs have a beneficial impact on students. Research findings have consistently revealed that what students know is related to what they study and how they have studied it. Usually, students' self-ratings of their skills in a particular area of the liberal arts are a good indicator of their knowledge in that area. Analyses of course enrollments, class schedules, and curricular changes reveal that most of the enrollment in liberal arts courses is at the introductory level. Reasons students have for enrolling in a particular course vary greatly from fulfilling a general education requirement, to personal enrichment, to fulfilling a requirement for a major. Only a small percentage of students cite counselor or faculty encouragement, student recommendations, or interesting course descriptions as the most important reason for enrolling in a particular course. Suggestions for improving the liberal arts programs include: (1) providing students with more information about courses and their potential benefits; (2) college educators working with their high school counterparts to increase student interest; (3) college liberal arts courses promoting basic skills for underprepared students; and (4) making efforts to decrease liberal arts course attrition rates. (MAB)