The author discusses the role of student internships. Recognizing that internships are important for college students' eventual success in the job market, the writer expresses concern that the current system of mostly unpaid internships reinforces the divide between "haves" and "have-nots" among undergraduates. Those can afford to do so, take such…

Noting that access to higher education has expanded dramatically in the past several decades, Sara Goldrick-Rab and Kia Sorensen focus on how unmarried parents fare once they enter college. Contrary to the expectation that access to college consistently promotes family stability and economic security, the authors argue that deficiencies in current…

Discusses the issues involved in assigning grades for career-planning courses and presents an innovative grading system for the career planning course offered for academic credit at a university level. (Author/ABB)

There currently are 32 states in the American Diploma Project (ADP) Network, each dedicated to developing and implementing a college and career readiness agenda. At the same time, all fifty states are implementing requirements of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006. The Perkins Act and the American Diploma…

As student populations change, so do the students who volunteer for cocurricular activities. The challenges for campus activities organizers include recruiting older students and providing adequate rewards for volunteering. Students can be attracted by emphasizing the job-related aspects of volunteer jobs or offering course credit. (MSE)

Perspectives on accountability in higher education are considered. It is suggested that educational targeting be undertaken: a coalition of planners, financers, and deliverers of postsecondary education should establish goals to meet perceived societal needs. Out of these goal statements, priorities for state funding could be established and…

The College Life Task Assessment Instrument (CLT), a 35-item questionnaire, assesses college student performance in 7 life-task domains important to college life. Reliability and Validity results demonstrate the CLT's ability to predict freshman and cumulative GPA, freshman and cumulative credits earned, academic, social, and personal-emotional…

This essay discusses the concerns of college students and graduates regarding the teaching profession, and reviews the experiences of a former teacher who is now a university professor of education. The problem of credit transfer between community college and university programs is examined, along with the job market for new teachers. Prospective…

Three policy statements on self-regulation initiatives for colleges and universities were developed by the American Council on Education with support, in some cases, from other organizations. Policy statement number one concerns policy guidelines for refund of student charges. The guidelines summarize elements of fair and equitable policy in…