Five major issues are currently confronting community colleges. The first issue relates to the need for a new measure of institutional functioning based on curriculum content (which is poorly represented by traditional program labels such as transfer or occupational programs) and student intent (which is rarely reflected by either program labels…

Innovative programs at Utah community and technical colleges are described and other topics of interest to faculty, staff, and administrators are addressed in this collection of articles. The journal contains the following articles by Utah two-year college faculty members: (1) "Open Access and Academic Excellence at Dixie College," by…

Macomb Community College in Michigan emphasized a commitment to economic development in an effort to combat a failing economy and falling resources for college funding. The college started by forming an internal task force to determine what alternatives were available to meet existing needs, then hosted two meetings focusing on economic…

Recommendations for designing a study abroad curriculum are offered to program directors, teachers, and study abroad leaders. The 13 essays and their authors are: "Study Abroad and the Liberal Arts: The Canon in Disarray" (Michael Kline); "Preparing for Study Abroad: Innovative and Traditional Library Resources" (Carolyn…

Historical and societal conditions that have influenced the college curriculum are considered, along with issues of the 1980s. Up to the 19th century, the bachelor of arts degree was a preprofessional degree; the Ph.D. degree was introduced after the Civil War. Since the doctoral degree emphasized research skills, universities began to employ…

The effects and implications of the changing relationship between external societal influences and academic institutions are explored in 16 essays by experts in the field. Titles and authors are as follows: "The University and the State: A Historical Overview" (E. D. Duryea); "Autonomy and Accountability: Some Fundamental…

The view of education as a liberating, enlightening, individuating process and educational approaches to support this goal are examined. According to Ivan Illich (1970), the social relations within the educational encounter have corresponded closely to the social relations of dominance, subordination, and motivation in the economic sphere. He…

In the first of the two addresses presented in this publication, George Vaughan examines trends likely to influence the development of community colleges in the United States. He predicts: (1) the increased representation of women, minorities, part-time, and older students will continue; (2) increased competition with higher education institutions…

Past events, present conditions, and future possibilities provide the context for this examination of the direct or indirect control of college curricula by governmental agencies. The paper first notes that while external management may be resented by educators who are entrenched in the status quo, government intervention into college instruction…

Programs that illustrate the ways in which colleges and universities are helping students understand technological methods and issues are described. Some of the programs approach technological literacy from a humanities vantage point that integrates technology into the coursework, while others employ a strict technological approach that touches…

This strategic plan addresses the internationalization of activities of American colleges and universities offering programs in food, agricultural, and natural resources disciplines. Internationalization is enhanced by appropriate university roles in economic development, humanitarian assistance, augmentation of global food security, and…

Argues that college graduates need crucial advanced reading skills beyond entry-level skills required for college admission, and summarizes national educational outcomes research on reading competence, including skills of interpretation, analysis, evaluation, inference, and reflection, and attitudes toward reading. Examines implications for…

This discussion of the quality of higher education examines how and why academic institutions are failing to provide students with a meaningful undergraduate education, and what can and should be done about it. It argues that colleges and universities, in an attempt to simultaneously provide an academic education and train students for careers,…

Black educators must act to counter the national trend toward eliminating Afro-American study programs and to preserve these programs as a permanent part of the English literature curriculum. Administrators in predominantly white institutions must be led to understand the importance of black literature to the American experience. To accomplish…

A course at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis offers students the opportunity to learn argumentative writing, while becoming aware of scholarly discourse in the arts, humanities, and sciences. Students realize that what once passed for a simple argument in everyday life becomes more sophisticated as they learn about research…