While engaged in academic reading, a university provost converged on an idea to use a preferential approach to students' selection of college courses, similar to the recommendation systems used by "Netflix" and "Amazon." The result of this idea came to be known as "Degree Compass" and was implemented on the campus of…

This paper focuses on the development of an actuarial science track for the mathematics major at Salisbury University (SU). A timeline from the initial investigation into such a program through the proposal and approval processes is shared for those who might be interested in developing a new actuarial program. It is wise to start small and take…

The purpose of this effort is to share information about the variety of culminating activities used in the acquisition of the California Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. Knowledge of these varying culminating activities and related practices has not previously been readily available. The culminating activities among California's…

The Society of Actuaries (SOA) is the world's largest actuarial organization. This article describes the SOA with particular attention paid to its education and qualification processes and resources available for university and college programs.

We describe specific curricular decisions employed at Butler University that have resulted in student achievement in the actuarial science major. The paper includes a discussion of how these decisions might be applied in the context of a new actuarial program.

The road to a new degree program is rarely smooth. The author describes the lengthy and bumpy path to the successful creation of and approval for the first nontraditional doctorate offered at Georgetown University, the Doctor of Liberal Studies Degree (DLS). The new Doctor in Liberal Studies (DLS) required applicants to have a master's degree or…

In 2008, Delta State University began offering an integrated Master's of Business Administration (iMBA) degree. The program's design allows students to complete degree requirements within three semesters using an online, integrated format. The program consists of three 10-hour modules, one offered in each semester: spring, summer, and fall. The…

Indiana University (IU) is a leading research university located in Bloomington, Indiana. Considered one of the top 100 universities in the world, IU has over 110 academic programs ranked in the top 20 nationwide in such diverse areas as medicine, law, business, education, the arts and sciences. But one program that is little known is the Indiana…

Describes the course-credit system in the United States, the standard means of measuring academic work. Discusses how the system is a means of measuring the time spent on study and not the quality of work; since the 19th century, the course-credit system has been the major "currency" in American higher education and has proven quite…

Suggests that the technical and professional writing concentration in the English department at Eastern Michigan University serves as an example of the way Master of Arts (MA) programs often reflect the economy of a particular region. Discusses the MA program at Eastern Michigan University. (RS)

Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) was established as an autonomous state university in 1969, with the merger of the Indiana University and Purdue University branch campuses in Indianapolis. There are 19 schools providing graduate education on the campus, including Liberal Arts, in which communication studies is situated.…

Examines arguments for and against the professional school concept. Presents a professional school model master plan for Texas colleges of engineering. Guidelines and the curriculum at Texas A&M for the doctor of engineering program are examined. (CS)

Describes an innovative technician training program devised by the psychology department of Georgia College to meet student and regional applied psychology needs. (DB)

In the fall of 1982 Drexel became one of the first universities to introduce a formal microcomputer requirement by announcing that in September 1983 every entering student would need access to a microcomputer. The heart of the microcomputing program is Apple Computer's Macintosh. The microcomputing program is described. (MLW)

Many adults are attending weekend colleges in search of undergraduate degrees. The intense two- or three-day programs provide a workable alternative for adults who are unable or unwilling to attend classes during the day or evening. (MLW)