This report is the tenth in a series published annually by Universities UK, with the support of GuildHE, updating and expanding a rich variety of data which help us to understand higher education in the UK. Since its first report in 2001, the "Patterns" series has examined the trends in UK higher education at both the sector and…

The purpose of this study was to examine what types of initiatives exist to increase access to and affordability of postsecondary education, especially in community college programs that lead to occupational advancement. We reviewed community college agency and state legislative Web sites to discover what initiatives or policies are currently…

This chapter explores how community colleges internationalize curricula by examining both on- and off-campus strategies.

This paper explores how students adjust to life at universities outside their home countries. Much of the current research was conducted prior to the 9/11 tragedy and focuses primarily on studies within a single U.S. institution. This project expands the boundaries by including multiple institutions from around the globe post-9/11. Findings…

In this report, the Commission considers a proposal by the Palo Verde Community College District to convert the Needles outreach operation to a state-approved off-campus educational center of Palo Verde Community College. The proposal responds to the district's need to enhance educational services in the extremely remote community of Needles and…

This article describes how to use what we know about commuter students to design and implement strategies that enhance their retention. It includes a discussion of the extraordinary diversity of the commuter student population and their common needs and concerns and offers several theoretical frameworks that have proven to be useful in…

This paper presents the development and validation of a two-level hierarchical cost model for tertiary education, which enables prospective students to compare the total cost of attending a traditional Baccalaureate degree education with that of the same programme taken through distance e-learning. The model was validated by a sample of Greek…

The proportion of college students commuting to campus grows steadily. Nonetheless, many colleges still think in terms of the residential tradition. A model of institutional adaptation can be used to assess and change college environments for this population. The model focuses on access to institutional programs, basic services, and support. (MSE)

A self-assessment of commuter student programs and services at San Diego State University (SDSU) indicated that the university was doing well in meeting the needs of this population. For many years, most of the students at SDSU have been commuter students. Services and programs that were developed were created with the commuter student in mind.…

Four areas of concern to older students who commute are examined: mobility, integrating support systems, multiple life roles, and involvement in campus life. Implications for advising are discussed, and four roles for advisors are proposed. Three illustrative case studies based on interviews are provided. (Author/MSE)

Upper-level institutions of higher education, offering course work at only the junior, senior, and in some cases postgraduate level, are discussed. Two upper-level institutions that are part of the University of Houston system are cited as examples: The University of Houston at Clear Lake City and the University of Houston Victoria Campus. In the…

Argues that freshman seminar class reunions increase the benefits of freshman seminars for urban commuter college students, and reports results of a study testing effectiveness of class reunions in reducing attrition for high-risk students (n=40). Findings support hypothesis that freshmen seminar groups with class reunions show greater student…

Ways that urban corridor campuses might respond to the increasing enrollment of part-time and commuter students were reviewed by the University of Wisconsin Urban Corridor Consortium Task Force on Part-Time and Commuter Students. Members of the consortia are the following University of Wisconsin campuses: Green Bay, Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Parkside,…

National and New York State trends in both the cost of higher education and the various types of student aid programs are addressed. Data are provided for 1976-1977, 1981-1982, and 1983-1984. Also provided are estimates of the "net cost" of a college education after taking into account various financial resources (e.g., family…

This article presents a summary of a study that was undertaken to increase the level of understanding of some of the issues associated with distance learning in higher education. The authors sought to do this by gathering and comparing direct feedback from both on-campus and off-campus students regarding discussion, attendance, and student…