In 1985, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) adopted a standard requiring that journalism/mass communications students take a minimum of 90 semester hours in courses outside their major, with at least 65 hours in liberal arts and sciences. The term "liberal arts" defies precise definition,…

The rationale and process for creating a credit-bearing intensive English program (IEP) at Utah State University, a land-grant institution with about 1,000 foreign students, are described. The program evolved from an intensive English language institute whose proficiency-granting process became tedious for staff and administrators. As a result,…

An elementary school foreign language program and the French curriculum are described. French and Spanish are among the electives offered as part of a New Jersey magnet school for gifted children from preschool through grade 5. Participation in the daily half-hour instruction is entirely optional and has been growing in popularity during the 5…

This study examined effects of a Dalton Junior College (Georgia) student success course, Dalton College Studies 101 (DCS 101) since it was first offered in 1987. The course meets twice a week, is strictly elective, and carries institutional credit. All students were first-time students and since most students enroll during the Fall quarter, only…

There is a misconception in the research literature that low income students from underrepresented minority groups need special educational programs to be successful in a competitive society. This study investigated the performance of Pacific and Asian students in a traditional academic environment, The Lab School in Hawaii, where they were given…

Interdisciplinary policies and practices at the University of Montreal were studied to determine their effectiveness. The three study objectives were to: (1) determine the magnitude of the range set up by the department degree structure to give student majors an opportunity to take courses outside their basic discipline; (2) assess the degree of…

This paper describes a variable-credit advanced writing course that allows non-English majors to set their own goals for writing and to develop specific writing skills that apply to their major fields. The course is a unitized sequence of three five-week sessions. The first session discusses the theoretical product model and process model for the…

This study was conducted to determine if student evaluations of faculty are affected by the characteristics of the teacher, the student, and the class. Each instructor was asked to answer questions indicating personal warmth, professorial rank, years of teaching experience, sex, and class size. Students were asked to complete the Instructional…

This paper argues that, although the current system of postgraduate-year-one (PGY-1) education for dentists is not promoting reform in licensing practices, the potential remains. Two scenarios, one in which advanced general dentistry remains voluntary and one in which it becomes mandated, are outlined and implications for licensure reform are…

Competence in mathematics has long been identified as a critical skill directly related to educational and occupational choices. Mathematical skills are important for admission to many college majors, for a number of professional occupations, and increasingly for computerized technical occupations. Yet compared to male students, fewer female…

The role of high school English department heads as active leaders and departmental advocates, as well as their role in improving their departments' composition programs, is examined in this paper. The first section provides an overview of department heads' basic responsibilities, noting the need for them to have an active role in setting…

A survey of chairpersons of the Departments of Economics at 47 accredited U.S. colleges and universities collected data concerning required and recommended courses, departments in which students take the courses, satisfaction with the courses, and problems in those courses where respondents indicated dissatisfaction. Results indicated that: (1)…

A study examined the effects of a mandatory participation requirement on participant attitude toward and subsequent progress in a professional development program. Eight of the 24 schools in the Arkansas postsecondary vocational-technical school system were selected for the study. Participation in a professional development program was mandatory…

In response both to interests within the foreign language teaching profession and to a new Texas law mandating oral proficiency standards for foreign language teachers, Tarrant County Junior College developed a number of curriculum changes in French, German, Spanish, and English for Speakers of Other Languages. The primary first-year emphasis and…

The University 101 concept as a method for improving university teaching and learning is described, with emphasis on the faculty training program, although the approach also includes a three-credit-hour freshman orientation course. The structure, content, outcomes, and research findings on the University 101 program are examined. The approach was…