The services provided by The University of Akron's International Student Office (ISO) are described, along with additional programming needs. The ISO provides immigration counseling, academic advising, orientation programs, and the English Language Institute. Information and referral services for foreign students and information on study/travel…

Discusses community college efforts to assess student needs, increase persistence, and enhance transfer education, offering recommendation on the provision of guidance and counseling, opportunities for faculty-student interaction, and orientation programs. Questions current definitions of transfer effectiveness. Asserts that students themselves…

Students around the globe have unique first-year experiences but struggle with many of the same challenges. This monograph focuses on their journeys and provides insights for educators interested in learning about how institutions across the globe provide supports to students dealing with first-year transition issues. Based on the successful…

A study was conducted by the Learning Assessment Retention Consortium of the California Community Colleges to determine the extent to which the state's community colleges had implemented matriculation practices which were recommended by the Board of Governors in 1984, but which had not received state funding. The study investigated college…

This book describes significant issues and trends in the evolution of student affairs and reviews current methods and models of practice. The chapters are: (1) "The Philosophical Heritage of Student Affairs," by Stan Carpenter, reviewing the relationship between educational philosophy and student services; (2) "A History of Student Affairs," by…

In 1985-86, Northern Michigan College (NMC) used funds received from the United States Department of Education to develop a system of assessment, advisement, and placement--Placement/Advisement for Student Success (PASS), an integrated system designed to improve student retention. PASS currently consists of three components: summer orientation,…

At Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in New York, the student body is 55% Black, 29% Hispanic, 7% Asian, and 9% White and other ethnic groups. Placement testing indicates that 70% of entering freshmen require some form of remediation. As part of BMCC's efforts to improve first-year retention rates, students requiring remediation have…

A facilitator's manual for the Summer Transition Enrichment Program at Bowling Green State University is presented. The overall objectives of the program are: (1) to facilitate the transition of entering freshmen into the academic and cultural life of the university; and (2) to assist students in their personal growth and adjustment to the…

In Fall 1981, a Chancellor's Counseling Advisory Committee was formed in the Los Angeles Community College District to analyze current counseling practices and, with the help of a counseling consultant, make recommendations for improvement. This report first presents summaries of the Committee's deliberations and their recommendations, which were…

A study investigated the cost effectiveness of a Seton Hall University (New Jersey) freshman studies program designed to improve retention, stabilize enrollments, and enrich campus life. Data were analyzed from short- and long-term perspectives. Results indicate that, despite increasing costs, the program is a cost-effective approach to student…

For colleges and universities to recruit transfers from community colleges, they must make the academic transition smooth and easy, by identifying student needs and offering services tailored to meet them. Such services may include special orientations, career planning services, student personnel services, clear credit transfer policies, and…

The "revolving door syndrome" refers to the ease with which students are able to enroll in community colleges and the equal ease with which they can drop out. In addition to traditional retention strategies, such as assessment, placement, orientation and advising, innovative approaches have been implemented at five community colleges…

A 1980 needs assessment survey of women students at the University of California, Davis, was undertaken. The 327 women respondents (41 percent response rate) were undergraduate, graduate, and professional school students. In addition to collecting information about female respondents, including marital status, number of children, career plans, and…

A study found college honors (n=231) and nonhonors (n=709) first-year students were similar in extracurricular interests, educational objectives, and some study habits; they reported differences in most other areas. Findings have implications for advising both groups, such as placement of emphasis on format of academic courses, orientation to…

This booklet provides the program and abstracts of presentations given at the Fourth Canadian-American Conference on the First-Year Experience. It includes a list of the goals of the conference, sponsoring institutions, staff, and general information about the conference. The booklet then provides brief descriptions of the 51 sessions held over…