Stressing the importance of proper management and careful integration of instructional and support programs, this monograph argues that access and selectivity in the community college can complement and temper each other. Chapter I offers a brief historical overview of the relationship between access and selectivity in American higher education,…

This book analyzes the effects of the Open Admissions Program at the City University of New York (CUNY) during its first year. The project undertook three tasks: (a) to clarify the issues surrounding the concept of open admissions in higher education; (b) to describe the curricula and programs developed by the various colleges of CUNY in response…

Because the nursing department at Delaware Technical and Community College receives applications from more potential students than it can accommodate, it can no longer accept all applicants. The class which began in September 1975 was selected by a random selection process; this gave rise to numerous objections from rejected students, parents,…

Reasons for slipping academic standards in U.S. community colleges and a specific program combating this problem are discussed. Two reasons are offered for this slippage; the first has to do with the ambiguous state of the community college faculty. These teachers are said to have difficulty defining their roles because they feel a powerlessness…

Minimum competency testing, in which passing a uniform test is necessary (but not sufficient) for promotion or graduation, has been carried out in a number of colleges, including the City University of New York (CUNY). Competency programs usually have three basic components: placement testing, remedial instruction, and exit testing. Competency…

A major reason for the public's concern about curriculum and instruction at all levels of education has evolved because of the serious decline in student academic achievement. After two decades of innovation in teaching styles there are increasing complaints about academic grade inflation, functional illiteracy, and student inability to read,…

A view of events at City College of New York during the 1970s when an open admissions policy was initiated is discussed by the eighth president of the college. At CUNY, the objective was to provide remediation, counseling, and tutoring in order to maximize the possibility of success. (MLW)

Examines the ethical conflict in community college nursing programs between the value placed on equal educational opportunity and the need for quality and high standards. Offers a defense of open admissions and open access and presents the case against open admissions. Suggests priorities for associate degree nursing programs. (37 references) (MAB)

The "open-door" policy of community colleges has resulted in the three interrelated problems of student recruitment, student retention, and student placement. In order to identify and analyze factors which cause the separation of "new" students from the community college, a one-day seminar was conducted at Southern University in May of 1973.…

The chancellor of the California community college system has begun a controversial effort to achieve higher academic standards through governance reform. (MSE)

In early 1996, the Atlanta school board approved a plan to reconstitute Walden Middle School, opening it to students across the city and substantially changing the composition of the faculty. This report for 1996-97 recounts the first year of the reform effort, during which all positions were declared vacant and a new staff and faculty were…

This publication presents findings of a study that examined high schools with competency-based graduation systems. Data were obtained from interviews with officials at 29 schools in 17 states. Many of the schools were members of the Coalition of Essential Schools. Four schools are described in detail: Central Park East in New York City, New York;…

The way that remediation affects the costs and the academic quality of higher education is discussed, and approaches to dealing with these problems are addressed. Recent increases in the number of underprepared students entering college have resulted in a greater need for remedial education to prepare them for college-level work. In addition to…

This study examined faculty experience with student academic unpreparedness at two open-admission universities in the southern United States. Fourteen faculty from core subject areas, such as English, history, and mathematics, completed open-ended interviews on the effects of student unpreparedness. Faculty discussed the basic problems and…

Based on one Canadian community college's experience with flexible admissions, it is concluded that access to higher education for nontraditional students can be increased if policies are mediated at the department level; these students do not threaten academic standards; and radical change in teaching methods and curriculum is not necessary. (MSE)