Although costs inhibit large-scale change, many large institutions are moving toward improvements in undergraduate education, with some imitating some aspects of small colleges. Reduced class and section sizes, elaborate orientations, special freshman groups, and courses in which faculty share cutting-edge research with freshmen and sophomores are…

At the University of South Carolina, John Gardner directs University 101, a three-credit course designed to teach freshmen some basic "college survival skills," such as study techniques, constructive ways to relate to peers and professors, and how to use career center. In the last few years, it has been copied by hundreds of colleges in…

Many institutions are taking freshman orientation more seriously by challenging students before they start classes and giving them a more thorough introduction to campus life than ever before. The biggest changes in orientation are occurring among community colleges. Some of the experiences at Georgia Tech are described. (MLW)

Among the activities at Colorado College in late-summer preparation for the coming academic year are organization of the freshman orientation program focusing on the topic of prejudice, residence hall adviser training, and faculty research. (MSE)