Without an institutional research office to look at recruitment and retention programs, DePauw University (Indiana) relies heavily on institutional trend data and comparative information to assess the effectiveness of three initiatives: recruitment of large numbers of minority students, strategic use of financial aid, and use of market…

The variety of efforts made by several hundred small liberal arts colleges in the areas of classroom instruction, individual student supervision, academic advising, and orientation programs to foster a context in which student-faculty interaction becomes more likely is examined. (MSE)

The influence of family on institutional choice and post-freshman persistence of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students was studied at a small Bible college with a freshman retention rate of 86 percent. Data included interviews with 29 of the college's 62 AI/AN students. Findings indicate that family had both a positive and negative…

Wheaton College, a small liberal arts college for women, has begun integrating women's experiences into the mainstream of learning, to bring a gender-balanced perspective to the traditional liberal arts. A project funded by a grant from the Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education is described. (MLW)

A program for high-risk students at Eastern Oregon State College is described. Identification, prescription, follow-up, and evaluation of the target population are discussed. The results of the program are not dramatic but it is felt that efforts need to be intensified. (MLW)

The challenge of bringing information literacy to university students is greater than at small colleges. A survey of librarians at large universities revealed unique problems and instructional solutions. The Brigham Young University (Utah) program, in which information literacy is integrated into every academic division, offers one example. (MSE)

Similarities and differences in elements determining the religious character of 104 four-year Catholic colleges sponsored by women religious are examined. Literature on Catholic higher education, an analysis of college catalogs, and interviews with college presidents and the executive director of the Association of Catholic Colleges and…

The relationship between academic success at DePauw University and such commonly used predictors as tested ability and academic success in high school was examined. The various subtleties of the multiple regression research method were also examined. Subjects were 1758 students who entered DePauw University during the fall semester of 1973, 1974,…

The purpose of this study was to determine the contributions of student effort, campus environments and institutional culture to student learning in three types of institutions: small residential colleges; large residential universities; and universities located in metropolitan areas. Data sources were qualitative assessments of 13 campus cultures…

This report covers the activities of a program designed to strengthen traditional career planning services, to augment the liberal arts program, and to integrate students' educational and vocational development. A review and evaluation are included for: (1) major program components, i.e., student workshops, faculty efforts, practicums, and the…

A description of Hamilton College's campus computing environment looks at the planning and management of information technology, computing services, the telephone network, faculty and student computing, and computer applications in the library. (MSE)

Pennsylvania State University Beaver Campus developed crisis guidelines and a formal working relationship with a local community mental health center in order to be able to deal with on-campus crises and their followup. The guidelines provide each employee with a single, easy-to-follow document that outlines the decision making process to be…

Discusses the characteristics of small colleges, which comprise over half the American postsecondary institutions. Describes the advantages of attending a small college and discusses student development as it relates to a small college setting. Challenges facing the small college are outlined, and goals and suggestions are offered. (Author/JAC)

A survey of 40 graduating seniors at a small, Christian liberal arts college found student-faculty interaction perceived as a positive influence on student personal and intellectual growth, career and educational goals, especially for higher achieving students and humanities/natural science majors. Implications for administration, staff, students,…

Five institutions are considering whether the job requirements that they have are having any impact on students' feelings about public-service work and what form that impact takes. All five are private, liberal-arts colleges that require students to hold jobs in exchange for low, or no, tuition. (MLW)