Reports a study gauging the average oral proficiency as measured by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) of college students (n=20) studying German at the end of their fourth semester. Discussion centers on reasonable expectations for high school graduation and for college language…

A survey of undergraduate students (n=473) from a small liberal arts university evaluated several independent variables (gender, community service, membership in campus organizations, and out-of-class experiences) in terms of goals associated with a liberal education. Analysis indicated that gender and type of extramural activities (i.e., student…

Portland State University (PSU) is a public university with more than twenty-three thousand students enrolled in 120 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degree programs. In the fall of 1994, the PSU faculty initiated the revised general education program, University Studies. The culmination of this four-year, interdisciplinary general education…

This report evaluates the increasing use and adaptations of the academic credit system by developing nations in an attempt to improve quality and cost-effectiveness of their higher education systems. Chapter 1 offers an overview of the credit system and explains how it works in breaking down the curriculum into measurable units that can be accrued…

In response to the goal of improving college student retention, it was decided to require students in a freshman English course to participate in activities associated with academic persistence. Students (N=43) selected 3 of 4 retention-related activities in which to participate and recorded their experiences briefly in their course journals.…

Guidelines for the higher education curriculum are presented, with attention directed to prerequisite courses, general education, educational objectives, criteria for selecting staff to monitor required courses, and professional education. Two specific concerns are the need to provide specific and well-written course descriptions in the general…

In 1987, a study was conducted to evaluate the ability of several variables to predict student performance on Florida's minimum competency test for rising juniors, the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST). The variables included grades received in required courses; semesters elapsed prior to taking required courses after entering college;…

Includes honors degree courses; special entry requirements; course structure; courses regularly available; notes; and how to obtain further information on 42 universities, 28 polytechnics, 12 colleges of technology, and 13 colleges of education in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Some schools have advertisements listing additional…

Lists names and addresses of seven universities and eight colleges of technology in Scotland. Information reported includes honors degree courses; special entry requirements; course structure; courses regularly available; notes; and how to obtain further information. Also some schools have advertisements listing additional information. (RT)

Guidelines are presented for developing curricula that integrate health-specific content with traditional foundation content. Specific course content for practice in human behavior, social environment, organization, and policy sequences are proposed. (Author/MH)

A study was conducted to examine the status of office administration programs in the United States as they existed during the 1982 school year. Information was collected from 59 institutions with baccalaureate-degree programs in office administration. Results are presented concerning program titles, semester hour requirements, course requirements,…

The approach to foreign language courses, required of students at Northern Illinois University, is to assist students in learning in their areas of specialization, while at the same time structuring the activities for group learning. The assumption is that it is the kind of participation in learning activities that gives significance to the…

Five objectives are suggested for teacher education institutions to use in response to National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education guidelines on multicultural education: (1) identifying faculty strengths; (2) eliciting administrative support; (3) establishing program goals; (4) setting course requirements; and (5) involving the…

Among 22 teacher educators of adapted physical education, 10 reported that their institutions offered a degree program in adapted physical education; 4 of these required practical training in rural districts. Eighteen institutions required an undergraduate course in adapted physical education; 12 of these courses contained a rural-oriented…

A growing number of institutions, prompted by pressures from minority groups, racial tension on campuses, and concerns that students are leaving college unprepared to live in an ethnically diverse nation, are requiring students to take courses that explore issues relating to race. Hurdles facing these requirements are discussed. (MLW)