On December 15, 1975 the Board of Higher Education of the City of New York passed a resolution requiring that all applicants demonstrate on eighth grade reading and numerical competence level to be required for admittance on a full time, matriculated status. In as much as the open admissions policy had the aim of increasing the participation of…

Four benchmarks may be noted in efforts to reduce barriers to minority access to higher education in New York City: (1) National Scholarship Fund for Negro Students (1949); (2) National Defense Education Act (1958); (3) Federal and New York State legislation (precollege programs to assist blacks and Puerto Ricans prepare for College, 1964); and,…

A speech delivered at the National Association of College Deans, Registrars and Admissions Officers on March 16, 1980 in Alabama, presents a case for the continued existence of Black colleges. Suggests Black colleges have an important role in educating Black youth and recommends improvements for Black colleges. (RC)

Educationally disadvantaged college students who were enrolled in an experimental sociology course section did not have significantly different test performance than nonparticipating disadvantaged. Results indicated that significant improvement could be expected of disadvantaged students if they were admitted with a high Scholastic Aptitude…

The image and reputation of General College (GC) of the University of Minnesota was studied in 1981 through telephone interviews of 619 students, faculty, and counselors. Eighty-six percent of GC students, 87 percent of the university counselors, and 63 percent of high school counselors rated GC as very important. Seventy-seven percent of GC…

A personal account of the years 1970 to 1979 at The City College of New York is presented in the form of memoirs of the eighth president of City College, Robert E. Marshak. Topics discussed include: the history of City College, urban higher education, open admissions, the liberal arts, ethnic studies, professional training, biomedical education,…

Many colleges and universities are revising course offerings and increasing graduate requirements to provide more highly integrated programs for their students. The efforts of seven institutions to develop such a core curriculum are described including those of: Saint Joseph's College (Rensselaer, Indiana); Los Medanos College (Pittsburgh,…

Learners enrolled in multimedia courses offered by the State University of Nebraska (SUN) during its fall 1974 and spring 1975 offerings are described. This report consists of four sections. The first provides an overview of the courses--Accounting I, Introductory Psychology, Making It Count (Computers), and Consumer Experience. The second section…

General demographic characteristics of State University of Nebraska (SUN) learners are reported, based on information drawn from the registration form and the Student Information Questionnaire. Thirteen tables are presented with data on: median age of SUN learners; distribution of sexes; marital status; family status; annual income; size of town…

Based on a period of two and one-half years, during which the State University of Nebraska (SUN) has offered 15 multimedia courses to Nebraska learners, this report offers a statistical summary of student characteristics. The courses offered include: Accounting I, Accounting II, Adams Chronicles, American Economy, Anyone for Tennyson, Classic…

A study of the efficiency of faculty of the six schools of the Open University of the United Kingdom was conducted through informal interviews. To review methods of developing new packages of course materials, 20 topics were focused upon, and the interviewee was encouraged to talk freely and fully. The interviews may have given the opportunity for…

Information on establishing and running a free university is presented in this handbook. A free university is defined as an organization offering ungraded, unaccredited classes, activities and programs to the general public. Information on starting the free university includes: how to determine the needs of your community; deciding on a name and…

Conceived by the British Labor Government in the 1960's the Open University was viewed as a way to extend higher education to Britain's working class, but enrollment figures in classes that represent traditional academic disciplines show that the student population is predominantly middle class. Bringing education into the home presents numerous…

Comparisons were conducted to assess the impact of levels of communication apprehension (CA) on students in a traditional hybrid basic course against students placed in freshmen interest group (FIG) settings. This investigation assessed the impact of the FIG classroom at an open admissions 4-year college on reduction of communication apprehension…

The Open University Younger Student Pilot Scheme, a five-year research project is discussed. Project objectives included: testing the suitability of students in the 18 to 20 year age group, developing predictive indices of success and failure, and assessing the level and nature of the demand for places. (Author/MLW)