The purpose of the study was to share the impact of an introductory diversity course on preservice teachers implemented in the teacher education program of a small private college located in rural South Georgia. Qualitative data from preservice teachers' course products were collected analyzed to see emerging patterns. Data results indicated that…

Research on student development has shown positive effects of institutional smallness on most student outcome variables. However, no clear relationship of ruralness to these outcome measures has been shown. The limited literature on small/rural community colleges includes two areas relevant to student development: college characteristics, which…

The presentations comprising this report examine the approaches that representatives of small and rural community colleges have used in creating and maintaining positive working relationships with state legislative bodies. After introductory remarks by Herbert E. Phillips, Milton O. Jones discusses the fiscal constraints at small colleges that…

Two papers concerning staff development for small/rural community colleges are presented. In the first, practices at small/rural colleges are contrasted with those at larger and more urban colleges. It is noted that (1) small colleges try to keep pace with institutional growth and development needs mostly in the area of curriculum, disregarding…

The need for states to identify and appropriately fund the special needs of the small/rural community college is discussed in terms of eight issues: (1) certain costs which are required for operation of institutions regardless of size and which are unrelated to programs (e.g., library, grounds maintenance, meeting recommendations of accrediting…

In examining research on the characteristics and problems of small/rural community colleges, one finds that a consistent definition of 'rural' does not exist, and that most research has traditionally focused on the differences between private and public colleges, not between small and large institutions. Research indicates that: (1) classes tend…

This panel report on the development of management of objectives (MBO) in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) will be useful to any community college or community college system interested in changing to the MBO method of administration. Following a discussion of the history of centralized administration and funding which preceded the…

Selected papers from a conference on small/rural colleges are presented. Two separate presentations discuss the financing of small/rural community colleges. In two other papers, one by J. Wade Gilley and the other by Gerald B. James and Elton Collier Aycock, the positive and negative aspects of state coordination and control of local colleges are…

Individualized, self-paced instruction and an open-entry-open-exit calendar have several advantages which help to overcome the restraints that may modify equal educational opportunity at small, rural colleges. These restraints include limited resources of students, distance from campus, effects of agriculturally-related occupations on student…

While small rural colleges have much the same goals as larger institutions, they have fewer resources with which to work, and therefore their management problems are unique. In the areas of staffing, time management, staff development, and recruitment and promotion, the small college can increase management effectiveness. Despite increasing…

Lewis-Clark State College, a small college in Lewiston, Idaho, establishes close cooperation with rural schools through specialized teacher preparation, community outreach, and willingness to bring educational ideas and expertise to rural areas. The teacher preparation program stresses development of professional versatility through composite…