Traditional collegiate models for developing the whole student no longer serve the diverse population pursuing higher education. Too much energy is invested in chasing the ideal college student, and not enough is spent on creating the ideal college. A new philosophy focusing on partnerships between student-affairs professionals and faculty is…

Predicts, using independent variables such as student effort and campus environment, how community college students perceive their gains in general education and personal and social development. Finds that quality and quantity of student effort, as well as a positive perception of the campus environment, were significant predictors regardless of…

Female mathematics and physics graduate students participating in focus groups identified common themes that played important roles in their decisions to go into scientific careers. These factors included the amount of encouragement they received from others, attributes of their undergraduate school, their experiences of competition and…

This study seeks to understand the experiences of women of color engineering students who persist and identify some of the dilemmas they face. Evidence emerged that students formulate multiple identities to help them persist in their engineering programs. We assess the role that identity plays in the experiences of STEM (science, technology,…

Recent data show that while attrition is a problem for the college population as a whole, it is particularly so for minority students attending predominantly white colleges and universities. In addition to financial and academic difficulties, minority students are faced with such concerns as the low number of minority faculty and student support…

In this study, the relationship between students' expectations for the environment of the college they are about to enter and the level of formal education completed by their parents was investigated. It was hypothesized that entering freshmen students whose parents both had only a high school education differed from entering freshmen whose…

Numerous changes that students undergo after entering college are charted in this brief review. Most dramatic are the decrease in religious behavior and increase in hedonistic behavior. Behavioral characteristics are listed, followed by positive and negative environmental effects. (LBH)

A total of 160 Asian Americans completed a series of standardized instruments assessing their environmental, social, and psychological experiences as undergraduates. Overall, social support variables were the strongest predictors of academic persistence. Research-derived implications for university personnel and professional counselors are…

This article draws a link between student development concepts and the institutional policies colleges formulate and implement. This article offers seven observations intended to guide institutional policymakers in light of the propositions about development identified by Strange (1994). (67 references) (Author/RB)

A team of administrators, faculty, and students used the Total Quality Management approach to enhance weekend student life at Winthrop University (South Carolina). The process used and resulting recommendations, some of which have been implemented, are presented. The project is seen as contributing to freshman retention. (MSE)

A literature review on the impact of college on students is summarized. Issues addressed include: relative impact of elite colleges; role of human, financial, and material resources in student experience; student effort as predictor of impact; importance of interpersonal life on campus; college social and moral environment; and focus on learning.…

The Transition to College Project examined how college student learning is affected by involvement of students in academic and nonacademic experiences in college, particularly outside the classroom. The students (n=132) interviewed were from four institutions serving demographically very different populations. Results suggest that nontraditional…

A study of 8,997 women and 6,053 men investigated factors associated with development of mathematical self-concept during college. Results showed that some student background characteristics, college characteristics (including selectivity), and student experiences contribute to an overall decline in mathematics self-concept during college and that…

As part of an effort to improve the image of Mercer County Community College, in New Jersey, a faculty member conducted interviews of 15 colleagues and 4 students to determine their perceptions of the college. Participants were asked about their present attitudes towards the college, their views when they first began, what the college does best,…

A qualitative study was conducted of the contributions that institutional leaders make to fostering conditions that encourage high-quality out-of-class experiences for college students. A nine-member research team conducted the study. A process of nominations, recommendations and review yielded the selection of 14 institutions for the study. Site…