As part of Saddleback College's (SC's) accreditation process, the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire was administered to 1,250 students during the second week of classes in fall 1991. The survey focused on the following areas: college environment; institutional effectiveness; estimated gain on a variety of personal/developmental…

Student satisfaction with the environments of five commuter colleges was studied at an eastern university. A reliable instrument was developed to profile 2,392 students' perceptions of 30 aspects of the college environment. To determine how student characteristics relate to their evaluations of the college environment, eight regression analyses…

This report is a preliminary study of the counseling aspect of the House Plan at Cypress College in California. For the study, all House counselors kept records of how many students they saw for a nine-day period in May 1976 and indicated why they felt students came to see them. In addition, three groups of students (graduation attendees, those…

Attrition at the Arkansas College, a small independent institution, was studied through a survey of former students. Respondents were asked to reflect upon their college experience in relation to personal needs, academic and financial concerns, social life, services, and college life. The College Experience Survey and the Rate of Attrition…

Efforts of Loyola University in New Orleans to recruit and retain minority students since the early 1970's are reported. A task force was assigned to study the university's role in providing opportunities to blacks, in terms of course offerings, student recruiting strategies, faculty recruiting policies, and other issues. A grant of $1.8 million…

A literature review of barriers to women who re-enter higher education studies is presented. Several factors are thought to influence the experience of re-entry women: the type of institution she attends, the type of program that she finds there, and her personal and social situation. Re-entry women are discussed in terms of inner city women, low…

Financial aid can encourage students to enroll in college and increase their odds of academic success. While the California community colleges (CCCs) have very low fees, which are waived for most low-income students, the additional expenses of books, supplies, transportation, housing, food and childcare can create significant financial barriers to…

This study assessed student perceptions of service at the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane (Australia). Data were based on open-ended discussions with 48 undergraduate focus groups during which participants were asked what they perceived to be the good and bad aspects of university life, what they did to cope with obstacles, and how…

This report presents the results of a study conducted by the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada to review the university's policies towards those groups within Canadian society which have low participation rates in post-secondary education. Following the introduction, the section, "Accessibility and the University of Winnipeg,"…

Student attrition was studied in relation to the quality of the interaction between the student and the college environment, using a modified version of the Total Adjustment Scale, a self-report rating scale. Academic functioning, social functioning, and bonding to the college setting were assessed for 459 college freshmen at the University of…

An article and descriptions of programs for first-year college students are presented. In "As Freshmen First," John Orr Dwyer recounts the history of the word "freshman" and outlines some of the characteristics of the 1980s first-year student. Recognizing the problems that face students entering college for the first time, he…

Problems experienced by nonresident students at Auburn University and areas in which they are receiving fewer opportunities for personal development, compared with residential students, were studied. Responses to a survey were obtained from 624 nonresident students and 223 resident students. Statistical data and a descriptive summary of the survey…

The American Indian experience at the University of California, Davis is examined, with particular attention given to problems they encounter and to cultural and environmental supports needed for their survival. Information is provided on: the awareness of faculty, students and administrators of Indian culture, history, and problems; the entering…

A study of minority graduate student needs at Peabody College of Vanderbilt University (Tennessee) found three areas needing improvement: (1) recruiting efforts; (2) social support; and (3) cultural environment. A mentoring program was then designed to address these needs by providing a personal and academic support network for minority students,…

The dynamics of responses of white colleges to increased black enrollment were investigated during 1974 and 1975. Interracial teams first undertook field work at 13 colleges and universities that experienced a substantial increase in black enrollments between 1968 and 1972, and students, faculty, and administrators at 4 of the 13 institutions were…