Student characteristics related to out-of-class interactions with faculty were studied. Interviews with 26 undergraduate students focused on the following topics: students' college and life goals, interpersonal relationships, relationships with faculty, undergraduate activities, self-image, approach to education, and feelings about college. A…

After dropouts were categorized into five "types" on the basis of their acceptance or rejection of cultural goals associated with university attendance and the institutionalized means of attaining those goals, it was found that different types of dropouts experienced dissatisfaction with different aspects of the institutional environment according…

Examines racial attitudes at a predominantly white university. White undergraduate interviewees had little contact with or understanding of black undergraduates. Their thoughts and impressions of blacks were based on misinformation or a lack of information. Many felt whites should not be held culpable for presumed wrongs due to past…

As the country's racial/ethnic minority representation increases, colleges and universities have increasingly sought to diversify their enrollments in order to better prepare all students to live and work in a diverse democracy. However, diversification may negatively affect campus climate and undergraduate peer relations leading to both increased…

This project explores the meaning of membership for members of a Black Greek organization (BGO) and uncovers how the members utilize the fraternity to create various connections. It incorporates underutilized research on voluntary associations and draws attention to a necessary distinction between membership in a BGO and membership in a…

This study seeks to determine the level of acceptance of the Constructive Engagement Method (CEM) as a teaching, learning, and leadership skills development model. Employing a modified debate format, constructive engagement requires active student participation, even among the most introverted of students, and it fosters a learning environment…

Charles Schroeder, "About Campus" executive editor, interviews Russell Edgerton, director of the Pew Forum on Undergraduate Learning, to get his views of a number of important issues including the status of the undergraduate reform movement; the role of assessment in performance improvement; and the emergence of deep learning as a new focus in the…

Uses a national sample of 27,811 undergraduate students who had completed the American College Testing College Outcomes Survey to evaluate the effects of the college environment on academic and intellectual development and to compare the outcomes for adult learners with those for younger students. Comparisons revealed that adults reported slightly…

A study examines qualitatively the extent to which college students indicate that cocurricular theater activities impact on psychodynamic development in J. Katz's five areas--separation anxiety, peer influence, adult role models, personality development, and occupational choice. Subjects, 15 male and 15 female students involved in the theater…

The relative power of college culture, school functioning, and mission in explaining student performance outcomes was examined. The relationship between institutional attributes/cultures and undergraduate instructional effectiveness as perceived by faculty and administrators was studied with 320 four-year colleges. Respondents completed the…

The residence hall environment at Indiana University is evaluated annually by an ecosystems method of evaluation which permits students to identify problems and provide recommendations for change. In the Fall of 1980 a sample of undergraduates (N=732) living in residence halls responded to a series of statements about life in the residence halls.…

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…

Describes and evaluates a library based peer counseling program at the University of Michigan which is staffed by minority undergraduates and designed to bridge the gap between minority students on campus and library resources. Program assessments by counselors, librarians, library staff, and users are discussed. (13 references) (Author/CLB)

Issues related to values and the impact of campus experiences on the values of undergraduates were studied for 410 undergraduates responding at 3 time points over the freshman year. Campus experiences with robust and value-specific effects are those that promote engagement in values-related issues. (SLD)

With the dearth of African American men in academe, African American college men have few opportunities to be mentored by those who can best help them make sense of their experience. Du Bois' writings give voice to much of the African American college experience and provide concrete examples of how to think, act, and persevere in the U.S.…