Results indicate freshmen consider academic and personal topics to be important, but academic categories have primacy. To increase freshmen retention, the academic domain warrants a high priority in orientation programs. They should also focus on student life outside the classroom such as finances and extracurricular activities. (Author)

Describes workshop programs at the University of Arizona to broaden educational and vocational perspectives of disadvantaged/minority youth. Workshops included orientation to the university activity areas and services, field trip experiences to expose participants to broader career opportunities, and an overview of college options. (MF)

This study describes students' expectations of secondary school at the close of primary school and compares these with their attitudes after a month of secondary schooling. Attitudes toward discipline, teachers, schoolwork, and older students improved uniformly. Variations related to sex of student and school size are considered. (SJL)

Describes orientation strategies aimed at new students at a middle school. Has two separate plans: for non-English-speaking students and those who speak English. Orientation includes a checklist of student needs, such as issuing a student handbook and offering the student a tour of the building. (RJM)

The "Shadow" program at a middle school in Atlanta allows fifth graders to "shadow" sixth grade middle students to ease transition from elementary school. This study used questionnaires to compare the social adjustment of program participants and non-participants, as well as teacher attitudes toward the program. Results showed…

Reviews trends in the employment of part-time faculty, sources of part timers, and rationales for hiring them. Summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of employing part-time faculty, concluding that financial constraints will ensure their continued place in higher education. Advocates the development of appropriate recruitment, orientation,…

A series of studies at one university based on annual data from 1973-88 compared sophomore return rates of participants vs. nonparticipants in freshman orientation seminars. Participants achieved significantly higher return rates in 11 of 16 years but not because they were brighter or more highly motivated students. (Author/MSE)

Discusses the various uses for the journal in an introductory course in the University without Walls (UWW) program. Discusses how the journal can be a means of discovering meaning in the chaos of the social world and how it provides an opportunity to integrate life and experience with academic life and theory. (JS)

In the context of the steady increase in foreign law students undertaking graduate study in the United States, some recommendations are made for helping foreign students bridge the gap between their home country's legal environment and that of the United States. A single-semester orientation course is outlined. (MSE)

Although costs inhibit large-scale change, many large institutions are moving toward improvements in undergraduate education, with some imitating some aspects of small colleges. Reduced class and section sizes, elaborate orientations, special freshman groups, and courses in which faculty share cutting-edge research with freshmen and sophomores are…

A survey of 197 entering university students during summer orientation found students had significantly more negative attitudes toward Arabs in 2 situations (boarding an airplane, getting financial help), and more positive attitudes in buying a used car from a salesperson. Findings suggest attitudes toward Arabs have become more tolerant since a…

Evaluated distance students' ratings of the importance of strategies to facilitate self-directed learning in the National Open University, Taiwan. Topics include content validity; differences between current and inactive students, including motivation; institutional support services; orientation programs; instructional styles; course design; and…

Elementary, middle, and high schools often become separate islands for children as they move toward their diploma. This article describes the Culbreth Middle School Communities-In-Schools High School Transition Initiative, a program designed to make connections between a supportive middle school program for at-risk students and the high school…

The process of transitioning from secondary to postsecondary education can be very complex and challenging. Many freshmen students are coming to college underprepared and in need of developmental education. The role of student services is to assist these students and their families with this important transition to postsecondary education by…

A study conducted at a primary school in Birmingham, England, considered teachers', college tutors', parents', and pupils' perceptions of the way in which a group of 4-year-old children became incorporated into two reception classes. Study methodology included teacher and researcher observations and the videotaping and photographing of six types…