The goal of the 1985 Queensborough Community College (QCC) Pre-Freshman Summer Program (PFSP) was to ease the transition from high school to college for entering College Discovery freshmen in order to improve their academic performance and increase their chances for retention at QCC. The 6-week program included academic tutorials in reading,…

Ways in which American colleges and universities can strengthen their foreign student programs are examined. It is suggested that foreign student programs now in operation in U.S. colleges should be viewed as part of the total international commitment of each institution and should be coordinated and interrelated with all other aspects of that…

Approaches for developing or improving programs for better recruitment and retention of adults are suggested. It is noted that self-improvement and career-enhancement are among the strongest motivations for adults to continue their education. Adults need accurate information about college attendance and assurance that they can compete, along with…

This handbook is written for the principal of an inner-city school in the belief that the principal who respects the people with whom he works, who encourages them in planning to achieve mutually agreed-upon goals, who trusts them with real responsibility, and who supports their efforts has a greater chance of being an affective school…

The current status of the University of Kentucky freshman experience was examined in a comprehensive study as a basis for determining needed action. The study commission consisted of 59 representative students, faculty, and staff whose work was divided among four task groups: (1) Student Recruitment and Pre-Admissions Contact; (2) Summer Advising…

The School for All Ages (SFAA) integrates local adults, with academic levels from nonreaders through high school, into a regular K-12 program. The coordinator's role in attracting, orienting, and supporting adult students is outlined, as are the advantages and disadvantages of joint classes for adults and children. (SJL)

Distinguishes between enculturation and acculturation. Examines the enculturation/acculturation process for American Indian students and discusses some of the conflicts they face when entering school. (AS)

A model identifying 10 domains of institutional effectiveness for students is tested in relationship to student characteristics. Implications for bringing student expectations in line with institutional performance are examined. (MSE)

Describes the UMaps project, a series of six comprehensive guides to academic, vocational, and cocurriculuar activities that appeal to particular types of students. UMaps organize campus opportunities into meaningful subenvironments, making options more accessible. They can be used in recruiting, orientation and counseling. (JAC)

This monograph contains 15 papers on aspects of college and university student and family orientation programs. Following a prologue, "Reflections on the Future of Orientation," by M. Lee Upcraft, the papers are: (1) "Today's Students and Their Impact on Orientation and First-Year Programs" (Tony W. Cawthon and Michael Miller);…

In fall 1995, a study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness, according to student perception, of the educational planning system of the San Diego Community College District (California). Of the 26,753 students who enrolled via the district's telephone registration system that fall, 6,937 answered at least one question on an optional survey…

This document discusses the challenges community colleges, particularly urban ones, face in delivering education to their first-generation, immigrant, economically disadvantaged, non-white, limited-English-ability, and other non-traditional students. These challenges can be exacerbated by students' failure to connect and become involved in college…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between motivation and academic success for community college freshmen orientation students. Moreover, the study compared the relationship among specific motivational factors of students classified as either academically prepared or underprepared, as determined by ACT/ASSET scores.…

Two studies evaluated outcomes of a University Experience (freshman seminar) course to ease the transition to college and enhance student retention at the University of South Florida. In the first study, course evaluations of "typical" USF students (N=540) who completed the course in fall 1998 were overwhelmingly positive in support of…

This paper describes the impact of one college's Freshman Orientation Week (FOW) just prior to the fall semester as the first component of an academic achievement and retention enhancement program for at-risk students, The Learning Circle (TLC). TLC provided cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and behavioral skills and literacy training in five…