The quest for excellence in American higher education has been accompanied by the implementation of basic skills requirements and the corresponding assessment programs. Assessment results could provide feedback for curricular improvement, although they are frequently used as indicators of institutional quality. A study is presented that compared curriculum patterns before and after a college level academic skills program, which was intended to address curriculum, was implemented in the Florida State University and Community College Systems. Changes were analyzed in general education requirements (in communication, cultural and mathematical foundations, algebra, social sciences and natural sciences), the distribution requirements completed by graduates, and the degree completion rate for minority students by race. Findings included the following: (1) modifications were made in the general education program to address the communications and mathematical foundation curricular needs; (2) speech became a degree requirement more often and requirements for English composition became more rigid; (3) program completion rates among Blacks decreased by 3% for associate of arts degrees (while national figures remained static) and increased by 1% for baccalaureate degrees (while national figures decreased by .5%; and (4) program completion rates among Hispanics increased by nearly 3% for associate of arts degrees and by 1% for baccalaureate degrees. Contains 9 references. (Author/KM)