Starting with Students: Promising Approaches in American Higher Education.

Overview & Synopsis

Based on searches by the National Commission on Excellence in Education for notable programs, practices, and goals in American postsecondary education, efforts at 120 postsecondary institutions are described. The descriptions are grouped, with each group preceded by a short introductory essay. The following topics are covered by the essays: the transition from secondary to postsecondary education and school/college cooperation; the freshman year; retention and academic work; competing models of general/liberal education; the reconciliation of liberal arts and career education; scientific and technological literacy for the nonscience major; language--expanding personal space; postsecondary honors programs; academic time--calendars of institutions and individuals; joint ventures of colleges and employers/worker education; and assessment. Under the topic of transition from secondary to postsecondary education, the following subtopics are covered: the reallocation of academic time and content, the raising of expectations through outreach and recruitment, and the exchange and development of academic personnel. Appended are: (1) a list of types of programs/approaches of interest to the National Commission; and (2) guidelines for schools in preparing the program profile. (SW)