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This study examined the characteristics and factors in the undergraduate experience that appeared to be most strongly associated with vitality in the classroom. Data were collected from 740 representative freshmen at a large research university by means of a university survey instrument that contained over 150 items in four categories: (1) background information on student age, class year, sex, ethnicity, employment, admissions status, major, financial aid, residence, Scholastic Assessment Test scores, and high school grade point average and class rank; (2) student plans, goals, and reasons for attendance; (3) level of student satisfaction with campus services and facilities, as well as with the institution's academic, administrative, and social climate; and (4) cognitive and noncognitive experiences and outcomes, including classroom experiences, faculty contact, course-taking patterns, graduation plans, loan indebtedness, and self-reported growth. Regression analysis of the data indicated that the most beneficial classroom experiences were reported by students who perceived high levels of faculty concern and interaction with faculty, who were actively engaged in the academic and social structure of the institution, and who observed a campus climate of racial harmony and political tolerance. Two tables summarize the variables used and the multivariate data. (Contains 52 references.) (CH)

This study used data from the Midwest Colleges Study to examine the personal characteristics and environmental features that affect the development of college students' attitudes toward diversity and race-based politics. Specifically, it evaluated how college students' demographic characteristics, precollege backgrounds, perceptions of discrimination, and college environment differentially affected these attitudes. Astin's Input-Environment-Output impact model was used as the study's framework. The study found that a few personal characteristics (parent educational level, gender, and attending a white high school) influenced student attitudes. However, environmental factors appeared to influence students attitudes to a greater extent. Students most supportive of diversity included black students who were involved on campus, white students who were members of organizations concerned with black issues, white students who lived on campus, and white students who did not have mostly white friends. In contrast, white students not involved on campus were most opposed to race-based policies such as affirmative action. Students, both black and white, who took a black studies course tended to be supportive of diversity. (Contains 41 references.) (DB)

This study examined the correlates of high school students' preferences in their senior year to attend private or public higher education institutions, and especially the effects of student sensitivity to tuition costs and to financial aid. The data analyzed were from a longitudinal study (n=482) of student college choice. The dependent variable was student preference to attend public or private institutions; the independent variables were student background characteristics, student academic characteristics, and student sensitivity to tuition and financial aid. Results indicated that student preferences to go to private institutions were influenced jointly by family, academic, and financial factors. Mother's education, particularly postgraduate education, was significantly and positively related to student preference for a private institution. Other family background characteristics, including family income, were not related to student preference for type of postsecondary institution, but students with better academic preparation were more likely to prefer private institutions. Student sensitivity to tuition and financial aid were related differently to choice of private institutions students interested in private institutions were less concerned about tuition costs but more interested in financial aid. (Contains 37 references.) (DB)

This study used both quantitative and qualitative methodology to analyze whether mentoring is related to student satisfaction and whether different elements of mentoring are important to different groups, particularly African American and Anglo-American graduate students at predominantly white institutions. A survey completed by 96 students, including 44 African-American and 24 Anglo-Americans, asked students to evaluate satisfaction with their institution, with mentoring functions received at their institution and who rendered these services, and with student perception of mentoring. Findings indicated that 50 percent of participants had a faculty mentor; that black students received far fewer services from faculty members than did Anglo students; and that 16 percent of African American and 30 percent of Anglo students reported having an excellent mentoring relationship. Of the 12 mentoring functions significantly related to satisfaction, those with the highest correlation included: providing knowledge, experience, and professionalism; providing an introduction into professional networks; and giving constructive criticism of student academic progress. Appendices list mentoring functions. (Contains 90 references.) (DB)

This study assessed the leadership styles and practices of 214 women student leaders at a large public university. Specifically, the study examined: (1) what leadership practices the women embraced; (2) what influence academic aspirations had on leadership practices and sex role characteristics; (3) what sex roles the women embraced; (4) which sex role characteristics influence leadership practices; (5) what are the racial/ethnic differences in leadership styles and practices; and (6) what impact mentors had on leadership styles and practices. Subjects completed the Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI), the Bem Sex Role Inventory, and a demographic data form. Results indicated that women who were leaders in high school had higher mean scores on all scales for both instruments. Women of color had slightly lower mean scores, compared to white students, on each of the LPI scales. Women who had three or more female mentors received slightly higher mean scores on each of the LPI scales than did women who had zero to two female mentors. Results supported a women's leadership ethos in which followers are empowered rather than controlled or managed, and suggest that women students should have more female role models and mentors and participate in activities to enhance their assertiveness. The special need for women of color to participate in leadership activities was noted. (Contains 30 references.) (DB)

The campus experiences of 24 students of color at a large, predominantly white midwestern university were investigated using four focus groups and grounded theory methods of analysis. Participants were asked about their experiences in four area environments: classrooms, residence halls, student services and programs, and the city where the university was located. Interview data were analyzed using theory on aversive racism and cultural context. Findings suggest that white faculty, staff, and students avoid interacting with students of color in classrooms, residence halls, and in advising and helping situations, supporting the theory of aversive racism and suggesting that negative racial attitudes, combined with equalitarian values produce discomfort and/or fear, rather than the overt racial hatred of the past; in turn, the aversive behavior functions as an isolating mechanism for students of color. In response to the hostile campus environment, students of color reported four survival strategies maintaining cultural coherence, dream internalization and maintenance, developing circumscribed knowledge, and program migration. Findings also suggest that the cultural context of research institutions supports a dual mechanism of isolation in which high levels of compartmentalization and specialization support avoidance of interaction by faculty and staff. Appendices include the conceptual frame model, the interview protocol, and a table of participant demographics. (Contains 17 references.) (DB)

This study interviewed 18 graduate students in higher education programs nationwide concerning their experiences in an administrative internship. Specifically, the study addressed the following issues: connections made by students between the internship and classroom experience; student outcomes from the internship experience; and differences in internship experiences between students at the master's (n=10) and doctoral (n=8) levels. The interview protocol included questions related to the structure of the internship, reflection, requirements, workload, and relevance to the student's program and professional goals. Content analysis identified four major themes: (1) organization of the internship; (2) opportunities for professional development; (3) a chance for involvement and a sense of "belonging"; and (4) associations between theory and practice. Analysis led to the following recommendations: departments of higher education should consider providing adequate and commensurate credit for faculty who serve as supervisors of higher education interns; internships should be highly structured in order to provide time for meaningful "job shadowing," the completion of specific job-related tasks and projects, and group and personal reflection; and higher education departments without a structured internship program should consider partnerships with the campus office of cooperative education. (Contains 34 references.) (DB)

This study examined the relationship between the type, amount, and sequencing of institutional funding for graduate students and students' perceptions of the impact of such financial assistance in their persisting to the completion of degree requirements. A total of 295 Ph.D. recipients from the University of Buffalo in New York who received their degrees between 1975 and 1993 completed a 54-item questionnaire on the type of support received, the outcomes and experiences attributed to the graduate education experience, and opinions about those outcomes and experiences. It was found that financial support with a service commitment afforded graduate students the opportunity to have a much fuller graduate school experience. Students with a service requirement graduated sooner, had more traditional academic experiences during their graduate student careers, and felt that their graduate experiences as a whole were much richer than did students who received financial support without a service requirement. Eighty percent of the respondents reported that an assistantship or fellowship provided them with specific skills that they would not have obtained otherwise. Two appendixes contain a copy of the questionnaire and accompanying letter sent to prospective participants. (MDM)

This study explored the effects of service learning on student success in college. The study consisted of 286 students enrolled in six paired community college courses in various disciplines. One section of each pair was taught using traditional subject matter and course materials, while the other section of each pair was required to participate in a 20-hour service learning activity in addition to the regular course curriculum. Participating faculty completed questionnaires and interviews regarding the courses, and students completed end-of-course evaluations. The results indicated that, overall, students who participated in the sections with a service learning requirement achieved higher final course grades and reported greater satisfaction with the course. In addition, faculty members who taught the service learning sections reported that class discussions were more stimulating, the sections seemed more vital in terms of student involvement, and the students seemed more challenged academically than in the traditional instruction sections. (Contains 27 references.) (MDM)

This study examined the perceptions of African American college students about the campus environment at a predominantly white university, using reflexive photographs and photo elicitation interviews. Five female and five male students were asked to take photographs on campus that illustrated their impressions of the university or that would help them to describe their impressions. Participants also recorded their thoughts and feelings about the campus in a notebook and completed interviews in which they were asked to interpret their photographs. Six overall impressions of the campus emerged: campus beauty; consciousness of being black; influence of Greek-letter organizations; prevalence of voluntary racial and cultural separation; and preparation for the future. The participants also reported that the employment of an alternative data representation promoted a deep level of reflective thinking, one that they thought went deeper than if they had been asked only to participate in interviews. Some of the students also reported that the visual component increased their level of commitment to completing participation in the study. (Contains 55 references.) (MDM)

This study examined the social networks of college students and how such networks affect student commitment and persistence. The study's theoretical framework was based on application of the social network paradigm to Tinto's Student Integration Model, in which a student's initial commitment is modified over time as a result of the student's integration into the campus community. Freshmen enrolled for the spring 1993 semester responded (322 of 379) to the First-Year Experiences Survey, which involved identifying students with whom they frequently spoke and the dimensions on which they related to these students. Results were compared with enrollment data for the fall 1993 semester to identify students returning for their sophomore year. The largest effect on persistence was associated with the number of nominations received from other students, and this factor operated indirectly through enhanced social integration, institutional commitment, and intention. Overall, students with broader, well-connected networks were more likely to persist, whereas students with a higher proportion of ties falling within their social peer group were less likely to persist. (Contains 52 references.) (DB)

This paper offers the personal reactions of a high school student and his parents to 27 preapplication college campus visits conducted from June through August 1994. The institutions included three public, six private religious, and 18 private nonsectarian institutions. Data were obtained through observations and interviews, and the study reports the reactions of the student and his parents. The report notes that requested information about campus tours and information sessions were generally received prior to the scheduled visit; that maps and signs made locating the admissions office easy; and that the admissions offices generally had brochures and information about the college and its programs. The student's reactions to group information sessions were mixed; he felt that some presenters covered the college's admissions process, financial aid opportunities, and the application essay adequately; others did not. The campus tour was also variously experienced; usually it included the library, student center, recreation facilities, classrooms and labs; in some cases the residence hall was not included. At eight of the colleges admissions personnel conducted individual interviews. Most colleges offered "viewbooks," but college catalogs generally had to be requested. Recommendations are offered to admissions officers concerning the admissions office itself, the group information session, the individual interview, the campus tour, and informational materials. Institutional researchers are urged to gather data on student and parent reactions to campus visits. (CH)

This study compared results of measuring student attitudes regarding race, gender, and religious climate using pencil-and-paper administration in a group setting with computer-administrated measurement over a local area network. Approximately 2,000 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets in February 1996 and 1,400 in November 1996 were administered the Cadet Social Climate Survey. The survey instrument contained demographic questions, Likert-scaled items regarding attitudes about school climate issues, and questions about personal experiences. The instrument used in November was modified to include items from the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding. Computer administration took less time for a student to complete, could be done in the privacy of the student's room, was easier to administer, and provided a ready data set for analysis. The comparison showed a significantly higher rate of return of valid responses using the computer version and found no significant differences in the pattern of responses between the two versions. However, significant differences were found on socially desirable responding in that computer administration appeared to encourage a socially desirable response set, probably due to concerns regarding anonymity. (Contains 14 references.) (JLS)

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) database based on the American Freshmen Survey provides data for use in making marketing and management decisions in colleges and universities. This paper describes an operational cooperative model for managing and exploiting the data that CIRP makes available. The paper also offers an example of the substantive insights that can be derived from such cooperation. Additional sections: (1) provide a description of a project for sharing CIRP data among the members of an existing consortium, the institutions that are involved in the effort, and the student data in the resulting database; (2) discuss the scales used in the study constructed from the CIRP measures of social and political values and the creation of a general index of liberalism; (3) examine the differences among and within institutions on this index; (4) explore the characteristics of institutions that appear to contribute to differences in the social/political orientations of their freshmen classes; and (5) provide summary observations and suggestions for further research. Analysis suggested that various institutional characteristics and student academic orientations (i.e., intended major) are associated with measurable differences on an index of social/political liberalism. (GLR)

The current resurgence of racism on America's college campuses suggests that institutions may need to take a more conscious look at how they might be influencing students' racial attitudes. This paper examines: (1) the individual student characteristics and beliefs that influence white students' racial attitudes at college entry; (2) the impact of the various institutional environments on white students' attitudes; and (3) the ways in which this information can be used by an institution to promote multiculturalism and improve interracial understanding within the campus community. A model was developed to examine institutional impact on student racial attitudes. Results of a study at the University of Michigan which considered on aspect of racial attitudes, students' attitudes toward affirmative action practices and policies within a college or university are analyzed. The data for this paper were drawn from a research study conducted by the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education and the Office of Minority Affairs at the University of Michigan involving 485 white students who responded to two surveys. The outcomes of the path analyses indicated that students enter college with ambivalent feelings toward affirmative action and that colleges and universities have the potential to tip the balance either for or against such practices. Within this study, males became less supportive of affirmative action during their first year of college, while females became more supportive of these policies. Findings suggest the vital role that institutional researchers play in providing empirical data on student attitudes to guide institutional decisions. (Contains 24 references.) (GLR)

This study examined faculty, student, and community perceptions of the purpose and value of a college education. A total of 536 undergraduates, 121 faculty, 211 members of the community of a metropolitan university completed a survey based on the ACT College Outcomes Survey that focused on educational outcomes and student growth. The results indicated that faculty and community members found information management skills to be of more importance than did students. Students and community members, however, placed more importance on the acquisition of job skills than did faculty. Women in all three groups placed more importance on all four educational outcomes--information management skills, academic skills, self-knowledge, and job skills--than did men. Faculty placed more importance on the role of the university in fostering values and intellectual growth than did students or community members. Faculty were also more committed to developing social awareness in students than were students themselves. On the other hand, students wanted the university to help them grow more interpersonally than faculty thought should be the case. (MDM)