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All entering freshmen at Bronx Community College (BCC), in New York, are required to enroll in an orientation/career development course which is taught by counselors and helps students with college procedures, curriculum choices, and occupational goals. To assess the college's career counseling services, a study was conducted to determine the extent that students were aware of the attributes employers seek in job applicants. The study also sought to reproduce a 1981 survey by Hafer and Hoth of 37 employers and 250 university students in Nebraska, to determine if the attitudes of employers recruiting at the largely minority BCC differed from the employers in the Hafer and Hoth survey. Thirty-two employers and 64 graduating students who participated in BCC's on-campus recruiting program during the spring and fall 1988 semesters were asked to rank the 13 most important items from a list of 26 job selection attributes identified in the 1981 survey. Results of the study included the following: (1) employers in both the BCC and the Hafer and Hoth survey ranked oral communication, motivation, and initiative as the top three attributes, while BCC students ranked them second, fourth, and ninth, respectively; (2) BCC students incorrectly perceived the value for employers of punctuality, ranking it first, while BCC employers ranked it seventh; and (3) BCC employers ranked work experience fifth and grades eleventh, placing more emphasis than employers in the 1981 study who ranked them twelfth and thirteenth, respectively. (MAB)

In fall 1981, entering freshmen at Bronx Community College (BCC) were encouraged to attend a 10-week non-credit orientation course (SPD-99), in which counselors used a variety of materials and instructional procedures to assist students with their educational, career, and personal development and to introduce students to various campus resources and services. In fall 1982, entering freshmen were required to attend a one-credit, 15-week orientation course (OCD-01), which had a similar focus, but a standardized outline. A study was conducted to determine and compare the effects of the two courses on students' mean cumulative grade point average (GPA) and retention rate. The study compared the performance of 195 students who attended SPD-99 five or more times, 1,082 students who did not attend SPD-99 at all, 732 students who attended OCD-01 more than seven times, and 678 students who did not attend OCD-01 at all. Study findings, based on a random sample of every third student in each group, included the following: (1) the mean GPA and re-enrollment rate of students who attended SPD-99 five or more times were significantly higher than those of students who did not attend the class at all; (2) attendance of OCD-01 had a similarly positive effect on students' GPA and retention rates; and (3) the mean GPA and re-enrollment rates of students who attended SPD-99 were significantly higher than those of students who attended OCD-01. (HB)

Since the implementation of an open admissions policy at Bronx Community College (BCC) in 1970, the majority of incoming students have been socially, economically, and academically disadvantaged. In 1978, one out of three students had a native language other than English; 46% came from households with an income of less than $5,000; 68% were placed in remedial reading or English courses; and 45% were placed in remedial mathematics courses. A consequence of these disadvantages and of a systemwide stiffening of academic standards in Fall 1976 was a large increase in the number of students suspended or placed on probation. In Fall 1977, 3,706 of 8,845 students failed to meet retention standards. In order to reduce the high attrition rate at BCC, a special seven-week course entitled Probationary Workshop Program (PWP-99) was developed to focus on the reasons for and implications of probation, the revised grading system, academic regulations, and students' and teachers' responsibility for student success. Although the course was well received by participants, a study conducted in Spring 1979 revealed no significant relationship between participation in the course by probationary students and their academic performance that semester, and called for revisions of the course. These revisions should be based on a follow-up of students who took the course and performed well in their courses and a study of students who attended very few PWP-99 sessions. (The PWP-99 syllabus is appended.) (HB)

While this study is geographically specific, it features an evaluation form which could be used elsewhere. The purpose of the investigation was twofold: (1) to determine if students who were in attendance at Bronx Community College during both the 1975-76 and the 1976-77 academic years perceive any significant changes, from the first to the second year, in the quality of student services they received; and (2) to determine if the ratings of student services obtained from these students vary significantly from those obtained from students who attended the college during only the 1976-77 academic year. Subjects were 736 students. The "Student Evaluation of Student Services Questionnaire," devised by the investigator, was utilized. Results indicate that students in attendance during both the 1975-76 and the 1976-77 academic years received "satisfactory" services both years. Students attending only in 1976-77 were significantly more satisfied than the first group. It is concluded that despite budgetary and personnel reductions during the past few years, quality student services, at a satisfactory or higher level, have been maintained. (Author/JLL)

The degree to which the City University of New York (CUNY) prepares students for useful lives can be measured, in part, by the degree to which its graduates are able to find employment. In order to assess the effectiveness of the newly developed counseling services of the Office of Employment Counseling and Placement at Bronx Community College, graduates and alumni who had used the service during the 1979-1980 and 1980-1981 academic years were asked to complete counselor evaluation questionnaires. Results of these surveys were compared with results from an April 1980 college-wide survey conducted prior to the Employment Office efforts at program improvements. The percentage of graduates and alumni who rated the counseling services satisfactory increased from 46% in 1979-1980 to 67% in 1980-1981; this was significantly greater at the .01 level in both years than the percentage of students who rated job placement services adequate to excellent in the April 1980 college-wide survey. The results demonstrate that a well planned effort at improving services such as an employment counseling and placement program can lead to increased student satisfaction. (Author/JAC)

The significance of the difference between two groups of suspended probationary students was measured to determine the effect of a counseling program on the academic suspension rate. Students (N=1,160 or 61%) suspended at the end of the Fall 1977 semester were compared with probationary students (N=1,325 or 59%) who were introduced to the special counseling program offerred by the Department of Student Development at Bronx Community College. No significant demographic differences existed between the two student groups. Tentative conclusions are that the Department's program was somewhat effective because it prevented the suspension rate from rising significantly. Recommendations include continued monitoring of students' academic performance and increased efforts by the Department to prevent students from being placed on probation in the first place. (Author/HLM)