AGUS INNOVATION ABSTRACTS X23" ] 2 GUS | Published by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development With support from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation and Sid W. Richardson Foundation NEW DIRECTIONS FOR SUCCESS It cannot be denied that the problems of open admissions institutions have escalated in recent years. The academic preparation of entering students has declined, and community colleges are working hard to eliminate the effect of practices developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Dealing with the dilemma of lower academic skills of entering students and higher expectations for program completion is an awesome task. In many cases, it calls for full-scale reform of the educational program; however, throughout the country, there is evidence that community colleges are responding to this challenge and are already moving in new directions. They under- stand that simply raising requirements for admission provides an unsatisfactory solution for our country, that commitment to the open door must be maintained. Community colleges have the capability to provide the necessary programs, but we will not be successful with practices of earlier years. I offer the following sugges- lions for program direction to effectively integrate both quality and access. Emphasize Information Skills Information skills-—the abilities to read, analyze, interpret, apply, and communicate information—and learning skills have become of paramount importance in order to live productively and to obtain employment in the information age society. In order to adapt to the phenomenon of change—the most consistent characteristic of the information age—the ability to continue to learn throughout one’s life is essential. To graduate students who have strong information skills and are skilled learners, there must be consider- able change in our approach to instruction and a decrease in dependence on objective testing. Students at all educational levels are reading, too little, and the data concerning writing skills are discouraging. One suspects that course assignments have been adjusted to accommodate those who work and attend part-time and that as- signments have also been adjusted because of the lower performance levels of incoming high school students. The information skills policy instituted at Miami-Dade Community College in 1983 illustrates the new direc- tion. There is now a wriling requirement in every course, and faculty in all disciplines are being trained to deal with an increased volume of writing across the curriculum—from brief classroom assignments to essay examina- tions and lengthy term papers. In addition, instructional objectives relating to information skills and learning skills are required for every course; and faculty are increasing reading expectations, instituting higher level learn- ing competencies, and applying information skills in their classes. Provide a More Directive, More Supportive Program There should be a controlled student flow, carefully constructed so that students progress through the pro- gram based on their competencies and performance. In a more directive system, students with deficiencies are required to take necessary developmental work before proceeding to programs where the lack of skill could cause failure. Such a system also ensures that students are assisted in selecting courses and in maintaining rea- sonable loads. In addition, the curriculum should be aligned so that students who cannot complete a program will have gained skills and competencies that are useful in life. Provide More Service for the Less-Prepared Students Students should be informed at the outset that if they begin with deficiencies in academic skills, they will take longer to be successful. There is little prospect that a standard application of educational service will move a student who is four or five years behind in academic skills to an acceptable level within a standard period of time. Programs should be organized to allow students variable time for achievement of a program, a course, or even a unit within a course. In addition to developmental courses, there must exist a system which will accommodate appropriate reduction in load for students experiencing difficulty (one of the few procedures that can document results). Many working students—-especially the underprepared—underestimate the amount of time that courses require and often enroll for more credits than can be handled successfully. The college system should provide necessary restrictions, advisement, and additional support services to help students coordinate extracurricular responsibili- ties with coursework. Further, there should be continued emphasis on the development of faculty skills neces- sary for effective individualization of instruction; reduction of the academic range in classes will not eliminate in- > Community College Leadership Program, The University of Texas at Austin, EDB 348, Austin, Texas 78712