International Students Reported for Academic Integrity Violations: Demographics, Retention, and Graduation

How many international students are reported for academic integrity violations (AIV), what are their demographics, and how do AIV sanctions affect their retention and/or graduation? Descriptive statistical analyses showed that the number of internationals reported for AIVs at an American West Coast public university increased almost six-fold between academic years 2009–10 and 2013–14. However, that number represented less than 7.5% of these students’ total enrollment. Among reported ones, undergraduates outnumbered graduate students, males outnumbered females, Chinese outnumbered other nationalities, Economics majors outnumbered other majors, and the most common AIV was exam misconduct. More than half who were reported and suspended for AIVs graduated and/or were retained. These findings’ administrative, policy, and theoretical implications are discussed.

Attitudes and Motivations of Students Toward Athletic-Event Attendance at a Midsize Division III University: Recommendations for Communicators

Despite being the largest subset of the NCAA, Division III sports programs have had very little research dedicated to them regarding student attendance motivations. This study surveyed 620 undergraduate students at a midsize Division III school (total enrollment 10,902) to determine their attitudes toward attending athletic events and potential motivators for getting them into the stands. Students who had personally interacted with an athlete or coach had better attitudes toward university athletics than those who had not. Results also supported predictions of the theory of planned behavior, finding that attitudes toward individual sports were the strongest predictor of intentions to attend future games. Open-ended responses also asked students why they do not attend games and what would get them to attend more games. Analyses of these responses are followed by key recommendations for communications professionals at similar-size institutions seeking ways to increase student attendance at their athletic events.

Why Argentine Private Universities Continue to Lag

Private higher education accounts for half of total enrollment in Latin America but only a fifth in Argentina. For reasons including statist norms, tough regulation, and public university stature, it has been difficult for Argentina's private higher education to attain the position held by its counterparts in the region. Whether that may now change is unclear.

Library Networking of the Universidad de Oriente

The Universidad de Oriente was founded in 1958 and structured in five campuses, located in 5 different States in the northeastern region of Venezuela, with a current total enrollment of 43.000 students and 2500 teachers. A total of 20 libraries of different kinds served these students and professors till 1999. To introduce new information technologies to the libraries and all laboratories of the university, an intranet of the university with 32 networking systems was introduced for all campuses using Main Frame Relay technology. This case discusses the challenging job of creating consciousness about information literacy and university digital databases and digitalization of valuable documents.

The Large Lecture Course Redesign Project: Pedagogical Goals And Assessment Results

An analysis and assessment of the Course Redesign Project, which used technology to improve student learning and course satisfaction in large lecture courses at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Six disciplinary-diverse departments participated in the project. Technology was selected for the purpose of introducing active learning into lecture halls and providing frequent feedback to students on their individual learning progress. The assessment methodology compares traditionally taught sections with redesigned sections, holding constant (where possible) such potential confounding factors as student academic ability, professor, textbook, day and time of class and the number, type and difficulty of exams and other graded assignments. The assessment of the project produced strong and significant statistical results that indicate that students across the broad spectrum of redesigned courses learned more and achieved higher grades than students in traditional sections. This occurred despite the fact that students in traditional sections had either the same or higher high school-grade point averages and SAT scores compared to students in the redesigned sections. The project included 12 traditional course sections with a total enrollment of 2,456 and 13 redesigned courses sections with a total enrollment of 3,101. The project was supported by a grant from the Davis Educational Foundation.

Library Networking of the Universidad de Oriente

The Universidad de Oriente was founded in 1958 and structured in five campuses, located in five different states in the south northeastern region of Venezuela, with a current total enrollment of 43,000 students and 200 teachers. A total of 20 libraries of different kinds manually served these students and professors until 1999. To introduce new information technologies to the libraries and all laboratories of the university, the intranet of the university — with 32 networking systems — was introduced for all campuses with the technology of Main Frame Relay. Automation services of libraries were introduced with Alejandria, a locally produced software in effect since 2001. The challenging job is to create consciousness about information literacy. Creation of university digital databases and digitalization of valuable documents are in progress.

The University of Texas at Dallas/Callier Center for Communication Disorders Doctor of Audiology Program

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to describe the history and resources of the doctor of audiology (AuD) program at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)/Callier Center for Communication Disorders, as well as to provide an overview of the program. Method: Data from 1999, when the AuD program was approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Program, to the present were reviewed. Conclusions: The UTD/Callier Center AuD program includes more than 40 faculty members, spans 3 campuses, and has 8 research laboratories. Total enrollment is 32 students (8 students are admitted each year for the 4-year program). Students have access to extensive resources and learning opportunities. The clinical and research programs at the UTD/Callier Center are actively involved in providing high-quality, indepth education to future doctors of audiology.

School Dropout Rates, Academic Performance, Size, and Poverty: Correlates of Educational Reform

Educational policy makers have questioned the effects of school reforms on at-risk students. Are higher academic standards associated with greater numbers of dropouts? This study examines school average dropout rates for 2 consecutive years in conjunction with percentage covered by Aid to Families With Dependent Children (AFDC), total enrollment, achievement, and academic course enrollments for all of California’s regular public high schools. Both AFDC percentage and total enrollment were associated with higher dropout rates. Higher achievement was associated with lower dropout rates even after statistically controlling AFDC percentage and total enrollment. The year-to-year stability of school dropout rates and their correlations with the other study variables were assessed. The findings suggest that school effectiveness measures that result in higher student achievement may also enhance the effectiveness of dropout treatment programs.

Efficacy of a Self-Help Program in Music for Disadvantaged Preschools

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a prestructured music program, designed especially for disadvantaged children, when this program was implemented by personnel already involved in the operation of Headstart and similar preschools. The study included 12 Headstart teaching centers in Texas and Louisiana with a total enrollment of 277 kindergarten age children from disadvantaged environments. A culture-free music ability test was administered individually to each child in all 12 centers in September and again in May at the end of the teaching year. Comparisons of pretest-posttest improvement revealed significant gains for the experimental group but not for the control group. The results suggested that the teachers' musical knowledge had less effect on the children' s improvement than teacher traits such as determination, industry, and willingness to take the initiative. The final conclusion of the study was that the typical Headstart teacher, with a minumum of assistance, is capable of producing significant improvement in the musical abilities of preschool disadvantaged children.