LOS COLEGIOS REGIONALES, OPORTUNIDADES DE ESTUDIO EN INSTITUCIONES DE NIVEL UNIVERSITARIO. (THE REGIONAL COLLEGES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDY IN UNIVERSITY LEVEL INSTITUTIONS).

RECENT LEGISLATION IN PUERTO RICO HAS VALIDATED THE 2-YEAR REGIONAL COLLEGE CONCEPT, AND THE CHARACTER OF THE PROGRAM COMBINING LIBERAL ARTS TRANSFER CURRICULUMS AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION HAS BEEN SET. TO IMPLEMENT THE PLANNING PHASES, THIS STUDY PREDICTS STUDENT ENROLLMENT BY REGION. TWO INDEXES ARE USED TO ESTIMATE STUDENT DEMAND--COLLEGE INTEREST, BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS TAKING THE COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION BOARD TESTS AND APPLYING FOR ADMISSION AT ONE OF THE FIVE UNIVERSITIES, AND VOCATIONAL TRAINING INTEREST, BASED ON APPLICATIONS TO THE SEVEN VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS. GROWING NUMBERS OF HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES ARE SEEKING ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. URBAN CENTRALIZATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IS CREATING TRANSPORTATION PROBLEMS FOR POTENTIAL STUDENTS AS WELL AS REGIONAL IMBALANCES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT A DIRECTOR BE APPOINTED TO COORDINATE AN IMMEDIATE PROGRAM OF PREPARATION INCLUDING STAFF APPOINTMENTS, ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOLASTIC STANDARDS, ALLOCATION OF ECONOMIC RESOURCES REQUISITE FOR DEVELOPMENT, AND CURRICULA DESIGNATION. THE DOCUMENT IS WRITTEN IN SPANISH. (AL)