Education Commons^™

Community College Chief Academic Officers' Perceptions Of The Pipeline For The Presidency, Jane Ellingwood

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In response to research pointing to a growing executive leadership crisis in community colleges (CCs), with too few strong candidates entering the leadership pipeline for the presidency, I focused this study on individuals already in that pipeline. My goal was to develop an understanding of their perceptions of their own roles in the pipeline and the potential of faculty to enter the pipeline and ultimately achieve a presidency. Utilizing a qualitative research design, I explored the perceptions of eight individuals who occupy the pivotal position of chief academic officer (CAO) within the leadership pipeline at a CC, all recruited from …

A Multiple Regression Analysis Of Factors Influencing 2-Year College Enrollment During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Lauren Margaret Davis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted enrollment, a continuation of the decline ongoing since 2010. Two-year colleges are highly dependent on tuition revenue. Consequently, the pandemic exacerbated the postsecondary economic crisis, as 2-year institutions faced financial hardship amidst enrollment uncertainties. In response to the pandemic, policymakers and 2-year college leaders adapted their enrollment management efforts. However, the impact of these actions on enrollment was unknown. Using resource dependence theory, the present study aimed to understand how COVID-19 influenced 2-year colleges' acquisition of their most sustainable resource, enrollment. Separate multiple linear regression analyses explored the influence of four enrollment management efforts (shift …

Early College High School: A Study Of Dual Enrollment Students' Academic Success Based On Classroom Environment, Cynthia A. Johnston

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This ex post facto, causal-comparative, quantitative study examined variations in academic success of Early College High School (ECHS) students who completed a dual credit course in two separate classroom environments, specifically a high school classroom environment and a college classroom environment. The researcher sought to determine if a relationship existed between classroom environment and final grades of students enrolled in an ECHS. Students in the high school classroom environment sample completed a dual credit English 101 course in a high school classroom located in an ECHS, taught by a high school teacher who had been credentialed by the partnering community/technical …

A Comparative Analysis Of Levels Of Importance, Satisfaction, And Engagement Among Adult Learners And Tennessee Reconnect Recipients At Two Community Colleges, Kelly A. Moore-Roberts

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This primary goal of this study was to compare the levels of importance, satisfaction, and perceived engagement between adult learners and Tennessee Reconnect adult learners at two Tennessee community colleges. A two-group comparison research design using existing data from two survey instruments was used for this study. The data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics based on the scales and subscales of the two surveys: Adult Learner Inventory (ALI) and Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE). Because Tennessee Reconnect is a new program, very little literature has been conducted targeting this specific population. Therefore, this study attempted to add …

Student Retention In Community College Engineering And Engineering Technology Programs, Harrison Orr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

An ex-pos-facto non-experimental quantitative study was conducted to examine the academic, financial, and student background factors that influence first-to-second year retention of engineering and engineering technology students at U.S. community colleges. Analysis of the five research questions was done using a chi-square test and multiple logistic regressions. Data were obtained from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Beginning Postsecondary Students 2012/2014 (BPS: 12/14) study. Computations were performed using PowerStats, a web-based statistical tool provided by the NCES, as well as IBM SPSS 25.

The sample population consisted of students who entered postsecondary education for the first time in the …

Community College Grow Your Own Leadership: A Phenomenological Study Of Employee Perceptions Of Individual And Organizational Leadership Development, John Delozier

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges often face challenges with leadership as a result of retirements and turnover. In reaction to these challenges some community colleges have developed Grow Your Own (GYO) leadership development programs. Although the topic of leadership and leadership development has been researched extensively, more research is necessary concerning GYO programs and their perceived impact on participants and their colleges. This study was designed to determine the perceived development of GYO participants as well as the perception of a GYO’s impact on the organization. Guilford Technical Community College (GTCC) in Greensboro, North Carolina has had a GYO program for 30 years. …

A Comparison Of Academic Success For Military Associated Students To The General Student Population At Middle Tennessee Community Colleges, Kenneth Hanson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research in military veterans’ transition from military service to civilian college indicates that veterans can be successful in college. Considering veterans are generally older than the average traditional student population who attends college after high school, military veterans fit the characteristics of an adult student. Research indicates that the military veteran may be more disciplined and characteristically achieve their academic goals. However the literature is limited in the research of military veteran success in community colleges, and research is inconsistent with regards to the academic success of military veterans. The military veteran population in the present research consisted of 40 …

Predictors Of Community College Students’ Academic Success In The Corequisite Model, Damon Andrews

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine predictors of community college student academic success in the corequisite model. Academic success was defined dichotomously on a pass or fail basis. The population in this study included 1,933 students that enrolled in at least one corequisite English and/or mathematics course at the college between the fall semester of 2015 and summer semester of 2018. The predictors examined were a student’s sex, race, age at time of enrollment, Pell grant recipient status, first-generation college student status, high school GPA, placement test scores, academic major, time spent receiving academic tutoring in college’s …

A First-Year Seminar Course And Its Relationship To Student Retention And Graduation Rates At A Community College, Patricia Weaver

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this comparative study was to determine the relationship of a First-Year Seminar course as well as student entry demographics to retention and graduation rates at community college in Tennessee. In the fall of 2013, the enrollment for the participating college was 3,790 with a mean composite ACT score of 18.9 and a mean GPA of 2.823. First-Year Experience programs at the community college consisted of First-Year Seminar (FYS), New Student Online Orientation (NSOO), New Student Advisement and Registration (NSAR), and mandatory academic advisement. For the purpose of this study the researcher examined only the First-Year Seminar course. …

Experiences Of Mississippi Community College Students Who Are Deaf And Hard Of Hearing, Ronda Bryan

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Women In Recovery: Perceptions In Transition To Community College, Mandi Walker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Substance abuse is an area of concern for college administrators, and they have implemented campus programming in an attempt to address it. Additionally, prior researchers have studied substance abuse on college campuses in order to better understand how substance abuse affects student success. However, limited research exist that addresses the unique perspective of college students who are in recovery from substance abuse, and most studies were conducted in 4-year institutions rather than community colleges. This qualitative case study explored the transition experiences of female students in recovery who attend community college or have recently graduated. The sample included students from …

A First-Year Experience Course And Its Relationship To Retention And Academic Success At A Public Community College, Jackie F. Newman

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to determine the relationship between retention and academic success of students who participated in a First-Year Experience (FYE) course and students who did not participate in a FYE course within a southeastern community college in the United States. The impact of the relationship was to inform an understanding of how a FYE course influences student success.

Archival data were collected from the southeastern community college’s student information system, Banner, Data for first-time full time students were gathered, including whether or not the individuals enrolled in a FYE course. Other data included the …

Dual Enrollment And Community College Outcomes For First-Time, Full-Time Freshmen: A Quasi-Experimental Study, John M. Grubb

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of dual enrollment course participation by comparing first-time, full-time traditional community college students who participated in dual enrollment (N=246) to peers (N=986) that did not participate. Dual enrollment participation was defined as taking one or more dual enrollment courses. The population for this study (N=1,232) included first-time, full-time students who graduated from public high schools in the service area of Northeast State Community College over a five year span from 2008 through 2012. Propensity score matching eliminated self-selection bias by controlling for confounding covariates …

Relationship Of Self-Efficacy In Community College Students From Critical Need Areas With First Semester Academic Achievement, Elmira Ratliff

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if a relationship existed between the self-efficacy levels of freshman year community college students from critical need areas and their first semester academic achievement during their freshman year. Additionally, this research determined the strength of the relationship between self-efficacy levels and first semester grade point average of students from critical need areas. The study was conducted using three community colleges in the state of Mississippi during the 2013-2014 academic school year. The sample included one hundred and fifty males and one hundred and fifty females with a permanent address and school …

A Comparative Study Of High School Academic Paths, Grade Point Averages, And Act Composite Scores As Predictors Of Success At Walters State Community College., Jill C. Reuschel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With an overwhelming number of students attempting to enter college after high school, the competitive nature of college admissions continues to grow. Colleges and universities are attempting to find the appropriate means to adequately predict collegiate success. Common methods of this prediction have come from a variety of sources most of which are the use of high school performance and standardized college admissions testing. Walters State Community College was chosen for this study because of its open door admission policy that allows for variability in high school academic paths as well as grade point averages and ACT scores students earned …

Self-Determination Among Community College Students Diagnosed With Asperger's Syndrome: A Qualitative Study, Jillian Szentmiklosi

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative research study investigated the self-determination of community college students diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome (AS). Varying levels of self-determination were displayed within each of the five participants. However, despite the unique characteristics and experiences of the participants, five major and two minor themes related to the collegial experiences of these students were revealed. The major themes highlighted were that community college students with AS (a) enjoyed academic success, (b) found disability services and accommodations important, (c) chose majors based on personal interests, (d) relied on family members for support, and (e) had difficulty developing social connections on campus. The …

A Study Of Grade Distributions And Withdrawal For Selected Courses At A Community College In Northeast Tennessee., Candy Campbell-Pritt

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In addition to the ever-changing demands of the workforce and student demands, the community college must address how performance and withdrawal are affected by traditional classroom instructional delivery and the inclusion of alternate instructional delivery settings such as internet-based approaches in courses.

This quantitative study was conducted to provide evidence-based research to a community college in Northeast Tennessee. Specifically, this research study focused on an important aspect of instructional course delivery methods: What are the relationships between traditional classroom and internet-based course instructional delivery methods in relation to withdrawal and grade-distribution patterns for specified courses (English 1010, Math 1710, Biology …

Leadership Behaviors Gained As A Result Of Involvement In A Community College Student Leader Program, Chanda Torres

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to assess whether participation in a community college student leader program had an effect on the leadership behaviors of students based on five (5) practices measured by a student leadership practices inventory. By assessing these leadership behaviors, the community college was able to determine the effectiveness of the program and ways to improve the program's curriculum. This study addressed the following: 1) whether students who participated in a student leader program in a community college showed significant growth in leadership behaviors; 2) whether the growth in leadership behaviors of students who participated in a …

An Examinition Of Competencies, Roles, And Professional Development Needs Of Community College Distance Educators Who Teach Mathematics, Falecia Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study describes the perceptions of both distance education administrators and faculty who teach mathematics online in a Florida community college setting with regard to the relative importance of core competencies and roles in teaching online courses and the need for professional development that is supportive of these competencies and roles. The perceptions of administrators and online faculty for level of importance indicated for core competencies and skill area needs for faculty development when teaching an online course were examined. Results of these perceptions by group were re-examined in relation to gender, age, ethnicity, years of community college teaching experience, …

An Examination Of Best Practices In Retention In The Associate Degree Nursing Programin The Florida Community College System, Mary Lewis

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This mixed-methods research examined student nurse retention methods perceived as best practice by directors and coordinators in selected Associate Degree Nursing (AND) programs within the Florida Community College System (FCCS). A critical nursing shortage is expected to worsen over the next twenty years due to the aging workforce and the inadequate supply of qualified nurse graduates. The Associate degree nursing programs supply the majority of nursing graduates to the workforce. Thus, the associate degree nursing programs and student retention measures were studied. The research was conducted using a Delphi survey of directors of nursing in ADN programs within the FCCS. …

Community College Leadership In The 21st Century, Laurie Van

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore with community college presidents of 292 Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Level 1 institutions their perceptions as to the extent to which selected leadership styles presently required in the performance of presidential duties may be required in the future. Also investigated were leadership succession planning and professional development initiatives aimed at identifying and developing future leaders. A total of 209 (71.6%) presidents completed a researcher designed survey. Data analysis resulted in the following major findings. The presidents indicated a high level of support for each of the five leadership styles for …

The Relationship Of Stress Levels To Wellness Practices Among Community College Presidents., Eva Charlotte Ratliff Dawson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the variety and level of wellness practices of community college presidents and the relationship of these practices to the stress levels of this group. Additionally, relaxation activities and the feelings, characteristics, and symptoms associated with stress were considered. Items measuring each of these variables, isolated from the literature and tested in a pilot sample, were combined into an electronic instrument, Stress Levels and Wellness Practices Measurement for Community College Presidents.

The design of the study was ex post facto/correlational. The population of the study was American community college presidents. A stratified …