Education Commons^™

Student Persistence In Associate Degree Nursing Programs At Mississippi Community Colleges, Kathryn Lee Fleming

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine factors of student persistence and attrition in addition to strategies that may help students persist in associate degree nursing programs at community colleges. Data were collected from nursing students enrolled in first-year associate degree nursing programs at participating Mississippi community colleges and analyzed using multiple regression and repeated measures ANOVAs. Tinto’s Classic Model and Bean & Metzner’s Nontraditional Model of Student Attrition were utilized in this study. This mixed methods convenience sample yielded 564 participants, and the results were as follows: environmental factors and demographic factors of student persistence were found to …

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy And Motivation Characteristics On The Academic Achievement Of Upward Bound Participants, Brenda Leigh Brown

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of self-efficacy and motivation characteristics on the achievement of at-risk students. Seventy-nine Upward Bound program participants completed self-efficacy, motivation, and demographic questionnaires. The relationship between GPA and self-efficacy was significant, negative, and low in strength. High GPA was associated with high self-efficacy (as shown by lower numbers on the survey). Gender, length of time in the Upward Bound (UB) program, length of participation in the UB summer program, college sponsor (community or four-year college), self-efficacy characteristics, and motivation characteristics significantly predicted academic achievement as measured by GPA. The relationship between …

The Phenomenology Of The Bachelor Of Science In Hvac Engineering Technology From Ferris State University, Michael Feutz

Dissertations

Career and Technical Education (CTE) has evolved from industry-specific training to a more broad-based education that incorporates core academic learning objectives and prepares the student for work (Rothwell & Gerity, 2008; Uloa, 2006; Reese, 2002; Rojewski, 2002; Stone, 2002; Schmidli, 2001). Little is known about how well individual programs align with the industry for which graduates are prepared, (Zinser, 2003) or what CTE has meant to its graduates.

This research focused on graduates of the Bachelor of Science in Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Engineering Technology (HVAC-ET) at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. A phenomenological design was used …

A Comparison Of The Career And Technical Education Programs In A Us Community College And A Chinese Institution, Harry Hou

Dissertations

This research study explores and compares the career and technical education programs offered in a US community college and the vocational/career and technology education programs offered in a comparable Chinese postsecondary institution. The study sought to find positive transferable characteristics of the career and technical education programs in each country, which could be shared by similar institutions in China and the US.

Under the impact of globalization, international cooperation and collaboration between institutions and programs becomes more and more important, particularly considering there are many shared problems and thus the potential for shared solutions. This research offers insights and information …

Assessing The Need For Community College Baccalaureate Degree Programs In Mississippi, Johannah Bell Williams

Dissertations

This study involved assessing the professional and personal opinions of Mississippi community college students, faculty and administrators regarding the need for community college baccalaureate degree programs in Mississippi. The goal of this study was to determine if students, faculty and administrators at Mississippi community colleges believed that the implementation of baccalaureate degree programs at their respective colleges would be beneficial to the college and to the students. Furthermore, this study sought to determine if the opinions of said participants regarding the implementation of baccalaureate degree programs were affected by certain factors. Students, faculty and administrators from each of the 15 …

Assessing Student Learning Outcomes In Aqip Accredited Community And Technical Colleges, Constance M. Schwass

Dissertations

Accreditation in higher education institutions continues to be regarded as the seal (f) obstacles encountered that may impede the assessment of student learning outcomes processes. Responses from 75 individuals (a 52.4% response rate) responsible for their college's assessment of student learning revealed that assessment plans at these AQIP accredited institutions do exist, and are written, implemented, and embedded as part of their institutional culture and operational strategy. Significant differences between General and Occupational Education programs were found in the use of comparative data, communication with external stakeholders, faculty involvement in the assessment practices, perceived levels of improvement in the teaching/learning …

Deans Of Career And Technical Education: Charting The Course To Senior Administration, Shelley Zarovsky Levin

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the essential leadership practices, abilities, and experiences of Deans of Career and Technical Education (CTE) and to consider how these Deans of CTE fit into the succession process of the community college. A qualitative case study was conducted with three dyads of career Deans and their supervising senior administrators, using the comparative case method to analyze the data collected from the participants.

The data were collected from in-person participant interviews on their respective campuses. One Dean of CTE and the supervising senior administrator were at a rural college; one dyad was at …

Essential Personal Attributes, Skills And Abilities Needed By Aspiring Community College Presidents, Jeffery Steven Boyd

Dissertations

The community college presidency is in critical state of evolution. Boggs (2003) stated that the rate of presidential retirements appears to be on the rise, with 79% of presidents planning to retire by 2012. Weisman and Vaughn (2007) in a 2006 survey found the number of presidents planning to retire within ten years is 84%. The most likely candidates to fill these presidential vacancies are the senior administrators. This presents a challenge because the senior administrators are at the same age as the retiring presidents and they too are preparing for retirement.

The previous generations of community college presidents, the …

Community College Succession Planning: Preparing The Next Generation Of Women For Leadership Roles, Angela Kaysen Luzbetak

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore strategies to enable community colleges to develop and cultivate women for leadership roles through succession planning. According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the pace of administrative and other key staff retirements exceeds the pace at which these positions are being re-staffed (Shults, 2001). One might question why the purposeful development of future community college leaders is critical. Community colleges currently face a crucial leadership crisis in the United States. Pending retirements and the lack of succession planning to fill upcoming vacancies is reaching a critical turning point. The Chronicle …

Bridging The Gap: Linking Co-Curricular Activities To Student Learning Outcomes In Community College Students, Katie Lauren Storey

Dissertations

This study investigated the extent to which participation in co-curricular events enhances the achievement of student-learning outcomes in community college students. One community college in Illinois—Chicago Metropolitan Area Community College (CMACC), a pseudonym—was selected to research based on its robust co-curricular activity programming. A concurrent nested mixed methodology (Plano Clark & Creswell, 2007) was used, nesting quantitative data within qualitative data.

To generate quantitative data, a student survey was distributed to 128 students involved with co-curricular activities at CMACC. Participating students were asked to identify their involvement with co-curricular programming and how this participation correlated with the institution’s general education …

The Quality Of Student Experiences In Traditionally Scheduled Courses Versus Block Scheduled Courses At Pearl River Community College, David Scott Alsobrooks

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if students at Pearl River Community College (PRCC) achieve significantly different self-reported Quality of Effort levels when enrolled in block scheduled programs than students enrolled in traditionally scheduled programs. This study focuses on Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs at PRCC in the spring of 2009. The Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire was completed by 294 (192 traditional and 97 block) students of the 672 (514 traditional and 143 block) total students enrolled in CTE programs during the term. No significant differences were found in the students’ self-reported Quality of Effort levels …

Improving Services For Students With Disabilities At Community Colleges, Michael William Duggan

Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to discover ways in which community college faculty and administrators can better facilitate learning for students with disabilities. Semi-structured interviews, preinterview questionnaires, and a review of relevant documents were used to gain an understanding of how community college faculty perceive the challenges of teaching students with disabilities. Additional research goals included an exploration of strategies community college faculty have found effective in assisting students with disabilities to be successful, actions community college administrators have taken that effectively address issues related to success for students with disabilities, and approaches community college administrators use …

Multiple Roles: The Conflicted Realities Of Community College Mission Statements, Mark David Mrozinski

Dissertations

Questions of efficacy have always plagued the use of mission statement as a strategic planning tool. In most planning models, the mission statement serves to clarify goals and guide the formation of strategies. However, little empirical evidence exists validating that mission statements actually improve the performance of organizations, even though regional accrediting commissions in higher education include mission statement and affiliated processes as criterion for accreditation. For community colleges, the question is how can mission statements best be used to move the institution forward in a climate of change and challenges?

The purpose of this study is to explore the …

Veterans Education: Coming Home To The Community College Classroom, Karen Rae Persky

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to identify the needs of veterans who are community college students and to examine community college programs and services essential to meeting their needs. A qualitative case study design using interviews, observations, field notes, document reviews, a focus group, and a preinterview demographic questionnaire provides a holistic account of the community college experience for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. This research study gives a voice to veterans who are community college students, and provides community colleges with insights that may enable them to improve their services for this population.

Five major themes …