Education Commons^™

Formation Of Successful Partnerships Between Rural Community College Workforce Development Offices And Businesses: Motivation, Social Capitaland Communication, Ryan Nausieda

Dissertations

The financial resources in rural areas are not plentiful, which has impacted the workforce development offices’ ability to provide training on their own. These workforce development offices rely on partnerships to provide training to the community. There are multiple motivations that align between workforce development office and community organizations. The social capital in a partnership is utilized in these rural areas to accomplish mutual goals between multiple organizations that one could not complete on alone. Social capital in a partnership includes trust, centrality, information, and density. Communication helps to support the motivation, social capital and hence the sustainability of a …

Book Review: Confessions Of A Community College Administrator, Valerie Culler Edd

Journal of Student Financial Aid

Confessions of a Community College Administrator by Matthew Reed provides readers with an overview of many of the practical day-to-day challenges encountered by community college administrators. The author has more than 10 years of experience working in the community college sector and is also the author of a popular blog, Confessions of a Community College Dean, which is featured regularly in InsideHigherEd.com. Reed’s approach in Confessions of a Community College Administrator is to educate future leaders of community colleges on current and long-term challenges for the sector, by sharing many of his own experiences in the roles of a community …

Federal Aid And College Success Of Students In The Community College, Jana Lee Jenkins Causey

Dissertations

Financial aid helps many students gain access to college, and the federal government spends a great deal of money to fund financial aid programs. Community colleges serve a large amount of students who enter the higher education system and there is very limited published research that provides conclusive evidence as to whether or not financial aid promotes success in community college students. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of federal need-based aid with the achievement of community college students by analyzing grade point averages, earned semester hours, and graduation frequencies among students who fall into the …

U.S.- Educated Multilingual Students In Community College: Transitioning From Esl To English 101, Melinda S. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on U.S.-educated multilingual students as they transition from a community college academic English as a Second Language program to and through a semester-long first-year composition course. Research on non-native English speakers has indicated that U.S.-educated multilingual students have both similar and varied background and literacy experiences compared to native English speakers and international students; they also often present unique literacy needs compared to their peers. These various and shifting similarities and differences sometimes complicate placement and instruction in college courses.

My case study focused on three U.S.-educated multilingual students' experiences in the final semester of a community …

Service Learning At Community Colleges: Synthesis, Critique, And Recommendations For Future Research, Amanda Taggart, Gloria Crisp

Teacher Education and Leadership Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to review and critique empirical work done, to date, specific to service learning experiences at the community college level. A review of the literature was conducted in order to examine the empirical work that has been developed regarding service learning, a form of experiential learning, at community colleges. The narrative defines service learning, describes types of service learning taking place on community college campuses, and synthesizes and critiques the service learning empirical work done to date. The review closes with specific recommendations for both researchers and practitioners regarding future research.

The Scholarship Of Teaching At Community Colleges, Patrice Arleanor Williams

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses engagement in the scholarship of teaching (SoT) at the community college level. A basic overview of the origin of the concept, a discussion of some of the key publications in the body of literature on the topic, and the details and results of a study on the topic—including suggestions for further research—are provided here.

The study involved full-time community college faculty members, representing institutions throughout the United States. Thirty-nine participants completed a 53-item questionnaire developed by the researcher. The goal of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between engagement in SoT and teaching satisfaction …

Assessment Of A Community College’S First Year Experience Course: Analysis Of A Student Retention And Success Strategy, Mark Lanting

Ed.D. Dissertations

First Year College Experience is a face-to-face three-credit college course that provided the subject for the current research. The current research was conducted at a small, Midwest community college. This course expanded the college’s existing one-credit hour course called College Success Skills. In the hope of amplifying the impact of the existing course, several learning modules and objectives were designed. The current quantitative, non-experimental research demonstrated that students passing the First Year College Experience course tended to have higher GPAs than students who did not take the course.

Student Experiences Of The Community College Developmental Writing Classroom, Janet Kirchner

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The low success rate of students in community college developmental education classes has caused not only institutions and their instructors but also those outside of the classroom to search for alternative programs and delivery methods to improve student outcomes. As college completion rates become increasingly tied to state funding, many community colleges are re-thinking their programs, considering acceleration of coursework, learning communities, and supplemental instruction as replacements for the traditional developmental sequence. While these programs have shown success in some community colleges, much of the research is quantitative in nature and based on completion rates. The purpose of this study …

An Overview Of Undergraduate Research In The Cuny Community College System, Avrom J. Caplan, Effie S. Maclachlan Phd

Publications and Research

CUNY community colleges occupy a unique niche because they are part of a larger geographically focused university system in which all faculty members are governed by a single set of standards for professional development. Research is clearly a part of the wider institutional culture, and dedicated faculty members who obtained support from state and federal funding agencies have conducted successful student-research programs. Close partnerships between community colleges and their four-year counterparts can contribute to positive student outcomes and to the subsequent transfer of students. The main roadblock to broadening participation is the small number of students who can be supported …

The Effect Of Delayed Enrollment, Regional Wealth, And First-Generation Status On Community College Student Success, Sunita Etwaroo Hines

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

For many students, the path to earning a postsecondary educational degree is often met with personal and social obstacles, but first-generation students are less likely to even enroll in postsecondary education and they have a higher probability for attrition when compared to their counterparts. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between delayed enrollment, regional wealth, and first-generation status on community college student success. This study analyzed differences in student success for students who enrolled at the community college immediately after high school graduation, for those who delayed enrollment up to two years, or delayed enrollment more …

Student Success And Service-Learning: Exploring The Relationship At A Two-Year Public Institution, Leah Renee Kicinski

Masters Theses

This exploratory study examines the relationship between service-learning and student success at a two-year community college in the urban Midwest. Students who participated in service-learning during the 2010-2011 academic year were identified by institutional research and planning (n=788); additionally, students completed a survey regarding service experiences and learning outcomes (n=280). The data suggest that student success appears to be related to service-learning; 76% of subjects who participated in service-learning met a success indicator compared to 62% of students who were enrolled 2011-2012. Additionally, students reported learning communication, critical thinking, diversity, interpersonal, and personal skills as a result of their participation.

Entry-Level Cognitive Mathematics Skill And First-Semester Mathematics Performance As Correlates Of Fall-To-Fall Retention Of Community College Students, Stephen Tyler Corbin

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between first-semester mathematics performance and fall-to-fall retention for first-time-in-college, degree-seeking community college students. The study further refined the investigation by seeking to determine if the significance of this relationship was affected by student readiness for college-level mathematics as of the first semester of enrollment at the institution under study.

The sample chosen for this study consisted of 1518 first-time-in-college, degree-seeking students enrolled in fall semester 2011 at a large, multi-campus community college in Virginia. The dependent variable was fall-to-fall retention, a commonly applied student success metric in the Virginia Community …

Factors That Predict Time To In-Field Employment Of Associate Degree Graduates: A Study Of One College In The Technical College System Of Georgia, Karon Futch

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This regression study examined the set of graduate characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity), as well as Grade Point Average Motivation, and environmental factors (program of study, use of career services, internship completion, Grade Point Average) that predicted time to in-field employment among associate degree graduates. Graduates ranging from 2010-2012 in business, computers, healthcare, industrial, or service programs at one technical college in the Technical College System of Georgia were surveyed regarding employment status following graduation. Demographic data, as well as environmental data, were collected from the Technical College System of Georgia's Knowledge Management System in order to establish a relationship among …

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College Level 1, Jama Spicer-Sutton, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

ETSU Faculty Works

The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This study also determined whether there were differences in improvement scores by gender or age group. The results of this study were used to determine whether there was a difference in improvement scores among the three campus locations participating in this study.

Four hundred …

Helicopter Parents Of Community College Students: How Community College Professionals Operationally Define And Address This Phenomenon, Helen C. Hightower

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

This study examined whether the phenomenon of parental over-involvement occurred in the Virginia Community College System. Concern has been expressed in the popular and academic literature in recent years over the increased level of parental involvement at four year institutions whose student bodies consist almost exclusively of traditional-aged students. With a mix of traditional-aged and non-traditional students at community colleges, this study investigated whether or not community college employees expressed similar concerns as their counterparts at senior institutions.

The study was designed using a mixed methods approach and utilized a triangulation of results in order to answer four research questions. …

Leadership: A Concise Conceptual Overview, Joseph B. Berger

Center for International Education Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Textbook Cost-Lowering Initiatives: An Exploration Of Community College Faculty Experiences, Susan Dunn

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Faculty have been identified as critical players in the implementation of textbook affordability efforts at community colleges. Furthermore, emerging lower-cost alternatives to traditional textbooks present a wide and growing range of options that may help further efforts. This study sought to examine more closely the role of faculty with respect to textbook cost-lowering initiatives. The researcher utilized in-depth interviews to gain a rich picture of the experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of nine full-time community college faculty as they confronted textbook affordability efforts and textbook alternatives. The interview data were analyzed using a thematic analysis process. Five major themes and …

Community College Faculty With Corporate Leadership Experience And Full Range Leadership Theory, Gloria Hardee

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges have developed into vital resources for affordable, easy access, high quality education. Community college instructors with previous leader experience possess the credentials needed to teach their curricula and to lead learning experiences in the classroom. Researchers have found that instructors who display transformational leadership qualities can influence student actions, awareness, and learning outcomes. This study was conducted to explore community college faculty who possess transformational leadership qualities in relation to student extra effort, student perception of instructor effectiveness, and overall satisfaction with the instructor. The conceptual framework is the full range leadership theory which is one of the …

The Effects Of A Career-Planning Course On Community College Students' Career Self-Efficacy And Career Indecisiveness, Jefferey Samuel Lip

Wayne State University Dissertations

The principal aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a career-planning course for college students who were undecided on a major or want to change or confirm their major at community college. The career-planning course was designed to assist students in becoming more aware of themselves and career options. From this study, the career-planning course assisted students in improving their career decision-making self-efficacy. A reduction in career decision-making difficulties for students was seen in this study. A quasi-experimental nonequivalent control group research design was used for this study. To determine if the experimental and control group were …

Marginality And Mattering - Latino Males In Higher Education.Pdf, Adrian H. Huerta, Seth M. Fishman

Adrian H. Huerta

Abstract. This qualitative study of first-generation, low-income urban Latino male college students considers their transition experience and success in various higher education institutions. Schlossberg’s theory of mattering and marginality is used as a lens to explore how these students navigate the college environment and build relationships with campus agents. The findings focus on the students’ motivations to attend college, the importance of the college environment, the impact of mentorship, and feelings of mattering as a result of relationships with campus peers and professional staff. The authors offer implications and program recommendations for student affairs professionals to better support and understand …

Leadership: A Concise Conceptual Overview, Joseph B. Berger

Joseph B. Berger

No abstract provided.

Making It Work: Factors That Influence The Success Of Programs At Rural Community Colleges, Rebecca Calwell

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Community colleges are expected to contribute to economic development efforts by implementing new programs that respond to the needs of business and industry. Program development is complex, especially for community colleges in rural areas where business and industry are scarce. This qualitative study explores the factors that influence successful occupational programs at rural community colleges. Participants included administrators, faculty members, and students associated with three rural community colleges in West Virginia, as well as one state-level administrator and a former community college president. This study indicates the importance of five factors that influence the success of occupational programs: demand for …

Nontraditional Hispanic College Students' Perceptions Of Their Sense Of Belonging At A 2-Year College In Southwest Texas, Ronald Eugene Zawacki-Maldonado

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this study was to understand how a sense of belonging contributes to graduation persistence among nontraditional Hispanic college students. The collectivist culture among these adult learners often results in family and work obligations that curtail their pursuit of higher education. The voices of these students are mostly absent in the current literature and warrant the current research study. Sense of belonging and retention theory formed the conceptual framework for this phenomenological study. A purposeful sample of 16 nontraditional Hispanic students enrolled in a 2-year community college in Southwest Texas participated in interviews. Data analysis focused on themes …

Students' Perceptions And Experiences Of A Diversity And Inclusion Training Program At A Community College, Norma I. Corral-Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community college developed a diversity and inclusion training program, Maximizing Our Strengths as an Inclusive Community (MOSAIC), to address the lack of diversity training for students and staff. However, the program had not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to learn about students' perceptions and experiences of the MOSAIC program. Guided by theories of constructivism and components of critical race theory related to critical studies in Whiteness, social identity theory, and best practices for diversity and inclusion training, this study explored how students described the effectiveness of the program. Interview data for this responsive program evaluation using …

A Professional Development Approach To Improve Practice At An Upstate Community College, Lisa K. Antalek

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A federal Call to Action was mandated to reform community colleges across the nation, challenging college officials to enhance instructional methodology on college campuses towards increasing student completion rates. In addressing this mandate, college officials at the upstate NY community college identified a need for professional development that would increase student learning and enhance the instructional methodologies of facilitating faculty through improved alignment. Accordingly, this study investigated the alignment of faculty instructional effectiveness with the institution's core mission. The purpose of this study was to examine faculty perceptions of the instructional methodologies used to facilitate student learning. Informed by Knowles's …

Articulation Agreements: Academic Success, Persistence And Graduation From Online And Face-To-Face Degree Completion Programs, Darnette Hall

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this causal-comparative study is to examine whether differences exist in the retention and persistence of articulation participants based on face-to-face or online degree completion. The study will determine the rate of completion of articulation participants who transfer from a North Carolina Community College to a state university in North Carolina and enroll in traditional face-to-face classes versus articulation participants who enroll in online degree completion. There is considerable literature on articulation from the perspective of student satisfaction and an administrator's perception. Substantial research on policies and procedures as well as comparison to native and transfer students. There …

Discovering Self, Leaving Struggle Behind, And Setting Examples: Perspectives From First-Generation, Minority Community College Women On The Value Of Higher Education, Antonia Sheel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This study explored how first-generation, minority community college women who participated in a Student Success course understood their higher education experiences. The researcher used a basic interpretive qualitative methodology to uncover how the value of higher education was constructed within those discussions. Five purposively selected students participated in one-on-one semi structured interviews. The participant's understandings were highlighted independently, reflecting a wide range of sentiments that were largely self-directed in essence, at times ambiguous and yet, complex in nature as the women made sense of their experiences. Through the use of thematic analysis, three dominant discourses about the value of higher …

"My Gut Has To Feel It": A Participatory Action Research Study Of Community College Educators Navigating The Emotional Terrain Of Human Rights Education, Lindsay Padilla

Doctoral Dissertations

Informed by feminist theories of emotion and the concept of critical emotional praxis, this PAR study highlights the emotional terrain of four Northern California community college teachers who teach human rights. The following meta-question guided this research: "Given the role of emotions in challenging injustice, as well as in engaging in personal and societal change, what role do emotions play when teaching in a community college?" Data sources included journals, monthly meetings, final reflection narratives, and exit interviews, which were culled for emergent themes. The findings indicate that the co-researchers in this study experienced emotional ambivalence (the simultaneous experience of …

Community College Students With Psychological Disorders And Their Perceptions Of Online Learning, Gretchen Winifred Langford Warren

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

Research focusing on students with learning disabilities is abundant for secondary and higher education. Studies utilizing data on students with psychological disorders cover secondary and 4-year university education. However, community college students with psychological disorders and their perception of online classes is an area of educational research which lacks data. Students across a wide spectrum of psychological disorders tend to find learning challenging. The community college's learning environment may best fit their learning styles. With modem educational innovations, the online learning methods must take into consideration the unique psychosocial, cognitive, and academic needs of the community college student population.

Persistence Of General Educational Development And Advanced Diploma Recipients At A Southeastern Public Community College, Ann Underwood Smith

Educational Foundations & Leadership Theses & Dissertations

With the current emphasis on accountability and the importance of a college education in today's economy, the success of nontraditional students at community colleges is critical. How to improve the success of high-risk students such as GED recipients is a complex challenge for college leaders. While the GED is widely accepted for admittance to college, GED holders have experienced low levels of postsecondary success and clearly face many complex challenges. Lack of persistence has been found in most studies of all nontraditional adult college students, but there is no consensus on whether or not traditional high school graduates perform better …