Higher Education Commons^™

Evolving Statewide Transfer Policies: Persistent Efforts In Tension With Workforce Development Among Massachusetts Community Colleges, Daniel Torre Jr., Ryan S. Wells

Ryan S. Wells

Since their inception, community colleges have included the transfer function as a central mission. However, arguments have been made contending that community colleges have systematically diverted students toward occupational education. In the 21st century, community colleges continue to contend with multiple missions and identities, especially when viewed from a workforce-development perspective stressing short-term employability as the primary objective. The two-fold purpose of this study focuses on the academic transfer mission of community colleges in tension with the vocational-occupational mission. We apply document and thematic analysis to identify the elements of formal transfer and articulation policies in the United States leading …

The Promising Role Of Hybrid Learning In Community Colleges: Looking Towards The Future, Corinne Crawford, Joel Barker, Achraf A. Seyam

Publications and Research

In 2014, community colleges are overcrowded, underfunded, and serve a diverse population. Community colleges are looking for innovative ways to meet the growing demands of their nontraditional student body on a shrinking budget. Increasing their online offerings appeared to be a perfect solution. Unfortunately, research has shown that community college students do not fare well in online classes. However, the same research shows that community college students do as well in hybrid classes as they do in face-to-face classes.

Hybrid classes are a mix of online and face-to-face instruction. Although hybrid classes are not as flexible as online courses and …

Black Female Community College Students' Satisfaction: A National Regression Analysis, Terrell L. Strayhorn, Royel M. Johnson

Dr. Royel M. Johnson

Data from the Community College Student Experiences Questionnaire were analyzed for a sample of 315 Black women attending community colleges. Specifically, we conducted multivariate analyses to assess the relationship between background traits, commitments, engagement, academic performance, and satisfaction for Black women at community colleges. Descriptive results provide a profile of Black women who attend community colleges in terms of age, native language, units taken, and grades. Hierarchical linear regression results suggest that our statistical model accounted for 22% of the variance in satisfaction. Significant predictors of Black women's satisfaction at community colleges include age, effect of family on school work, …

Still Happening, Yet Still Problematic: The 21st Century Du Bois And Washington Debate, Donald Mitchell Jr., Adriana Almanza, Adriel A. Hilton, Barbara Spraggins

Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D.