Community College Leadership Commons^™

The Role Of Community College Faculty In Encouraging Student Enrollment Following Dual Enrollment Participation, Kathryn Page Moore

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Dual enrollment participation promotes college attendance following high school, and college administrators view the program as a valuable student recruitment opportunity. Yet, less than one-third of participants choose to matriculate with the host institution, especially at a community college. The literature contains minimal information regarding how dual enrollment participation serves as a context in college choice.

Using Perna’s college choice model, this qualitative study explored how dual enrollment participation shaped students’ choice to attend the host institution the semester after high school graduation. Through semi-structured interviews, field notes, and a document review, I answered the following question: How does participation …

The Puente Project: Bridging The Achievement Gap For Latinx Students, Nelly Fabiola Brashear

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

For Latinx students, attaining a higher education is one the most important achievements they can pursue. According to Gándara and Moredechay (2017), Latinx students encounter many socio-economic struggles such as a lack of familial support and limited educational resources. In fact, many Latinx students come from low-income households, which further widens the minority education gap.

The Puente Project program aims to increase the number of Latinx student transfers from community colleges to four-year institutions thereby increasing the number of bachelor’s degrees earned by this underserved population of students. However, this program is not without its limitations. Surprisingly, the results of …

Narratives From Appalachia: The Current Stories Of Lgbtq Community College Students, Todd A. Cimino-Johnson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

LGBTQ students are ubiquitous on community college campuses across the United States. The exact number of LGBTQ students is unknown and often their needs are ignored. LGBTQ students face harassment and discrimination at higher rates than other minority groups. This study was conducted to gather the current narratives of LGBTQ students attending community colleges in the Appalachian Region. This study aimed to determine what LGBTQ students are experiencing on community college campuses across Appalachia. Fifteen students took part in a one-on-one semi-structured interview for this qualitative study. All students were currently enrolled in a program of study when the interviews …

Academic Advisors’ Experience With Academic Entitlement: A Phenomenological Study, Felicia A King

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Academic entitlement is on the rise in higher education. Research on academic entitlement typically focuses on faculty and behavior inside the classroom. Academic entitlement affects the college as a whole, both inside and outside of the classroom. This phenomenological study explored academic entitlement within student affairs, specifically, academic advisors' experience with academic entitlement. Additionally, the study focused on a large community college, whereas previous studies were situated within 4-year colleges and universities. The phenomenological study aimed to determine what academic entitlement behaviors were present in academic advising and examine how academic advisors reacted to the academic entitlement behaviors. Twelve academic …

Barriers To Post-Secondary Success, Douglas Swanson, Najeana Henderson, Maritza Sloan

Dissertations

This study reviews factors that prior studies have identified or failed to consider as barriers to post-secondary success. The three main areas include academic success for Latinx students after high school, organizational systems and their impact on African-American students’ postsecondary readiness, and what workers think of their high school education with regards to career preparedness.

Five factors are identified as major barriers for Latinx students to continue in a higher education system. A survey of former students from Saint Louis, Missouri, and Dallas, Texas, metroplex area identified 56 Latinx students that participated in an initial survey. This led to a …

Proximity To Power: The Challenges And Strategies Of Interviewing Elites In Higher Education Research, Kevin Mcclure, Jon L. Mcnaughtan

The Qualitative Report

Presidents, provosts, deans, and other upper-level administrators in higher education fit common definitions of “elites” in the context of qualitative research. Scholarship on methods specific to the field of higher education has not identified or described the unique challenges of interviewing these and other elites. The purpose of this paper is to examine challenges and share strategies for elite interviewing, with specific application to qualitative research in the field of higher education. We provide three examples of empirical studies involving elite interviewing and, using literature from other fields, highlight challenges and strategies. By anticipating challenges and implementing these strategies, researchers …

The Influence Of Policy Implementation In The Midwest: How A Sstem Program Broadens Participation And Enhances Engineering Identity For Community College Students, Sarah L. Rodriguez, Maria L. Espino, Brian D. Le, Kelly J. Cunniham

Faculty Publications

This qualitative research study describes how a Midwest community college’s implementation of an Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SSTEM) program influences engineering identity development for its students with financial need. Using a phenomenological approach, the study finds that the program enables community college students to have greater financial freedom and an ability to focus on engineering identity. In addition, the SSTEM program enhances student connections with STEM faculty, program staff, and peers. The study highlights the need for creating spaces for engineering identity development, developing connections between faculty, staff, and students, and enhancing transfer connections through different experiences. …

Effects Of Creative Video Games On Creativity, Haiqal Sazalli, Sharil Sungkono, Mohammed Rashaun, Khalis Muzakir

Introduction to Research Methods RSCH 202

The purpose of this research is to find the effects of creative games on the Creativity Quotient of human beings. Assessing creativity is based on divergent thinking consisting of fluency, originality and uniqueness in thinking methods. The theoretical framework assesses the creative thinking of candidates through a 4-week gaming programme consists of a pre-and post-assessment of the Creativity Quotient Test which consists of 10 critical thinking questions. These questions will test the fluency, originality and uniqueness of the candidates. To provide a fair result, the same questions will be used for the pre-and post-assessment. Results will prove that games are …

A Qualitative Description Investigation Of U.S. Higher Education Quantitative Datasets, Mia Ocean, Karon T. Hicks

The Qualitative Report

Currently, the U.S. system of higher education is almost exclusively evaluated by quantitative data based on traditional student trajectories and university structured programs. This could be problematic for community colleges and post-traditional students, who are a growing population at all institutions. Therefore, we conducted a pilot, qualitative description analysis of three U.S. quantitative national datasets to assess their accuracy and identify factors that influence classifications. We interviewed individuals (n=13) who would qualitatively be considered success stories, specifically individuals who attended community colleges during their undergraduate studies and ultimately high ranking graduate programs, to gather information about their educational timelines. In …

Building A Strength-Based Support Program For College Students With Autism, Deann Lechtenberger, Wesley H. Dotson, Eriko Fukuda, Rebecca Beights, Jennifer Hamrick, James Williams, Barry Lovelace

Journal of Human Services: Training, Research, and Practice

Abstract

Policy Implications Of Refugee Education In Urban Settings: A Case Study Of The Experience Of Refugee Community-Based Schools In Cairo, Dawood Mayom

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt hosts asylum-seekers and refugees originating from a large number of countries. Many refugees find themselves living in urban settings, and education and access to schools across various levels have increasingly become challenging for children. This study focuses on refugees’ education between the years 2011-2020 in Cairo. During these years, the number of students increased by five times, making the provision of education a challenging endeavor. The research aims to explore and understand the multiple barriers to Community-Based Refugee Education in Urban Egypt. This study used a qualitative case study because of its relevancy to this topic and context. The …

A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of English Faculty Regarding Interactions With Students With Disabilities, Ara V. Karakashian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study (Yin, 2018) was to explore the perceptions of 11 full time English faculty who teach at least one section of ENG 101-College Composition I, regarding interactions with students with disabilities (SWD) and learning disabilities (LD) at Friendship County Community College (FCCC), an urban community college in the northeastern region of the United States. Of the 11 faculty sampled, 11 participated in one-on-one interviews and a review of 24 de-identified disability accommodation letters was conducted. Using the Theory of Justice (Rawls, 1971, 2001) and the Ethic of Care (Noddings, 1984), data was collected to …

Moving From High-Stakes Exams To Meaningful Placement, Suzanne Ames, Doug Emory

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

Placement testing is a routine part of the college intake process even though the inequities built into standardized tests are well known in higher education and are the antithesis of an open access institution like a community college (Nettles, 2019; Wai et al., 2008). The great majority of two-year college students begin their college journey by taking high-stakes standardized tests that assign them a placement score in math and English. To give students a better shot at success, and with the welcome departure of the nationally standardized COMPASS placement test, Lake Washington Institute of Technology took the opportunity offered and …

California Elected City Council Women Of Color: Building A Collaborative Vision With Inclusive Voice, Beatriz T. Valencia

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Following the U.S. presidential race of 2016, large numbers of women—particularly women of color—made the decision to run for political office for the first time at both the national and local levels. It is imperative that these women’s campaigns and victories are studied as a means to resist essentialism and honor the unique perspectives and histories of the voices of women of color in these political roles—roles highly underrepresented in literature and society at large. This dissertation focused on the victory speeches of 48, first-time, California city council, elected women of color (EWOC) with the aim of understanding their campaigns …

The International Student Experience At U.S. Community Colleges At The Onset Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Melissa Whatley, Heidi Fischer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

This study’s purpose is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students who were studying at U.S. community colleges at the onset of this public health crisis. While previous work has explored the impact of the pandemic on international students generally, we argue that community college international students deserve focused attention due to their potentially marginalized status on their campuses. Using a mixed methods research approach, we analyze survey and interview data provided by community college international educators. Our results speak to two overarching themes: the supports provided to students at the onset of the pandemic (and …

Using Phet Simulations To Improve Scientific Skills And Attitudes Of Community College Students, Rex Taibu, Lloyd Mataka, Vazgen Shekoyan

Publications and Research

In this study, conceptual and algebra-based physics students were engaged in scientific inquiry using Physics Education Technology (PhET) interactive simulations via semester-long group projects. The instructor and students used the Scientific Abilities Assessment Rubrics (SAAR) to evaluate project presentations and papers (formative assessment). The overall research project was evaluated using Lab Skills Self-Assessment (LSSA) survey (pre and post) and the post reflection survey. The Science Process Skills Inventory (SPSI) was used to analyze some of the students‟ responses to the reflection survey. Quantitative analysis of the LSSA survey showed a large effect size for both conceptual and algebra-based physics students …

Student Retention In Higher Education: Effect Of The Campus Fitness Center On Women, Leslie Marie Gordon

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Of the 3.5 million first-time in college, full time students who began college in fall 2017, 74% returned for fall 2018, with 61.7% retained at their starting institution. Covid-19 has negatively impacted retention; in addition to normal attrition, one of every five students did not return to campus in fall 2020. Researchers have gauged both academic and social factors that positively influence retention and note the use of the campus fitness center (CFC) as one social factor; however, women are less likely to use the CFC, are one third as likely to exercise, and experience more numerous fitness obstacles and …

Faculty And Dean Attitudes Toward Institutional Civic Responsibility, Mutual Trust, And Civic Mindedness At Two Year Colleges, David W. Kobilka

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Two year colleges are often characterized as America’s “democracy colleges” implying a difficult to implement dual mission of democratizing education for all, and advancing the democratic purpose of civic engagement. Although such goals may be explicit in a college’s mission statement, how faculty or their deans receive that mission is not well-documented. Research suggests that for a college to advance a civic mission, those involved must themselves be civically minded. Moreover, for any mission to succeed, faculty and their deans must trust one-another. However, there is scant research specific to two-year colleges in these areas. This research attempted to address …

Assessing An Academic Readiness Model In A Community College Occupational Program, Scott A. Hauert, Robert L. Moore, Quinton Nottingham

STEMPS Faculty Publications

This study assessed a localized academic readiness model that measures academic skills relevant to an occupational program and the institutional context. Enrollment in the program’s mandatory gateway course is contingent upon establishing academic readiness either: (1) possess an associate-level or higher degree; (2) achieve placement test scores that permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading; or (3) complete developmental education prerequisites to permit enrollment in college-level English composition/critical reading. Using the gateway course performance for 112 students, the study explored whether any of the model’s criterions are significantly related to success in the gateway course and whether there is any …

Raw And Pure Education In The Society, Iwasan D. Kejawa

Department of Educational Administration: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

What does education mean to individuals in the world today? Education is a way one can attain or improve his or her ability to lead and survive in the society of ours. Without educational training of the mind, it may be impossible to realize the importance of adaptability of living in the environment. Without education, It may also be difficult to embellish the use of both the mental and physical attributes possessed by individual beings.

What really is education? Education is the training of the mind to perform desire functions or to perpetuate the modality of obtaining an end or …