Community College Education Administration Commons^™

An Analysis Of The Meaning, Barriers, And Value Of Developmental Education For First-Generation Minority Students At A Community College, Molly Murphy

Masters Theses

This qualitative, phenomenological study was designed to learn more about how first-generation, minority community college students perceive the meaning, barriers, and value of developmental education. Five participants were interviewed in a semi-structured format. The results provided nuanced and personal accounts from students who revealed that developmental education affects their feelings of self-efficacy, that systemic financial challenges are consistent barriers to success, and that the connections between teachers and their students, or lack thereof, are perceived to have an impact on the usefulness of developmental education. Finally, results indicated the importance of working with students individually to understand how their ethnic …

A Methodology To Predict Community College Stem Student Retention And Completion, Jennifer Lynn Snyder

Doctoral Dissertations

"Numerous government reports point to the multifaceted issues facing the country's capacity to increase the number of STEM majors, while also diversifying the workforce. Community colleges are uniquely positioned as integral partners in the higher education ecosystem. These institutions serve as an access point to opportunity for many students, especially underrepresented minorities and women. Community colleges should serve as a major pathway to students pursuing STEM degrees; however student retention and completion rates are dismally low. Therefore, there is a need to predict STEM student success and provide interventions when factors indicate potential failure. This enables educational institutions to better …

College Instructors' Perceptions On Coteaching, Theresa Da Costa

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Coteaching is a teaching strategy that requires 2-teachers to collaborate in developing a course syllabus, selecting materials, and assessing students' work. The research problem, addressed in this study, was an appeal to educate the diverse adult population whose needs could not be addressed through traditional instructions at Rex College. Because of a high number of enrolled adult students, coteaching at Rex College was used to improve student success for academically underprepared students in a Set for Success program. The purpose of this study was to examine the coteaching strategies used at Rex College so that teaching guides and/or professional training …

A Study Of State College Faculty Trust In Immediate Supervisors, Anna Byrd

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study investigated faculty trust in their immediate supervisors (academic deans and faculty chairs) in a state college setting. A survey instrument created for this study was based on existing research on trust in schools by Bryk and Schneider (2002) and Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (1998), as well as research on trust in corporate setting. The study’s purpose was to determine the types and frequencies of interactions between community college faculty and deans/faculty chairs – i.e., faculty immediate supervisors – that are related to higher levels of faculty trust. Also investigated were the relationships between faculty trust and demographic characteristics …

Students' Perceived Value Of The Community College Experience: A Mixed Methods Study, Robin A. Duncan

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ perceived value of their community college experience and its relationship to other factors often related to student persistence in college, namely satisfaction, academic quality, service quality, and engagement. The research was guided by three focused questions: How do students describe and define perceived value of community college; what components emerge from exploratory factor analysis of items designed to measure perceived value; and how, if at all, is a student’s perception of the value of a community college experience different from related measures such as satisfaction, engagement, or quality? Data were collected …

A Forgotten Demographic: Low-Income First-Generation College Students, Ryan Joseph-Lee Haynes

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

The focus of this Capstone is on the need for support for low-income first-generation college students. An evidence based argument is made that these students are at a major disadvantage as compared to their counterparts. Consideration of the issue, should include the perspectives of high school students who will be the first in their family to apply and go to college. Three action options emerged from the analysis of data. Based on an analysis of the data and the relevant research literature, the researcher used what he learned to formulate an action that responded to the focus issue in a …

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 …

Potential Relationships Of Community College Faculty Credentials And Measures Of Instructional Effectiveness: Student Survey Of Instruction And Grades, Marc Alan Willis

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to determine what, if any, relationship existed when considering instructor credentials in relation to student surveys of instruction (SSOI), instructor credentials in relation to grade distribution, and the relationship between SSOI and grade distribution. The case study college is a two-year rural institution in Oklahoma employing 53 full-time faculty in Fall 2016. Eighteen of those faculty lack the adequate credentials as required by the Higher Learning Commission, the accrediting body for the college. Very little information was discovered verifying the impact of credentials on effectiveness, and what was located was anecdotal rather than data …

Presidential Fundraising: A Multiple Case Study Of Rural Serving Oklahoma Community Colleges, Jason Daniel Falkner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Community college presidents serving rural populations in the state of Oklahoma have been forced to take on new responsibilities related to institutional fundraising due to multiple economic challenges including continued budgetary shortfalls and limited resource allocation. Review of the academic literature addressing this subject exposed a wide variety of rationales associated with this leadership shift, as well as successful presidential approaches to fundraising in modern higher education. This qualitative study of rural community college presidents in Oklahoma examined the rationale for expanded presidential roles in fundraising, while outlining a number of other essential roles, characteristics, professional backgrounds, and stressors that …

Co-Enrolling Students In Math Remediation And College-Level Math In A Community College System, Peter Thomas Anderson

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to conduct a rigorous examination of co-enrollment of students in math remediation and college-level math. A quasi-experimental, posthoc design examined the outcomes and the relationships of two groups of students who participated in a pilot project the goal of which was to assess the co-enrolled model that is designed to provide students with mathematics support. One group of students enrolled in a traditional model of developmental mathematics. The second group of students co-enrolled in developmental and college-level math.

The sample for this study was students (N = 7616) from nine community colleges in …

Student Demographic And Academic Characteristics That Predict Community College Student Success In Online Courses, Jennifer L. Davidson

Theses and Dissertations

Online student success is a concern for higher education institutions especially community colleges with open enrollment admission. This study analyzed online student success using online GPA (dependent variable) and both demographic and academic characteristics of online students (independent variables) to determine which characteristics significantly correlated to and predicted student success in online courses. The sample included an unduplicated count of 4,046 online students enrolled in at least one online course during fall 2015 and spring 2016 at a public, Midwestern community college. Six research questions and twelve hypotheses were used to determine which independent variables led online students to a …

Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of The First-Year Experience Edge Program At College Of The Desert, Veronica Daut

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The purpose of this study is to explore the perceptions of the effectiveness of a first-year experience program at one institution from the perspectives of the students, faculty, and staff through interviews and observations. This study was conducted at a community college located in Palm Desert, California on their first-year experience program, also referred to as EDGE. First-year experience programs were designed to focus on incoming students and their developmental education to enhance the students’ academic preparedness, social integration into college, and decrease social barriers to education. Many students entering college, particularly community colleges, are underprepared in their basic skills …

Vertical Transfer And Baccalaureate Completion For Adult Community College Students: Milestones And Momentum Points That Matter, Laura Yavitz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Adult community college students, age 25 and older, have been understudied in the extensive college transfer literature, which otherwise focuses on traditional-age college students age 18 through 24, or on students of unspecified age. According to the theoretical framework of academic momentum articulated by Clifford Adelman (2006), enrollment patterns during college can speed up or slow down students’ progress. The limited transfer research on adult students suggests that adults respond differently than traditional-age students to certain academic momentum variables that can impact vertical transfer and baccalaureate outcomes.

This quantitative longitudinal study examined 1,712 student records using sequential logistic regression to …

Understanding Community College Faculty Perceptions Of Their Role In Student Retention, Jennifer Graham

All Theses And Dissertations

This phenomenological case study examined full-time community college faculty perceptions of their role in student retention. Eight participants were asked to reflect on their understanding and use of student retention strategies, as well as what motivated and deterred their participation in institutional retention initiatives. Interviews were conducted to add practitioner voices to the conversation on student retention in higher education.

Three research questions guided the study: (1) How do full-time community college faculty members perceive and describe their role in student retention? (2) What experiences do faculty describe as motivating their participation in institutional retention initiatives? (3) What experiences do …

Creating A Crisis Communication Plan For Small Or Mid-Sized Community Colleges With Monroe County Community College As The Model, Verkennes Joe

Master of Arts in Media and Communication Plan II Graduate Projects

Community colleges need to develop crisis communication plans to protect themselves from the ramifications of crises. While colleges and universities have been diligent about ensuring that they have crisis management plans in place, the same cannot be said for crisis communication plans. The effects of crises on the reputations, operations, and finances of community colleges can include losses of enrollment, decreases in donations, reductions in government funding, accreditation issues, and the severing of key partnerships. This is because crises can negatively impact organizational reputations, which are widely recognized as valuable, intangible assets. Having a solid crisis communication plan can help …

Content Validation Of The Community College Student Success Program Inventory, Deryl K. Hatch, Naomi Mardock-Uman, Matthew J. Nelson

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This study reports on the content validation of the Community College Student Success Program Inventory (CCSSPI), a structured interview protocol for program personnel, designed to serve as a tool for researchers and practitioners alike to account for critical features of various types of student success programs in detailed and comparable ways across multiple sites. In all, 20 subject matter experts (SMEs) rated the relevancy and clarity of each item to ascertain essential program features. Content validity index (CVI) and scale-level index scores (S-CVI) were calculated. Results showed high to moderately high validity for items related to course goals, logistics, skills-focused …

Understanding Satisfactory Academic Progress And Persistence: A Case Study, Brian O. Clemmons

All Theses And Dissertations

Community college administrators face multiple battles in the pursuit to educate students who are working multiple jobs, raising children, and who may have been away from college for an extended period of time. While Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) regulations were established to help students persist towards graduation, some students at community colleges are incapable of adhering to the academic guidelines upon entry. As a result, the mission of community colleges that includes adhering to an open-door admission policy often collides with SAP regulations.

The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to determine how SAP regulations affected persistence for …

Leadership Competencies For The Community College Department Chairperson, Jason Carl Ross

Dissertations

Published in 2005, the American Association of Community Colleges developed a list of six leadership competencies deemed by stakeholders as essential to a community college leadership position. The six AACC leadership competencies include organizational strategy, resource management, communication, collaboration, community college advocacy, and professionalism, and they have been well researched with upper-level community college leadership, student services personnel, and boards of trustees. This research examined these competencies as they relate to the community college department chairperson.

Often viewed as a path to upper level leadership, the community college chairperson is both a faculty member and administrator, and chairpersons must represent …

"Taking Our Seat At The Table": A Narrative Inquiry Of The Experiences Of Seven Latina Administrative Leaders In Higher Education, Sharon Pierce

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Currently, Latinas are the fastest growing population in the United States and comprise one-fifth of the female population (Roach, 2015). It is estimated that by the year 2060 Latinas will make up one-third of the females in the US (Roach, 2015). Gandara (2015) suggests there are several potential barriers that are holding back Latinas from academic and professional success. There are several critical factors that could explain why Latinas are underachieving: family obligations, work obligations, affordability, systemic barriers, lack of information and lack of role models and mentors (Espinoza, 2015, Gandara, 2008; Nunez & Murakami-Ramalho, 2012). This narrative inquiry examined …

Influence Of Faculty Status On Pedagogy And Student Services In Community College Developmental Courses, Nanette Berry

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates how the impact of part-time faculty status and full-time faculty status influences pedagogical practices and the incorporation of student services in developmental courses. Data from the 2014 Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement [CCFSSE] by the Center for Community College Student Engagement [CCCSE] was purchased by the researcher. Using a sample of 5,746 for the pedagogy variables and 6,297 for the student services variables, multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA] findings suggest that part-time faculty reported using pedagogical practices in a developmental course at a higher percentage than full-time faculty. However, full-time faculty reported incorporating student services …