Community College Education Administration Commons^™

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 …

An Instrumental Case Study Of Administrative Smart Practices For Fully Online Programs And Degrees, Charles V. Gregory

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

The purpose of this instrumental case study was to explore administrators’ responses to significant administrative challenges of fully online programs and degrees. The case was a single public community college located in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System Plains Region. In this study Bardach’s (1994) method to identify and extrapolate smart practices used to resolve administrative challenges arising from an institution’s online and distance education programming. The concept of smart practice aims to exploit or take advantage of some latent opportunity for creating value. Organizational culture was identified to be of significant influence in identifying the value the institution placed …

Academic Advising And The Persistence Intentions Of Community College Students In Their First Weeks In College, Deryl K. Hatch, Crystal E. Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Persistence of community college students is a serious and perennial concern with numerous published figures illustrating the daunting odds that students and institutions face along their path to college completion (Calcagno, Crosta, Bailey, & Jenkins, 2007; Provasnik & Planty, 2008). Although researchers have made headway in identifying influential factors in students’ successful persistence along that path, evidence suggests that attrition in community colleges can begin to occur within the first term and even between enrollment and the first day of class (Bailey, 2009; Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2010; Brooks-Leonard, 1991). While some researchers have explored the critical role of the …

Collaborative Library Outreach: A Key Retention Strategy At Open Access Institutions, Katy Mathuews, Zachary Lewis

Collaborative Librarianship

Serving large populations of at-risk, first-generation, and low-income students, open access institutions face unique challenges regarding student retention. Academic libraries with intentional outreach programs are a valuable element of a comprehensive institutional retention plan targeted to the unique student population of open access institutions. Using the Clark Memorial Library at Shawnee State University in Appalachian Ohio as a case study, this article explores the elements of an intentional library outreach program targeted to support the retention of first-year students, many of whom are classified as first-generation, academically underprepared, or otherwise at-risk. The outreach librarian facilitates collaborative and intentional engagement opportunities …

Challenges And Opportunities Facing The Community College President In The 21st Century, Adam Morris

Journal of Research on the College President

"The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them” Albert Einstein. The quote by Albert Einstein indicates where community college presidents are in solving the issues facing their institutions. The 21st Century has brought new challenges and opportunities to college presidents. A college leader is no longer just concerned about academic matters. While there are significant challenges facing community college leaders, opportunities are available for them to make changes to adapt to the changing landscape of higher education.

Pathways To The Urban Community College Presidency, Everrett A. Smith

Journal of Research on the College President

College presidents have multiple, complex roles. These roles have evolved to include an increased emphasis on external relations, regardless of institutional type, yet these leaders are also expected to hold traditional academic credentials. This study explored the experience base of urban community college presidents and found that they hold remarkably similar skill sets and experience backgrounds to other college presidents.

First-Year Student Perceptions Of A Community College Success Course: A Phenomenological Approach, Aaron J. Walk

Masters Theses

The use of college success courses by community colleges in recent years has had a significant impact on the academic success of their first-year students. Although studies have shown increases in grade point averages and retention rates for students enrolled in success courses, few have examined student perspectives of these courses. The intention of this study was to gain an understanding of the student perceptions of college success courses and how they shaped their college experiences. By using a phenomenological method of inquiry, the researcher interviewed six community college students enrolled in a college success course. The participants were students …

Speaking Out Despite White Noise: Examining The Leadership Of African American Female Technical College Presidents And Vice Presidents, Ashley Morris

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this phenomenological, qualitative study was to explore the experiences of African American female leaders in higher education. More specifically, this study examined the experiences of these leaders who assume the role of presidents and vice presidents at Georgia technical colleges. The study contextualized the experiences of these leaders and illustrated how those experiences influence their leadership methods and the establishment of their leadership presence. The results of this study form a context for understanding the leadership methods of African American female leaders.

Examining Leadership Approaches Of Community College Administrators: Understanding Leadership And Change Processes, Jametoria Lynette Houston Burton

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This purpose of the study was to explore the personal perspectives of three select state college administrators regarding their purpose, values, and beliefs they inherently espouse about leadership, developmental education and academic success. The researcher examined the ways in which community college administrators used communication strategies to lead change processes within their organizations. The researcher identified the administrators’ leadership approaches in leading a major redesign of a developmental education program at a large community college in Florida. The following primary research question was explored: What are the strategies adopted by the select state college administrators leading a major developmental education …

Can We Improve Student Achievement Through Multiple Interventions? A Test Of Theory, Joshua Guillemette

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The research conducted tested a theory based on work by Tinto (1999), Astin (1984), and the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE, 2012) that multiple interventions are needed to significantly improve graduation rates at community colleges. The literature says little about this approach for community college students; therefore, this dissertation contributes to the knowledge base for educational programs. A first-year program at a large, diverse community college using multiple interventions assisted in determining the validity of the theory. The interventions built into the first-year program included learning communities, a student success course (SSC), proactive advising, and experiential learning. The …

Developmental Education Redesign: An Analysis Of Cooling Out In A Community College Mathematics Assessment Preparation Program, Megan Rector

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

Developmental education is a critical issue in higher education, particularly within community colleges. Each year, thousands of students enroll in community colleges, yet many are unprepared for college-level work. These students are often required to enroll in developmental courses before they can enroll in college-level courses, and these courses are often a barrier to student success. In recent years, a number of community college systems across the United States have redesigned their developmental education programs in an attempt to improve student outcomes.

This project examines one such statewide redesign that uses a qualitative case study analysis to apply Burton Clark’s …

Women In Stem: The Effect Of Undergraduate Research On Persistence, Jodi Christine Wilker

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The underrepresentation of women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers constitutes a major issue in postsecondary science education. Perseverance of women in STEM is linked to a strong science identity. Experiential learning activities, such as undergraduate research, increase science identity and thus should help keep women in STEM. Most studies on research program development are from 4-year institutions, yet many women start at community colleges. The goal of this study was to fill this gap. Science identity and experiential learning theories provided the framework for this case study at a local institution (LECC). Semistructured interviews determined college science …

Leadership Adaptation To Changes In Public Funding Of Community Colleges, James Hightower Simpson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although growth in U.S. community colleges has been exponential, a major challenge accompanying that growth has been the source of funding, which has consisted of shifting proportions of tuition, local taxes, and state aid. The shift away from state aid toward fundraising, profit-oriented research, sophisticated financing, and higher tuition presents challenges and unintended consequences. This shift could threaten the community college access mission and contribute to a perception of higher education as a private good rather than a public good. With a framework of academic capitalism and resource dependency theories, the purpose of this basic qualitative interview study with 7 …

Chicanas In Ir: Data-Driven Advocacy For Latinx Students From Institutional Research Contexts In The Community College, Elvira Abrica, Martha Rivas

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Various inequities and challenges facing Latinx students in community colleges continue to be documented. Yet, less documented are the challenges associated with advocacy efforts to support Latinx and other underrepresented Students of Color within the community college sector. There is not often pause to consider: who advocates for Latinx students? When and how does this advocacy take shape? In this article, we offer Chicana testimonios as institutional research (IR) professionals to highlight ways we experience, respond to, and challenge institutionalized racism and systemic obstacles to advocate for Latinx students in the California community college system. We situate our testimonios within …

Leader–Member Exchange Between Academic Deans And Faculty In Community Colleges, Alexander Lincoln Clifford

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Between 2011 and 2016, 84% of senior leaders in community colleges indicated retirement intentions and thereby exposed a need to provide better mentorship, training, and early selection of potential replacements for college executives. The purpose of this study was to determine the nature and extent of the relationships between the independent variables (mentorship, leadership training, and time in the position as dean) and the dependent variable (demonstrated leadership of academic deans in community colleges). A popular approach that describes this dynamic is Graen and Uhl-Bien's leader–member exchange theory, which was operationalized by the LMX–7 instrument. A causal–comparative design was used …

Service Standards In Higher Education: Lasswell's Communication Model As A Training Tool, Crystal R. Alston

Masters Theses

This paper examines a service standards training process established during the 2016/2017 academic year for Prairie State College (PSC), a two-year community college located in Chicago Heights Illinois. The goal of examining and revising the service training process was to enhance the quality of service after the college received poor service reviews from a recent satisfaction survey. Lasswell's Communication Model was used to create content and structure for a training manual and workshop as part of the overall service training process at PSC. The service standards and training manual was successfully developed and is currently being tailored to accommodate the …

Approaches To Ghana's Higher Education Challenges Drawn From The U.S. Community College Model, Francis Goode

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Higher education institutions in Ghana are challenged in providing access to affordable education to accommodate all qualified students for postsecondary education. Most Ghanaian students seek skills and knowledge to prepare them for a global workforce. The study's purpose was to investigate the adaptation of the U.S. community college's 2-year model for training students in Ghana's higher education system to participate in high skilled employment in business and industry, using a conceptual framework drawn from Becker's theory of human capital. The research questions focused on what support students need to participate successfully in Ghana's higher education system, and what concerns stakeholders …