Community College Education Administration Commons^™

Examining Successful Retention Practices Of A Career College Dean Of Education, Victoria Kemper

All Theses And Dissertations

This intrinsic case study examined retention practices utilized by a dean of education at a career college where student outcomes in retention and graduation met and exceeded the standards set forth by the institution’s accrediting agency and the U.S. Department of Education. Furthermore, it seeks to understand how members of the campus leadership and faculty perceive and enact these retention practices. The guiding themes of the literature review were leadership in educational settings as related to the actions of successful educational leaders and how these actions influence student persistence and retention. Distributed and transformative leadership were of particular importance. This …

Those Who Quit: A Study Of Student Retention At Two-Year Community And For-Profit Colleges, Robert L. Woods

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

This study intends to explore factors influencing first-year student persistence at two-year community, and for-profit institutions. Much of the existing retention literature on post-secondary education has mostly centered around traditional four-year institutions, thus this study remedies the limitations with prior literature and provides insight into how to help two-year college officials better understand their students, their mission, and persistence measures at their colleges. Tinto’s Longitudinal Model of academic and social integration was systematically combined with Bean and Metzner’s retention model on non-traditional students to guide this study. A two-stage procedure consisting of descriptive analysis, and regression analysis was performed on …

California Community Colleges Student Equity, Esl And Basic Skills Students, Janet L. Daugherty

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

The leadership of California Community Colleges had been tasked with examining the data of English Language Learners (ELL) in urban, rural and suburban settings. This student popluation has difficulty navigating noncredit language courses that are prerequisites to college level credit courses leading to specialized certiciates and/or an associate's degree. The leaders at the community college level discovered gaps in student course completion data, students for whom English is a second language (ESL). These students sometimes do not receive support services toward successful course completion. Through analyzing course completion data, the leaders can implement student support services to assist ELL in …

Transfer Students Bleed Purple Too, Katherine E. Ford

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This research study investigated the transfer student process in the College of Education at James Madison University. A survey was conducted to analyze the transfer student process using both quantitate and qualitative information. Twenty-two transfer students responded, giving perspective on the academic, social/cultural, and psychological challenges faced during their transition to James Madison University.

Results of the data analysis showed that the greatest problem in the transfer process lies in the area of poor academic advising. Non-transferrable credits, unnecessary class enrollment, and prolonged graduation dates are three of the top academic issues transfer students face. Socially, transfer students feel isolated …

Beyond Behavior, Craig C. Laupheimer

Scholarship and Engagement in Education

Teaching to engage students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can inspire the whole classroom and make teaching and learning engaging and exciting. Although teachers and students alike face a challenging educational landscape, much can be done to empower students with special needs. Teaching with the whole classroom in mind with an emphasis on hands on, explorative and inspirational learning experiences to accommodate for these students strengthens and causes student engagement and agency. This article highlights the challenges and potential breakthroughs possible for classroom instruction specifically where the ADHD student is concerned and looks towards teaching mindfulness and empowerment as …

A Phenomenological Study: Exploring The Needs, Wants, And Desires From The Voices Of African-American Males Desiring To Graduate From Community College, Yvette Harris

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore factors that could lead to academic success for African-American males enrolled in community college. By conducting a phenomenological study, those factors leading to graduation will be derived from the particular lens of perception of the participants’ lived experiences. The guiding theories are those of Derrick Bell’s Critical Race Theory (CRT, 1977), Vincent Tinto’s (1975) Theory of Departure, and John Bean’s (1979) Theory of Student Attrition. A convenience participant sample totaling 10 African-American males was comprised of students who were currently enrolled in a community college. The data collected for this …

Employee Participation In A College Based Wellness Program: Leader Support, Incentives, Job Satisfaction, Absenteeism, And Self-Efficacy, Tara Rebekah Rouse

Dissertations

This study investigated employee participation in a college based wellness program using the following factors: leader support, incentives, job satisfaction, absenteeism, and self-efficacy. Specifically, the research was conducted to determine whether there was a significant relationship or difference in participation in a college based wellness program when looking at leader support, incentives, and individual self-efficacy and if participation made any difference on job satisfaction and/or absenteeism. The theoretical framework of this research is based on Bandura’s social learning theory, also known as social cognitive theory and was supplemented using Ajzen’s theory of planned behavior. This study could be beneficial to …

An Assessment Comparing Community College Students’ Computer Self-Efficacy And Task Based Computer Knowledge, Amy Nicholson Stewart

Dissertations

This quantitative research study explored the relationship between students perceived computer self-efficacy and actual knowledge of computer related skills in computer hardware/technology, windows, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and whether gender, race, and education level affected the research findings.

The participants in this study were students enrolled in an introductory computer concepts course at a community college located in the southeastern region of the United States. The computer course was a required for all students to receive an Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degree. Data was collected in traditional face-to-face class sections and consisted of a pre- and …

A Qualitative Study To Discover And Describe Conflict Strategies Used By Exemplar Community College Presidents To Proactively Transform And Resolve Conflict As They Attempt To Shape The Future, Karen J. Bolton

Dissertations

The purpose of this thematic, qualitative phenomenological study was to discover and describe the lived experiences of exemplar community college presidents in the use of the six domains of conflict transformation behaviors and the impact these domains have on achieving common ground (collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, problem-solving, and process) to achieve breakthrough results and transform conflict. This study considered the experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of exemplar leaders. To know and understand how successful community college presidents operated in their environment was both practical and significant. The need to research and study these leaders included understanding how they work through …

Building Bridges: Opportunities Abound For P-20 Collaborations, Jennifer S. Jones, Wesley D. Hickey

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

PK-12 leaders value opportunities to collaborate with outside entities to improve student achievement and career-readiness. With increasing federal and state student-performance expectations for more than 1.4 million students enrolled in Texas public schools, collaborating with a public or private university, a community college, or a technical or health institute can provide important mutual benefits.

Community College Academic Advisor Experiences With The Appreciative Advising Model, Christine Damrose-Mahlmann

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The completion agenda has driven many community colleges to focus on alternative advising approaches in place of traditional advising practices. Appreciative Advising is a paradigm shift in academic advising that centers more on individual students by helping identify and build on their strengths. Advisors apply positive psychology and reality therapy with positive, open-ended questions to help students identify their strengths and plan for the future. The purpose of this study was to explore the extent to which community college academic advisors experience their self-efficacy and relatedness to students as they transition from traditional advising practices to Appreciative Advising practices.

This …

Community College Basic Skills Math Instructors" Experiences With Universal Design For Learning, Sunny Greene

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Multiple approaches have been used in U.S. community colleges to address the learning needs of postsecondary students who are underprepared in basic skills math. The purpose of this exploratory interview study was to gain a deeper understanding of community college basic skills math learning through instructors' lived experiences using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) approach and its technology tool, a computerized pen. The conceptual framework for this study used Knowles's adult learning and Kolb's experiential learning theories with UDL principles. The central research questions investigated the professional development and teaching experiences of community college basic skills math instructors in …

Community College Faculty Dispositions Towards Blended Learning, Robin A. Hill

CCAC Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are being encouraged to find and provide access to higher education by offering more flexible course delivery methods to meet the needs of their diverse student body. At the same time, these institutions must retain their quality of instruction, accountability for learning outcomes, and institutional obligations. Blended learning, where students attend class both on campus and online, is promoted as one solution for attaining such goals. Among the four-year undergraduate population, blended learning has been shown to support student success, meet diverse learning styles, and meet institutional obligations; however, research within the community college population is limited. In …

Perceptions Of Community College Students And Faculty On Persistence In Developmental Reading, Lisa H. Aofrate

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Attrition for entry-level, non-traditional college students taking developmental reading courses is a concern for higher education institutions. Students need to complete basic developmental reading courses in order to progress in their vocational or collegiate studies. This phenomenological study followed a social constructivist approach to attempt to understand what developmental reading students and faculty experience regarding persistence. The key research question examined the perceptions and understandings of college students and faculty involved in college entry level, non-traditional developmental reading classes regarding the factors impacting student persistence at a local community college. Using interviews, surveys, and participant journals, data were collected from …

Perceptions Of Career And Technical Education Held By High School Career Counselors, Marlon Thornburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current enrollment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the United States and in the state of Kansas is lagging behind the future demand for skilled workers. With millions of skilled labor positions unfilled and the pending retirement of the baby boomer generation, the United States is at a critical juncture to compete in the global marketplace. High school career counselors are the primary resource for CTE program recruitment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether high school career counselors' educational backgrounds, knowledge levels of CTE initiatives and programs in Kansas, and available counseling time were associated …

Instructor's Employment-Level, Instructor-Efficacy, And Knowledge Of Effective Classroom Strategies For Emotional Disorders, Andrea Karen Haglin

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Community college instructors are responsible for creating learning opportunities for all students, including adult students affected by emotional disorders (ED). Concerns in the literature have grown over how invested part-time instructors are in their teaching; however, limited data were available regarding instructor knowledge of ED, instructor-efficacy, and the impact of employment status. The purpose of this study was to address the gap in the literature and analyze relationships between instructor knowledge of ED strategies (as assessed by Teaching Students with Emotional Behavior Disorders scale) and instructors' efficacy beliefs (as assessed by the Ohio State Teaching Self-Efficacy Scale). It also evaluated …

Outcomes Of Professional Development For Rural Community College Leaders, William Thompson Thompson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

To mitigate the loss of experienced administrators, community college leaders create internal grow-your-own (GYO) leadership development programs. Although the purpose of these programs is to ensure institutional efficacy by developing a pipeline of administrative and faculty leaders, little attention has been given to learning about the participants' post-program career advancement over time. Consequently, the value of GYO leadership training for participants is not well known. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the post-program professional development of a group of participants 2 years after completing a rural community college GYO leadership program. The conceptual framework was guided …

Engagement Behaviors' Impact On Course Success And Persistence Rates Of Community College Students, Van F. Whaley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

As enrollment in U.S. community colleges increased, both the percentage of students successfully completing courses and the percentage of students persisting to their second year decreased. This study focused on the problem of low student course success and persistence rates at a community college. The purpose of the study was to determine whether students who demonstrated engagement behavior by visiting a Center for Academic Success (CAS) either passed more courses, persisted more often, or both, than students who did not visit a CAS. Tinto's engagement theory was the theoretical framework as it postulated that students who interacted with school support …

Grit, Student Engagement, And Academic Performance At A Historically Black Community College, Sharonica Marie Nelson

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obtaining a college degree benefits individuals and society, yet only 20% of students are graduating from community colleges. At many institutions, graduation rates have decreased over the last 5 years, including one historically Black community college in the southern United States. To explore possible causes of low graduation rates at this unique and understudied type of college, this correlational study examined the relationships among student engagement, academic performance, and grit-persistence and passion toward long-term goals. Tinto's theory of student persistence served as the theoretical framework for this study. The convenience sample included 116 college students who already had a first-year …

Exploring Mentoring And Career Advancement: A Community College Case Study, Latonya Steele

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Senior administrators' retirement rates between 2012 and 2022 will create a shortage of community college leaders. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to explore how the mentoring programs at community colleges may contribute to the career advancement of potential academic leaders for senior leadership positions. Kram's mentor role theory grounded the study. Data collection included semistructured face-to-face interviews with a purposeful sample of 3 academic, senior administrative leaders from 3 North Carolina community colleges who have participated in leadership mentoring programs, a review of organizational documents, and a review of the literature. Using Yin's 5 step analytic …