Community College Education Administration Commons^™

Factors Influencing Student Major Selection At A Community College, Kellie Jean Keck

Masters Theses

College students are influenced by many different things the moment they arrive on campus. This study was an exploratory study that examined what factors influenced student major selection at a rural Midwestern community college. Qualitative interviews were conducted with (N = 6) sophomore level participants that were previously undecided but had since declared a major. Participants were asked a series of questions about their major selection process including their experiences as an undecided student, who, and what may have influenced their major selection, what role monetary returns played in their major selection, and how comfortable they are with their …

Faculty And Student Perceptions Of Effective Online Learning Environments, Kayla L. Westra

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This quantitative and qualitative study was designed to review alignment of student and faculty perceptions of effective online learning environments. The purpose of this study was to review statistical survey data to determine if alignment of perceptions existed. The student research sample included data from three years of archival survey data at Minnesota West Community and Technical College. Over 10,000 survey results were part of this sample. Additionally, Minnesota West Community and Technical College faculty who taught during this timeframe were surveyed. Qualitative data from one year of student responses was analyzed to add depth to the results. The results …

Diversity In American Graduate Education Admissions: Twenty-First-Century Challenges And Opportunities, Donald Mitchell Jr., Ph.D., Elizabeth A. Daniele

Executives, Administrators, & Staff Publications

While the legal precedent of affirmative action in U.S. higher education is well documented, graduate admissions practices that withstand strict scrutiny need further documentation. This chapter fills that gap in three ways. First, we briefly highlight the history of affirmative action in U.S. higher education as it relates to broadening the participation of URMs. Second, we offer best practices in U.S. graduate admissions that take into account the benefits of diversity while working within legal guidelines. We then close with considerations for future scholarship, policies, and practices.

Suicide Prevention Strategies In Tennessee Community Colleges: A Case Study, Sandra Perley

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students; annually approximately 1,100 students in institutions of higher education die by suicide. However, most research related to college student suicide was conducted using the sample of 4-year institutions. Community colleges have seldom been included in the sample of suicide research studies. This qualitative case study research explored the student suicide prevention strategies in the 13 community colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents higher education system. Data were collected from surveys, institutional web sites, and interviews with institutional personnel.

Approximately half of the institutions offer suicide prevention information to …

A Preliminary Study Investigating Motivational Factors Influencing Part-Time Faculty To Seek Employment At Community Colleges, Philip Eugene Pons Jr.

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the motivational factors influencing part-time faculty employment within the community college through the perspective of the part-time faculty. The study was guided by the question “What are the motivational factors given by part-time faculty for seeking employment at the community college?” Further, the study examined these motivational factors for differences influenced by ages, gender, and employment status. A survey was distributed to a random sample of part-time faculty members at a community college in the Southeastern United States. Participants were asked to respond to some categorical demographic questions and scaler questions …

Perceptions Of Impediments To The Advancement Of Women Leaders In Community Colleges, Teresa Alley Yearout

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

As community college presidents, chief operating officers (CEOs), and other senior level administrators plan to retire, the critical demand for qualified leaders brings greater focus on previous trends and current statistics in community colleges leadership. These findings provide evidence of the continuing underrepresentation of women in senior level leadership positions. Further investigation examines women leaders’ perceptions of the barriers or impediments to their advancement into these leadership positions. The purpose of the current study was to examine the perceptions of impediments of women community college leaders in a variety of institutional settings (rural, suburban, urban).

The literature provided an inventory …

Community College Transfer Student Identity, Development And Engagement: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach, Sheri Rodriguez

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory study was to explore community college transfer student identity, development, and engagement at four-year institutions due to the lack of literature in these areas. Relational maps and interview questions were crafted as part of the research design to explore meaning making, painting a holistic picture of the population's experiences at four-year institutions and taking into account the intersections between identity, development, and engagement. Twenty five (n=25) participants were interviewed from two four-year institutions located on the eastern seaboard until data saturation was reached. Findings revealed three theories, suggesting that community college transfer students …

An Exploration Of The Relationship Between Community College Entrepreneurial Orientation, Enrollment Management Orientation, And Performance, Bhavesh Bambhrolia

Theses and Dissertations

Community colleges are facing new economic realities in the midst of growing demand for accountability. To meet these challenges, college leaders take a strategic posture rooted in an entrepreneurial behavior. However, the relationship between entrepreneurialism and overall performance in a community college setting remained a gap in the existing body of literature. The purpose of this survey research was to explore the relationship between community college entrepreneurial orientation, enrollment management orientation, and performance. The study measured entrepreneurial orientation using a modified instrument, and enrollment management orientation was measured from a newly developed item set. Lastly, an objective measure of performance …

Then And Now: An Analysis Of Broad-Based Merit Aid Initial Eligibility Policies After Twenty Years, William K. Ingle, Jason R. Ratliff

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

Using Hall’s framework of policy changes, we sought to document and classify changes in initial eligibility and award provisions of broad-based merit aid scholarship programs at inception and present day. Our analysis revealed five first-order changes, two second-order changes, and only one third order change. Although the policy settings, instruments, and goals remained static in five states, the scholarship dollars in four of them have not kept up with increases in overall cost of attendance.

Understanding The Transition Experience Of Community College Transfer Students To A 4-Year University: Incorporating Schlossberg’S Transition Theory Into Higher Education, Tony A. Lazarowicz

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

With over 60% of college graduates attending multiple institutions (United States Department of Education, 2006), many starting at community colleges, the importance of understanding community college transfer students’ stories is critical to retention and graduation agendas at colleges and universities nationwide. Schlossberg’s Transition Theory has recently been introduced into higher education literature as a conceptual framework for working with various student populations such as student veterans (Wheeler, 2012; Rumann, 2010); student athletes (Henderson, 2013); and students on academic probation (Tovar & Simon, 2006) among others. Minimal work has incorporated Schlossberg’s Transition Theory into studies of community college transfer students; thus …

Developmental Education At The Community College: An Exploration Of Instructional Best Practices And The Relationship Between Integration, Student Involvement And Rates Of Completion, Beverly Gayle Strickland Lewis

Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore the developmental education process within the community college system in Mississippi. Tinto’s (1993) Integration Theory and Astin’s (1993) Theory of Student Involvement were employed as a framework to assess and understand the relationship between academic integration, social integration, student involvement, and rates of completion.

This concurrent mixed method study identified best practices related to the successful completion of developmental education courses from the vantage point of the faulty and administration at the community college. A total of ten faculty and administrators from five of the community colleges in Mississippi were given a …

Community College Presidents: Perceptions Of Leadership Demands And Competencies, Paula Adelhoch

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to explore community college presidents' perceptions of the demands and competencies of leadership at the community college presidential level. The study focused on the experiences of four sitting community college presidents to understand their perceptions of leadership at the presidential level. The study employed qualitative research and case study methodology. Interviews were conducted at the participants' respective college campus, each lasting approximately 90 minutes. A demographic questionnaire was also provided to the participants. Once the interviews were completed and other supportive data collected, a thematic analysis of the responses was conducted to generate potential …

Faith Capital: A Persistence Study Of Two Student Learning Communities At A Northeastern Community College, David Edwards

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this embedded single-case study is to explore and better understand what social and institutional factors account for the success or lack of success in developing, delivering, and sustaining learning communities in support of at-risk, underprepared students enrolled at the community college where the research was conducted. Towards that end, theories of social capital, social justice education, and emergent organizational strategies are aligned with practitioner perspectives in an examination of two student learning community initiatives at the college. Faith capital (Hanson, 2001) is a secular notion aligned with the principles of social capital as an integrative locus for …

Faculty Expectations And Perceptions Of Writing At A Community College, Lynn Kraemer-Siracusa

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multi-method qualitative study was to determine the nature and extent of any gaps that exist between the writing skills faculty members across disciplines at a community college expect their students to utilize in intermediate-level writing intensive courses, their perceptions of the students' general ability to demonstrate those skills, and the importance of the learning outcomes of the two semesters of FYC courses. The faculty members identified a majority of the FYC learning outcomes as having some level of importance to their courses across disciplines. In addition, the directions for the writing assignments used by these faculty …

P17 Black Male Summit, Brandon Jackson

Black Male Summit

Tale of Two African American Males and Their Journey to Ivy League Schools: A Case Study

How do we get more African American males to show their GREATNESS and academic prowess? Can Black Males attend Ivy League schools? How do we prepare our Black Male Scholars for college and career readiness to maximize their education?

The Impact Of Military Experience On The Higher Education Experiences Of Veterans, Jeff Dougherty

Theses and Dissertations

Veterans have been an integral part of the student population on higher education campuses since the conclusion of World War II. The purpose of this study was to examine veterans' perceptions of how their military experiences affected their experience as college students. Twenty-six veterans were interviewed at six Illinois higher education institutions. Study findings suggest five ways in which the military experience helped veterans adjust to college: (a) veterans were experienced with group collaboration; (b) veterans held high expectations of themselves; (c) veterans were organized and task-oriented; (d) veterans were experienced learners, and; (e) veterans had experience and ability to …

“Warming Up” In The Developmental Sequence? Upward Transfer Conditional On Dependency Status, Cody Davidson, Kristin B. Wilson

Kentucky Journal of Higher Education Policy and Practice

The purpose of this study was to determine predictor factors of upward transfer for Kentucky community college students enrolled in a developmental algebra course. For independent students, a mother with a college degree, a declared major, a federal work-study position, greater adjusted gross income, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer. For dependent students, a father with a college degree, a declared major, and a higher grade point average was positively correlated with upward transfer.

Introduction To The Case Studies 2015 : A Compendium Of Cases & Voices From The Field, Mola Dad Shafa, Khadija Khan

Professional Development Centre, Gilgit

No abstract provided.

College Mission Change And Neoliberalism In A Community And Technical College, Christine Mollenkopf-Pigsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators of 2-year colleges are working in an environment where they seek to balance the social development of the student and the community's demand for a trained workforce to achieve economic development. This balance has resulted in ambiguity about the mission and purpose of 2-year colleges. The purpose of this case study was to explore a community college's experiences with mission change by exploring the interaction between a neoliberal public policy environment and the traditional social democratic mission of academia. Harvey's conceptualization of neoliberalism was used as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with members of …

A Comparison Of Preservice Teachers' Responses To Bullying Scenarios, Cynthia Louise Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This nonexperimental study was conducted to determine differences that exist between PreK to 4th grade preservice teachers' beliefs about the severity of bullying, their empathy with victims of bullying, beliefs about their ability to cope with bullying in the classroom, and their ability to intervene in bullying issues. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior provided the study's theoretical base and demonstrated a connection between participants perceived ability to cope with bullying behavior and willingness to intervene. The participants (N = 112) were students in a 2-year community college PreK to 4th grade education transfer degree program. Data …