Digital Commons Network^™

The Interplay Of Aggregate Faculty Hiring, Aggregate Faculty Retention And Student Graduation At Community Colleges In The United States, Jared Burns

Theses and Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size) and one dependent variable (graduation rate).

The study utilized a one way ANOVA, independent t test, and factorial ANOVA to analyze differences in graduation rates based on aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention, and community college size. Results of the one way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences …

The Impact Of Campus Environment Perceptions And Sense Of Belonging On The Persistence Decisions Of Students At A Rural Community College, Crystal T. Henry

Theses and Dissertations

Community college students are often excluded from persistence studies due to the unique characteristics of community colleges and its students. Recent studies have heavily relied on retention models that do not adequately account for the role individual and campus culture plays in students’ persistence decisions. Using Museus’ (2014) Culturally Engaging Campus Environment (CECE) model, this cross-sectional, correlational study examined the impact of campus environment perceptions and sense of belonging on the persistence decisions of students at a rural community college in the southeastern part of the U.S. Correlation analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between two independent variables, campus …

A Study Of The Student Success, Achievement, Persistence And Retention Of Online Developmental Students Enrolled In Elearning Developmental English Courses Compared To Traditional Instructor-Led Developmental Courses, Jadah Fort

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine achievement, retention, persistence, and success of Mississippi community college students who began in a developmental English course and eventually completed Composition I, a college-level course. This study examined the effects of utilizing online instruction via eLearning courses compared to traditional instructor-led instruction. The population of the study consisted of students enrolled in developmental English during the fall 2015 semester; and tracked their performance through the completion of Composition I. A Chi-Square test was utilized to address the each research question analyzing students’ use of a traditional face-toace instructional approach for developmental English …

The Effects Of Institutional Structure Of Predominantly White Land-Grant Colleges And Universities In The Southeast On African American Graduation Rates In Engineering, Angela Denice Clinkscales Verdell

Theses and Dissertations

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that only 5% of U.S. workers are employed in fields related to science and engineering, yet they are responsible for more than 50% of our sustained economic expansion (U.S Department of Labor, 2007). Furthermore, minorities makeup 0.0025 % (1/400) of that Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) workforce. Methods are currently underway to understand and address the attrition of minority students in the STEM workforce. The problem of underrepresentation of minorities (URMs) in STEM careers continues to result in a “leaky pipeline” where URMs have cited institutional factors such “chilly campus” climates as barriers …

The Effects Of Late Registration On Student Success At A Rural Mississippi Community College, Joye Cooper Jones

Theses and Dissertations

While most public community colleges today advocate that they are open door and have liberal registration policies, there is little current research on the effects of late registration on student performance at the community college level. Community colleges need sound evidence in order to implement institutional practices and policies that will benefit students. The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to examine the effects of late registration on student success at a rural Mississippi community college and (2) to identify reasons that students register late. In examining the effects of late registration on student success the study focused on …

The Level Of Persistence In High School Drop-Outs Enrolled In The Ged Program At A Rural Community College, Sonja V. Mccaskill-Mitchell

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to identify factors that affect whether or not students persist in completion of the GED. Exploration of characteristics of participants that do/do not persist and obtain their GED not only assists the high school dropout, potential GED recipient, and GED program staff, but also society as a whole. More information was needed in order to effectively address issues that adversely affect students enrolled in GED programs at rural community colleges. Therefore, examination of the GED program’s student database contributed in finding factors that both help and impede student success. Factors identified were investigated in …