Digital Commons Network^™

A Case Study Of Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Students With Disabilities, Mary C. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single case study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of faculty at one small, public, community college in the southeastern United States. Of the 180 faculty sampled, 35 completed the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons survey, 13 participated in a one-on-one interview, and a review of 30 institutional documents was conducted. Using social constructivism, disability theory, and the researchers personal and professional experiences as the framework, the data collected helped to gain insight into the faculty's experiences with classroom accommodations and attitudes toward students with disabilities. Five key findings revealed that community college faculty in the …

Student Perceptions Of The Impact Of Participation In Community College Mental Health Counseling On Retention, Graduation, And Transfer, Matt Jordan Quin

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examined community college transfer students’ perceptions of how mental health concerns interfere with academics, the ability to stay in school, graduate, and transfer to a 4-year university. The study also examined if community college transfer students perceive that mental health counseling improves their ability to stay in college, graduate from community college, and overcome barriers that interfere with the ability to transfer to a 4-year university. The study employed descriptive statistics and one-way between subjects ANOVAs to examine the effects of demographic characteristics and presenting mental health concerns on the ability to remain in community college, graduate from …

African American Male Students' Perceptions Of The Community College Experience In Rural Louisiana And How It Influences Graduation And Retention Rates, Aaron Jagers

Theses and Dissertations

This quantitative study explored the obstacles African American male students face that can hinder their academic progress at community colleges within the rural regions of Louisiana. This study viewed the collective experiences of African American males in community colleges in order to improve their academic outcomes, completion, and retention rates. This study also explored the African American male’s educational experiences and the personal and academic obstacles they faced as students in the community college environment. This study used a research design that collected data from African American male students in two rural Louisiana community colleges. This study utilized a survey …

African American Males' Identification Of Factors That Contributed To Their Community College Persistence, Ulissa Byshelle Coburn

Theses and Dissertations

In spite of an expanding enrollment of African American males in community colleges in the United States, the early departure of this minority group is one of concern. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore African American males’ identification of the factors that contributed to their persistence at community colleges. Data were collected through structured interviews with 7 African American male community college graduates who were enrolled at a 4-year university when the study was conducted. Data were analyzed through by coding and categorizing in order to determine themes. Social integration and social cognitive models were used to …

Native And Community College Transfer Students In Biological Sciences At A Four-Year Institution: A Comparative Study, Nathanial Weber

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between native and community college transfer students and identify factors that predicted upper-level biology course grade-point average and final overall grade-point average at a four-year institution in biological sciences. The results of this study indicated four-year institution persistence was not significantly related to gender, high school grade-point average, or ACT composite score. Persistence was significantly related to transfer status; whether the student was a native or community college transfer student with native students persisting at a higher rate at the four-year institution than community college transfer students. Furthermore, ACT composite score, …

Prospectus, November 15, 2017, Parkland College, Evyjo M. Compton, Alex Davidson, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Derian Silva, Tom Warner

Prospectus 2017

Dodds Park hosts scholarship fundraiser run; Review: "Hansel and Gretel at KCPA; 2017's "Pokemon" film relives 1998 classic series; Tyler Oakley talks about journey as YouTube LGBTQ activist; Cobra's men's basketball wins against REnd Lake on Nov. 8.

Prospectus, October 11, 2017, Parkland College, Evyjo M. Compton, Alex Davidson, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Derian Silva, Tom Warner, Anna Watson

Prospectus 2017

Surgical Technology wins sixth consecutive merit award; RateMyProfessor.com a hit and miss with students; Adult tutoring program Project READ returns to Parkland; 2017 Flannel Fest flaunts fall festivities; Planetarium show puts our "Violent Universe" on display; Cobra soccer team win against ICC on Oct. 7

Prospectus, October 4, 2017, Parkland College, Evyjo M. Compton, Alex Davidson, Greg Gancarz, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Derian Silva, Anna Watson

Prospectus 2017

Staerkel Planetarium celebrates 30th anniversary; Students try to improve sleep with apps; Latin Film Festival celebrates its 10th year; Cobras win two softball games against U of I; Review: Parkland's production of "The Crucible"; Was DeVos' overturning the right choice?

The Structure Of Student Engagement In Community College Student Success Programs: A Quantitative Activity Systems Analysis, Deryl K. Hatch

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Community colleges increasingly implement various student success programs, including 1st-year seminars, college skills courses, learning communities, and orientation, in an effort to boost degree completion. However, it is unclear how success programs’ curricular designs may contribute to these and associated student outcomes. Such inquiry is limited, in part, by the lack of methodological frameworks for program impact heterogeneity research. This study proposes a new conceptualization of nominally different student success programs as instances of a broader activity, which also provides a way to operationalize their curricular structures in comparable ways. Second, to briefly illustrate this approach, the study leverages matched …

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 …

The Effect Of Tuition On Graduation Rate At Community Colleges, Carter Brown Youmans

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The community college mission has long included open access through low tuition (Vaughan, 2006). Financial challenges for community college students threaten open access (Shannon & Smith, 2006). Paying tuition plays a part in a student’s ability to graduate. A community colleges’ success is measured in part by graduation rates. President Obama challenged all colleges, including community colleges, to increase their graduation rates 50% by the year 2020 (Obama, 2009). The current study analyzed whether public, community colleges’ tuitions predicted their graduation rates using recent data and if size of enrollment moderated the relations between tuition and graduation rate. A two-block, …

Silent No More: The Formation Of Academic Self-Efficacy Among Black Male Community College Students, G. Eric Styles

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Alarming rates of Black male underachievement in the community college are compelling reasons to explore factors that promote their academic success. Black male community college students have the lowest grade point averages among males across all races and ethnicities, and the highest rates of attrition (Department of Education, 2008; Ross et al., 2012). Sadly, the educational experiences of Black males have been characterized by racial discrimination, negative portrayals, marginalization, and lowered expectations. As academic self-efficacy has been found to promote the academic achievement of collegians, this study investigated the factors which have the greatest influence on the academic self-efficacy beliefs …

Going The Extra Mile: Successful Transfer Of Latino/Latina Students From Two-Year Institutions To Four-Year, Christopher S. Card

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative dissertation was to provide insight as to the experiences of Latino/a students at community colleges preparing to transfer as compared with those from Latino/a students who had already transferred. The Latino/a population is one of the fastest growing minority populations in the United States yet despite the growth experienced by this population in the United States, particularly in states such as California and Texas, accessing equitable higher education opportunities and achieving educational success have both been a tremendous challenge to this culture (Perez & Ceja, 2010). Eight Latino/a students preparing for transfer from two different …

Prospectus, September 27, 2017, Parkland College, Evyjo M. Compton, Alex Davidson, Greg Gancarz, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Derian Silva, Anna Watson

Prospectus 2017

WPCD 88.7 FM student DJs give unique shows; Running Club starts off year with high hopes; Student Government Candidates; Parkland opens their first stand at Made Fest; Yearly Heart Walk nearly doubles in size; U of I Meat and Egg Sales Room sells fresh meat; Opening night of "The Crucible" sells out.

Prospectus, September 13, 2017, Anna Watson, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Alex Davidson, Greg Gancarz, Stephanie Stuart, Evyjo M. Compton, Derian Silva

Prospectus 2017

PARKLAND STUDENTS SHARE REASONS THEY SHY AWAY FROM DATING APPS; Humans of Parkland: Brandon Lehman; Krannert explores Indian Ocean anthropology through artifact analysis; “It” brings the “it factor” to new Stephen King adaptation; Spurlock reflects on Russian Revolution with self-described Marxist lecturer; Student arrested after confrontation with Parkland police; Parkland public relations statement regarding Sept. 7 incident; US metrics 9/11 anniversary with resolve, tears and hope; Fall marks return of Cobras softball, volleyball; Improvisational gongs performed at the Orpheum

Prospectus, August 30, 2017, Parkland College, Evyjo M. Compton, Alex Davidson, Greg Gancarz, Emma Gray, David Saveanu, Derian Silva, Anna Watson

Prospectus 2017

Students share academic goals and plans for success; Parkland offers foreign languages, study abroad, and ESL; Sweetcorn Festival returns to Urbana for 42nd year; "Ingrid Goes West" a hunting yet comedic look at social media and mental illness; Parkland students pioneer local archaeological field school; Ways to get involved at Parkland;

Influence Of Community Ties On Rural Single Mothers' Participation In Community College: A Qualitative Cross Case Study, Melanie Shea Austin

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand how resources in the community impact rural single mothers' access, participation, and success in higher education. In particular, this study focused on how rural single mothers' community ties impact their social capital resources and perception of agency and achievement in pursuing higher education. The theoretical framework for this study inclduded a critical feminist social capital theory and utilized a community cultural wealth model, focusing on social capital, to highlight how rural single mothers navigate and develop social capital in rural communities to open up opportunities and provide them with social mobility. Research …

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 …

Community College Latino Male Student Engagement: A Qualitative Research Study, Becky E. Barabé

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

According to Saenz and Ponjuan (2009), “Latino males are effectively vanishing from the American higher education pipeline” (p. 54). Despite a steady increase of Latino students enrolling over the past several decades, the problem remains that Latino male student persistence and completion rates are not keeping up proportionally with other student population groups (Castellanos, Gloria, & Kamimura, 2006). The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to understand how Latino male students describe their educational experience within the community college system, and provide recommendations for educational practitioners to improve programs and services that support Latino male student persistence and completion. …

Psychological Conditions Of Engagement Among Community College Maintenance Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study, Tammy T. Franks

Dissertations

This dissertation examined the relationship between employee engagement and the factors that may influence the three psychological conditions of engagement: meaningfulness, safety, and availability for the sector of employees classified as maintenance, grounds, and custodial employees in a community college setting. The factors for each of the three conditions are meaningfulness (job enrichment, work role fit, and co-worker relations), safety (co-worker relations, supervisor relations and co-worker norms), and availability (resources, self-consciousness, and outside activities). Further, the researcher used a mediation model to determine if any of the psychological conditions mediated the relationship between its determinants and engagement. All 15 Mississippi …

Enhancing Employability Skill Sets: The Obligation Of Community Colleges To Be Greater Than The Sum Of Their Parts, Linda C. Hill Ms.

The Dissertation in Practice at Western University

The pressure upon post-secondary institutions in Ontario to address the persistent gap between the employability skill sets of their graduates and the changing needs of the modern workplace has never been greater. Forces such as the complexities of participating in a globally competitive economy, and advancements in information and communication technologies have shifted workplace expectations. Parents, students, and employers want to be assured that a diploma is indicative of the full range of skill sets necessary to achieve entry into a chosen occupation. The case method of analysis was used to examine one college’s quality assurance strategies for teaching and …

Latina Identities, Critical Literacies, And Academic Achievement In Community College, Morgan Lynn

Doctoral Dissertations

This qualitative case study research looks at the intersections of identity, literacy, and achievement for Latina community college students in the East Bay Area of California. The women that I center in this dissertation show how Latinas are multiply positioned within their communities, families, and schools, and how they negotiate damaging and reductive language and literacy ideologies in order to achieve their academic dreams. Following critical sociocultural theories on literacy, Critical Race Theory, and Latina Feminism, I emphasize a strengths-based, affirmation approach that positions the women as theorizers of their own lived experiences and highlights their resiliency. The data in …

Measuring The Effectiveness Of Critical Literacy As An Instructional Method, Edward Lehner, Kaemanje Thomas, Jean Shaddai, Toni Hernen

Publications and Research

This paper reports the results of a quasi-experiment investigating the efficacy of using critical literacy as an instructional method. Using a quantitative comparison method, critical literacy is the study’s treatment. The treatment measures the final exam scores of linguistically diverse urban community college students enrolled in college developmental reading courses against 13 other statistically similar classes. The primary data are the results of a standardized final exam. This quasi-experimental study demonstrates the effectiveness of a critical literacy model when employed in a community college setting. Further, this study introduces a quantitative rationale for using critical literacy and establishes the practice …

An Analysis Of The Impact Of Early Alert On Community College Student Persistence In Virginia, Lori Jean Dwyer

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Student attrition has been a significant challenge facing higher education for decades and is particularly pronounced within community colleges. Specifically, first-time postsecondary students only experienced a 59.3 percent retention rate between Fall 2013 and Fall 2014; at two-year colleges, less than half (46.9 percent) of students were retained during the same period (National Student Clearinghouse, 2015a). As institutional leaders attempt to increase student retention rates, they often invest in early alert systems, which promise to be a key part of a student success solution.

The Virginia Community College System (VCCS) implemented an early alert system in 2013. The purpose of …

The Engineering Admissions Partnership Program: A Navigation Strategy For Community College Students Seeking A Pathway Into Engineering, Marcia R. Laugerman, Mack C. Shelley, Steven K. Mickelson, Diane T. Rover

Diane Rover

This paper presents the evaluation of a program designed to improve transfer outcomes for community college students pursuing an engineering degree. The program, the Engineering Admissions Partnership Program (E-APP), was designed to improve the navigational success of community college transfer students through connections to the university. These connections include coordinated academic advising, peer-mentoring, campus visits, and online social and professional networks. The objective of the study is to determine the efficacy of the E-APP and its interventions, which will be measured by increased participation rates and increased university retention rates for E-APP participants. Outcome data for the students are analyzed …

First Generation College Students In A Trio Program, Katherine S. Marble

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

This research study was completed to explore how a specific population of college students strive to reach their educational goals. The purpose of the study concentrated on how TRiO first-generation college students (FGCs) at a community college perceived their success in accomplishing goals in a college educational setting with the assistance of the TRiO program. Theories guiding the study include Astin’s I-E-O model and Bean’s model. The research utilized interviews and a focus group with TRiO FGCs. Thirteen students participated in an interview and two students participated in a focus group. During the interviews and focus group, participants provided insight …

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College Level 1, Jama Spicer-Sutton, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

Donald W. Good

The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post-test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class. This study also determined whether there were differences in improvement scores by gender or age group. The results of this study were used to determine whether there was a difference in improvement scores among the three campus locations participating in this study.

Four hundred …

Self-Assessment And Student Improvement In An Introductory Computer Course At The Community College Level, Jama Spicer-Sutton, James Lampley, Donald W. Good

Donald W. Good

Excerpt:The purpose of this study was to determine a student’s computer knowledge upon course entry and if there was a difference in college students’ improvement scores as measured by the difference in pretest and post‐test scores of new or novice users, moderate users, and expert users at the end of a college level introductory computing class.

Do Community College Transfer Students Perceive That They Matter?: Assessing Their Perceptions At A Private, 4-Year Liberal Arts Institution In Mississippi, Linda Jean Daniels

Theses and Dissertations

The growing number of community college transfer students aspiring to attain a baccalaureate degree increases the importance of understanding their perceptions about mattering at 4-year institutions. The degree to which students believe that they matter to others, they are significant to others, and they are appreciated by others (Rosenberg & McCullough, 1981; Schlossberg, 1989; Schlossberg, Lassalle, & Golec, 1989) is paramount to 4-year institutions retaining and graduating these students. A quantitative study was conducted using the Mattering Scales for Adult Students in Higher Education (MHE) to assess the perceptions community college transfer students have about mattering at a private, 4-year …

Associate's Degree Attainment For Dual Enrollment Versus Non-Dual Enrollment Students At A Rural Mississippi Community College, Tonya B. Lawrence

Theses and Dissertations

In line with the national trend, Mississippi faces the same challenge that fewer students are completing college degrees. In response to the national call for more degrees, many states have implemented dual enrollment programs to try to decrease the transition anxiety between high school and college, which could possibly lead to more college degrees. This study will add to the very limited body of quantitative research relating to the relationship between students participating in dual enrollment and college degree completion at rural Mississippi community colleges. With an increased focus on a higher number of college graduates, this study could provide …