Education Commons^™

Speaker Of The House: The Intersection Of Faculty And Administrator Roles Among Community College Faculty Department Chairs, Miles Young

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

Community colleges face significant challenges in the 21^st century due largely to the effects of neoliberalism. Shifts in governance structures and an emphasis towards productivity and accountability have put a strain on institutional relationships, particularly between the faculty and the administration. Much attention has been given to how this relationship could be restored through direct means; however, another institutional stakeholder group has largely been overlooked in terms of a resource that could help bridge the faculty and administration. The community college faculty department chair is uniquely situated between the faculty and administration within these institutions, yet little is known …

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 …

The Community College Baccalaureate: A Mixed Methods Study Of Implementation And Best Practices, Stan E. Essink

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

Community colleges have a number of missions ranging from developmental education through academic transfer. They are obligated to provide higher education opportunities in a manner that is affordable, accessible, and adaptable to the changing needs of their constituents. As the mission of community colleges continues to evolve, several states have interpreted this mission to include baccalaureate programming.

This study employed a mixed methods approach to understanding the best practices of implementing and offering bachelor’s degrees through community colleges. The objectives of the research were to determine the influences affecting implementation of bachelor’s degrees, to examine resulting institutional change, and to …

Influences On Student Attitudes: An Examination Of Ten Selected Influence Areas That Impact Community College Students’ Attitudes Towards Postsecondary Education And Student Outcomes, Luke A. Stobel

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

The purpose of this study was to examine different selected influence areas that may have an impact on a community college student’s attitudes towards their education. The study was first examined in relation to existing research regarding influences that can affect, positively or negatively, a student’s attitude towards education, the courses and type of institution that they select, and ultimately in their decision to pursue higher education in general. Ten different selected influence areas were chosen and aspects of each area were examined to provide insight into influences that may impact student attitudes towards education and ultimately student outcomes. Some …

The Philosopher's Stone: How Basic Skills Programs Fare In Troubled Financial Times, Thomas P. Ray

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

This mixed methods study examined the relative position of basic skills programs with transfer and career technical programs in a large suburban community college in California during the three-year period of budget reductions from 2009-2010 through 2011-2012. The budget line dedicated to part-time or non-contract instruction was analyzed along with supporting documents such as planning committee minutes and program review data. Knowledge of the budget data and the reduction strategies employed helped to establish a picture of the state of basic skills and the institution’s disposition toward them. The budget data proved to be an inadequate tool to measure investment …