Education Commons^™

Strategizing For The Future, Pamela L. Eddy, Jaime Lester

Pamela L. Eddy

This final chapter reviews strategies that community colleges can use to address issues of gender and create more equitable and pluralistic environments. It also discusses the need for research that examines the intersection between social identities and community college mission, culture, and environment.

New Faculty Issues—Fitting In And Figuring It Out, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

The first chapter in this volume presents an overview of the faculty personnel challenges facing community colleges; the next three discuss the socialization and professional development of new faculty. Authors stress the importance of understanding differences among the typs of community colleges and the importance of gender and racial/thnic diversity among the facultry of the institutions who educate the majority of undergraduate females and students of color. The volume concludes with chapters on legal aspects related to the faculty employment and the experiences of presidents and senior instructional administrators, giving valuable guidance to those actively involved in the hiring process. …

Leading In The Middle, Pamela L. Eddy, Marilyn J. Amey

Pamela L. Eddy

Understanding Community Colleges provides a critical examination of contemporary issues and practices and policy of community colleges. This contributed volume brings together highly respected scholars as well as new scholars for a comprehensive analysis of the community college landscape, including management and governance, finance, student demographics and development, teaching and learning, policy, faculty, and workforce development. Written for students enrolled in higher education and community college graduate programs, as well as social sciences scholars, this provocative new edition covers the latest developments in the field, including trends in enrollment, developmental education, student services, funding, and shared governance. At the end …

Editor’S Notes, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

The AACC competencies were initially developed to help provide guidance in developing community college leaders because of predictions of a leadership crisis in the two-year college sector.

Since their creation, the competencies have been used to direct topics in leadership development programs and to guide future leaders about what skills are critical to master. Yet scant research exists on the use of the competencies in practice or on analysis of the competencies within the changing higher education climate.

This issue provides a review of the research on the competencies in the field and posits several strategies for the future use …

A Holistic Perspective Of Leadership Competencies, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

The AACC competencies were initially developed to help provide guidance in developing community college leaders because of predictions of a leadership crisis in the two-year college sector.

Since their creation, the competencies have been used to direct topics in leadership development programs and to guide future leaders about what skills are critical to master. Yet scant research exists on the use of the competencies in practice or on analysis of the competencies within the changing higher education climate.

This issue provides a review of the research on the competencies in the field and posits several strategies for the future use …

Feasibility Study Of Uvu Community Research Center 2016, Ron J. Hammond, Traci Wennerholm

Ron J. Hammond

Concurrent Enrollment Benchmark Data And Self-Study Report 2014 .Pdf, Ron J. Hammond

Ron J. Hammond

Determining Graduation Rates In Engineering For Community College Transfer Students Using Data Mining, Marcia Laugerman, Diane T. Rover, Mack C. Shelley, Steven K. Mickelson

Diane Rover

This study presents a unique synthesized set of data for community college students entering the university with the intention of earning a degree in engineering. Several cohorts of longitudinal data were combined with transcript-level data from both the community college and the university to measure graduation rates in engineering. The emphasis of the study is to determine academic variables that had significant correlations with graduation in engineering, and levels of these academic variables. The article also examines the utility of data mining methods for understanding the academic variables related to achievement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The practical purpose …

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.

Book Review - Community College Transfer Guide.Pdf, David D. Costantino

David D Costantino

In The Middle: Career Pathways Of Midlevel Community College Leaders, Regina L. Garza Mitchell, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

The leadership crisis in community colleges has led to speculation on who will lead these colleges in the future and how best to prepare leaders for these positions. Traditionally, little research occurred regarding midlevel administrators despite the fact that the majority of presidents come from within the ranks. The findings from this research show that midlevel administrators have little desire to move into top-level positions. Colleges need to consider how to make leadership more attractive and begin developing leaders for future openings.

Framing The Role Of Leader: How Community College Presidents Construct Their Leadership, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

Presidents are one of the most studied of administrative roles, yet little research occurs on understanding how these leaders construct their own leadership. Thus, the question guiding the research reported here concerned how community college presidents cognitively framed their leadership roles. This study involved the interviewing of 9 community college presidents. Findings uncovered 3 themes. The first theme identified how the presidents' underlying mental maps guided decision-making and leadership on campus. The second theme linked the basic cognitive orientation of the presidents with on-going situated cognition in their new work settings. Learning evolved based on environmental factors. The final category …

Nested Leadership: The Interpretation Of Organizational Change In A Multicollege System, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

College leaders serve important roles as guides for campus understanding during times of change. Within multicollege districts, campus members deal with several levels of leadership, ranging from department chairs, to the college president, to the system chancellor. These leaders may send conflicting messages regarding change, or have competing end goals for change. The research reported here sought to investigate the influence of the system chancellor on change initiatives at the individual colleges within the system. Findings from this investigation concluded that leadership within the system was nested, whereby the overall direction of change came from the chancellor, and was replicated …

Leaders As Linchpins For Framing Meaning, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

Community college leaders serve as linchpins for framing meaning on campus. The current pressures on institutions (given declining financial resources, demands for accountability, changing faculty ranks, and societal need for new knowledge) require presidents to juggle multiple priorities while presenting a cohesive message to campus constituents. This study examined how the presidents at nine community colleges communicated with college constituents and framed the meaning of those communications to help the college community make sense of ongoing change. Interviews with the presidents, as well as with key administrators, faculty members, and staff members, revealed that the presidents used emissaries to disseminate …

Crossing Boundaries Creating Community College Partnerships To Promote Educational Transitions, Marilyn J. Amey, Pamela L. Eddy, Timothy G. Campbell

Pamela L. Eddy

Community college partnerships with institutions in other educational sectors (including schools and universities) are important and strategic ways of meeting the educational needs of college constituents and maximizing resources to achieve local and state economic development goals. Understanding what is required for effective partnerships is important in determining when and how to engage in these collaborative, but sometimes costly, arrangements. This article presents a model of partnership development that emphasizes the role of social and organizational capital in the formation of partnership capital that contributes to the long-term success of collaborative efforts.

Grocery Store Politics: Leading The Rural Community College, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

Rural America is characterized by decreasing populations, increasing poverty, limited economic growth, and limited access to cultural events. The context of the rural environment makes leading colleges in these locations different than in larger, more urban regions. The research reported here investigated the experience of rural community college leaders to determine more about the phenomenon of how they constructed their leadership given their rural context. Findings indicate less anonymity for rural community college leaders, a reliance on relationship building to accomplish goals, and a smaller local peer network to aid in reflecting upon the duties of the president.

Developing Leaders: The Role Of Competencies In Rural Community Colleges, Pamela L. Eddy

Pamela L. Eddy

Pending retirements underscore the need to develop community college campus leaders. Rural community colleges will be particularly hard-hit by changes in leadership as they represent the majority of 2-year colleges and face unique challenges given their location. To help address the anticipated leadership transition, the American Association of Community Colleges developed a set of competencies to frame critical skill areas and guide leadership development efforts. The research reported here showed both resource development and organizational strategy as areas of weakness for rural leaders and, paradoxically, the areas of most need. Leaders acquired competencies predominantly on the job, which has implications …

Emerging Definitions Of Leadership In Higher Education, Pamela L. Eddy, Kim E. Vanderlinden

Pamela L. Eddy

The higher education literature suggests that alternative leadership styles are replacing the traditionally held definitions of leadership and provide new and different (and possibly superior) ways to understand leadership. This article looks for parallels within the current leadership literature to see if community college administrators use the alternative language or emerging definitions of leadership to self-describe their own leadership or if their self-descriptions fit the more traditional hierarchical ideal of the positional or "hero" leader.

Determinants Of Intent To Transfer Among Black Male Community College Students_ A Multinomial%2c Multi-Level Investigation Of Student Engagement .Pdf, J. Luke Wood, Phd, Robert T. Palmer Phd

Robert T. Palmer, PhD

The Role Of Community College Counselors As Validating Agents On Men Of Color Student Success, Soua Xiong, Cory Allen, J. Luke Wood

Soua Xiong

No abstract provided.

Creating A Comprehensive Early Warning System To Further Student Success And Retention, Shane P. Hammond

Shane P Hammond

Student retention is critical to successful outcomes in higher education today. This completed project is about how to better track a student's performance and work with those struggling academically so that they are given the tools to better academic performance. This project reviewed the Academic Deficiency Report System at Greenfield Community College and identified flaws in the process that did not serve the students well. Based on the author's research of early warning models in the literature and best practices across the state of Massachusetts, an Early Progress Report and notification process was developed. This new version of the early …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Successful Black Male College Students, Malou Chantal Harrison

Malou Chantal Harrison

Despite a growing enrollment of Black males in colleges and universities in the U.S., the nationwide college degree completion rate for Black males remains at disproportionately low numbers as compared to other ethnicities and to that of Black females. The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to evoke and promote the voices of successful Black male students and to understand their perspectives on factors that contributed to their college success. Findings from this research provide insight into college experiences and interventions that have positive implications for Black male college student success. Valencia's (2010) work on educational attainment served as …

Complex Perceptions Of Identity: The Experiences Of Student Combat Veterans In Community College, Shane P. Hammond

Shane P Hammond

This qualitative study illustrates how complex perceptions of identity influence the community college experience for student veterans who have been in combat, creating barriers to their overall persistence. The collective experiences of student combat veterans at two community colleges in northwestern Massachusetts are presented, and a Combat Veteran Conceptual Identity Model to illustrate the ongoing negotiation of identity combat veterans experience while in college is intro- duced. Notable implications for future research and practice in Student Affairs are discussed.

The Effect Of College Selection Factors On Persistence: An Examination Of Black And Latino Males In The Community College, Luke Wood, Frank Harris Iii

Frank Harris III

The purpose of this study was to understand the relationship (if any) between college selection factors and persistence for Black and Latino males in the community college. Using data derived from the Educational Longitudinal Study, backwards stepwise logistic regression models were developed for both groups. Findings are contextualized in light of Paulsen and St. John’s (1996) financial nexus model. In line with this model, this study found that financial matters indeed impacted college selection. In particular, this research illustrated that the availability of financial aid and low expenses at the institution were integral selection factors. Implications for future research are …

An Exploratory Investigation Of The Effect Of Racial And Masculine Identity On Focus: An Examination Of White, Black, Mexicano, Latino, And Asian Men In Community Colleges, Frank Harris Iii, Luke Wood, Christopher Newman

Frank Harris III

The relationship between masculine identity and men of color’s focus/effort in community college is examined in this article. Using data from the Community College Survey of Men, the results confirm that conceptions of masculinity for men of color have differential effects on the extent to which students are intensely focused on academic matters. Based on the results of this study, implications for educational practice and future research on men of color in community colleges are discussed.

Social Media, Higher Education, And Community Colleges: A Research Synthesis And Implications For The Study Of Two-Year Institutions, Charles H.F. Davis Iii, Regina Deil-Amen, Cecilia Rios-Aguilar, Manuel González Canché

Charles H.F. Davis III

The boundaries between on-line and “real-world” communities are rapidly deteriorating, particularly for the generation of young people whose lives are pervaded by social media. For this generation, social media exchanges are a primary means of communication, social engagement, information seek- ing, and possibly, a central component of their identity and community-building. Given these realities, postsecondary educators should begin to seriously explore the potential to intentionally and strategi- cally harness the power of these revolutionary transformations in technology use to better serve the needs of students to enhance their success. Therefore, this review of books, academic journals, higher education news, research …

The Characteristics Of Historically Black College And University Presidents And Their Role In Grooming The Next Generation Of Leaders, Sydney Freeman Jr., Marybeth Gasmen

Sydney Freeman Jr., PhD, CFD

Background/Context: Although research on college and university presidents has grown in recent decades, historically Black college and university (HBCU) presidents have rarely been included in this research. We know almost nothing about the pathways to the HBCU presidency or the role that current presidents play in grooming future presidents. More literature is needed in order to deepen our understanding of the HBCU presidency.

Purpose: With this study, we sought to capture the background characteristics of HBCU leaders, to lay the ground work for future studies on HBCU presidents, and to understand the role these leaders play in grooming and mentoring …

Graduating Black Males: A Generic Qualitative Study, Edward Earl Bell

Dr. Edward E. Bell

Black males face a difficult educational battle. Across America, graduation statistics for Black males are sobering. The purpose of this study was to explore why Black males drop out of school and to examine the current employment status of the study participants. The research took place in rural North Carolina. Fifteen Black American male high school dropouts took part in a snowball sample. This study was qualitative and used open and axial coding. Findings from this study may provide guidance and directions for school and community leaders to help Black males stay in school through graduating.

Transforming Personal Leadership, Kim Washington-Watson

Kim Washington-Watson

To debrief from your research is vitally important to gain perspective about your own transforming power, self-efficacy, and tools needed to continue to do what you came here to do. I was so immersed in my subjects, their lives, and their ideology, I forgot who I was and what I came there to do. I gained membership from my subjects, got lost in their world, needed their acceptance, and did not know how to let them go. As I reflected upon my own education, career, and where I have come from in order to go forward, truth and admission required …

(Re)Setting The Agenda For College Men Of Color: Lessons Learned From A 15-Year Movement To Improve Black Male Student Success, Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Shaun R. Harper, Ph.D.

Between 1997 and 2012, much was done on college campuses and elsewhere to improve Black male student achievement. Notwithstanding, their enrollments, academic performance, and rates of baccalaureate degree attainment remain just as troublesome now as they were 15 years ago. But why? And what can be learned as various stakeholders introduce future initiatives in response to issues affecting Black undergraduate men, as well as Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI), Latino, and Native American male collegians? In this chapter, I chronicle the 15-year emphasis on Black male students in U.S. higher education. I first catalogue a range of efforts enacted between 1997 …