Education Commons^™

Sense Of Belonging Among Foreign-Born And U.S.-Born Latinx Subgroups At A Community College, Raquel Cotuno

Dissertations

This qualitative case study explored sense of belonging among 15 U.S.-born and foreign-born Latinx students at a community college designated as a Hispanic serving institution. To further explore sense of belonging among these students, semi-structured interviews were conducted with both groups of students. The results indicated that U.S.-born Latinx students contributed sense of belonging to instructors who displayed characteristics of equal treatment, genuineness, and support in and outside of the classroom. Instructors who displayed these characteristics made students feel more connected to the instructor and to the college as a whole. Results also indicated that foreign-born Latinx students credited their …

The Effect Of Union Affiliation On Salary For Female Community College Faculty, Kathleen Kanz White

Dissertations

There is a substantial pay disparity between the highest and lowest paid full-time community college faculty members, more so for women. Faculty unions, which are common at community colleges, are believed to increase pay equity, although research on unions is limited. This study provided evidence addressing gaps in the literature regarding the community college workforce and unionization in higher education. No previous research has been conducted at the community college level examining specific union affiliation and the role it plays in salary.

The purpose of the study was to examine salary variables for female community college faculty members employed in …

Learning To Lead: Examining Leadership Competencies Of Participants In The Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy, Renyetta M. Johnson

Dissertations

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC, 2005) developed and approved a research-based competency framework for leadership development, consisting of six leadership competencies that were deemed as being “very” or “extremely” essential to the effective performance of community college leaders. The six leadership competencies are: “organizational strategy, resource management, communication, collaboration, community college advocacy, and professionalism” (AACC, 2005, pp. 4 – 6). While it has been well researched and documented that a leadership crisis exists within the leadership ranks of community colleges, an abundance of the research has focused on the position of president. Other leadership positions in the community …

The Cultural Adaptation Experiences Of Chinese Higher Education Students In The American Deep South: A Comparison Across Disciplines, Xiaonan Song

Dissertations

In the past decade, Chinese international students have been found as one of the largest international student groups at American institutions across the country. However, the American Deep South was not less frequently studied in the past. Due to the distinctiveness of the Deep South, the researcher conducted this qualitative research on Chinese international students studying in this historically and culturally distinctive region. Mississippi was chosen as a representative state of the Deep South in the current study. The researcher collected data from in-depth interviews from three publicly funded institutions in Mississippi. Besides reporting many common issues regarding to cultural …

Student Loan Default Prevention And Management Practices At Mississippi Community & Junior Colleges, Lashanda Chamberlain

Dissertations

Cohort default rates can impact an institution’s ability to participate in the Title IV aid programs. Title IV aid programs such as the federal Pell grant, federal work-study program, and the federal loan program is critical to student enrollment. If an institution loses its participation in the Title IV aid programs, this would be detrimental to both students and the institution. Cohort default rates at Mississippi community and junior colleges are currently above the national average. This qualitative study examines the default prevention and management practices at Mississippi community and junior colleges. Using an interview protocol, the researcher interviewed financial …

A Case Study Of Strategic Governance In The Implementation Of Guided Pathways At Scale At California Community Colleges, Hayley Ashby

Dissertations

Purpose: Community colleges across the United States are implementing systemic change models such as guided pathways to increase student success. The purpose of this multiple case study was to describe the role of strategic governance in the implementation of guided pathways at scale at California community colleges.

Methodology: This phenomenological qualitative study used a multiple-case embedded case study methodology to collect data aligned with the four imperatives of strategic governance theory. Semistructured interviews were conducted with campus leaders involved in guided pathways implementation at three California community colleges. Archival records and documentation were used to triangulate the data.

Findings: Colleges …

The Lived Experience Of New Community College Student Affairs Professionals, Eric L. Mullen

Dissertations

This qualitative study explores the experiences of new student affairs professionals who have begun their careers at community colleges. Research in the field of higher education has examined the preparation and socialization of new professionals within the field of higher education student affairs. However, this body of research has primarily focused on the experiences of those who go on to work in four-year colleges and universities. Little has been examined regarding those who graduate from these programs and whose first professional role is in a community college setting.

Through this phenomenological inquiry, the participants share rich details about their socialization …

Latina Community College Leaders And The Role Cultural Intelligence Plays In Their Leadership: El Líderazgo Inteligente De Administradoras Latinas., Patricia Avila

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover and describe how Latina community college administrators utilize the four elements of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to provide leadership in their organizations.

Methodology: The phenomenological qualitative approach was used to describe the utilization of cultural intelligence of ten Latina community college administrators to provide effective leadership in their organizations. The researcher conducted in-depth interviews to gain insight into participants’ leadership behaviors outlined in the study’s purpose. An examination of the data collected revealed patterns and themes.

Findings: Examination of study participants’ interviews resulted in ten themes and 411 frequencies among the …

An Examination Of Generational Factors On Faculty Engagement In Shared Governance In The Northern California Community College System, Gina Lord

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to identify and describe the factors that motivated northern California community college faculty of the Baby Boomer, Gen X, and Millennial generations to become engaged in shared governance and campus-wide committees, and to determine what differences existed between the generations.

Methodology: This research used a qualitative methodology and applied a phenomenological approach. The data for this study was gathered by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 fulltime faculty members from the Solano, Marin, and Sonoma County community college districts.

Findings: The findings from this study identified factors that motivated faculty to engage …

Sustaining A Career In Community And Technical College Leadership By Coping With Job Stress Through Emotional Intelligence, Claire Korschinowski

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and explore the use of emotional intelligence for coping with organizational role stress as perceived by senior-level leaders serving as college presidents, vice presidents and deans in the Washington State community and technical college system. A second purpose of this study was to describe the differences in perceptions amongst senior-level leader’s use of emotional intelligence as a stress coping strategy.

Methodology: For this qualitative phenomenological study, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews from 15 senior-level leaders. Participants identified a variety of ways emotional intelligence factors into coping with organizational …

Community College Presidents And The Role Of Conversational Leadership, Jennifer K. Labounty

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to describe the behaviors that exemplary community college presidents practice to lead their organizations through conversation as depicted by Groysberg and Slind’s (2012) four elements of conversational leadership: intimacy, interactivity, inclusion, and intentionality.

Methodology: This qualitative, phenomenological study described the lived experiences of exemplary community college presidents as they lead their organizations through the use of conversational leadership. The sample population for this study was community college presidents who met the criteria of exemplary from single-college districts in Southern California. Data were gathered and triangulated from semistructured, in-depth interviews, participant observations, …

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 …

Leadership Competencies For The Community College Department Chairperson, Jason Carl Ross

Dissertations

Published in 2005, the American Association of Community Colleges developed a list of six leadership competencies deemed by stakeholders as essential to a community college leadership position. The six AACC leadership competencies include organizational strategy, resource management, communication, collaboration, community college advocacy, and professionalism, and they have been well researched with upper-level community college leadership, student services personnel, and boards of trustees. This research examined these competencies as they relate to the community college department chairperson.

Often viewed as a path to upper level leadership, the community college chairperson is both a faculty member and administrator, and chairpersons must represent …

Community College Student Perceptions Of University Transfer Barriers, Rick H. Boone

Dissertations

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the perceived barriers that hindered California community college students from successful transfer to a four-year college or university and what services they perceived were needed to support the successful transfer to a four-year college or university.

Methodology: This qualitative, phenomenological study strove to understand the commonalities of the personal experiences of community college transfer students. In this study, the shared phenomena were the challenges experienced by these students when attempting to transfer to a four-year institution. Non-probability, purposeful snowball sampling was used to locate 12 participants in the …

The Role Of Communication In Strategic Planning At California Community Colleges, Linda M. Carvalho Cooley

Dissertations

Purpose: Community colleges continue to face an ever-changing environment. California Community Colleges are confronted with state initiatives, accountability, and accreditation changes that require integrated planning processes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the role of communication as perceived by community college planning committee members with regard to the strategic planning processes at California Community Colleges. A secondary purpose of this study was to explore the differences between the perceptions of administrators, faculty and classified committee members involved in planning processes at California Community Colleges.

Methodology: For this qualitative study, committee members directly involved in the planning process …

It’S On Us: A Case Study Of Academic Integrity In A Mid-Western Community College, Ceceilia Parnther

Dissertations

Academic ethics and integrity are necessary elements of a quality education. The need for academic integrity education on campuses has been well documented (Bertram Gallant, 2008, 2016; Bertram Gallant & Drinan, 2006; Liebler, 2009; McCabe, Butterfield, & Trevino, 2004). Academic integrity is a cornerstone of the learning process (Bretag et al., 2014; Harp & Taietz, 1966). Higher education institutions have the opportunity to promote academic integrity and prevent academic misconduct on campus by providing clear guidelines, equitable resolutions, and student and faculty engagement. While researchers have examined four-year institutions approaches to academic integrity education, differences exist that are unique to …

Advancing Evaluation In Community Colleges: A Mixed Methods Case Study Of Outcomes-Based Assessment Training In Student Affairs, Tammy L. Russell

Dissertations

Many student affairs departments struggle to contribute to an institution’s evidence base of student learning. In part, this results from student affairs personnel not having adequate training in how to assess learning outside the classroom. This is a particular challenge for small community colleges, in which individual units (e.g., admissions or financial aid) may have only one or two employees. Failure to assess co-curricular learning poses challenges to institutions in meeting accreditation standards, placing them at risk for increased scrutiny and loss of state funding under a performance-based system. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to use a …

An Analysis Of Campus Violence Threat Assessment Policy Implementation At Michigan Community Colleges, Russell T. Panico Jr.

Dissertations

This dissertation evaluated campus violence threat assessment policy and procedure implementation at the community college level of higher education. The importance of this topic was to provide a manageable and collaborative initiative for leadership at institutions of higher learning to identify, develop, implement, and evaluate a policy that can effectively prevent acts of campus-related violence. A mixed-methods study approach using a Likert-scale survey with supporting open-ended questions was used to guide the exploration. Bardach’s (2016) Eightfold Path for Policy Analysis was the framework used by Michigan community colleges to apply to their own unique situations. This method determined the prevalence …

Factors Influencing Accessibility To American Public Higher Education, Angela Leanne Bryan

Dissertations

Since their inception in the early 1900s, community colleges have been about making higher education accessible. While their initial purpose was to overcome the geography barrier to higher education, the mission of community colleges and higher education on the whole has expanded over time to mitigate other barriers to higher education to include gender, race, religion, and socioeconomic barriers. As public support for higher education has changed over time, institutions have had to change their tuition and fee structure to make up the budget shortfall created by the decreases in public funding. How have these changes impacted accessibility to public …

A Delphi Study Of The Understanding Of The Definition Of Student Success In California Community Colleges And Its Impact On Practice, Susan Topham

Dissertations

With the signing of Senate Bill 1456, the Student Success Act of 2012, California state legislation has mandated that California Community Colleges deliver services that will increase the probability of student persistence and completion. There is a need for the Instruction and Student Services sides of the house to come together in a collaborative manner to address and resolve this challenge and therefore bridge the gap between these two divisions.

Research has demonstrated that Instructional Services and Student Services in California Community Colleges work in silos when it comes to addressing the challenge of student success. The purpose of this …

Students Engaged In A Learn And Earn Program: Exploring Characteristics That Identify Those Interested In A Career In Manufacturing, Amy M. Koning

Dissertations

The 2008 recession proved to be difficult for the manufacturing industry. As a result, strategies for succession and talent attraction are now important for the resurgence of the industry. The purpose of this study was to describe and interpret how community college students, preparing for entry-level technician positions in manufacturing, experience a “learn and earn” industry and education partnership. For this study, “learn and earn” can be defined as students enrolled full-time in an associate degree program while working at a company that is sponsoring a full ride scholarship for their education.

Past studies have focused on (a) preparing young …

Community College Recruiting Through Facebook, Wendy S. Smith

Dissertations

The purpose of this research study was to determine the ways in which community college administrators, faculty, staff, counselors, recruiters, and current students report using social networking, specifically, strategies related to recruitment were examined. There was an extensive review of the literature that included background, theoretical foundations, and pertinent research of social media. Along with data collection, there were also analysis reports, conclusions, recommendations for college personnel, and those for research.

The study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in social networking usage for community college recruitment; a difference in the views of the effectiveness as a …

A Qualitative Study To Discover And Describe Conflict Strategies Used By Exemplar Community College Presidents To Proactively Transform And Resolve Conflict As They Attempt To Shape The Future, Karen J. Bolton

Dissertations

The purpose of this thematic, qualitative phenomenological study was to discover and describe the lived experiences of exemplar community college presidents in the use of the six domains of conflict transformation behaviors and the impact these domains have on achieving common ground (collaboration, communication, emotional intelligence, ethics, problem-solving, and process) to achieve breakthrough results and transform conflict. This study considered the experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of exemplar leaders. To know and understand how successful community college presidents operated in their environment was both practical and significant. The need to research and study these leaders included understanding how they work through …

Tales From The Field: A Phenomenological Study On The Unique Challenges Iraq/Afghanistan Ptsd Veterans Experience While Attending A Community College In Southern California, Nick N. Arman

Dissertations

With the downsizing of U.S. military personnel and increased educational benefits offered by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, many Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) veterans will enroll in a community college for education and training opportunities (Vacchi, 2012). A review of literature revealed the majority of OIF/OEF combat veterans in higher education suffered from symptoms consistent with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD; Ackerman, DiRamio, & Garza Mitchell, 2009; American Council on Education, 2009; Cate, 2014). The purpose of this phenomenological study was to understand the unique challenges experienced by OIF/OEF veterans diagnosed with PTSD when attending community college …

Exploring The Impact Of The Masstransfer Program: A Look At Latina/ Latino Student Transfer Success At A Two Year Hispanic-Serving Institution Into A Four Year Non-Hispanic University In Massachusetts, Lizette V. Rivera

Dissertations

The majority of Latina/Latino students enrolling into higher education are doing so through community colleges. Latina/Latino students are not transferring at comparable rates to their peers. This study explored the impact of the MassTransfer program on the transfer success of Latina/Latino students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) community college into a 4-year state university in Massachusetts. Twelve students were individually interviewed for this study. Six of the students attend an HSI community college. The remaining six students were enrolled in a Massachusetts state university and had successfully transferred from the HSI in this study. The MassTransfer program encourages degree specific …

An Exploration Of Strategic Planning Perspectives And Processes Within Community Colleges Identified As Being Distinctive In Their Strategic Planning Practices, Lisa J. Augustyniak

Dissertations

Community college leaders face unprecedented change, and some have begun reexamining their institutional strategic planning processes. Yet, studies in higher education strategic planning spend little time examining how community colleges formulate their strategic plans. This mixed-method qualitative study used an expert sampling method to identify three AQIP-accredited community colleges in one Midwestern state that were viewed as leaders in strategic planning. Using their AQIP Systems Portfolios and interviews with their senior leadership, this study examined these colleges’ strategic planning perspectives (i.e., the “point of view” that an organization has chosen to use as a basis for formulating their strategic plan) …

Retention Of Community College Students In Online Courses, Sarah Krajewski

Dissertations

The issue of attrition in online courses at higher learning institutions remains a high priority in the United States. A recent rapid growth of online courses at community colleges has been instigated by student demand, as they meet the time constraints many nontraditional community college students have as a result of the need to work and care for dependents. Failure in an online course can cause students to become frustrated with the college experience, financially burdened, or to even give up and leave college. Attrition could be avoided by proper guidance of who is best suited for online courses. This …

A Partnership Between A Midwest Community College And The Highly Regulated Power Production Industry: A Case Study Regarding The Development Of An Energy Production Technology Program, Kenneth W. Flowers

Dissertations

With nearly every industry predicting severe employee shortages, the available worker pipeline, including the employed, may need to upgrade their skills. In addition, the number of jobs available will soon exceed the number of available workers, even if all the workers were skilled. This study investigated the perceptions held by key individuals within the energy industry regarding an Energy Production Technology degree program developed at one Midwest community college to help address worker pipeline issues in the energy industry.

This study discovered a void within present literature discussing the interaction between community colleges and the nuclear energy industry concerning the …

Chief Student Affairs Officer’S Competencies: Perspectives From Community College Presidents In Illinois, Isaac D. Zuniga

Dissertations

Chief Student Affairs Officers (CSAO’s) within single campus community colleges are responsible for providing senior leadership and overall planning for all administrative areas as assigned by the college president. They work collectively to provide leadership for various functional areas to facilitate the development and maintenance of college campus environments and student success. While within single campus community colleges the CSAO are recognized by various administrative titles, but they serve in an executive capacity reporting directly to the college president and are responsible for the overall planning and leadership that supports the college’s mission.

The purpose of this study was to …

Model Minority Mismatch: Exploring The Community College Experience And Persistence Of Southeast Asian American Students, Genda Vann Ed.D

Dissertations

This study aimed to investigate the relationship of Southeast Asian American student involvement and persistence in urban community colleges of Illinois. There are large gaps in research regarding the academic struggles of Southeast Asian American students because most data concerning Asian Americans is aggregate, consolidating all experiences rather than considering each sub-group independently. The existing data revealed that Asian Americans are performing exceptionally well in academics, especially when compared to other minority groups, such as African American and Latinos, resulting in Asian Americans being stereotyped as the “model minority” (CARE, 2008). However, a closer assessment of the data shows that …