Education Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study Of Factors Affecting The High Dropout Rate Of Nontraditional African American Students In Community College, Vernordra Haynie

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Nontraditional students comprise 75% of the higher education student population (Complete College America, 2011). These students maintain employment and care for their families while juggling the demands of college courses. Two-year colleges face challenges retaining nontraditional learners and more than 50% of nontraditional African American students fail to complete their associate degree (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to identify factors affecting the degree completion of nontraditional African American students in a community college setting and to offer institutional recommendations to retain this population of students to graduation. The researcher utilized a …

Stepping Stone Or Road Block: An Evaluation Of Community Colleges In The Midwest To Improve Attrition And Graduate Percentages Of African American Students, Tamela Odom

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

The path towards higher education is not the same for all. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore why African American students enroll into community college in the Midwest at higher percentages than any other racial group but persist to graduation at the lowest percentages. Factors that hinder African American students from persisting toward graduation and eventual degree completion from a 2-year college were uncovered through interviews conducted with participants on community college campuses throughout the Midwest. Considering the findings of this study, it is suggested that professors and instructors use classroom interactions and instructional opportunities to …

How Community College Instructors In Louisiana Recognize Student Mental Health Needs, Rochelle Baldoz

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

Research has shown mental health issues are prevalent in community colleges; however, community colleges lack mental health services. This qualitative case study was designed to add information to the scholarly literature about the significant role community college instructors play in recognizing the mental health state of their students. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to gain an understanding of how instructors at a community college in Louisiana recognize their students’ mental health needs. Two research questions guided this study: What perceptions do community college instructors in Louisiana have of student mental health needs?

How can a community college …

Accuplacer Placement Cutoff Scores As Predictors Of Freshman Performance: A Correlational Analysis, Lulani Tomaszewski

CUP Ed.D. Dissertations

There is uncertainty on how to maximize freshman performance in an English course when students have competing placement scores. Students who have scored above the cutoff score on one of the English placement tests (either reading or writing) and scored below the cutoff score on the other are not systematically placed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ACCUPLACER placement cutoff scores in reading and writing predicted performance in first-semester English courses and first-semester cumulative GPA among incoming students at a community college in the Pacific Northwest during the 2015−2016 and 2016−2017 school years. Two research questions guided …

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. …

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 …