Community College Leadership Commons^™

College Mission Change And Neoliberalism In A Community And Technical College, Christine Mollenkopf-Pigsley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Administrators of 2-year colleges are working in an environment where they seek to balance the social development of the student and the community's demand for a trained workforce to achieve economic development. This balance has resulted in ambiguity about the mission and purpose of 2-year colleges. The purpose of this case study was to explore a community college's experiences with mission change by exploring the interaction between a neoliberal public policy environment and the traditional social democratic mission of academia. Harvey's conceptualization of neoliberalism was used as the theoretical framework. Data were collected through 15 semi-structured interviews with members of …

A Comparison Of Preservice Teachers' Responses To Bullying Scenarios, Cynthia Louise Davis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This nonexperimental study was conducted to determine differences that exist between PreK to 4th grade preservice teachers' beliefs about the severity of bullying, their empathy with victims of bullying, beliefs about their ability to cope with bullying in the classroom, and their ability to intervene in bullying issues. Bandura's self-efficacy theory and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior provided the study's theoretical base and demonstrated a connection between participants perceived ability to cope with bullying behavior and willingness to intervene. The participants (N = 112) were students in a 2-year community college PreK to 4th grade education transfer degree program. Data …

Soft Skills Perceived By Students And Employers As Relevant Employability Skills, Ann-Marie Claudia Williams

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Local employers believe the lack of prerequisite soft skills is inhibiting the graduates from a local community college from securing employment. The rationale of this phenomenological study was to investigate the perceptions of students and employers related to the soft skills needed to be successful in future employment. The theoretical framework was based on Mezirow's transformational and Daloz's mentorship theories. Individual face-to-face, semistructured interviews were used to gather data from 12 business and computer students and 7 employers (N=19) who were selected using purposeful random sampling. The typewritten transcripts of participants' responses were imported in MAXQDA 11, then were open …

Community Colleges Can!, Pam Lau

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

Review of: McClenney, K., Dare, D., & Thomason, S. (2013). Premise and promise: Developing new pathways for community college students. Community College Journal. Retrieved from http://www.ccjournal-­‐ digital.com/ccjournal/april_may_2013#pg58.

Can community colleges rise to the challenge of increasing the educational capacity of individuals and the nation? McClenney, Dare, and Thomason say Yes if community colleges can design clearer student pathways to completion. In their 2013 article, Premise and Promise: Developing New Pathways for Community College Students, they present the case for a new model of academic pathways that focuses on providing students with “an integrated and coherent experience” of college (p.57), …

How Discourse In Public Community College Documents Supports The Learning College Philosophy, Terri Ackland

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Since the late 1990s, community colleges have changed strategies to enhance student success, moving from a traditional faculty-focused teaching model to a student-focused learning paradigm using O'Banion's 6 college learning principles to define and guide the learning college model. However, it is unclear how much the model is being used by community colleges or shared with stakeholders. The learning college model, supported by transformational language research on decision making and innovative thinking, provided a conceptual framework for this discourse analysis study. The purpose of this study was to discover the extent to which the language of the learning college model …

Exploring Online Community College Course Completion And A Sense Of School Community, Kathleen Stone

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Researchers have found low online course completion rates to be a complex problem in higher education. Meanwhile, theory on adult learners' online persistence highlights the importance of a sense of school community. At the small, rural focus community college (FCC) for this study, general education online course completion rates are lower than the national average. FCC has not addressed the low online course completion rates. Using Rovais' composite persistence model as the conceptual framework, this instrumental case study examined how students' experiences and perceptions of a sense of school community contribute to their ability to complete online general education courses. …

A Correlation Of Community College Math Readiness And Student Success, Jayna Nicole Brown

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Although traditional college students are more prepared for college-level math based on college admissions tests, little data have been collected on nontraditional adult learners. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between math placement tests and community college students' success in math courses and persistence to degree or certificate completion. Guided by Tinto's theory of departure and student retention, the research questions addressed relationships and predictability of math Computer-adaptive Placement Assessment and Support System (COMPASS) test scores and students' performance in math courses, persistence in college, and degree completion. After conducting correlation and regression analyses, no significant relationships …

Generational Differences In Transfer Student Capital Among Community College Students, Michael J. Rosenberg

Theses and Dissertations--Educational Policy Studies and Evaluation

“Transfer student capital” refers to the learned ability of a student to successfully navigate the process of transferring from a community college to a four-year school. Transfer student capital is accumulated by gathering information about potential destination schools and programs, gaining an understanding of requisite academic skills, campus engagement, and weighing personal concerns surrounding eventual transfer. The more transfer student capital an individual accumulates, the more likely they are to be academically successful and persist to graduation.

This quantitative study examines whether a student’s age cohort may affect the transfer process from community college to a four-year school. The study …

Listening To First-Year Community College Students, Mary Elizabeth Drake

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

First-year community college students are often from underrepresented groups who are unaccustomed to voicing their needs or to being recognized for having more and varied needs than other groups. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to gain an understanding of the factors that may engender or prevent success through listening to what first-year community college students have to say. Research questions addressed what students identified as challenges and successes during their first year and how first person accounts can contribute to the information college personnel need to understand.

Human development theories and models of student persistence informed this study. …

Student Perceptions Of Connectedness In Online Courses, Cynthia Dawn Worley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Students who obtain college degrees have a higher earning potential and greater likelihood of employment. Although researchers have found that student enrollment and performance in online college courses has increased, attrition has also risen at a higher rate than in face-to-face courses. The problem of declining persistence in online courses at a rural community college in the Southeastern United States was addressed in this study. The community of inquiry framework was used in this qualitative case study to explore perceptions of 10 experienced online learners. The research questions were focused on students' perceptions of the roles of connectedness and student …

Mathematics Boot Camps: A Strategy For Helping Students To Bypass Remedial Courses, Marilyn Ann Louise Hamilton

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many community colleges struggle to find the best strategy to help incoming at-risk students prepare for the placement test. The purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study, was to answer the question as to which of 2 programs, a 2-week, face-to-face mathematics refresher program, Math Boost-Up, or an online-only program, might increase the ACCUPLACER posttest scores of incoming community college students. The study used archival data for 136 students who self-selected to either participate in the Math Boost-Up program (the experiment group), or in the online-only program (the comparison group). Knowles's theory of adult learning, andragogy, served as the theoretical framework. …

Socialization Of Adjunct Faculty At A Southern California Community College, Cynthia Kathleen Haiduk-Pollack

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Leaders at a local community college in southern California ascertained that adjunct faculty members felt disconnected from the school and were not properly socialized to the culture of the school. The purpose of this case study was to help leaders learn adjunct faculty's perceptions of the socialization process. Organizational socialization theory and occupational socialization theory provided the theoretical framework for this study. Purposeful sampling was used to select 12 adjunct faculty to participate in face-to-face interviews. Data were collected via open-ended interview questions. These data were then transcribed, coded, and searched for themes. Coding was completed using Microsoft Word to …

A Phenomenological Study Of Ged Graduates Meeting College Readiness Standards At A Community College, Kelley Mischel Jones

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study was designed to understand the experiences of General Educational Development (GED) graduates enrolling into a community college. Research had not been conducted to explore the experiences of GED graduates completing the 2014 version of the exam and transitioning to college. Guided by Schlossberg's college transition theory and Bandura's theory of self-efficacy, this phenomenological study included 11 participants who described their experiences through written narratives and interviews. Participants described their experiences of being an adult education student while preparing for the exam, the steps within the GED test preparation they considered important to matriculation toward college enrollment, and …

Impact Of A California Community College's General Education Information Literacy Requirement, Phyllis Usina

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Budget cuts at a California community college prompted stakeholders to consider dropping the college's general education information literacy (IL) requirement. Broad institutional outcomes data showed learning gains, but no targeted assessment existed regarding the IL requirement's impact on those gains. This quantitative study used Astin and Antonio's Inputs-Environment-Outcomes (I-E-O) assessment model to address relationships among student characteristics of demographic and prior preparation (Inputs), the IL requirement (Environment), and student reports of information critical analysis behavior and confidence (Outcomes). Study participants were 525 students aged 18 years and older who had completed the IL course with a grade of 2.0 or …

Why Latino American Community College Students Drop Out After One Semester, Rosa Delia Smith

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate why many Latino America students at an urban community college in the state of Maryland who were enrolled at least part-time and were U.S. citizens or permanent residents did not continue their education into the second semester. Guided by Tinto's model of student integration and student persistence, this study explored the reasons these students dropped-out using the students' words to describe barriers to success, factors that influenced their decisions not to return for their second semester, and what they believed could have made a difference in their decisions. Five Latino …

California Community Colleges Child Development Laboratory Schools, Shari Yates

Dissertations

Community colleges in California are the primary source for preparing the early childhood care and education (ECE) workforce. The California child development lab school mission is to prepare ECE practitioners, provide a laboratory where college students can study and research child development/education, and offer a service to children and families. There are many benefits that are derived from laboratory schools but many community college lab schools have been reduced and/or closed over the past three years. The purposes of this Delphi study were (a) to examine the most pressing issues, problems and barriers facing California community colleges child development labs …

Community Colleges Respond To Cyber Threats

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

Headlines describing massive data breaches at multinational corporations are commonplace these days. However, virtually all employers are vulnerable to similar attacks. Stolen employee information, customer data, or industry secrets can lead to identity theft, compromised financial information, or even cyberterrorism. While the tech industry and research universities have key roles to play in adapting to this threat, community colleges also have a pivotal role to play in “Information Assurance.” The National Security Agency (NSA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have established the Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) program to recognize colleges that are at the forefront in education …

Formation Of Successful Partnerships Between Rural Community College Workforce Development Offices And Businesses: Motivation, Social Capitaland Communication, Ryan Nausieda

Dissertations

The financial resources in rural areas are not plentiful, which has impacted the workforce development offices’ ability to provide training on their own. These workforce development offices rely on partnerships to provide training to the community. There are multiple motivations that align between workforce development office and community organizations. The social capital in a partnership is utilized in these rural areas to accomplish mutual goals between multiple organizations that one could not complete on alone. Social capital in a partnership includes trust, centrality, information, and density. Communication helps to support the motivation, social capital and hence the sustainability of a …

The Role Of Second-Year College Students' Mindset On Finances And Its Impact On Welness, Susan Koukounas, Steven B. Jubert Jr., Cheryl A. Howell, Elsa-Sofia Morote, Albert Inserra

New York Journal of Student Affairs

This study examined the differentiation among second-year college students from a small urban religious affiliated college in New York City and their four beliefs about household money on five constructs of wellness. Ninety-two participants completed the “TestWell: Wellness Inventory-College Edition” questionnaire. Discriminant analysis evaluated the differences among groups. It was found that students who believed they have plenty of money revealed higher scores for emotional awareness and physical fitness. Student services on college campuses may use this research to offer student financial planning to support and set short and long term budgeting goals that increase retention rates.

Each One, Teach One: A Blackprint For Mentoring Postsecondary “Twice Exceptional” Student Scholars In “Search Of Education, Elevation And Knowledge”, Selena T. Rodgers, Tiffany Cudjoe

Journal of Research Initiatives

Through the prism of a faculty-student mentoring relationship, this article highlights best practices to gain insight into resources for “twice exceptional” student scholars. Practical application stands at a position of intersecting domains—changing the tapestry of scholarly service and undergraduate research mentoring, and as an Each One, Teach One black-print model for mentoring. The article concludes with recommendations for best practices for post secondary mentors, educators, and counselors invested in developing student scholars in Search of Education, Elevation, and Knowledge.

Making Meaning Of The Reel: The Media's Portrayal Of Community Colleges, Jena Lee Hawk

Dissertations

Due to its seemingly unclear and ambiguous mission, the community college has somewhat of a stigma attached to it as a four-year institution defines the American college experience (LaPaglia, 1994). Although only a few studies concerning media portrayals of community college students have been published within the last twenty years, the existing studies (Bourke, Major, & Harris, 2009; LaPaglia, 1994; Tucciarone, 2007) have failed to address if the media’s portrayal of community colleges influences students’ decisions or actions with regard to enrolling in a two-year institution. Using the theoretical framework of critical media literacy, the researcher will examine if media …

Access Barriers To Higher Education For Rural Community College Students, Shanda Carter

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose for conducting the study was to examine factors related to rural low-income, first generation college students' obstacles to community college enrollment. The study examined barriers students overcame to attend college and focused on rural college students from two community colleges in Missouri and Arkansas. The following questions guided the research:

1.What attendance barriers did rural community college students identify as being most difficult for them to overcome?

2.Were there differences between the self-identified attendance barriers based on gender for male and female rural community college students?

3.Were there differences in attendance barriers for rural community college students based …

U.S.- Educated Multilingual Students In Community College: Transitioning From Esl To English 101, Melinda S. Harrison

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis focuses on U.S.-educated multilingual students as they transition from a community college academic English as a Second Language program to and through a semester-long first-year composition course. Research on non-native English speakers has indicated that U.S.-educated multilingual students have both similar and varied background and literacy experiences compared to native English speakers and international students; they also often present unique literacy needs compared to their peers. These various and shifting similarities and differences sometimes complicate placement and instruction in college courses.

My case study focused on three U.S.-educated multilingual students' experiences in the final semester of a community …

Examining Adjunct Instructor Characteristics, Perceived Fit, And Teaching Modality To Determine If They Predict Organizational Commitment And Job Satisfaction At A Mid-Western Career College, Randy Hill

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this quantitative, multiple regression study was to examine the relationship between 10 adjunct instructor characteristics and organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Part-time instructors who taught for the institution during the 2012-2013 academic year completed an electronic survey with questions from three valid and reliable instruments: perceived person-organization fit (Cable & DeRue, 2002), part-time faculty job satisfaction survey (Hoyt, Howell, & Eggett, 2007), and organizational commitment questionnaire (Fields, 2002). Data from the survey was analyzed using separate hierarchical regressions to answer the following research questions: (a) Do adjunct instructor characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, education level, teaching experience, teaching …

“What The Hell Is Revise?”: Student Approaches To Coursework In Developmental English At One Urban-Serving Community College, Stefan A. Perun

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

The primary objective of this dissertation was to help illuminate why most students who enroll in developmental English at community colleges never make it to a college-level course. The extant literature suggests that students’ learning experiences in a course largely account for success or failure, yet few studies have uncovered how students experience content and pedagogy in developmental English at community colleges, and how these experiences shape students’ success or failure in their course. To remedy this gap, I conducted a semester-long, classroom level, qualitative study of three sections of developmental English at one community college. I primarily relied upon …

The Scholarship Of Teaching At Community Colleges, Patrice Arleanor Williams

Dissertations

This dissertation addresses engagement in the scholarship of teaching (SoT) at the community college level. A basic overview of the origin of the concept, a discussion of some of the key publications in the body of literature on the topic, and the details and results of a study on the topic—including suggestions for further research—are provided here.

The study involved full-time community college faculty members, representing institutions throughout the United States. Thirty-nine participants completed a 53-item questionnaire developed by the researcher. The goal of the study was to determine if a relationship existed between engagement in SoT and teaching satisfaction …

Stress Levels In Tenure-Track And Recently Tenured Faculty Members In Selected Institutions Of Higher Education In Northeast Tennessee, Amanda R. Carr

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare the stress, strain, and coping levels between pretenured faculty and recently tenured faculty in institutions of higher education in Northeast Tennessee. Aging faculty population combined with talented people leaving the area is common in rural parts of the United States. There is a need to better understand the occupational factors within the faculty roles in order to better recruit and retain faculty in this region.

Four different institutions of higher education in Northeast Tennessee, producing 92 responses, participated in this study. The Occupational Stress Inventory – Revised (Osipow, 1998) was used …

Transformative Leadership – No Excuses!, Russell Lowery-Hart

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

Russell Lowery-Hart, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Amarillo College, was selected by NCIA as the 2013 recipient of the Instructional Leadership Award. Dr. Lowery-Hart has been instrumental in promoting a philosophical shift at Amarillo College by challenging all employees to focus intently on helping the students. In this abstract you will read how Russell’s leadership has enabled faculty and staff to embrace responsibility for the “whole” student.

Amarillo College is proud of Russell Lowery-Hart’s transformative leadership. As Vice-President for Academic Affairs he has changed the college by challenging all employees to focus intently on helping students. His mantra “we have …

Ua42/3/2 Challenging The Spirit Strategic Plan, Wku Glasgow

WKU Administration Documents

Strategic plan for 2014-2019.

Math On Demand, Kevin Li

Instructional Leadership Abstracts

NCIA recognized Kevin Li, Dean of Instruction at Wilbur Wright College in 2012, as the recipient of the Instructional Leadership Award for Region 4, as well as the National Award for Outstanding Instructional Leadership. In support of Dean Li’s application, nominators highlighted his focus on supporting faculty engagement and development. As shared below, Kevin “models integrity, perseverance and high standards.” In this abstract you will read how Kevin’s leadership has aided in the development of a successful Math on Demand (MOD) program and a culture of quality improvement via formative assessment.

Wilbur Wright College, one of the City Colleges of …