Community College Leadership Commons^™

Motivation, Learning, And The Workplace: A Study Of Community College Student Affairs Professionals And Continued Professional Learning, Joseph M. Ginese

Theses and Dissertations

Continued professional learning is a consistent focus of attention for the field of student affairs within higher education. Yet, very little research has been conducted on the factors that influence the motivation of student affairs professionals to pursue continued professional learning, especially professionals within community colleges. This study utilized a quantitative research design to examine the physical and psychological factors of the work environment that can influence a community college student affairs professional’s motivation to pursue continued professional learning. Through the theoretical lens of Lewin’s Field Theory and Eccles’ Expectancy-Value Theory, I designed a 58-item survey (N = 41) …

Increasing Graduate School Enrollment In A Shrinking Applicant Pool: A Look At Factors Influencing College Choice, Lindsey Erin Storey Shelton

Theses and Dissertations

For years, the impending enrollment cliff has been a regular topic amongst higher education officials. With this event slated to hit undergraduate programs by 2025, it is anticipated that graduate schools will begin feeling the impact by 2029. By examining factors influencing graduate student college choice, enrollment managers can identify ways to offset the decline in eligible graduate students.

This study looked at applicants’ decisions to enroll or not enroll over a 5-year period at a public, research-intensive institution. The results of this study provided insight into the individual and academic factors that influence college choice, while also measuring the …

Predicting How Science Self-Efficacy And Identity Contributes To Postsecondary Stem Degree Selection, Bo Jason Hayes

Theses and Dissertations

One of the earliest indications that a student may be interested in STEM paths is the students’ own self-efficacy for science as well as how they may see themselves in a STEM career as part of their science self-identity (Schlegel et al., 2019). Currently, there is a need to contribute to research that can assist agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Education and the National Academy of Sciences in advising the nation, including high schools and postsecondary institutions on ways to increase the enrollment of students in STEM-related careers. This study examined the extent to which …

Evaluating Higher Education In Prison Effectiveness By Modality Through Student Success And Retention Rates In California Community Colleges, Peter Michael Fulks

Theses and Dissertations

There is a strident body of empirical research evidence that Higher Education in Prison (HEP) has a direct impact on reducing recidivism. Additionally for participants, it also increases the economic mobility and employability post-release. However, the ability to conduct randomly controlled trials with a distal measurement of recidivism is hindered due to the inconsistent industry definitions of recidivism. Considering the implementation of credit bearing college programs from California Community Colleges since Senate Bill 1391 in 2014, the study conducts statistical analysis through independent and paired t tests to determine which modality of delivery, face-to-face (F2F) or correspondence (COR), to provide …

Transitioning To A One Stop Student Services Center At A Community College: A Mixed Methods Approach To Analyzing Student Satisfaction With Advising Services, Heather M. Keith

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory, sequential mixed methods study was to understand and explore students' perceptions of advising services before, during, and after an institution has transitioned to a One Stop Student Services Center. The research compared pre-existing data obtained from the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Student Satisfaction Inventory results between the years of 2014, 2016, and 2018 to student interviews conducted in spring of 2021. The reason that this method was chosen is because the researcher wanted to understand more why students rated their academic advising experience as they had when they responded to the RNL-SSI. Overall, students expressed increased …

Non-Classroom Involvement Among Rural Community College Students: An Application Of Tinto And Astin’S Models, William Johnson Bowlin

Theses and Dissertations

Participation in non-classroom activities has been documented to extend the intellectual, social, and psychosocial outcomes of the college experience. However, the benefits of non-classroom activities are often difficult to quantify due their voluntary nature, with findings mostly related to students within four-year institutions. The purpose of this study was to determine whether rural community college full-time freshman students who participate in non-classroom activities differ from nonparticipants with regard to self-identified values of academic integration, social integration, degree commitment, collegiate stress, and institutional commitment. These five factors have been demonstrated to influence student persistence and were adopted from Davidson et al.’s …

Early College High Schools And Community College Partnerships: Perceptions Of Community College Administrators In Mississippi, Zachary W. Moulds

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the perceptions of community college administrators in Mississippi regarding the early college high schools located on their campuses. While the ECHS model has become prominent in several states, Mississippi’s efforts to implement the model have yet to be fully examined. Six administrators from three community colleges with ECHS located on their campuses were individually interviewed and asked to share their perceptions of the ECHS model. The participants were asked a series of 12 questions composed by the researcher. The results of the study indicated that each of the administrators overwhelmingly view …

The Interplay Of Aggregate Faculty Hiring, Aggregate Faculty Retention And Student Graduation At Community Colleges In The United States, Jared Burns

Theses and Dissertations

This research study was conducted to determine if there was a difference in community college graduation rates based on aggregate faculty hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size. The study employed a non-experimental quantitative research design with three independent variables (aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention and community college size) and one dependent variable (graduation rate).

The study utilized a one way ANOVA, independent t test, and factorial ANOVA to analyze differences in graduation rates based on aggregate faculty new hires, aggregate faculty retention, and community college size. Results of the one way ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences …

An Action Research Study On Lms Assessment Tools And Faculty Practice In English Composition Courses Of A Community College, Sophia Mitra

Theses and Dissertations

This mixed methods action research study aimed to understand the use of LMS assessment tools by faculty teaching English Composition (Eng 101) at a New Jersey Community College in order to increase that use for assessment of outcomes. In spite of administrative push for faculty to use the LMS for data based decision-making, there is still limited use of LMS tools. In writing-intensive fields like Eng 101 grading and feedback could be accelerated along with monitoring student performance on outcomes using LMS assessment tools. Forming a virtual faculty learning committee that collaborated in the study's data collection and analysis, volunteers …

Understanding How Institutional Agents Foster A Culturally Engaging Campus Environment To Facilitate Latinx Completion: A Multicase Study At Hispanic-Serving Community Colleges In New Jersey, Jose Luis Laureano

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this multicase study was to investigate and understand how institutional agents foster a culturally engaging campus environment to facilitate completion for Latinx students at federally designated Hispanic-serving community colleges in New Jersey. This multicase study focused on institutional agents at two New Jersey community colleges with high completion rates for Latinx students. Through interviews, observations, and analysis of institutional documents, data on institutional capacity, intentionality, and clarity of purpose were collected to identify patterns among the cases. There were six participants interviewed in this study and the research questions were used to guide the study in exploring …

The College Completion Agenda, Guided Pathways, And The Role Of Data In Informing Change: A Case Study Examining The Use Of Early Momentum Metrics To Advance Student Success, Meghan Gara Alai

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand how leaders at two community colleges that participated in Guided Pathways used early momentum metrics (EMMs) to change institutional policies or practices to improve student success and degree completion rates. By focusing on EMMs as short-term indicators, leaders could track the effectiveness of institutional changes for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Guided Pathways. The results of this study contributed new understanding to how leaders can better use EMMs to shape institutional changes that improve student success. This study provided leaders with tangible examples of EMMs in action and …

Community College Students' Sense Of Belonging And Care During Covid-19: A Grounded Theory Study, Lisa A. Dougherty

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative constructivist grounded theory research study was to understand and develop a theory about the experiences of community college students accessing online student support services, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when colleges were forced to close their in-person services. Interviews with seventeen students and a review of 57 email communications from the College yielded the data to construct a theory that extends the theories of sense of belonging and ethic of care to virtual student services – the Virtual Caring Campus Theory.

In the absence of a physical campus, colleges can create a virtual caring campus by …

The Counterstories Of Black Women At Community Colleges: Understanding How Co-Curricular Involvement Helps Them To Persist, Karen A. Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative research study was to add the voices and counter-stories of five Black women who attend community colleges to the discourse and literature concerning their co-curricular involvement experiences and persistence. I used critical race theory (CRT) as the theoretical framework to understand how involvement in co-curricular activities helps Black women at community colleges create support systems that allow them to overcome oppression and other forms of subordination and persist. Most studies that examine this phenomenon tend to use seminal student involvement theories that fail to account for the nuanced experiences and subordinate intersecting identities that Black …

A Mixed Methods Approach To The Study Of Pell Recipients' Formation Of Academic Capital And The Influence Of Institutional Agents, Rebecca S. Royal

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this explanatory sequential study was to identify factors associated with Pell grant recipients' persistence in a community college setting and to understand the influence of institutional actors on the formation of academic capital. Students completed a survey designed to measure the formation of students' academic capital (St. John et al., 2011; Winkler & Sriram, 2015). Then, survey participants participated in interviews to examine the influence of institutional actors and the role they play in the development of academic capital (Stanton-Salazar, 1997; Stanton-Salazar, 2011). Three meta-inferences emerged from the data that provided an overall explanation of the factors …

Asian American And Immigrant Asian Women In Community College Leadership: A Heuristic Study, Tinny T. Cheung

Theses and Dissertations

Asian American and immigrant Asian women are working within higher education, but few hold upper leadership positions within the community college sector. Limited research has been conducted regarding Asian American and immigrant Asian women in these leadership positions. The purpose of this qualitative, heuristic, phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of Asian American and immigrant Asian women in community college leadership. Specifically, this study sought to describe the lived intersectional experiences of race and gender, assignment of the model minority myth, and experiences with racialized discourses. Five themes emerged that captured the living experiences of Asian American and …

Policy Implications Of Refugee Education In Urban Settings: A Case Study Of The Experience Of Refugee Community-Based Schools In Cairo, Dawood Mayom

Theses and Dissertations

Egypt hosts asylum-seekers and refugees originating from a large number of countries. Many refugees find themselves living in urban settings, and education and access to schools across various levels have increasingly become challenging for children. This study focuses on refugees’ education between the years 2011-2020 in Cairo. During these years, the number of students increased by five times, making the provision of education a challenging endeavor. The research aims to explore and understand the multiple barriers to Community-Based Refugee Education in Urban Egypt. This study used a qualitative case study because of its relevancy to this topic and context. The …

A Case Study Of The Perceptions Of English Faculty Regarding Interactions With Students With Disabilities, Ara V. Karakashian

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative case study (Yin, 2018) was to explore the perceptions of 11 full time English faculty who teach at least one section of ENG 101-College Composition I, regarding interactions with students with disabilities (SWD) and learning disabilities (LD) at Friendship County Community College (FCCC), an urban community college in the northeastern region of the United States. Of the 11 faculty sampled, 11 participated in one-on-one interviews and a review of 24 de-identified disability accommodation letters was conducted. Using the Theory of Justice (Rawls, 1971, 2001) and the Ethic of Care (Noddings, 1984), data was collected to …

Community College Foundation Board Members: The Overlooked Partners, Christopher S. Downing

Theses and Dissertations

Due to shifting funding polices for community colleges, the role of the community college foundation has changed greatly from passive fund managers for the institution into active fundraisers. With over 15,000 individuals nationally serving in the volunteer role of community college foundation board member, and managing nearly one billion dollars in annual contributions, this is a key stakeholder group for community colleges. The importance of foundation board members will grow even faster as community colleges ask their foundations to expand as a revenue source for the college to complete their mission. With this increased role in the financial health of …

New Jersey Community College And High School Concurrent Enrollment Program (Cep) Partnerships Case Study, Darlene Mary Schapley

Theses and Dissertations

Students who are not college ready enter New Jersey Community Colleges placing in developmental education delaying entry into their degree program and possibly ending their aspiration for college completion. Students not completing a college degree cannot compete for livable wage jobs in America. My qualitative multiple case study contributed to the gap in knowledge about New Jersey partnerships offering comprehensive CEP programs including math and English from the participant perspectives. CEP partnerships engaged students in college coursework at New Jersey high schools in collaboration with New Jersey community colleges. These collaborations are great opportunities for community colleges to provide access …

Successful Community College Students: A Case Study Of The Path To Transfer, Nancy Gartland

Theses and Dissertations

Efforts to expand equity within post-secondary education, and to increase the number of people who acquire a college degree or certificate nationally, depend on community colleges. The rate of success for community college students, measured in persistence and completion rates, is relatively low.

In the U. S. in the fall of 2017, sixty three percent of the 5.9 million community college students attended part-time (NCES, 2019). Outside of class engagement is difficult for these students who spend limited time on campus. A program design that promotes a high level of engagement may contribute to student success. Thus, I set out …

How Does Performance Funding Impact The Open Access Mission Of Community Colleges In Massachusetts?, Walter T. Brooks

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this case study of four community colleges was to determine if the Massachusetts Performance Funding Formula (MAPFF) has negatively impacted access in two threats to access: 1) decreased affordability; and 2) restriction of admissions, enrollment, and recruitment in fiscal years 2014, 2015, and 2016. Participating senior administrators provided their perceptions of how the Massachusetts Performance Funding Formula impacted student access and their institutions. Access was negatively impacted by decreased affordability due to significant increases to tuition and fees the students pay. Access was also negatively impacted by a reduction and elimination of programs, courses, and sections.

Promoting Persistence Among Lgbtq Community College Students, Gregory D. Robinson

Theses and Dissertations

A vast amount of research has been devoted to the persistence and retention of college students since the 1970s. Recent research has focused on targeted populations such as first year students, racially minoritized, students with low social economic status and students at the developmental/remedial level. Nevertheless, limited scholarly research has been conducted on the persistence and retention of another category of students, sexual and gender minorities. This qualitative study examined the experiences that promote persistence among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ) community colleges students. Interviews with eight LGBTQ students from three community colleges in the state of Illinois …

Seeing Reading In First-Year Composition, Matthew Felumlee

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on a study of reading-into-writing strategies employed by students in two sections of first-year-composition (FYC) that were paired with a support course as part of an accelerated learning program (ALP) at a community college. Each FYC course was comprised of 11 students whom the college had deemed college-ready without the ALP course, and 11 students who were deemed at remedial levels in reading and / or writing and who were subsequently required to enroll in the ALP course. The study employs grounded theory methodology to identify and consider the many factors that influenced how reading was portrayed, …

An Examination Of The Obstacles That Impact Adult Students' Performance In Workforce Development Medical Assistant Training Programs: A Case Study, Marianne Van Deursen

Theses and Dissertations

Competency-based medical assisting training programs are rigorous, fast-paced, and demanding of students' time. This single-case study examined the needs, barriers, and challenges that impact adult students enrolled in the workforce development medical assisting training program at Warren County Community College, from the perspective of the students, faculty, and workforce development specialists interviewed. The intention was to generate knowledge, learn, and understand the extent to which participants perceived how these obstacles impact students' performance. Results of this study suggest that a stronger focus of the assumptions of the adult learner and the development of strategies aimed at minimizing the impact of …

Strangers In A Strange Land: A Phenomenological Study Of Ell Students' Experiences With Anxiety, Gary Steven Abbott

Theses and Dissertations

A primary tenet of community colleges is open access. However, offering open access and ensuring completion are two different matters, especially for students who may not be as college ready as others. One group of students are English Language Learner (ELL) who, apart from all the other challenges new college students must face, have the added challenges of adapting to a new language and culture and the ensuing anxiety those challenges create. In order to understand the meaning these students make of experiences with anxiety, a hermeneutical phenomenological study following van Manen's (2014) methodology was conducted with five ELL participants …

Taking The Initiative: Exploring The Usefulness Of Faculty-Student Interaction Based On Validation Theory, Fidel Wilson

Theses and Dissertations

The literature is replete with studies that establish a nexus between student success outcomes and faculty-student interaction (Braxton, Milem & Sullivan, 2008; CCSSE, 2001; Cole, 2010; Pascarella & Terenzini, 2001). Faculty-student interaction involves discussion between faculty and student regarding the student's academic and social development. In this qualitative study, faculty were trained to use strategies based on validation theory in the classroom to enhance their interaction with the Black males. Validation theory involves someone intentionally taking an active interest in the academic and personal development of a student serving as a source of encouragement and support (Rendon, 1994). The findings …

Institutional Advancement At Historically Black Community Colleges: A Multi-Case Study, Lakeisha S. Carter

Theses and Dissertations

In this multi-case study, three cases were studied and four participants were interviewed to understand institutional advancement (IA) at historically Black community colleges (HBCCs) and how the institutional advancement professionals engage the alumni in the fundraising process. The results of this study are presented in this dissertation and illuminate the work of the IA professionals at HBCCs. The participants reported what institutional advancement looks like at each individual HBCCs. This study shows the commonalities and differences in IA at HBCCs and the professionals' perceptions of their interactions with alumni. The professionals discussed the fundraising challenges for advancement at HBCCs. Finally, …

Academic And Social Adaptation Through A College Success Course: A Case Study Of Second Semester Students At A Suburban Community College In Northern New Jersey, Jenny Pamela Marcenaro

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative critical single case study was to explore how second semester students who took a college student success course during their first term adapted to their second term. Specifically, by focusing on how this course contributed to their academic and social adaptation, and why this course may have facilitated such adaptation and persistence at their institution. Findings from this study indicated that this course contributed to these students' adaptation from first to second semester by teaching these students the importance of time management, changing their priorities, putting their academics first. In addition, these participants learned about …

The Value Of Non-Scholarship Community College Athletics In New Jersey: A Student-Athlete And Administrator Perspective, Anthony Joseph Trump

Theses and Dissertations

This multiple case study examines two New Jersey non-scholarship community college athletic programs and answers the questions why student-athletes choose to attend the community college and participate in athletics, what factors influence their decisions, and how administrators and student-athlete descriptions of the value and contribution of participation in community college athletics align. The value of attending and competing in a non-scholarship community college athletic program is carefully examined through multiple interviews of student-athletes, athletic administrators, and chief student administrators. Additionally, the student-athlete perspective on what factors influenced them to choose to attend community college and participate at the non-scholarship level …

A Case Study Of Community College Faculty Attitudes Toward Students With Disabilities, Mary C. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this single case study was to explore the attitudes and experiences of faculty at one small, public, community college in the southeastern United States. Of the 180 faculty sampled, 35 completed the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons survey, 13 participated in a one-on-one interview, and a review of 30 institutional documents was conducted. Using social constructivism, disability theory, and the researchers personal and professional experiences as the framework, the data collected helped to gain insight into the faculty's experiences with classroom accommodations and attitudes toward students with disabilities. Five key findings revealed that community college faculty in the …