Community College Leadership Commons^™

Creating A Culture Of Informal Mentoring At Community Colleges: Conditions That Strengthen And Weaken Relationships And Students' Structural Resiliency, Sharon Mcmahon

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Informal mentoring relationships that develop out of frequent and meaningful interaction with faculty and staff are powerful tools that can help community college students persist and succeed in achieving not only their educational goals but their future economic mobility as well (Komosa-Hawkins, 2012; Phillippo, 2010; Zimmerman et al., 2002). Students are more likely to be successful when they can identify and interact with someone on campus who they relate to, can count on for support, and who affirms their sense of belonging (Rendón, 1994).

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to identify conditions conducive to the development of …

Exploring The Voices, Experiences, And Leadership Career Paths Of Women Of Color In Higher Education, Tonya P. Cooper

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the voices, experiences, and factors promoting the leadership career paths of senior-level women of color in higher education and to capture the voices of senior-level women of color on how they were able to overcome the barriers and challenges to breaking the glass ceiling on their leadership career paths to senior-level administration in higher education. A phenomenological research method was employed to capture the participants’ voices, experiences, and leadership career paths of their roles in higher education. Results show that the women of color in the study confirmed the perceived challenges …

African American Females Holding Executive Administrative Positions At California Community Colleges: A Phenomenological Study Of Cultural Influences And Opportunities, Daria Reynolds

Dissertations

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived

experiences of African American female presidents, vice presidents, deans, associate deans, and directors serving at a California community college (CCC) and to explore what African American cultural influences or other opportunities contributed to their becoming administrators.

Methodology: This phenomenological study explores the lived experiences of African American female administrators of CCCs. This study highlighted the essence of those lived experiences. The respondents were chosen based on specific criteria. The researcher then conducted structured web-conference interviews that described the essence of the lived experiences of the 10 African American …

The Essential Role Of College And University Librarians In Supporting Transfer Student Success, Peggy Lee Nuhn, Karen F. Kaufmann

Georgia International Conference on Information Literacy

Nationwide, the numbers of transfer students on college and university campuses are increasing; however, libraries have not fully recognized the unique needs of transfer students with respect to students' attainment of information literacy competencies. Students may come to our campus with no previous information literacy instruction, and even if they had a "library instruction" class, it does not mean they can apply that to a new institution with different and perhaps more complex resources, or they may be taking online classes. Neither can we treat transfer students as "First Time in College" students, because they are not. Transfer students frequently …

How Orientation Programs At West Virginia Community Colleges Affect Mid-Level Administrators' Perceptions Of Adjunct Faculty Quality, Gina M. Taylor

Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the relationship between the presence of orientation programs for adjunct faculty at West Virginia community and technical colleges and mid-level administrators’ perceptions of adjunct faculty quality. Using data obtained through an Internet-based questionnaire administered to 91 mid-level administrators at West Virginia community and technical colleges, the study resulted in several notable findings, many of which reinforced similar findings uncovered in the review of the literature. Most researchers agree that the results of high-quality orientation programs can be a tremendous asset to adjunct faculty, leading to an adjunct group that knows what …

Pathways To Success In Anatomy And Physiology At The Community College: The Role Of Prerequisite Courses, Staci B. Forgey, Mitchell R. Williams, Shana Pribesh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Gatekeeper courses such as Anatomy and Physiology are often referenced in discussions regarding the national shortage of persons in allied health professions. In an attempt to bolster access to STEM professions, some community colleges are mandating prerequisite courses such as Natural Sciences and/or General Biology for STEM gatekeeping courses. In this study, we examined which of these prerequisite courses helped students to pass Anatomy and Physiology and whether the courses are an additional barrier to STEM field completion. This was the first study to evaluate whether a prerequisite course was predictive of success in Anatomy and Physiology, and it contributes …

A Case Study Of Equity And Student Experience In A California Community College, Agyeman Siriboe Boateng

LMU Theses and Dissertations

In California community colleges, students of color reach educational milestones and culminating outcomes disproportionately less often than their peers. In the past decade, the state has committed renewed energy to refining student equity plan regulations requiring individual colleges to identify and develop strategies to close such gaps. This dissertation sought to focus on the intended beneficiaries of these efforts, asking how students themselves define and experience equity. Using semistructured, narrative interviews to explore the experiences of nine students of color at a California community college, this qualitative case was supported by institutional documents, participant observation, and interviews with college personnel. …

Influencers Of Succession Planning Among Rural Community College Chief Executives, Ashley Aylett

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The challenge of maintaining strong leadership within many community colleges has been exacerbated by many factors including demographic shifts, therefore, succession planning is one tool used by institutions to offset the challenge of dealing with aging leaders, retirements, and a limited pool of competent applicants. Many senior administrators have and will continue to retire at rapid rates and fewer well-prepared individuals seem to be available or willing to move into these roles. Higher education literature has explored the future of community colleges during this time of change, some examining critical factors for the future of community colleges by asking questions …

The Business Of Choice: Why Students Select For-Profit Career Colleges In Northeast Florida And The Implications For Community College Leaders, Tameiko Allen Grant

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Over the past decade, for-profit career colleges have faced significant scrutiny and increased governmental regulation. Even with the skepticism of critics, for-profit enrollments surged and had one of the fastest enrollment growths among higher education sectors. For-profit career colleges are typically known for their predatory marketing practices and exorbitant costs. However, there is a significant concern surrounding why students would attend an institution with such a high cost and a socially perceived low-probability of return on investment (Cellini, 2012; Iloh & Tierney, 2013). This study employs a case study methodology to examine the decision-making process of students who selected for-profit …

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.

The Challenges Facing Women Leaders In Mid-Level Positions At Urban Community Colleges, Kia L. Hardy

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

Although women lead at higher rates overall at community colleges, they continue to lead at lower rates in senior-level positions compared to men within those institutions. Women serve as presidents in 36% of community colleges (ACE, 2017). Additionally, community college presidents are currently retiring at rapid rates, and this turnover in leadership is expected to continue (Phillipe, 2016; Shults, 2001; Tekle, 2012). As community colleges face current and future reductions in senior-level leadership, women in mid-level leadership roles should be considered to fill the leadership gap.

Previous studies have examined the leadership challenges faced by women leaders, but there has …

Community College Faculty's Attitudes And Self-Efficacy With Literacy Instruction In The Disciplines, Kristen H. Gregory, Linda Bol, Thomas Bean, Tony Perez

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

Many community college students are entering college-level courses underprepared for the literacy skills required to be successful. Faculty are considered experts in their disciplines, yet are often not trained in pedagogy and literacy instruction (Furco & Moely, 2012; Moje, 2008; Tsui, 2002). We developed a questionnaire to measure faculty's (n = 231) perceptions of their role, level of self-efficacy, and classroom practice in regard to discipline- specific literacy instruction. We analyzed data using exploratory factor analysis, t-tests, and analysis of variance. The findings show that faculty have marginally positive perceptions and self-efficacy regarding incorporating discipline-specific literacy instruction in their courses. …

The Role Of Higher Education In Rural Economic Development: A Program Evaluation Of The Colorado Rural Jump-Start Program, Maureen T. Stepp

Higher Education: Doctoral Research Projects

Since the financial crisis of 2008 and the subsequent recession, some urban and metro areas have experienced economic recovery, but not all geographic areas are recovering at the same pace. Federal, state, and local programs developed to help rural communities with their economic development efforts have failed to make much of a difference. In 2015, as a potential solution, Colorado spearheaded an initiative to incentivize economic development in rural communities. The Rural Jump-Start (RJS) Zone Act provides tax relief to new businesses and employees of those businesses, with the idea that because of these benefits, more businesses would retain, start, …

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, …

A Phenomenological Inquiry Into The Racialized Experiences Of Southeast Asian American Community College Students, Varaxy Yi Borromeo

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Southeast Asian American (SEAA) (e.g., Cambodian, Hmong, Lao, and Vietnamese) students' educational realities are often masked by assumptions that all Asian Americans are model minorities. However, SEAA students have also been racialized as deviant minorities to explain disparities faced by the community. Relatively minimal scholarship has explored how race and racism shape their experiences. In this study, AsianCrit provides a framework for exploring the racial realities of SEAA students in community college. Qualitative research methods were employed to explore in-depth the ways they experience race and racialization. Specifically, this study is a phenomenological exploration of their lived racialized experiences and …

Community College Professors' Engagement And Perceptions Of Professional Development In Remote Environments, Norma-Jean J. Nielsen

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Research shows that consistent, supportive, and relevant professional development (PD) is an action that empowers educators to change. In the east central region of Canada, the sustainability of community colleges had been linked to program collaboration and internationalization which requires implementation of high-quality PD for its professors. Guided by Mezirow's adult transformative learning theory, the purpose of this study was to understand the PD practices of full-time professors by investigating the connections between professors' level of engagement in PD and their perceptions of the resources and processes that may improve their instructional practices. This single-phased, concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted …

Organizational Change For Sustainability: Implications For The Community College, David Ayers, Michael V. Ayers

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

We discuss the theoretical basis for organizational sustainability as well as an introduction to how community colleges might incorporate sustainability into planning and organizational renewal. We then describe drivers of change organized into three categories: dynamic natural environment, globalization, and multinational agreements. Implications for community college policy and practice are discussed. The second half of the paper presents a phase model of organizational change for sustainability.

Impediments To The Advancement Of Women At Community Colleges, Teresa Yearout, Mitchell Williams, John Brenner

Journal of Women in Educational Leadership

This study examined current women leaders’ perceptions of the impediments to advancement at the community college. The study was guided by research questions addressing perceptions of (a) personal or internal impediments to advancement; (b) organizational or structural impediments to advancement; and (c) organizational cultural impediments to advancement. Additionally, the current study focuses on the setting and size of the community college and how these factors affect women leaders’ perceptions of impediments to leadership advancement. Participants in the study included a nonrandom, purposive sample of senior female leaders at community college leaders at community colleges in the eleven-state region of the …

The Effect Of Tuition On Graduation Rate At Community Colleges, Carter Brown Youmans

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Theses & Dissertations

The community college mission has long included open access through low tuition (Vaughan, 2006). Financial challenges for community college students threaten open access (Shannon & Smith, 2006). Paying tuition plays a part in a student’s ability to graduate. A community colleges’ success is measured in part by graduation rates. President Obama challenged all colleges, including community colleges, to increase their graduation rates 50% by the year 2020 (Obama, 2009). The current study analyzed whether public, community colleges’ tuitions predicted their graduation rates using recent data and if size of enrollment moderated the relations between tuition and graduation rate. A two-block, …

Why Do They Do It? A Case Study Of Factors Influencing Part-Time Faculty To Seek Employment At A Community College, Philip E. Pons, Dana Burnett, Mitchell R. Williams, Tisha M. Paredes

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

The purpose of this qualitative study was to discover the motivational factors influencing part-time faculty employment within the community college from the perspective of the part-time faculty. The study examined these reported motivational factors for differences influenced by age, gender, and employment status. A survey was distributed to a random sample of part-time faculty members at a large metropolitan community college in the Southeastern United States. Participants were asked to respond to categorical demographic questions and survey questions to determine workplace satisfaction. Three open-ended questions were presented to obtain in-depth information about the motivational factors leading adjunct faculty to seek …

Chicanas In Ir: Data-Driven Advocacy For Latinx Students From Institutional Research Contexts In The Community College, Elvira Abrica, Martha Rivas

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Various inequities and challenges facing Latinx students in community colleges continue to be documented. Yet, less documented are the challenges associated with advocacy efforts to support Latinx and other underrepresented Students of Color within the community college sector. There is not often pause to consider: who advocates for Latinx students? When and how does this advocacy take shape? In this article, we offer Chicana testimonios as institutional research (IR) professionals to highlight ways we experience, respond to, and challenge institutionalized racism and systemic obstacles to advocate for Latinx students in the California community college system. We situate our testimonios within …

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 …

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 …

Delivering Disability Accommodations At A Community College: A Case Study, Caolfionn B. Yenney, Janie Sacco Ii

College Student Affairs Leadership

This case study explores the Office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at Northern Midwestern Community College (NMCC). Like many state institutions of higher education, NMCC has undergone continued budgetary cuts, some of which have impacted their services. Additionally, NMCC faces limited support from administration and resistance from instructors to provide accommodations. Taking the position of the accommodations coordinator, this case study challenges readers to consider a student concern from an institutional, collaborative, student response, and strategic perspective.

Strategic Importance Of Recruiting International Students For Community Colleges Framed In The Context Of An Institution's Fiscal Health, Tobias Bruhn

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to understand the strategic role international students play in the overall fiscal health of select community colleges located in a Middle Atlantic state in the United States, as well as to explore the marketing and recruitment strategies used to interact with international students and their effectiveness. Community college professionals in senior management positions responsible for the institution’s strategic direction and fiscal health, as well as those working directly with international students or those engaged in strategic enrollment management, participated in this study.

Framed by the research setting, problem and purpose, the following questions guided …

Perceptions Of Career And Technical Education Held By High School Career Counselors, Marlon Thornburg

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Current enrollment in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the United States and in the state of Kansas is lagging behind the future demand for skilled workers. With millions of skilled labor positions unfilled and the pending retirement of the baby boomer generation, the United States is at a critical juncture to compete in the global marketplace. High school career counselors are the primary resource for CTE program recruitment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether high school career counselors' educational backgrounds, knowledge levels of CTE initiatives and programs in Kansas, and available counseling time were associated …

Community Colleges And First-Generation Students: Academic Discourse In The Writing Classroom, Jan Osborn

English Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Community Colleges and First-Generation Students examines how first-generation students from diverse ethnic and linguistic backgrounds are initiated into what is known as academic discourse, particularly at the community college. Osborn systematically looks at specific classroom discourses through detailed evidence provided by the diversities represented by the students, and how the students negotiated their identities in terms of the ideological directionality in play.

The download link above only contains chapter 2 of Dr. Osborn's book, "Identities: A Context of Multiplicity".

An Exploration Of Emotional Intelligence And Its Relationship To Higher Education Effective Leadership Practices Of Leaders In A Community College Environment

Journal of Applied Christian Leadership

"the results of the investigation provide new data that could advance post secondary educational leadership to improve institutional performance and provide information on whether Ei theory can be extended to the community college."

Effective Fund Raising Practices In Public Community Colleges, Mark A. Bergstrom

Dissertations

This quantitative survey research gathered perceptions of Chief Development Officers (CDO’s) at public community colleges across the U.S., with 129 respondents.

Of the items rated most highly, CDO’s perceived that their presidents effectively communicates their institution’s mission to internal and external constituents; their college has made unique contributions to their community; their college fund raising program has effectively defined a niche in their service area; their investment/stewardship program has advisors successfully guiding investment; they have successful oversight over investments; and they have a successful process for selecting their investment advisors.

Multiple regression analysis examined the predictors of potential elements of …

Exploring Factors That Influence Ged Students To Complete And Matriculate To Career And Technical Education Certificate Programs In Community Colleges, Irma J. Rayborn

Dissertations

In the current labor market, individuals without a high school diploma or equivalent credentials are more likely to be un-employed, unemployable, or in a low-wage earning position, working two or more part-time jobs to make ends meet. Their outlook on life, and their future, is often bleak. Yet, by obtaining their GED credential, and enrolling in short-term career and technical certificate programs offered at many local community colleges, they are able to gain the skills, experience and confidence needed to open doors to new employment opportunities and a brighter future.

The purpose of this study is to explore the factors …