Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Influences on State-funded categorical enrollment patterns in thirteen of Oregon's community colleges

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/graduate_thesis_or_dissertations/9z903220k

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  • The purpose of this investigation was to examine the influence of selected historical, fiscal, and organizational factors on enrollment patterns in Oregon Community Colleges during the academic years 1978-79, 1981-82, and 1984-85. Oregon was selected insofar as it is one of the few remaining states which observes the principle of local control and maintains state institutional reimbursement for five categories of enrollment, including adult self-improvement. The 13 Oregon community colleges formed between 1961 and 1971 provided the population for this study. A telephone instrument was developed to gather historical data from the president of each college. Additional information was gathered from state agencies. The data collected were analyzed using stepwise regression and the determination of simple correlation coefficients. The five dependent variables were each of the reimbursable categories of enrollment. It was hypothesized that 19 separate factors, the independent variables, could have influenced the reimbursable categories. Research findings identified the following influences upon FTE by enrollment categories: 1. instructional staffing patterns for increasing transfer and vocational preparatory; 2. presidential ratings of vocational education for increasing vocational preparatory; 3. stability of property taxpayer support for increasing transfer; 4. unsuccessful budget elections for increasing developmental education; and 5. unemployment for decreasing vocational preparatory and increasing transfer. However, none of the factors considered had an impact upon vocational supplemental and self-improvement FTE categories. In addition, the completion of this investigation demonstrated that it is possible to develop a predictive model for enrollments by category. Although a number of the factors considered did not prove to be significant, the findings from this study provided an initial research model that can be used to facilitate the examination of other factors which may influence predictive enrollment modeling by category in various settings. Further studies should include consideration of additional variables, including community characteristics and population migration rates as well as the impact of local control on enrollment trends. The following variables should be subject to continuing reexamination: President's ranking and rating of enrollment categories; the impact of budgetary elections, subject to improved methodology; state funding achievement for years when funding redistributions occur; changes of chief executive officer and changes at the division and/or department level, in comparison to changes of higher level administrators. In addition, those factors which constitute barriers placed between unemployed workers and vocational training should be closely examined.
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