A utilitarian approach, “greatest good for the greatest number”, in higher education has been common practice for a very long time (Alexander, 2000). This approach, while effective for many, is incomplete when exploring solutions to shifting demographics and larger achievement gaps based on these factors. Customized educational programming and less...
Retention literature has shown that student retention is impacted when economic factors are considered when selecting a college. Students who are low income typically choose colleges that are closer to home and rely on financial aid to pay for college. Further, financial aid is generally a positive indicator of retention...
The role of community colleges as open-access institutions that bring racial diversity to careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields is essential (Musante, 2012; Reyes, 2011). Yet, the opportunity to attend postsecondary institutions is not enough to guarantee the success of People of Color as they navigate...
Developmental mathematics and the completion of degrees have been at the forefront of community colleges in recent years. Positive psychology has given rise to the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. The purpose of this study is to study the relationship between positive emotions and developmental mathematics achievement at the community...
More than half of students in Washington state community colleges enroll in developmental mathematics, but a relatively small percentage of these students persist to the second year. Many students place into these courses and never enroll; others enroll at some point after the first academic term, even when faced with...
Understanding the relationship between motivation, academic achievement, and persistence may help higher education administrators develop plans for increasing student engagement and student success. Prior research on higher education indicated connections between motivation, academic achievement, and persistence, but there has been limited research that relates these concepts to the rural community...
The nursing profession has long sought more diversity in registered nurses (RNs) to reflect the populations served. One way to enhance RN diversity is through diversity in community college (CC) associate degree in nursing (ADN) programs.
Since ADN programs lead to professional employment with middle-class wages, they form an important...
Background: Prior research has shown that distance learning courses have higher failure rates at community colleges then equivalent face-to-face to courses. There are a few programs and courses, however, that consistently achieve completion rates as high as or higher than their equivalent face-to-face courses. The research to date has not...
Background: The United States has been under-producing college graduates since at least 1980, with many challenges suppressing students’ self-efficacy. One approach to improving student outcomes is through mentorship. This dissertation applied Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and Kram’s Mentor Relationship Development Theory (MRD) to discover whether students’ campus mentorship experiences...
At the intersection of higher education and politics, there is demand for an easily understood measure of student success. Graduation rate is the current measure of choice, but the definition of graduation rate excludes many categories of students and types of success particularly applicable to community colleges. The purpose of...
Literature on U.S. higher education includes a historical and consistent debate over adequate funding in relation to the ever-increasing challenges which require U.S. colleges to embrace change as a constant. As change continues to challenge all aspects of our society scholars and organizational leaders recognize innovation as imperative in addressing...
The student-loan market has surpassed 1.3 trillion dollars; rising student-loan cohort default rates are a growing concern among educational institutions. Many colleges are implementing financial-education programs for students to help increase their knowledge, aptitude, and skills so they may become informed consumers. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: The purpose of this...
Latina/o student enrollments in community colleges in the United States are rapidly growing, yet Latina/o student success rates have not matched this growth. There is a need for community college programs that serve Latina/o student populations more effectively and that incorporate multicultural educational practices into college programs. The purpose of...
Corporate universities (CUs) have been in existence in the United States since the early 1900s. They are increasingly providing educational and developmental opportunities for workers; however, there is little empirical research on these types of organizations. This study examined a specific electrical distributor's CU using a theoretical framework as a...
Higher education is faced with ever-increasing challenges, which require fundamental changes in order to ensure its relevance in the future. Business leaders and academic scholars urge organizations to continuously reshape and renew through learning and innovation to assure viability and sustainability. Organizational climate serves as a foundation that can promote...
The community college baccalaureate movement has shown strong growth across the country as a strategy to meet workforce shortages. A variety of forces are driving the movement including (a) employer demand for higher credentials; (b) geographical access to education; (c) lower cost education; (d) a trained workforce to compete in...
The topic of student success is beginning to grow in popularity throughout the United States. Student success has a wide variety of definitions ranging from a direct definition of graduation to an indirect definition of a student setting a goal of finishing a class successfully. Now there are stakeholders such...
Baccalaureate attainment represents an important goal among educators and policymakers. The National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education has stated that affordability and transfer are critical to increasing baccalaureate attainment, and that community colleges have a critical role in this transfer process. On the other hand, some researchers disagree...
As the number of international students continues to increase on campuses throughout the world, many institutions are turning to pathway programs (college preparation programs) to ensure that these students are able to successfully transition into the host culture and campus environment (Andrade, 2006; Dooey, 2010; Hanover Research, 2010; Perez-Pena, 2014,...
Research on higher education during the period 1990 to 2013 has suggested that U.S. higher education institutions were significantly impacted by a number of global forces, including an increase in the movement of goods, information, and people across borders. During the same period, a measurable increase occurred in the number...