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...
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...
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...
In response to concern over a lack of diversity in STEM postsecondary programs, institutions of higher education across the nation have promoted opportunities for undergraduate research. Such opportunities have been shown to enrich student experiences and success, especially for students from historically underrepresented groups. While these benefits have been fairly...
The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of secondary agriculture teachers as they reconcile the competing demands of the profession in the social landscape of School-Based Agricultural Education. Previous literature about the agriculture teacher shortage problem revealed opportunities for research to utilize qualitative approaches and alternative...
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...
This exploratory, narrative study investigated two research questions. One, how do executive leaders at community colleges describe how their cognitive schema and sensemaking approach informed their understanding of a crisis that their organization faced. Two, how do executive leaders at community colleges describe what leadership traits, behaviors, and competencies they...
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...
Background. As community colleges are increasingly composed of Millennial-aged professionals, workforce retention of those professionals is now a major priority. The Millennial generation is more diverse and more likely to be impacted by technology than any generation before them and is a generation characterized by dual-income partnerships. These and other...
This literature seeks to broadly examine historical literature and information pertaining to developmental education in the community colleges and its relationship with the college success. Contextually, the review will examine factors that affect student perception to academic success while being required to participate in remedial course work. Although issues surrounding...
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...
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...
Background. As part of the nationwide student completion agenda, the Achieving the Dream (ATD) national reform network was established to help community colleges quickly institute sustainable change scaled to impact all students at the institution in a short period of time. Although ATD has been in existence for over a...
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...
This phenomenological study explores the effects that an interdisciplinary program of study at a community college has on students once they transfer to a four-year institution. Interdisciplinary approaches have been proposed as a way of meeting the complex thinking skills needed for 21st Century learning. Because interdisciplinary learning is complex,...
Student engagement with faculty is positively associated with increases in the retention and graduation rates of students enrolled in institutions of higher education. Although a considerable amount of research has focused on understanding the engagement experiences of students enrolled at four-year colleges and universities, little emphasis has been placed on...
This manuscript-style dissertation explores Diné (Navajo) education and teaching in the context of a research project that negotiated the demands of both Navajo Nation IRB and Oregon State University IRB. In the first manuscript, the researcher examines his journey of using cultural resilience strategies to succeed in the education system...
This dissertation was a qualitative case study focused on part-time faculty teachingdevelopmental mathematics courses in one large Pacific Northwest community college. Thecollege was selected for its size and maturity; the topic was selected for three related reasons:part-time faculty have been widely relied upon to teach these courses nationwide; students indevelopmental...
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...