<p> The academy has long acknowledged teaching, service, and research as the threefold work of its members. Those members in community colleges primarily engage in teaching, as opposed to research and service, but historical trends show an increase in the percent of courses taught by contingent instructors as opposed to full-time faculty members. This trend, when considered with the fact that almost half of the students now pursuing postsecondary educational opportunities do so in community colleges, provides a rich landscape for investigation. </p><p> This dissertation examines, through description correlation methods, the existence of relationships between characteristics of community college contingent faculty and the planning, preparation, class environment, instruction, and professional development activities used by contingent faculty in community colleges, specifically those instructors in the Arts and Sciences or general education divisions. </p><p> Those varied teaching activities are the components of Danielson's Framework for Teaching, a model developed to address wide-ranging aspects of instruction. That model serves as the conceptual framework for this study, which included participants from across the nation who work in community colleges differentiated by size and the populations they serve. </p><p> The analysis of the results of this correlational study leads to recommendations for more effective instructional practices in contingent faculty and improved integration of this group into the academic life of community colleges.</p>

<p>The purpose of this qualitative multiple-case study was to explore and identify informal faculty leadership (IFL) practices in progressive, post-secondary settings known as Learning Colleges. Subordinate to this was the identification of administrative practices and structures enabling or obstructing IFL. The unit of analysis was three Learning Colleges, identified as exemplars of Learning College best practices. Three types of data were gathered for triangulation purposes. The mission, vision, and values statements of each college were examined for consistencies with the Learning College Movement and IFL. From the three identified colleges, two presidents and one senior vice-president were interviewed, and 52 faculty members were surveyed to identify current informal faculty leadership practices, potential new applications, and administrative behaviors advancing or inhibiting this practice. While the documents of all three colleges delineated the importance of faculty in achieving their respective goals, the role of IFL was not specifically addressed. In interviews, the three administrators acknowledged the critical role of faculty in their college's reform efforts and reinforced the importance of ongoing collaboration between administration and faculty in achieving the college's purposes. Specific examples included faculty roles in professional development, innovative practices, and as leading purveyors for a variety of change initiatives. Faculty reported a broad spectrum of peer leadership behaviors that influenced their actions including collaboration, communication, innovation, and risk-taking. From points of convergence, current examples of informal faculty leadership revealed that administrators and faculty members recognized the value of IFL to their college's mission &ndash; learning. Both groups viewed this as a prime vehicle for improvement, and characterized informal faculty leaders as crucial change agents. Recommendations for administrators and faculty include embracing collaboration and innovation as primary change modalities. Professional development needs to be faculty driven and strongly resourced by administration. Specific programs advocated by both groups include Service Learning and the use of emerging technologies. Practices recommended include moving innovation to institutionalization seamlessly and including faculty members in every step. Future research should include further exploration into IFL, additional programs such as the mentoring of students, and the role of middle-level management as critical facilitators of informal faculty leadership. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to explore links to student engagement from classroom activities and from faculty practice that lead to student success in a community college setting. It also sought to identify faculty groups whose classroom and course activities align better with community college student engagement and to provide a guide for local practice and future faculty development. Using 2012 CCSSE data collected by the research site, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis was performed to determine if there were significant student or faculty-contingent variables that predicted career learning, academic learning, or personal development gains. Of the 30 variables analyzed, 16 significantly predicted learning gains in at least one learning domain. The lowest adjusted <i>R</i>² value of the three regression analyses was 0.333, indicating the models explained a third or more of the variance in each of the three scales. Of the 16 significant predictors, seven predicted learning in two or more domains or had regression coefficients greater than 0.100. These seven variables then served as dependent variables for additional data analysis using 2012 institutional CCFSSE data to determine if there were significant differences in student engagement activity, perception, and practice between faculty characteristics of employment status, academic degree, course repetition, teaching experience, and teaching area. </p><p> To summarize the findings, full-time faculty, faculty having more course experience, faculty in CTE programs, or faculty possessing lower levels of academic degrees practiced faculty-contingent engagement practices more than their counterparts. Additionally, faculty who taught only college-level coursework perceived better quality relationships with their students than faculty who taught only developmental coursework.</p>

<p> This dissertation investigated community college students' perceptions about educational counseling, its value, and its relationship with academic and social integration into the college environment. In an attempt to explore students' perceptions, a quantitative study was conducted at four California community colleges. The survey was distributed to over 22,000 community college students, and 1,746 students responded. Statistical analysis of the survey responses yielded the following findings: (a) historically underrepresented populations of college students such as students of color, first generation college students, English language learners, and poor students reported higher satisfaction and value of holistic counseling and higher levels of academic and social integration; (b) students with high educational goals and institutional commitment and students who intended to transfer were more satisfied with counseling, placed greater value upon holistic counseling, and were more academically and socially integrated; (c) students with higher levels of counselor contact reported a higher value of holistic counseling; however, integration findings were more nuanced; (d) students meeting with the same counselor appeared to be the strongest predictor of counselor satisfaction and value of counseling; and (e) there were few statistically significant relationships between demographic variables and outcome variables. Interpretations in light of prior literature as well as implications and recommendations for policy, practice, theory, and future research are discussed.</p>

<p> Academic dishonesty is a well-documented problem in higher education. While numerous actions and/or behaviors are attributed to threatening academic integrity, the vernacular term used by both students and faculty is "cheating". Although there has been a substantial amount of research on academic integrity and dishonesty in general, little is known about the community college environment or whether faculty and students agree as to what behaviors actually constitute cheating. As the behaviors and actions range from those that are individual, collaborate, or involve the use of the Internet; perceptions about the severity of the actions associated with defined consequences also needed to be explored. </p><p> Targeting California community college students and faculty, a network sampling technique solicited 59 students and 56 faculty members through social media sites, including <i>LinkedIn, Facebook</i> and <i>Twitter, </i> along with the researcher's personal network of colleagues and students. Two web-based surveys, 1 for each population, were developed based on findings in the literature. The content validation process resulted in 17 behaviors grouped into 3 categories based on the nature of the behavior. Participants were asked whether they believed the behavior to be cheating and if so, to rate the severity of the cheating behavior considering their associated consequences. </p><p> Students and faculty were in agreement that 11 of the 17 behaviors were cheating and 5 of the 17 were not while there were differences in opinions regarding the severity and appropriate consequences for some of these behaviors. Behaviors considered to be collaborative had more variation in opinions regarding whether they were cheating, the severity and the deserved consequence than independent related or Internet related behaviors. Internet related behaviors had a high level of agreement between faculty and students and had similar opinions on the severity and consequences of these behaviors. To increase and enhance the understanding of academic dishonesty at community colleges, it is recommended that this study be replicated to include a larger sample of California community college students and faculty. Lastly, community college administrators are encouraged to assess their policies and procedures on academic dishonesty, specifically behaviors associated with cheating, for clarity and appropriateness of their associated consequences.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in the achievement rates of developmental mathematics students when a student success course was taken in combination with mathematics. The study investigated changes that occurred in the developmental mathematics completion rates of the learners by examining age and the course sequence of mathematics in conjunction with a student success course at a large community college in central Florida. Age was of interest as it related to the time lapsed from high school graduation and potential for mathematics atrophy. Course sequence was valued to determine if taking a student success course during or within one year of developmental mathematics could enhance mathematics course completion. These attributes were further divided and assessed according to the two specific developmental mathematics courses. Level 1 consisted of learners in deep remediation needing the most basic developmental mathematics course. Level 2 was composed of people who placed into the developmental mathematics course just below that of 100-level coursework. </p><p> The results of the study from multiple analyses of association revealed that developmental mathematics course completion was significantly correlated to student success courses. Students who took a student success course as a corequisite to their developmental mathematics course completed their mathematics course more often than those who took mathematics alone. Additionally, students in the higher level developmental mathematics course also performed significantly better when a student success course was taken before but within one year of their developmental mathematics course. </p><p> In the age groups of participants in the study, students who had been out of high school longer did not experience any observable mathematics atrophy when taking mathematics without a student life skills course. As compared to younger students (20 years of age or younger), older students had a significantly higher course completion rate. Moreover, all age groups in the study were shown to have benefitted significantly from the inclusion of a student success course. Younger learners in the lowest level developmental mathematics course, however, benefitted most. This study provides implications for practices and policies that enhance developmental mathematics course completion and facilitate academic momentum to degree completion in community colleges. It also provides insights to enhance developmental mathematics curriculum success from an approach peripheral to the discipline.</p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to investigate the impacts of strategic partnerships between community colleges and key stakeholders; to specifically examine strategic partnerships; leadership decision-making; criteria to evaluate strategic partnerships that added value to the institution, value to the students, faculty, staff, and the local communities; and that furthered the community college mission. One-hundred and twenty-five higher education administrators from thirty seven states and one U.S. territory participated. </p><p> The literature defined strategic partnerships in higher education (Alfred, 2006; Gajda, 2004) and highlighted the theoretical constructs of strategic management (Alfred, 2006; Myran &amp; Howdyshell, 1994; Stahl &amp; Grigsby 1992), leadership decision-making (Bogart, 1994; Eaton, 1988; Strauss, 1978), collaboration theory (Gray, 1989; Schroeder, 1999), negotiation theory (Faberman, 1978; Strauss, 1978), and resource dependency theory (Nienh&uuml;ser, 2008; Strauss, 1982, Schwalb et al., 2011). The literature review established a basis for successful strategic partnerships. </p><p> A web-based survey was created by the author based on the literature and was reviewed by an expert panel. The sample included community college administrators, primarily College Presidents (<i>n</i> = 66). Data collection utilized SurveyMonkey. Data analysis was descriptive on seven research questions. </p><p> The recommendations abridged from the research study were: &bull; Reevaluate strategic partnerships to meet the current goals outlined in the existing community college mission statements. &bull; Modify the community college missions in the United States to be reflective of the federal mandates of accountability and degree completion. &bull; Provide greater inquiry by community college administrators over the costs and benefits of strategic partnerships to improve selections that ratify the missions with focused emphasis on accountability and degree attainment. &bull; Strengthen strategic partnerships that foster K-12 transitions, greater attainment of two-year degrees, and matriculation toward higher level degrees to be reflective of the higher expectations placed upon community colleges to meet the needs of diverse student populations. &bull; Advance and strengthen models of strategic partnerships, particularly with the university, to improve the effectiveness and increase successful transfer rates and higher rates of degree completion.</p>

<p> California established the Board of Governors (BOG) fee waiver in 1984 to maintain educational access after the implementation of the state's first ever unit-based fees for community college attendance. Although it was not designed as an incentive to stimulate higher levels of academic achievement or student success, recent accountability policy enactments have ascribed this purpose to the BOG fee waiver. An example is the Seymour-Campbell Student Success Act of 2012, which established the first-ever academic satisfactory progress requirements for BOG fee waiver recipients. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships among students' financial aid awards, including the BOG fee waiver, and measures of success for students who were attending Rio Hondo College. Findings showed that students who had the greatest financial need&mdash;and therefore the highest financial aid awards&mdash;had lower cumulative grade point averages and completed a smaller percentage of units attempted. While the study was unable to control for students' prior academic achievement, it appears that financial aid awards were not sufficient to fully counteract the negative effects of students' need, thus calling to question some of the efficacy of adding academic performance requirements to financial aid awards such as the BOG fee waiver. The paper concludes with a discussion of findings and recommendations for policy, practice, and future research. </p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2007. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 68-11, Section: A, page: 4682. Adviser: K. Peter Kuchinke. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 114-122) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1646. Adviser: James Leach. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 213-221) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.