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The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of an act of academic misconduct on transfer student GPA, retention and completion. Three groups were compared from data compiled from 2009-2015: freshman and new transfer, transfer and native student in honor code violations, and transfer student between violators and non-violators. The outcome determined if not committing an act of academic misconduct benefits students’ immediate academic success as seen through a maintained or higher GPA, retention from one semester to another, as well as completion. The study utilized the quantitative, quasi-experimental study design. The research was conducted using descriptive statistics to analyze data research question one, What are the differences in the number of honor code violations for transfer and native students. Then, an independent t-test was administered to determine significance regarding research question two: What are the differences in academic indicator for violators and non-violators? (a) GPA in the semester of violation, (b) Retention, and (c) Graduation rate and research question three: What are the differences in academic indicator for transfer student violators and non-violators? (a) GPA at the end of the first semester (b) Retention and (c) Completion

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This exploratory study examines the persistence patterns of Latino students attending a two-year college in North Central Massachusetts. Thirty-three persisting students participated in this study. They answered a questionnaire developed in English and translated into Spanish. Questionnaires were administered by the researcher who is bilingual and bicultural. Individual interviews were conducted with nine departing students. These interviews were analyzed using Ishikawa's (1982) fish bone charting techniques. The methodology, utilized by Japan's industries for problem-solving identification, was used in this study to generate cause-and-effect relationships and prioritize solutions. Results of this study conclude that Latino student persistence at Mount Wachusett Community College is affected by external and environmental factors, namely, health, and financial and family responsibilities. These factors affect goal-oriented and non-goal oriented students at the same rate. Role models of the same ethnic and cultural backgrounds impact students in ways that result in decreased isolation at the institution. Most salient recommendations for future institutional policy include: comprehensive support services delivered by ethnically compatible staff; increased on-campus job opportunities to increase students' institutional integration; block programming of academic courses during the freshman year; academic achievement recognition; and individual tracking using cause-and-effect charting.

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No description available.

The purpose of this study was to identify teaching techniques that could be used in college classrooms for effectively teaching two different age cohorts: Baby Boomers and Generation X students. Baby Boomers are those people born between 1946 and 1964. The subsequent generation, known as Generation X, was born between 1965 and 1981. A multi-case qualitative study was designed to include interviews with faculty, focus groups with students, and classroom observations at three different community colleges in east Tennessee. Thirty-one faculty, ranging in age from 29 to 65, comprised the faculty panel. There were 48 student participants. Half of the 24 female students were Generation Xers. Of 22 male participants, 16 were Generation Xers. Classroom observations of nine different sections were conducted. These observations included traditional lecture classes, lab classes, and a couple of multimedia classrooms. Interviews with the faculty panel revealed almost diametrically opposite classroom behaviors between Baby Boomers and Generation X students. While older students are generally more motivated, focused, and come to class prepared to learn; younger students were reported to exhibit behaviors that are antithetical to these. Some younger students indicated that they preferred to work on teams with older students for these reasons. Additionally, effective teaching techniques for the two age cohorts were also discovered to be different. While both Boomers and Xers preferred real world examples to illustrate classroom theories, what was a relevant example for one generation was not always relevant for the other. Therefore, many instructors need to ascertain what is relevant in the Xers' world as constituted by the media, the Internet, and popular culture. The modern classroom needs a variety of teaching techniques to cater to different types of learners. Perhaps a model whereby older students mentor professional behavior for the younger, and the younger teach older students how to use computer technologies would be a better learning environment. Additionally, a third of the instructors interviewed have found that they need to be entertaining to hold the shorter attention spans of the younger student. Some type of visual component is becoming the norm in most classrooms, but there was not always agreement on which visuals were most effective for the two age groups. Baby Boomers generally preferred the board for transparency viewing or note taking in outline form Conversely, while some young students liked these methods, a greater number preferred watching videos. However, the videos had to be engaging and usually no longer than 20 minutes to be effective. Furthermore, 43% of the younger students value individual attention from their instructors, indicating that it can often make the difference between passing and failing a course. A third of the faculty also noted the younger students' hunger for attention. For instance, the eldest faculty member indicated, “So many Generation Xers are needy in terms of needing lots and lots of attention [because] a lot of my Generation X students are separated from their families.” Whatever the reasons, today's college instructors have a difficult task in assimilating the many learning styles and generational differences of age cohorts present in their classrooms. Not only do they have to stay informed in their academic domains and adapt their courses to multimedia and distance learning technologies, but they have to be entertaining for younger students to make the class interesting.

Asynchronous distance education telecourses are the technological version of traditional correspondence courses. Students in asynchronous telecourses receive videos and printed material but they may not have any contact with the instructor or other students. This study analyzed the academic performance of 154 Southwest Virginia Community College students enrolled in 27 different telecourses during one semester. The purpose of this study was to determine if students' cognitive styles impacted their achievement in distance education courses. Students were given the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) which categorized the students as field dependent or field independent. A field dependent's cognitive style is one that constitutes social activities whereas field independent's have a more self-mediating style, preferring solitary activities. It was hypothesized that field independent students would be more likely to complete asynchronous courses. Chi-square analysis indicated no significant differences in success (grades of A, B, C) or nonsuccess (grades of D, F, I, or W) rate for field independent-dependent students. Although females were significantly more likely to be field dependent, in the total research group and traditional age group, this did not impact their success in distance education courses. The data of this study indicate that achievement rates were not related to the variables of gender, age, or GEFT classification of the students. Future research should expand on this study by analyzing the cognitive style of students who received each of the grades (A, B, C, D, F, I, and W). Longitudinal analysis should track the cognitive styles of students through the completion of a degree.

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No description available.