<p> The purpose of this study was to examine ways in which the 2007 New Jersey transfer law mandating &ldquo;seamless transfer&rdquo; between public two- and four-year colleges has been implemented at three community colleges and the state&rsquo;s flagship research university and the forces that have contributed to and limited the extent to which the law has achieved its expected goals. This single case study with three embedded units involved the analysis of interview data and public documents to address the research questions. The implementation of the law was examined through a combination of Sabatier&rsquo;s Advocacy Coalition Framework and Matland&rsquo;s Ambiguity-Conflict model. </p><p> This research revealed two themes associated with the implementation of the law: (1) areas of cooperation between community colleges and public senior institutions; and (2) areas of conflict between the two sectors. Findings of the research are as follows: (a) failure of Rutgers University New Brunswick to abide fully by the provisions of the law; (b) unwillingness on the part of senior institutions to accept in transfer courses with a technical focus included in A.A. or A.S. degrees awarded by the community colleges; and (c) lack of advisement for some students at community colleges.</p><p>

<p> The literature differentiates between globalization and internationalization, but views the two phenomena as inextricably linked. Globalization is defined as a set of imposing economic and political forces that demand higher education pursue increased levels of international engagement (Altbach &amp; Knight, 2007, p. 290); and has been explained as a process accelerating the &ldquo;&hellip;flow of people, culture, ideas, values, knowledge, technology, and economy across borders, resulting in a more interconnected and interdependent world&rdquo; (Knight, 2008, p. x). </p><p> Internationalization is a response by higher education to manage the impact of globalization. Approaches for internationalization may involve infusing intercultural perspectives into curriculum, recruiting international students, promoting study abroad, engaging in international development initiatives, and building international partnerships (Knight, 2008, p. xi). Exploring the academic landscape, the capacity to respond to global forces by internationalizing varies considerably. Community colleges are among the institutions failing to respond. International initiatives remain marginalized on most community college campuses (Boggs, 2007; Green, 2007; Raby &amp; Valeau, 2007). </p><p> Community colleges educate nearly 50% of U.S. undergraduates and a disproportionate share of minority, first generation, and first time in college students (AACC, 2015c). Given the inevitability of continued globalization (Altbach, 2010, 2015; Altbach &amp; Knight, 2007; Hudzik, 2011, 2015; Knight, 1993, 1994), community college internationalization is an imperative for U.S. higher education.</p><p> The purpose of this research study was to understand how presidents assert leadership and create organizational capacity for internationalizing their public community colleges. Qualitative research methods were employed to inform the development of research questions, structure data collection, and frame the data analysis. By design, this study brought together evidence from multiple sources. A minimum of ten interviews were conducted at each site. Relevant documents were collected for analysis. </p><p> The presidents and campuses chosen and research methods allowed for a robust, in-depth examination of the president&rsquo;s role in the internationalization process over a sustained period of time, but in dissimilar geographic, demographic and economic contexts. While they employed different strategies, the three presidents successfully achieved consensus among stakeholders that internationalization was an institutional imperative.</p><p>

<p> The California Community College (CCC) system is the largest system of higher education in the United States, with 72 districts and 113 colleges. The CCC system exhibits statistics demonstrating success; however, as with any organization, trust, communication, and leadership play an essential role in creating stable and productive organizations. Institutions that struggle with trust within the system are often plagued with rotating administration, a breakdown in communication, and accreditation issues. Unique to CCCs is the required participation of its staff in the decision-making process, which is known as shared or participatory governance. Along with participatory governance, the stringent accreditation standards and retiring work force create a delicate situation where trust and leadership are in a state of consistent transition. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the critical components of rebuilding trust within a CCC after trust has been broken. Specifically, this study focused on the practices a CCC administrator can engage in to rebuild trust within his/her institution after trust is broken. </p><p> Based on in-depth interviews with eight CCC presidents, findings revealed that a president&rsquo;s personal character, ethics, and morals are determining factors in developing and reestablishing trust within a CCC. The importance of relationship building, using multiple communication styles, and catering communication channels to target audiences played a critical role in these presidents&rsquo; ability to develop trust. Most importantly, strategic, authentic, and consistent leadership were some one of the most significant factors related to rebuilding trust within a CCC after trust has been broken. It is recommended that CCC presidents and administrators become familiar with the complex layers of CCCs, specifically with building and rebuilding trust within an institution. Additional research on the CCC presidential leadership style; the relationship among adult learning, emotional healing, and storytelling; as well as supplemental quantitative research to strengthen the external validity of this study are needed.</p><p>

<p> The California Community Colleges funding model has rich historical, political, and cultural ties embedded in the model foundation. The general funding of the California Community Colleges is enrollment-based and shaped by a long history of legislation based on the K-12 education model. The funding is not tied to performance or outcomes and is driven by how many students are enrolled. Although there has been increased categorical funding in the California Community Colleges over the past 3 years to improve student success and equity, the overall persistence or completion rates of students remains low. Research has demonstrated that many other states are implementing an outcome-based or performance-based funding model to reduce the gaps and improve student success and fiscal sustainability. The purpose of the study was to explore the gaps in the current California Community Colleges funding model and the effect of these gaps on student success and fiscal sustainability for the California Community Colleges. The study additionally investigates effective models in order to design and develop a funding model that will support the mission and outcomes of the California Community Colleges system while planning for fiscal strength.</p><p>

In recent years, a small but growing number of empirical studies have examined the causal impact of attending charter schools on academic achievement (Betts and Tang, 2011). In assessing achievement, researchers have focused on short-term, educational outcomes such as student results on state-mandated exams. To date, little research has examined how charter schools impact educational outcomes over the medium- and long-term. I examine the causal impact of attending High Tech High (HTH), a well-established charter school network of 12 schools based in San Diego, California, on postsecondary enrollment. I find that attending HTH in high school increases the likelihood of enrollment in a four-year college by 10.9 percentage points and decreases the likelihood of enrollment in a two-year college by 11.2 percentage points. This observed shift suggests that HTH effectively prepares its students to apply, gain admission, and/or ultimately attend four-year colleges over two-year colleges. My study also speaks to the question of who applies to charter schools. I find that the postsecondary enrollment rate among those who apply but are not admitted to HTH is roughly 12 percentage points higher than the overall rate among graduates of high schools managed by the San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD). This observation suggests that the composition of students and families who apply to HTH in high school and those who attend district-managed high schools in SDUSD differ in ways that likely influence their propensity of enroll in postsecondary education.

This capstone documents a strategic project at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation aimed at increasing college readiness and postsecondary success by creating greater alignment and shared collaboration between K-12 and postsecondary systems within the education sector. The core of the strategic project included an analysis culminating in a system-wide framework, theory of action, and set of potential investments focused on the student transition from K- 12 to postsecondary. The project also entailed efforts to move forward in operationalizing the analysis as a set of recommendations once authority was received from leadership. The recommendations focused on the external components of grantmaking activities and internal structures necessary to develop the type of collaborative partnerships within the foundation that is desired between systems in the field. A new portfolio of investments shared between the College Ready (K-12) and Postsecondary (PS) divisions were posited as entry points to creating synergies across the foundation. Due to the separate divisions of work, both groups had become accustomed to working in silos with no formal method for communication, collaboration and shared innovation. Throughout the research process it became clear that many interventions being funded in either the College Ready or Postsecondary teams had potential applicability across sectors. More importantly, developments in both education sectors regarding the maturity of the Common Core State Standards and postsecondary accountability have created windows of opportunity across the country. Given the intent of the foundation’s leadership to use the strategic project as a learning opportunity to explore new areas of investment, this capstone explores the leadership skills necessary to build influence and lead a change management effort to go from silo-oriented investments to a cross-divisional grantmaking structure in the K- 12/PS transitions space. The review of knowledge for action included in this capstone outlines the principles of effective student transitions across K-12 and postsecondary, and change management. The analysis describes external areas of best practice, the internal culture of the foundation, and the application of change management skills necessary to drive change within the foundation context. The strategic project’s limited impact to drive a K-12/PS transitions strategy is traced back to foundation’s internal leadership changeover, resistance to change, the role of the resident, and the passage of the ESSA. The implications section of this capstone identifies the necessary organizational structures for effective collaboration across divisions, such as authority from leadership, processes/procedures, communications vehicles, and accountability measures. This capstone concludes with the recognition that philanthropy can play a role in supporting systems of collaboration and alignment in the field by convening new partners, supporting the research necessary for leaders to make informed decisions, and creating philanthropic partnerships to drive scale.

<p> This study focused on the cultural congruity and academic self-concept of African American students in a community college setting who participated in a Black Culture Center. The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between cultural congruity and academic self-concept through the following two research questions: what relationship, if any, exists between cultural congruity and academic self-concept, and does cultural congruity influence academic self-concept among African American students participating in a Black Culture Center in a two-year historically White college setting. The results of this study provide support for both hypotheses: there was a significant positive correlation between cultural congruity and academic self-concept, and cultural congruity was a significant independent predictor of academic self-concept after controlling for gender, college GPA, college units completed, participation type, and student-faculty interactions. There were two conclusions that were supported by the findings of this research study; (a) increasing the cultural congruity of African American students is likely to result in an increase in academic self-concept, and (b) providing strong academic support and increased opportunities for positive faculty interactions is likely to increase the academic self-concept of African American students. Recommendations based on the findings and conclusions of this study include a commitment by institutions of higher education to invest dedicated resources towards the creation, maintenance, and growth of formal ethnic communities for African American students on historically White campuses. Additionally, it is recommended that college campuses provide targeted academic intervention and support to first-year African American students.</p><p>

<p> This purpose of this mixed methods study was to fill a gap in existing literature related to examining the perceptions of safety for faculty, staff, and students by utilizing data from a single community college in the southeastern United States within a three-county service area. Central Carolina Community College has three campus locations each with a slightly different culture and security model. This study used descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis of quantitative data collected through surveys to explore overall perceptions of safety for faculty, staff, and students. Moreover, this study examined the associations between gender, campus location, and perceptions of safety among faculty, staff, and students. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed a statistically significant association between gender and perception of safety for faculty and staff responses. In addition, analysis of the data revealed a statistically significant association between campus location and perception of safety for student responses. A phenomenological framework and trend analysis of the qualitative data gathered from focus groups and survey comments revealed some of the specific factors identified as influencing the perceptions of safety while on campus as reported by faculty, staff, and students. </p><p>

<p>A college degree is vital to the economic and social well-being of the entire nation and its citizens. Yet, community colleges ? which serve half of all students in higher education ? have low graduation rates. Lack of academic preparation, competing personal and work demands, and economic stress make earning a degree difficult for many. As part of a national agenda, community college leaders are searching for new ways to help students succeed. Student success theories have historically provided practitioners with frameworks to understand how students navigate the educational environment. This dissertation analyzed a selection of student success theories and ritual theories to contribute to new ways of thinking about student success through ritual theory and practice. Using Critical Interpretive Synthesis, two common themes emerged: Emplacement and Passage. The concept of Emplacement reflects community college students? need for academic and social challenge while anchored in their communities of origin. The concept of Passage reflects students? need for structured guidance, including the formulation of goals and the celebration of milestones. The dissertation?s product includes a number of recommendations for practitioners in the creation of well-constructed and impactful rituals. Rituals are more likely to be successful if they involve some physical movement, build on existing traditions and calendars, utilize local geography and culture, and serve both practical as well as symbolic functions. Rituals that build community, such as festivals, are particularly important for community college students. Key words: community college, higher education, student success, persistence, retention, graduation, ritual theory, ritual studies, emplacement, passage.

<p> This qualitative, phenomenological case study was designed to illuminate the perceptions and experiences of eight undocumented community college students navigating the California public higher education systems with the aim of identifying factors associated with college persistence. These factors fall into three categories: financial, academic, and legal. The specific problem of interest is the lack of undocumented student persistence in California community colleges. Given that college students depend more on financial aid to reach their college goals; it is important to understand the relationship between California State funding and undocumented student persistence. A qualitative case study design enabled the exploration of undocumented students&rsquo; perceptions and experiences with financial assistance for college due to the new and changing federal and state immigration policies, and the academic and legal factors that contribute to their persistence. Emerging themes from interviews conducted with eight undocumented student participants were analyzed and coded. The financial factors contributing to persistence included understanding the financial aid process for undocumented students, information on grants and scholarships, and knowledge of AB540 for lower college fees. Academic factors contributing to persistence included support from: Faculty, Dream Club membership, Puente Project, EOPS, and Tutoring Centers. A welcoming campus environment was also a factor in having students feel safe to continue their education. Legal factors contributing to persistence included: knowledge of federal and state laws such as DACA, AB540, and the California DREAM act application for state aid. </p><p> One limitation of qualitative research is the reliance on small participant samples, which allows for in-depth explorations but limits generalization. The use of standardized instruments to capture the experiences of undocumented students would also facilitate comparison studies involving students at various institutions and in different states. Given the numerous variations in state and institutional policies this would help researchers, college administrators, and practitioners understand how different policies and practices affect the educational trajectories of undocumented students.</p><p>