Thesis (M.Ed.)--Regis University, Denver, Colo., 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Jun. 30, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Illinois State University, 1996. / Title from title page screen, viewed May 30, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Edward R. Hines, James C. Palmer (co-chairs), Paul J. Baker, Thomas Campbell. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 182-190) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains viii, 132 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 89-94).

Thesis (Ed.D.)--North Carolina State University. / Includes vita. Originally issued in electronic format. UMI number: 3223137. Includes bibliographical references (p. 104-122). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--North Carolina State University. / Includes vita. UMI number: 3098978. Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-115).

abstract: As open-door institutions, community colleges provide access to students from a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and cultures. Yet while enrollment of students of color in community colleges continues to increase, representation by faculty of color has not. This qualitative study investigated community college faculty search committee members' implicit and subjective observations, values, and beliefs about ethnic/racial diversity in order to gain an understanding of how they may influence the faculty hiring process. The researcher interviewed 12 subjects-- administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwest region of the United States--who served on faculty search committees from 2006-2009. Findings revealed three major themes: (a) the communication of diversity; (b) search committee dynamics with the sub-themes of role of the chair, role of administration, and the issue of time; and (c) subjects' observations, values, and beliefs, with the sub-themes of conflict, the idea of a "good fit," colorblindness, self-perception of having attained enlightenment about diversity, and the blaming of applicant pools. Discussion of the results was facilitated by utilizing three critical race theory constructs: (a) the pervasiveness of racism as ordinary and normal, (b) the use of Whiteness as the normative standard, and (c) the rejection of liberalism. The findings support the literature's assertion that colleges and faculty search committees can publically claim to value diversity but engage in practices that are incongruent with such claims. Despite the best institutional rhetoric on faculty diversity, failure to address search committee members' values, beliefs, and behaviors will result in little change. Communication and effective leadership can help increase faculty of color representation at community colleges. Communication about the relevance and practical application of diversity should be strong and consistent. Additionally, search committee definitions of "qualified" need to be challenged specific to members' colorblindness and beliefs in the effectiveness of meritocracy. Moreover, leadership is needed to advocate and hold people responsible and accountable for inclusive practices. Critical race theory served as a useful theoretical framework to identify the obstacles and analyze policies and power structures that facilitate underrepresentation of faculty of color in community colleges. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Educational Leadership and Policy Studies 2010

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was an evaluation of community college learning resources programs as reflected by client opinion and use of services and conformity to the published guidelines. The purposes of the study were to ascertain the extent to which learning resources programs of selected metropolitan community colleges conformed to the recommendations published in "Guidelines for Two-Year College Learning Resources Programs," and to compare the guidelines scores rendered with faculty and student opinion and use of learning resources services on the campuses. No significant differences were noted in comparisons of opinion and utilization of learning resources services among either students or faculty on the campuses with the highest guidelines scores and the same groups on the campuses with the lowest guidelines scores. Based on the findings, the following conclusions were formulated: 1) the instruments utilized were not sensitive enough to distinguish subtle differences, if any, between the learning resources programs on the various campuses, 2) the learning resources programs included in the study were similar in nature, and 3) more differences exist between groups based on demographic variables than exist between the learning resources programs.

A leadership emergency is developing in higher education. According the American Association for Community Colleges, by 2022, 75% of current community college presidents intend to retire, and within five years an additional 15% will exit the presidency. As these individuals leave their leadership role, the higher education environment they leave behind will change. Understanding this impending leadership crisis, the purpose of this qualitative interview study was to describe and understand the leadership experience of former Florida College System institution presidents, their perspective and reflection on the institution of the presidency and its evolution, and their thoughts regarding the pertinent challenges facing current and future presidents in the next three to five years. Data were collected through explorative interviews with six former Florida community college presidents. Thirteen themes emerged from the analysis of the data. These themes aligned with and expanded the understanding of the community college presidential leadership experience. Important research implications for academic researchers and practitioners were discovered and additional lines of inquiry for further research in the areas of presidential leadership experience emerged.

abstract: Conceptual knowledge and self-efficacy are two research topics that are well-established at universities, however very little has been investigated about these at the community college. A sample of thirty-seven students enrolled in three introductory circuit analysis classes at a large southwestern community college was used to answer questions about conceptual knowledge and self-efficacy of community college engineering students. Measures included a demographic survey and a pre/post three-tiered concept inventory to evaluate student conceptual knowledge of basic DC circuit analysis and self-efficacy for circuit analysis. A group effect was present in the data, so descriptive statistics were used to investigate the relationships among students' personal and academic characteristics and conceptual knowledge of circuit analysis. The a priori attribute approach was used to qualitatively investigate misconceptions students have for circuit analysis. The results suggest that students who take more credit hours score higher on a test of conceptual knowledge of circuit analysis, however additional research is required to confirm this, due to the group effect. No new misconceptions were identified. In addition to these, one group of students received more time to practice using the concepts. Consequently, that group scored higher on the concept inventory, possibly indicating that students who have extra practice time may score higher on a test of conceptual knowledge of circuit analysis. Correlation analysis was used to identify relationships among students' personal and academic characteristics and self-efficacy for circuit analysis, as well as to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy for circuit analysis and conceptual knowledge of circuit analysis. Subject's father's education level was found to be inversely correlated with self-efficacy for circuit analysis, and subject's age was found to be directly correlated with self-efficacy for circuit analysis. Finally, self-efficacy for circuit analysis was found to be positively correlated with conceptual knowledge of circuit analysis. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Curriculum and Instruction 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between student and faculty ethnicity and possible effects upon student ratings of faculty performance in an urban community college setting characterized by extensive ethnic diversity. Problem: Though many variables on student ratings of instruction have been studied in the past, studies of the effects of student and faculty ethnicities on student ratings at the post secondary level have not been conducted. As increased numbers of minority students embark on post secondary studies, the question arises as to whether these students perceive instructors and their efforts in the classroom differently than traditional students. Methodology: A survey-type instrument, the Student Feedback Questionnaire, was developed at Miami-Dade Community College and administered to students enrolled in randomly selected English composition courses (N=948 students, 72 instructors). Factor analysis was conducted on the instrument and the relationship of these factors with student and faculty ethnicity was examined by means of multivariate analysis of variance. Instructors were separated into higher and lower rated groups according to a total score obtained from the instrument. Differences on student ratings for these two groups according to student and instructor ethnicity were examined. Findings: The following factors were obtained: Factor 1: Focus on the Individual Factor 2: Competence in Classroom Factor 3: Approach to Material Factor 4: Grading Policy Factor 5: Listening to Students Factor 6: Clarity in Course Objectives Factor 7: Fairness of Exams Factor 8: Active Learning Hispanic faculty were rated less favorably by white non-Hispanic students for Factor 2, Factor 3, and Factor 5. For Factor 5, Hispanic students rated white non-Hispanic faculty lower than black students. For higher rated instructors there were no significant differences in ratings according to student ethnicity. For lower rated instructors, students of the same ethnicity as their instructor did not give significantly different ratings than other students. Student gender was significant for both higher and lower rated instructors, with males giving significantly worse scores.