The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of single fathers attending a community college. Single fathers comprise one-fifth of all single parent families, yet little research has been done on this growing segment of the population. A phenomenological approach was utilized to examine the attributes, needs, and challenges facing single fathers who were community college students. Seven single fathers attending a community college in the Northwest participated in this study. The fathers had primary responsibility for raising their children, had been enrolled at least half-time, and were attending the college for a minimum of one year. Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews and a focus group. Seven main themes emerged from the data: 1) Ambivalence, 2) Stability, 3) Finding support, 4) Mattering, 5) Success Factors, 6) Barriers, and 7) How the college can assist single father students. Three factors were identified as a result of the study. (1) Attending community college improved family relationships. The flexibility of class scheduling allowed the fathers to spend more time with their children. (2) The experience of single fathers and single mothers attending community college are remarkably similar, with the exception of how each accessed support networks. Single fathers were much less likely to initially identify and utilize support networks. (3) How single fathers viewed their identity and their definition of masculinity changed. Prior to attending community college, their primary identity was related to their work. As students, their identity shifted to being recognized as good students and good fathers. / Graduation date: 2005

The era of "customer satisfaction" brings students to colleges who are increasingly identifying themselves as customers. Competition among a growing number of institutions and learning organizations is sharpening the desire of institutions to deliver high quality service in order to attract and retain students. Some examples of interactions where service quality may affect satisfaction are accessible and prompt service, knowledgeable assistance and personal attention. The use of the SERVQUAL survey instrument offers a fruitful opportunity for student services managers to assess student satisfaction with service quality. Insofar as satisfaction may affect student desire to attend, retention, and word-of mouth recommendations, colleges should include service quality assessment in their efforts to be accountable for the effectiveness of their services. This study was conducted at a suburban community college, using a cluster sampling methodology, focused on students in college transfer and professional/technical courses. Student expectations and perceptions of service quality in Registration, Financial Aid, Counseling, Career Center and Library services were probed. Data analysis yielded discernible patterns in student satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Students placed less emphasis on the tangible aspects of service quality, such as the appearance of facilities and brochures, and more emphasis on aspects that provide them with reliable services and demonstrate attention to their personal needs. The quality of some Financial Aid services, as well as office hours among all five services, were identified as needing further examination. Some significant differences between male and female respondents, and between Caucasians and Students of Color were found. Because SERVQUAL offers a targeted method of identifying areas that can improve student satisfaction, this strategy offers some direct and perhaps cost-effective ways of implementing action as a result of assessment research. This may make it appealing to other community colleges. Implementation by other community colleges would be helpful in building a database and reference points about student satisfaction with service quality. / Graduation date: 2000

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of students enrolled in small community colleges to determine if there was a difference in the degree to which students were engaged based upon their primary enrollment in day or in evening courses. Specifically, the study investigated the amount of time and effort students dedicated to their academic pursuits and the degree to which institutional policies and practices supported them in their efforts to determine whether time of enrollment was a significant factor in predicting engagement. The primary goals of the study were to contribute to the understanding of students' experiences and to provide empirical evidence that might serve as the foundation for program development and reform. The findings from the quantitative analysis revealed a significant predictive relationship between time of enrollment and five of the fourteen engagement variables considered in the study. Enrollment in evening courses was linked to lower levels of engagement in each of these five areas: student effort, academic challenge, support for learners, academic preparation, and school opinions. The results of the study supported the development of a theoretical model that depicts student engagement based upon primary enrollment in evening courses. The model places support for learners at the forefront. Students' opinions are the end result, with each of the other engagement variables being affected by the levels of support perceived by evening students.

An interpretative philosophical framework was applied to a case study to document the particular experiences and perspectives of ten women engineering transfer students who once attended a community college and are currently enrolled in one of two university professional engineering programs. This study is important because women still do not earn as many engineering baccalaureate degrees as men and are underrepresented in the engineering labor market. There is also a shortfall of domestic engineers entering the workforce. Community colleges are an essential part of the engineering baccalaureate degree pipeline and well-positioned to fill this void as feeder institutions. Data was collected from one-on-one and follow-up focus group interviews and addressed three research questions: (a) What were their community college experiences, (b) what should community colleges continue to do to support women engineering transfer students, and (c) what can be done to improve community college engineering transfer programs, especially for women? This study has limited broad generalization, but adds another dimension to existing research pertaining to community college transfer and women engineering students (Stake, 1995). Two main themes emerged from the study participants: the affect of curriculum and instruction, and student survival strategies and support. Common thematic experiences supporting the affect of curriculum and instruction main theme are: (a) Accessible and approachable staff, (b) prepared with foundational knowledge, (c) different grading methods, (d) loved math and science courses, and (e) subtle forms of biases. The student survival and support strategies main theme was supported by four common thematic experiences: (a) Engineering student study groups, (b) community college engineering faculty advising, (c) self-advising, and (d) tutoring. Study participants suggested that community colleges continue to support women engineering transfer students with the following strategies: (a) Provide a caring and available staff, (b) keep small classes, (c) align and synchronize curriculum, and (d) provide tutoring services. They suggested the following improvements: (a) Connections with other engineering students, (b) increase student outreach and career awareness activities, (c) expand academic advising, (d)provide additional financial aid, and (e) offer additional engineering courses at the community college. / Graduation date: 2012