The purposes of this study were to identify criteria which influence students' decisions to attend specific colleges and to determine whether different groups of students use similar criteria. The following groups were compared: white students and minority students, males and females, older students and younger students, university-bound students and vocational students, and full-time students and part-time students. The sample used for this study was taken from the students enrolled in freshman English classes at Vernon Regional Junior College, Clarendon College, and Grayson County College. Approximately 100 students at each college were selected to participate in the study. Each student in the study received instruction, provided demographic information, and completed a two-part survey. The survey asked respondents to evaluate each of twenty items on a Likert-type scale. The data provided were compiled and organized into groups by a data base computer program. Data obtained from specific groups of respondents were compared, first through an examination of means, then through a chi-square test of independence. It was determined that the most important college selection criteria to these respondents were the cost of attendance, the availability of specific programs, the size of the college, the size of individual classes, the location of the school, and the availability of financial aid. Further, the research revealed that two comparison groups differed significantly in their choices of important college selection criteria. Younger students appeared to use different selection criteria than their older counterparts, and vocational students differed from university-bound students in their choice of criteria.

The problem of this study was the status of classified staff decision making participation in policy determination, administrative practices, and working conditions in Texas public junior/community colleges as reported by their presidents and those persons, chief personnel officers, on each campus who have responsibility for classified staff employees. The conclusions to the study, with respect to Texas public junior/community colleges, were (1) the classified staff employees may not be aware of the total college goals, (2) classified staff employees may have little motivation to perform their jobs effectively, (3) future turnover rates among classified staff employees could increase, (4) the classified staff employees' input appears to have a low priority in the area of decision making, (5) classified staff employees may be seeking jobs with open participation in decision making, and (6) the exclusion of classified staff employees from participation in decisions could lead to formal bargaining in the future.

The problem of this study was to determine the nature of the perceptions of leadership behavior held by deans and directors of student development/student personnel services in Texas community/junior colleges. The directors were further identified as directors of counseling and guidance, student activities, admissions and records, financial aid, job placement, and health services. Deans and directors from all Texas community/junior colleges constituted the population for this group and were selected from college catalogs and a professional directory. Ranking and correlation techniques were used in the statistical analysis of data. Results indicated that leadership behaviors exist which are common to the field of student development/student personnel services, and that jurors generally agreed with deans and directors on those leadership behaviors which they perceived to be the most and least important to leadership. In addition, deans and directors agreed on those behaviors which they perceived to be the most and least important to leadership in their position and area of responsibility. Data revealed that deans and directors placed a high priority on collaborative-interactive type behaviors and a low priority on administrative-related behaviors.

This study investigated the relationship between community college institutional expenditures and student success in reaching momentum points. The 3 years of student cohorts of a large community college district in Texas formed the population. Student characteristics and institutional context characteristics served as control variables. Institutional financial data functioned as the independent variables. Student success variables (milestones and momentum points) served as dependent variables. Because each of the three cohorts contained over 10,000 students and displayed equivalent characteristics, the random sample of 7,634 students was drawn from the combined cohorts. Institutional financial variables predicted the milestones of reading readiness (χ2 = 315.10, df = 17, n = 3,495, p < .001) and writing readiness (χ2 = 296.64, df = 17, n = 3,149, p < .001). Financial variables contributed to the completion of English-1301 (χ2 = 1004.14, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), college-level math (χ2 = 615.24, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), 30 college-level credit hours (χ2 = 833.85, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001), and reenrollment the second fall semester (χ2 = 375.41, df = 17, n = 7,634, p < .001). Student services expenditures provided high odds for completion of English-1301 (odds ratio = 4.85 x 1014), college-level math (odds ratio = 5.24 x 1018), 30 college-level credits (odds ratio = 1.60x1015), and for re-enrollment in the second fall semester (odds ratio = 7.32 x 1014). Instructional expenditures and operations & maintenance expenditures also predicted student enrollment in the second fall semester. Student services’ influence on student engagement and success should inform decisions about programs for improving student success. Institutional policymakers may utilized these expenditure results support momentum point attainment. Finally, the influence of full time enrollment on student completion of milestones and momentum points in every regression model suggested resources for encouraging full-time, uninterrupted college enrollment are needed. Additional implications and recommendations are provided.

This study examines the main research hypothesis that there is significant interaction between the effects of computer use/non-use and level of computer training among community college educators in the state of Texas regarding attitudes toward the implementation of administrative and instructional computing. A statewide survey was conducted with deans of instruction and full-time faculty members who represented the three academic transfer departments of natural/physical sciences, social science, and humanities/fine arts. Fifty-five deans of instruction and three hundred fifty-six faculty members participated in the study. A factor analysis of data from the questionnaires revealed four factors which were identified and labeled: Factor One: Computer Applications: Advantages and Disadvantages; Factor Two: Administrative Computer Applications: Advantages and Disadvantages; Factor Three: Apprehensions About Educational Computing; Factor Four: Situational Factors Associated With Computer Applications in Education. A 4x3x2 (professional position x level of computer training x level of computer experience) multivariate analysis of variance of both main and interaction effects was then performed within and across these factors.

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