This dissertation was written with the intent to determine the effectiveness of a community college program for Native American students. The procedure consisted of the following steps: (1) design of a survey instrument, (2) collect and collate the survey, (3) review literature with specific emphasis in programs designed for minorities and programs designed for Native American students in higher education, and (4) summarize the findings, and make recommendation to integrate into a reconstructed program that will improve and revitalize Native American students' recruiting, retention and graduation rates at the community college level, and prepare Native American students for university transfer. The major findings in this study are: (1) 95% of all the students enrolled at this particular college had a clear vision of their educational goals, (2) 80.2% of all the students enrolled in college were planning to prepare for a career, (3) most Native American students depend on financial assistance from several sources, (4) approximately half of all Native American students were underprepared for college, (5) less than 50% of the students surveyed actually got involved in special programs to aid them in college, and (6) the demographics of these students were quite similar to the non-Native American counterpart. Recommendations for these students include: (1) strengthen the educational foundation of these students while they are in K-12th grades, (2) in addition to providing financial assistance to these students, colleges need to set up a better support system in terms of transportation, work-study/jobs and housing, (3) when recruiting students, the student should be able to prove through assessment scores that they are able to benefit from a college education, and (4) transfer strategies must be part of the Native American program.

The problem of this study was the relative value and importance of perceived benefits of active foundations of public community colleges. The purposes were to identify a list of benefits; determine the importance of these benefits as perceived by presidents and foundation executive directors; assess the degree to which the level of importance of the benefits was affected by college or foundation demographics or foundation executive director characteristics; and to determine if presidents and foundation executive directors differ in their perceptions of the importance of the benefits. Survey instruments were mailed to presidents and foundation executive directors of colleges determined to have active foundations. Both instruments contained seven categories listing potential benefits to the community colleges of an active foundation. The foundation executive directors' instruments also requested college and foundation demographic data. Respondents were asked to rate the benefits according to their level of importance. Analysis of variance tests were performed to determine whether the categories of benefits were affected by any of the demographic data, when a level of significance emerged, a Scheffe' test was performed to determine the source of significance. Major findings were that the most important single benefit to the community colleges of active foundations is the provision of student scholarships. The "Public Relations/Political Influence" role of the active foundation is the most important category of benefits. The more fund-raising activities held and the greater the amount of contributions, the more positively community college administrators felt about the role of their active foundations in terms of external relations. Highly experienced foundation executive directors were more positive about the importance of the public relations role of their active foundations than were their inexperienced counterparts. The major conclusion of this study was that community colleges benefit from having active foundations, both monetarily and through the role of the foundation in enhancing the college's image.

Using qualitative methodology and a case study format, this study examines from the inside-out the organizational impact of significant change in leadership at a mature community college during the initial period of that change. The study describes and characterizes the nature of change in the organization during the periods of significant leadership transition, and examines the conceptual links between the new leadership team and the external and internal forces of change impacting the college during that time. The researcher has endeavored to pull significant events, actions, and circumstances of the new top leadership team in the college selected for study through a specific theoretical framework to find links of relationship and connection. That framework defines organizational change as a coalition of interests and a network of activities within a moving structure impacted by a combination of past events, pushes arising from the environment, and pulls from dominant coalitions. / Graduation date: 1998

The Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) was created in 1972 by the Air Force to serve Air Force enlisted personnel with educational opportunity. No study exists identifying and assessing the mission of this college. Various mission sources iterate the different goals of CCAF. These sources and other indicators are used to identify and assess fulfillment of the CCAF mission. The purpose of this study is to clearly identify the CCAF mission and determine to what extent the mission has been fulfilled. The literature review presents background on education in America and the U.S. military and the American community college movement plus a summary of the works on CCAF to set the stage for the mission identification and assessment process. The research questions were what is the mission of the Community College of the Air Force and to what extent has the mission been fulfilled? Case study methodology was used to both identify and assess the mission. Study findings indicate the mission needs further clarification, but by the measures used the various missions identified have been fulfilled. The study concluded that enlisted members of the United States Air Force are improving their competence through the associate degree opportunity, that CCAF is recognized by peer institutions, and that this innovative approach to postsecondary education offers thousands of American service members educational opportunity. Questions still unanswered include how can this approach be expanded to other branches of the military services and is another accreditation process appropriate for this special type of institution? / Graduation date: 1992

The educational system in the Yemen Arab Republic (YAR) is in desperate need of reform to accommodate recent changes in the structure of the economy and society of the YAR. At present, there is only one university, the University of Sana'a, within the country. In this study, the organization of a system of local community colleges is considered. In response to the problem of how these systems should be structured, organizational alternatives developed within the American community college movement are considered to the degree that the American experience may be applied to the problem of educational reform in the YAR. Examples given particular consideration include the structure of community college organizations in the states of Connecticut, Florida, Oklahoma, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New York. It is determined that the best model for application to the situation in the YAR would be a system in which authority is shared between the central government Ministry of Higher Education and the governors of each local governance, the level of authority immediately beneath the national level in the governing structure of the YAR. The implementation of such a community college model in each governance would be structured in terms of local needs and directly administered through a board of trustees. This progressive step would serve to introduce a new era in education in the YAR. More students would be encouraged to enroll in institutions of higher education since they could attend a postsecondary institution for an additional two years while remaining in their local communities. In addition, the organization of institutions of higher education at the local level would clearly be of benefit to local citizens and their communities. The implementation of a community college movement, and in particular special systems for tutoring and counseling students in a psychologically healthy atmosphere, will serve as a positive contribution to all generations of the population of the Yemen Arab Republic. / Graduation date: 1991

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