The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify and compare the components, stages, and strategies used in perceived exemplary planning systems at four selected community colleges; and (2) make recommendations to individuals and institutions interested in designing, developing, and implementing a comprehensive planning system. An extensive review of the literature provided conceptual models, taxonomies, and frameworks for an in-depth comparative case study analysis. / Ten criteria were used to select the four community colleges included in this study. Two large institutions, located in large, urban, multi-ethnic communities and two colleges in small, non-urban communities were contacted initially in 1983. During visits to each college, selected administrators and faculty were interviewed. Data collection included semi-structured questions, written documents, and personal observations. A follow up survey was conducted in 1985 to review changes in the planning systems over a subsequent two-year period. / A comparative analysis structure was used to analyze the data, based on five research questions, and to present the findings, conclusions, discussion, and recommendations. The findings indicated that the comprehensive planning systems, which included organization, education, financial, and facility components, were integrated into the ongoing operations of the four colleges. The planning systems appeared to be continually evolving, were found to have been developed and implemented in stages, utilized both strategic and operational planning, and were linked to other management functions such as budgeting, marketing, and evaluation. / The conclusions provided a synthesized analysis of the findings regarding the characteristics of comprehensive planning systems and research methods found to be appropriate for the comparative study of planning systems. Recommendations for establishing a comprehensive planning system and for further study are presented to assist planners and those interested in conducting further research and to provide insights regarding the current status and future directions of comprehensive planning as an effective management system. It is suggested that a substantial body of knowledge is emerging that may lead to the development of a general theory of comprehensive planning. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: A, page: 1583. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

This study was designed to determine if directions for three different test modes influence the content and structural elements of notes taken by students on a 1500 word humanities passage. Furthermore, the study investigated if the note content and note structure influenced the students' scores on three different types of tests: essay, multiple choice, and completion. Finally, this study was designed to investigate notetaking attributes and the relationship of those attributes to the scores of the three aforementioned tests for three groups of community college students: college preparatory students, college reading techniques students, and economics students. / To accomplish the objectives, 265 students took notes on a 1500 word humanities textbook passsage; they then took three tests: essay, multiple choice, and completion. Afterwards, their notes were analyzed by preestablished content and structural attributes. The Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient, analysis of variance, and the Scheffe test were employed to ascertain if content or structure of notes varied under test directions, and if content and structure of notes influenced test performance. Descriptive data and characteristics of the note content and structure were presented. Also included was information on the performance of the three different class groups. / Results of the data analysis indicated that test mode directions did not affect significantly the scores of essay tests, multiple choice tests, and completion tests. Furthermore, the test mode expectancy did not interact significantly with the content and structure of the students' notetaking. Students did not vary their notetaking in response to the test type. / The results also revealed that regardless of the test directions given, major ideas correlated significantly with scores of all three test types; minor ideas showed less correlation. Elements of note structure, such as underlining, had no significant relationships to test scores. / For the three different class groups, frequency of major ideas again appeared as the distinguishing factor among the groups. Minor ideas occurred with comparable frequency for all three groups. Structural attributes did not differentiate the class groups as strongly as main ideas, but there were some significant relationships. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-05, Section: A, page: 1580. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

An economic analysis methodology was used to identify and describe the most efficient cost faculty (teaching the most semester hours at least cost), and at the lowest instruction cost per student. This particular approach evidenced possible merit for use by college officials to achieve optimum faculty staffing at least-cost instructional expenditure. / In the Florida system, Part-time Faculty (PTF) numbers increased 32% between 1975-1982; Full-time Faculty (FTF) numbers rose 6%. Part-time students increased over 55%; and PTF employment rose at a per college annual rate of 11 to 1 FTF. The PTF output (semester hours taught) was about 76% of FTF output, and the growth rate of PTF instruction expenditure marginal cost was .08 million dollars to 3.28 million for FTF. / Study findings indicated that as FTF/PTF output/cost indexes attained approximate equivalency, at PTF substitution rates of 12-15:1, the FTF/PTF instructional expeditures would evidence a minimum average total cost. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 47-08, Section: A, page: 2862. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4864. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of selected educational leaders and policymakers relative to the desired governance structrue for the State's 43 public, two-year institutions. The State of Alabama has 43 public two-year institutions--22 technical colleges, 15 junior colleges, and six community colleges. The 43 two-year institutions have the same governing structure in that the institutions are regulated by the Alabama State Board of Education. Authority to regulate these institutions was given by the Alabama State Legislature in 1963. / Within the past seven year's plans have been developed in the State of Alabama which address a governance problem with the two-year institutions. Additionally, a Special Committee to evaluate the Alabama Commission on Higher Education, more recently, indicated that there is a problem with governance of the two-year institutions. The Committee recommends that a study of governance of two-year institutions be carried out. / Data were obtained from an instrument devised by the researcher. The instrument was designed to identify the subjects' perceptions of governance in four categories: (1)The perception of the type of acceptable state level governance; (2)The control of the two-year institutions and their funding; (3)The power vested at state level in carrying out policies of the two-year institutions; and statements relative to the establishment and control of two-year institutions in the State of Alabama. / The results of the study indicate that, according to the selected educational leaders in the State of Alabama, a single state level system of governance for all two-year institutions is the desired structure for the State of Alabama. / There is no difference in the type of state level governance desired according to the type of two-year institutions. Although the educational leaders, as a whole, indicated that the single system was acceptable, the presidents of vocational/technical colleges and junior colleges indicated that it is conceivable to have a vocational/technical system separate from junior and community colleges. However, this was not the perception of the presidents of community colleges, four-year colleges, or educational associations. / The study further revealed that there is no basic difference in the type of state level governance favored by educational leaders compared with those favored by non-educational leaders. The majority of the educational leaders and policymakers perceived a single system of governance for all two-year institutions as the desired structure. A majority of the educational leaders and policymakers indicated that the appropriate agency to give control and direction to the two-year institutions is the Alabama State Board of Education. The four-year college presidents, however, perceived that there should be a separate board at state level to give control and direction to the two-year institutions. / The conclusion of the study indicate that a single system for all two-year institutions is acceptable by both the educational leaders and the policymakers. The agency which will give control and direction to the single system will be the Alabama State Board of Education. This agency should have control of new college campuses, off campus programs, degrees offered, salaries, long-rang planning, and budgets. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-03, Section: A, page: 0971. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4864. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.

This is an examination of the Staff and Program Development Office at the Florida Junior College at Jacksonville as perceived by the certificated personnel who participated in staff and program development activities at the College. The period studied was July 1, 1968, thru June 30, 1978. / The purpose of the study was to determine if the program was in agreement with the stated goals and objectives of the SPD Office. In addition, the participants were asked for: (1) their appraisal of the long-term effects, (2) their suggestions for improvements, and (3) their perceptions as to whether FJC's SPD Office is a model to be followed by other community colleges. / Procedures for data gathering centered around a review of college records and the development of a questionnaire that sought to answer the four questions presented above. The questionnaire was sent to the 378 certificated personnel who had taken part in SPD activities during the period under study. / Adjusted frequency percentages were computed for each of the possible responses to the 41 questions presented to SPD participants through the survey instrument. The questionnaire responses, expressed in adjusted frequency percentages, and data gathered from SPD records were matched to the four questions posed by the writer. The more significant findings were: (1) The Staff and Program Development Office of the Florida Junior College at Jacksonville did meet its stated goals and objectives for the period July 1, 1968, thru June 30, 1978. (2) Certificated personnel believed that there is a need for additional input from the entire college community when future goals and objectives are determined. (3) Responses from certificated personnel responding to the "ripple effect" of SPD activities indicate that there was not enough sharing of experiences and learning acquired by participants in SPD activities. (4) Certificated personnel would like to see the SPD Office direct more of its activity in the direction of improving instruction and administration skills. (5) The SPD Office at the Florida Junior College should be considered a model for other community colleges to follow. (6) The College should continue to encourage and support the activities of the SPD Office. (7) Activity evaluation reports sent to the Division of Community Colleges revealed that the SPD Office evaluated the activities it sponsored as being effective and successful. Research findings substantiated this. (8) Certificated personnel at FJC believed that teaching, counseling, and administration were improved as a result of SPD activities. (9) The review of the literature indicated that more research needs to be done in the design of evaluation techniques for the evaluation of staff and program development programs. / Based upon the findings of this study and the review of the literature, the following recommendations are offered: (1) Research should be conducted by community colleges to study the effects of SPD activities upon all college personnel. (2) Research should be conducted that could lead to the development of systems for the better dissemination of information that was gathered by participants in SPD activities and programs. (3) Research should be conducted at other community colleges that would replicate this study since the Florida Junior College at Jacksonville is a multi-campus institution with problems and concerns that would not be common to all institutions. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-03, Section: A, page: 0916. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

A process model providing employees of community colleges in Florida with a formal means to participate in the determination of their salaries and fringe benefits was developed. Systems analysis was used to establish the requirements for a new compensation system at Florida Junior College at Jacksonville, and the Process model was synthesized from the system requirements. The methodology involved the collection and evaluation of information from the literature, the perceptions of employees, a listing of constraints and studies of: the compensation system in use at Florida Junior College at Jacksonville; the budget process and the pay plans of other organizations. Problems with the compensation system in use were formalized in problem definition statements as a preliminary step to specifying new system requirements. Annual changes, major changes and compensation process changes were addressed in the model which specifies actions to be taken and information flow. A system flowchart was included. A focal point of the new process is the College Compensation Committee, which receives budget information, prepares compensation recommendations guidelines for employee recommending bodies (Faculty Senate, Career Employees' Council, Administrators' Ad Hoc Compensation Committee), receives recommendations from those bodies, develops pay plan specifications, recommends a pay plan to the President, and makes other recommendations for further study of major changes to the pay plan or the compensation process itself. The new system has been implemented at Florida Junior College at Jacksonville, and acceptance, in principle, of the model from five selected community colleges in Florida was obtained. It was concluded that the model may be acceptable to the non-unionized colleges in Florida. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, Section: A, page: 2458. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1981.

Purpose of the Study. This study was conducted to determine the responsiveness of Lake-Sumter Community College to the needs of its community in the field of lifelong learning and to evaluate that responsiveness. The student investigated areas where the needs of the community are not fully met, to examine the causative barriers to community service and to present recommendations for the reduction of those barriers whereby the college might improve its community service. / Small community colleges with limited budgets and personnel need definitive processes to find answers to problems. The study was conducted to determine the demographic correlation between enrolled non-credit students and the general population of the institution's service area. / Seven research questions were proposed, centering around gaining a current view of which segments of the population were being served, facilitating factors and barriers to enrollment and effectiveness of the courses offered. / Procedures. Procedures for the study were divided into five categories: (1) review of literature; (2) constructing a demographic data base of the institution's area; (3) development and administration of an instrument to determine the demographic characteristics of the non-credit students in the institution; (4) classification and processing of the data; (5) analysis and presentation of the data. / The instrument used was modified from one used by Nickens in a previous study, with added questions to determine student perceived barriers to enrollment, factors which facilitated enrollment, and what information media were effective in acquainting the population with course offerings. / Findings. Findings indicated that in general Lake-Sumter Community College was most responsive to the needs of white, married, female Lake County residents, in the 45 to 65 years of age group (especially those with some previous college), from a family with an income in excess of $12,000 per year. However, it was not as responsive to the needs of the black, separated male residents of Sumter County in the 15 through 24 years age group (especially those with a 7th grade education or less), from a family with a yearly income of $3,999 or less. / This study revealed perceived barriers to registration such as those of distance to the classroom, lack of knowledge of offerings, and inability to pay the fees. The perceived facilitators to enrollment focused upon overcoming those barriers. / The study indicated that most (94 percent) of the students were very satisfied with their courses. In terms of enrollment the present informal means for determining courses appeared adequate. / Recommendations. The study contains recommendations to the college: (1) to improve access by offering more outreach classes, planning some free classes, and rotating classes to different evenings; (2) to improve safety by improving campus lighting; (3) to make offerings more responsive to disadvantaged public's needs by setting up an appropriate advisory committee; (4) to increase dissemination of course information by evaluating media on the basis of dollars per traceable registration and making appropriate adjustments in media budgeting. / Recommendations for further research included: (1) surveying students earlier in the term to capture those who might dropout; (2) include non-students in the survey; (3) survey non-credit students at another institution similar to Lake-Sumter Community College; (4) construct a comparison of student demographics to population demographics to population demographics for evaluative purposes; (5) probe possibility of recruiting instructors for free courses. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 41-02, Section: A, page: 0509. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1980.

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 40-09, Section: A, page: 4866. / Thesis (Educat.D.)--The Florida State University, 1979.