Substance abuse is an area of concern for college administrators, and they have implemented campus programming in an attempt to address it. Additionally, prior researchers have studied substance abuse on college campuses in order to better understand how substance abuse affects student success. However, limited research exist that addresses the unique perspective of college students who are in recovery from substance abuse, and most studies were conducted in 4-year institutions rather than community colleges. This qualitative case study explored the transition experiences of female students in recovery who attend community college or have recently graduated. The sample included students from 3 community colleges. Participants were selected using prescreening surveys and interviews with 10 female participants. Common themes emerged from the analysis of the interview data regarding reasons for enrolling, struggles, supports, and a definition of success as it relates to transition to community college. Participant responses indicated that common struggles revolve around financial stress, academic deficiencies, time management strategies, and the lack of a positive culture regarding substance abuse and recovery on their campuses. However, academic structures, social supports via friends, family, and faculty as well as group meetings, and a positive college culture also supported students through their various transitions. Recommendations for practice include supporting faculty professional development by implementing campus professional development aimed at helping to create a positive campus culture where faculty better understand the implications of being in recovery from substance abuse and are prepared to support students. Another recommendation for practice is to implement collegiate recovery programs to support students in recovery that offer many of the supports participants indicated as effective in their success. Using a collaborative approach, community members, students, college administrators, and faculty along with federal, state, and local policymakers have the unique opportunity to come together, problem solve, and apply recent research that may increase student retention and success while supporting the individual needs of students who are in recovery from substance abuse.

When students are academically qualified to attend a four-year college or university but instead enroll at a community college, they are considered academically undermatched. Research suggests that Latinx students are more likely to academically undermatch than their peers yet they remain the least likely to complete an upward transfer to a university and earn a baccalaureate degree. The purpose of this study was to explore the enrollment decisions of, and familial influences on, Latinx students who were admitted to a university but who initially enrolled at a community college. Using community cultural wealth and funds of knowledge as theoretical frameworks, I examined the narratives of 13 Latinx students and the parents of five of those students. Nine student participants were female and four were male, ranging from 19 to 31 years old. Parent participants were four females and two males, ranging from 43 to 52 years old. Findings from this study are divided into two parts. Student findings revealed navigating the pathway to college was fraught with limited information, even though students acknowledged they had access to resources and their high school counselors and teachers helped in the college search process. However, students still did not feel that crucial information they wanted or needed was available. Parent findings uncovered how parental aspirations and perceptions of opportunities in the United States served as a foundation for helping students aspire to attend college. Based on these findings, higher education practitioners would do well to use inclusive frameworks, such as community cultural wealth, to create programs that address Latinx students and their families, including providing materials in Spanish. Through use of inclusive frameworks, research on Latinx student college choice continues to elevate the complexities and realities these students encounter. Additionally, policymakers should continue to reevaluate the shifting burden of costs for higher education from taxpayers to students as this impacts college choice and academic undermatch.

<p>The emergence of social media technologies (SMT) as important features of life in the twenty-first century has aroused the curiosity of teachers and scholars in higher education and given rise to numerous experiments using SMT as tools of instruction in college and university classrooms. A body of research has emerged from those experiments which suggests that SMT may be useful in promoting student learning and improving academic outcomes. However, as of yet the evidence from that research is scant and inconclusive. The study described here was designed to contribute to that body of research by investigating whether or not requiring students to use a microblog&mdash;Twitter in this case&mdash;in a community college history course would help students display higher levels of attainment of content-based course learning outcomes on traditional types of assessments. Student activity on Twitter and performance on traditional types of assessments were quantitatively tracked and evaluated according to a number of specialized rubrics, the results of which were integrated into a series of hierarchical regression analyses. Qualitative data was also collected in the form of open-ended questionnaires in order to provide insight into how students perceived of and used Twitter as an instructional tool. Data obtained through both methodologies were integrated into the final analysis. The results of this study suggest that microblogs can be an effective platform for teaching and learning when the instructor is experienced in the use of the medium, deliberate in how it is used, and highly engaged during use. </p>

<p> The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine African American community college students&rsquo; availability to technological resources and how that availability affects their success. In this study, technological resources include access to the internet, software, hardware, technology training, technology support, and community resources. This study included six community college professors and six African American community college students enrolled in a Midwest community college. A major tenet of Critical Race Theory, storytelling, was used to give voice to students who lack sufficient access to technological resources referred to as the digitally denied. Data from this study can create an awareness of students that lack technological resources at community colleges, universities, and community libraries. This study could also be useful to community college leadership who set policies and procedures and determine curriculum requirements that call for technological resources. The findings suggested that access to technological resources is a key factor that impacted the success of African American students in the community college. </p>

<p>The purpose of this study is to examine a community college district Grow Your Own (GYO) leadership program in the Western United States, the Multi College Leadership Development Institute (MCLDI). The MCLDI was developed in-house for a multi-campus community college district and offered to interested employees at all position levels with the intent to provide them the opportunity to develop and enhance their leadership skills and abilities. While most leadership development literature has focused on the presidential role or other senior level positions, the aim of MCLDI is to support leadership development in general; not just for senior level positions, but for mid-level management and academic position leadership as well. </p><p> This study gathered the perspectives of all those involved, from the leaders who created the program and their experience in doing so, to the program participants and graduates. Providing the different perspectives allows for other campuses to draw from the benefits and challenges that are shared in creating their own program or for comparison to programs that already exist. </p><p> A qualitative case study approach was utilized to investigate MCLDI and its development, implementation, and the benefits and challenges experienced by the coordinators and participants. Three themes were identified from analyzing across data sources. Building organizational capacity, developing human capital, and program structure emerged throughout the data collected from interviews, observations, and document analysis and were reflected in the findings for each of the research questions. </p>

An analysis of data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement and multiyear analysis of pretest/posttest scores in introductory criminal justice courses revealed there was a systemic decline in student engagement and achievement. Because of this analysis, a commercial virtual learning tool (CJI) that purported great success in improving student engagement and performance was identified and implemented on the college's course management application in the spring of 2010. CJI, a comprehensive learning tool that incorporated Web 2.0 activities, such as video, simulations, and study aids, was designed to improve student engagement and performance. The inclusion of Web 2.0 activities was important because the majority of students at Herkimer County Community College are of the Millennial generation, those born between 1979 and 1994. The purpose of this study was to investigate the design and implementation of a VLT, utilizing multiple intelligence theory while specifically targeting Millennial students could improve student engagement and achievement. For this study, the VLT was implemented in two hybrid sections and compared to a traditional section of an introductory criminal justice class. The quasi-experimental design examined the effectiveness of a VLT on student learning, and engagement. Based on the results, the VLT had a positive effect on students' perception of ease of use and usefulness. The students' positive perception led to an increase in student engagement the testing period. The results of the testing revealed that overall students found the VLT beneficial to them as a learning tool and had a positive impact on their course performance. While the VLT did not improve student performance beyond that of the traditional lecture course, there were positive implications in the design of the VLT utilizing multiple intelligence theory as a foundation. The implications of this study involved the impact of the VLT on students' perception of usefulness and ease of use. A VLT designed with multiple intelligence learning tools can improve student engagement and their perception of the tools usefulness and ease of use. It is clear that VLTs' designed with multiple intelligence learning tools should be incorporated as a tool to improve student performance.

<p> Critical research on the intersections of gender, race and class on women faculty of color largely addresses the experience of those in 4-year universities. In addition, the available research on community college faculty namely addresses the perceptions of culture and climate by those of White women faculty. To date, the scholarship on the experiences of women faculty of color (WFofC) in community colleges is nearly nonexistent. This study offers in-depth insight into the experiences of WFofC at 2-year institutions, contributing to the emerging body of critical research. Bringing the perspectives of WFofC at 2-year institutions to the forefront validates not only their presence in academe, but also acknowledges and celebrates their work as committed educators. </p><p> Semi-structured interviews were collected from 37 participants who represented 11 different community colleges in the urban/suburban regions of Los Angeles and Orange Counties in southern California.</p><p> Findings revealed that WFofC experience multiple forms of marginalization, as well as agency. The intersections of gender, race and class manifested themselves in the findings and confirmed that the experiences of WFofC can be unified as a collective minority experience to contrast dominant groups. They are simultaneously diversified because of the unique differences in ethnic identity and lived experience amongst each other.</p><p> For many, the institutional culture and climate perceived by WFofC in community colleges validated that it was &ldquo;chilly&rdquo; and not as &ldquo;warm&rdquo; as those from research findings that sampled White women faculty. The type of the community college district, department culture and status in the faculty hierarchy were factors that influenced their experience of climate. Despite many expressing the culture of their institutions as being &ldquo;hostile,&rdquo; these women of color were overwhelmingly satisfied in their faculty work. Their commitment to serving underrepresented students, and sense of responsibility to the community at large, mediated the chilliness.</p><p> Recommendations for future research include further analyses of the rich data collected from this study. Recommendations for policy and practice include institutionalizing the hiring of diverse administrators and faculty to reach critical mass. Furthermore, community college leaders should provide formal support for WFofC through ongoing structured mentoring opportunities and faculty learning communities.</p>

The overarching goals of this study were twofold: first, to learn how community colleges are preparing students to flourish and contribute to a changing and global economy, and second, how they address those students that do not make it through the community college. Within this context, the researcher elected to perform a case study of Tallahassee Community College (TCC), a college identified as focused on improving student success and empowering students to reach their goals; and, committed to sharing data and information across and throughout the institution. To achieve its ultimate goals, this study had four specific purposes. First, it provided an in-depth account of the development and implementation of the organizational vision and student success (learning and attainment) focus at TCC. Second, the study examined how the use of data provided transparency and redirected the focus of TCC. Third, it examined how TCC’s student learning portal is used by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the board of trustees. Finally, it considered how the findings may inform policy makers, institutional leaders, and researchers about key factors impacting a student success focus. Taken in concert, the study was designed to provide a contextual framework for implementing an organizational vision focused on improving student success. The study is a qualitative research designed case study informed by quantitative data. The study included TCC serving as the unit of analysis for the entire case, and the student learning portal serving as the unit of analysis for an embedded case study. Qualitative methods employed included documents, archival records, interviews, focus groups, and direct observations. Multiple approaches were used to present the case study including a chronology of key historical events and a categorical or topical format based on an inductive analysis of data. Eight themes emerged as contributing to the work of the student success agenda: 1) leadership style of the president and the board relationship, 2) the vision for student success, 3) transparency and open communications, 4) strategic plan, 5) budget, 6) data and information technology, 7) people and development, and 8) sustainability of the shared vision. / text

This companion dissertation reports the findings of applied case study research on four community college organizational units that consistently meet or exceed standard performance measures. In addition, prior ample evidence confirms that performance extended significantly beyond what might be explained by available tangible resources alone. The case study contexts are common in higher education in general: a) an external partnership, (b) an ad hoc team, (c) a traditional, cross-divisional service unit, and (d) a grant-funded student service unit. Emerging positive organizational theory and research shows promise for revealing performance-influencing phenomena and behaviors that are not adequately represented in standard measures. Therefore, this collaborative case study research was designed to explore positive influences on the success of the four community college units. This companion dissertation consists of three manuscripts. Chapter 2, a technical report, contains the collaboratively-written synthesis of findings from the four individual case studies. Key findings across the units suggest the influence on performance of: (a) a people-first culture, (b) authentic, trusting, inclusive leadership, and (c) resource richness beyond constrained tangible resources. In Chapter 3, the researcher presents the key findings of the individual case study that looks at the success of an ad hoc committee formed to guide their institution through the accreditation process. The findings of this study emphasize the important role that leadership plays in the team’s success. In Chapter 4, the researcher shares lessons learned throughout the research process and by walking through her leadership journey from reluctant to authentic leader.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a public community college on American Indian students in terms of their goals, aspirations, and persistence. These effects are fundamental to understanding attrition and the low transfer and completion rates of American Indians and other minorities in community colleges. The study was conducted as a case study in an urban community college in the Southwest. Seven individual case studies were embedded in the larger study. Data were obtained through weekly interviews and followup of students who dropped-out. Goodenough's cognitive theory of culture served as the theoretical basis for the study. Spradley's typology of question format, which is intended to generate the categories into which individuals divide their cultural knowledge, was used to determine cultural perceptions and related changes that occurred over time. None of the students completed the programs in which they had enrolled. A main finding was that the students perceived the community college as a way to disassociate themselves from social problems that marginalize Indian people and engender stereotypes. However, the culture that was produced at the college discounted the students' sense of competence and reinforced a sense of marginalization they were attempting to overcome. The students possessed a wide variety of background experiences, but maintained a deep structure of internal values and expectations associated with their unique Indian heritage and experience. These combined over time with the patterns and meanings of the institution, creating situational arrhythmia which frustrated the students' expectations, aspirations, and life tasks. Significant issues that arose included: (1) The acquisition of meaningful experience; (2) a lack of a sense of a supportive environment; (3) preferred ways of learning, (4) conflicts between institutional and personal priorities and (5) negative and regressive effects of the "deficit model" in remedial education. Community colleges are unaware of the actual effects that they have on culturally diverse students. They should become "culturally literate" and adopt policies and practice policies which will allow them to extend beyond the inherent ethnocentrism they now embody. In matching equal access with equality of outcomes, this study suggests that community colleges must consider significant changes and innovations.