<p> A correlational inferential study of diverse urban community colleges found student engagement and persistence to be influenced by student body racial and ethnic demographics. An omnibus methodology was devised to quantify persistence of students with multifarious goals, allowing existing data about the student outcomes to be examined over the long term, inclusive of full-time and part-time students and those who stop out and return. This study adds to the understanding of peer groups as viewed in college impact models and recommends practices to improve student success.</p><p> Among the major findings of the study, student body diversity was found to promote student persistence. Student race or ethnicity was also found to affect persistence contingent upon student body racial and ethnic composition. Asian student persistence did not appear to be affected by the racial and ethnic composition of the colleges they attended. White students experienced a positive effect on persistence at colleges with no predominant population. Hispanic students experienced the greatest negative effect on persistence among all groups when they attended predominantly Hispanic colleges. Black students experienced less negative effects than Hispanics at institutions with predominant populations of Black or Hispanic students than they did when attending colleges with no predominant population.</p><p> Student academic preparation and access to financial aid were confirmed as consistent predictors of student persistence. The larger effects of background characteristics and preparation on persistence recommend a greater emphasis on active engagement with students to increase college effects on student persistence.</p><p> Racial and ethnic student body demographics did not affect student engagement patterns as strongly as they affected persistence. Higher percentages of Black or Hispanic students in college predicted modest increases in engagement while the percentage of Asian students did not predict engagement. Small differences between the ways in which Asian, Black, Hispanic, and White students engaged were also identified.</p><p> The evidence of effects on student outcomes at predominantly minority community colleges necessitates greater understanding of social normative systems to update theoretical models developed for predominantly White four-year institutions. The findings recommend developing educational practices that are sensitive to specific student populations, while also recommending better understanding of within-group differences.</p>

<p> The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine if student background variables ([age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status, (SES)] are predictors of student persistence semester-to-semester (2009-2010). The sample population included 298 students, consisting of first-time, first-semester, full and part-time students working toward achieving a degree or credential at a rural community college in northeastern North Carolina. Community colleges enroll almost half of the nation's college learners, fewer than half of the learners who begin at community colleges earn a degree or credential within six years of initial enrollment. The semester-to-semester persistence rate from the sample in the study was 75%, much higher than national averages. Although student persistence has been researched extensively in the past decades, only recently has persistence research been conducted on the most diverse populations in two-year institutions where attrition is the highest. The lack of persistence leads to loss of college revenue, fewer graduates entering the workforce, and fewer students achieving their personal goals. Using associated research and archived records this study analyzed the effect of age, race, gender, and SES on persistence. Logistic regression, including descriptive statistics, was used, and determined varying relationships between independent variables and the dependent variable, persistence. No significant relationships were found between persistence and age, race, and SES. While some literature and empirical research with these variables previously found significant relationships, the current study did not and this may be due to; few studies conducted at rural community colleges, the use of rural sample size, and the reliance on financial aid by students. The strongest relationship was found between the independent variable and gender. The sample population consisted of 48% male and 51.7% female. The results showed that the level of the relationship between gender and persistence was p=.005, which was less than the alpha level of .05. Also, literature reviewed for the study showed that students' SES is significantly linked to persistence once the variables of gender and race are controlled. Future research could incorporate a qualitative analysis to provide useful information regarding these same independent variables in the context of the individual student.</p>

<p> Research studies have shown that one half of all students who begin college fail to realize their goals. This case study of one community college provided a comprehensive examination of best practices developed over several years through strategic enrollment planning. Additionally, this dissertation examined the decision-making processes that brought about changes through interviews and retrieval of archival documents. Both revealed an obvious path that brought about significant organizational change among departments and staff. This study may assist or provide guidance and recommendations for other institutions of higher education seeking to increase student retention.</p>

<p> This study examines the change process to enhance student persistence and graduation rates in four North Carolina community colleges. Using a qualitative research methodology, Lewin's change model is presented as a framework to investigate the acceptance and implementation of AtD principles in two community colleges. Processes to enhance student success were also examined at two non-AtD community colleges. The findings for this grounded research provide a rich understanding of the long-term impact of organizational change in AtD and non-AtD community colleges and inform future institutional efforts to improve student persistence to graduation or career-focused certifications. </p>

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Nov. 10, 2008). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-03, Section: A, page: 0856. Adviser: Nancy Chism.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Indiana University, Dept. of Instructional Systems and Technology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on May 11, 2009). Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-08, Section: A, page: 3036. Adviser: Curtis J. Bonk.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2008. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 69-05, Section: A, page: 1645. Adviser: Debra Bragg. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 265-271) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> Despite gains in expanding the student pipeline to postsecondary education, first-generation and low-income (FGLI) students complete college at disproportionately lower rates and have limited access to the resources necessary to make informed decisions about higher education. Research has shown that FGLI students are less likely to apply to college after completing high school, and when they do, they often enroll in institutions that are less selective than they were academically qualified to attend. Moreover, although access to higher education has expanded, the increased concentration of students at community colleges has not led to increases in earned credentials. </p><p> This study used two parallel phenomenological inquiries to explore the college decision-making processes and first-year experiences of two groups of FGLI students pursuing a baccalaureate degree: students who completed a summer college-access program before entering a four-year institution, and students who attended a community college. Findings from the study revealed that FGLI students often sought the support of guidance counselors during the college choice process, but the degree to which community college and four-year college attendees accessed this resource varied. Additionally, four-year college attendees provided strong evidence of having the support of parents, siblings, or peers who helped influence their college enrollment decisions. </p><p> This study also examined the first-year experiences of FGLI students and found that community college enrollees spoke highly of their experience, felt more comfortable navigating higher education independently, and remained steadfast about their desire to pursue a bachelor&rsquo;s degree; however they demonstrated less engagement with the college community and were uncertain about where they would be ultimately complete their studies. Participants who had completed a summer college-access program were more engaged on campus with administrators and peers, had a better understanding of the support resources available, and gained confidence in how to approach college-level work.</p><p>

<p> In order for a student to be successful in dental hygiene education, the student must gain the required knowledge and skills necessary to perform as a hygienist and possess the ability to utilize critical thinking to apply these attributes while in the program and on the National Board of Dental Hygiene Examination (NBDHE) (Alzahrani, Thompson, &amp; Bauman, 2007; Fried, Maxey, Battani, Gurenlian, Byrd, &amp; Brunick, 2017). Dental hygiene students who attend a medical university have the option to take required pre-requisite courses at a community college or a four-year university. All dental hygiene students transfer from another institution and all have the potential to exhibit transfer shock, which may contribute to a drop in GPA following the transfer to another institution. Transfer shock typically occurs for students who transfer from a community college to a university (Hills 1965; Ivins, Copenhaver, &amp; Koclanes, 2016). This study investigates the impact of transfer shock on students who transfer into a dental hygiene program from a two-year community college as opposed to a four-year university. This study examined whether the type of institution, two-year community college versus a four-year university, attended prior to dental hygiene school is a predictor of success in a dental hygiene program in terms of ending program GPA and NBDHE first-attempt pass rates. After data analysis, results suggested that transfer shock did occur with both community college and four-year university students,. However, the four-year university group experienced less transfer shock than those who attended a community college during the first semester. Neither group increased their GPAs from the first to second semesters in the program. When comparing the entering GPAs with the end of program GPAs, both groups showed a significant drop. However, the community college group&rsquo;s decrease in GPA was greater. Only five students in the total population (two from the four-year university group and three from the community college group) failed the NBDHE on the first attempt. Students who were unsuccessful in passing the NBDHE had final program GPAs that ranged from 2.2 to 2.45.</p><p>

<p> This qualitative collective case study explored the experiences of faculty members in the social and behavioral sciences and SLO coordinators at community colleges in California as they engaged in student learning outcomes assessment (SLOA). Semi-structured interviews with eight faculty members and five student learning outcomes coordinators revealed common goals among the participants to use education to inform social change. Engaged student learning outcomes assessment practitioners shared characteristics with Rogers' (2003) early adopters. Participation in SLOA led to an invigoration of the teaching experience. Strategically-integrated dialogue among students in the classroom, faculty within departments, and across divisions within the institutions facilitated institutional change. Engagement in SLOA led to changes in teaching practice that align with research findings on best practices in higher education and participants perceived themselves to be better teachers as a result. However, participants were reluctant to claim responsibility for student learning or to identify improvements in student learning as a result of SLOA. Still, they were willing to consider the potential of SLOA as a tool to close achievement gaps. Recommendations focus on policy, leadership, and institutional strategies for increasing faculty engagement in SLOA.</p><p>