In recent years dating violence has become more and more prevalent on college campuses. Reports of the range of dating violence vary widely, with studies reporting from 20% to 85% of college women experiencing dating violence. However, almost all research has been conducted among urban and/or large colleges and universities, with virtually no attention to what is happening on small and/or rural college and university campuses. When a possible 20% of college women have experienced dating violence on college campuses, there becomes a crucial need for administration at a college to have an accurate assessment of the college’s liability, and of the adequacy of the college’s programs and policies relative to dating violence. This study sought to determine whether administrators and female students on small rural college campuses have the same perceptions of the type and incidence of dating violence on their campus, and of the programs and policies the college has put into place to prevent and respond to dating violence. Two domains of perceptions were addressed, dating violence beliefs and experience, and dating violence policy knowledge. The same question was examined to determine if perceptions of resident and commuter students were the same, and if perceptions of under and upper class students were the same. The investigator surveyed 52 college administrators and 306 female students at a total of four small rural college campuses to determine whether administrator and female student perceptions of dating violence incidence/type and dating violence program/policy knowledge at the college were similar. Results were that administrators tended to have similar perceptions to students as regards dating violence beliefs and experience, although not specific types of dating violence. Students did not exhibit a strong knowledge of dating violence policy. Resident and commuter students displayed similar perceptions to each other, as did under class and upper class students.

Abstract Examining the efficacy of literacy improvement, general education development (GED) completion, and GED completers’ perceptions of college readiness and social capital was the purpose of this study. The participant sample (n=321), derived from the target population (N=1050), consisted of former participants of Adult Literacy Education (ALE)/GED programs in the Greater New Orleans area (GNO), who have earned the GED credential, and, are currently enrolled in entry-level courses at two community colleges in Southeast Louisiana; specifically, in Orleans and St. Bernard parishes. The study was framed by the social capital theoretical perspective. The study used quantitative methodology, with a descriptive, cross-sectional research design. Specific quantitative analyses were employed including; descriptive statistics which were used to characterize the sample and to describe the features of the data; preliminary analysis using principal axis factoring (PAF), to determine survey items that cluster together and to identify relevant factors that influence perceptions of college readiness and social capital; Cronbach’s alpha, to test internal consistency and reliability of the survey instrument; regression analysis, to investigate the relationships between GED completers’ perceptions of college readiness and social capital and their literacy level; and finally, a one-way ANOVA, to compare the means of groups within literacy levels. Using a researcher-created survey instrument with a Likert scale rating of 1-4, perceptions of college readiness and social capital of GED completers were assessed. A field test of 10 participants and an expert panel review ensured validity and reliability of the instrument. The results of this study could serve as a framework for strategic planning of ALE/GED programs, ALE/GED curriculum alignment with high school content and entry-level introductory or developmental college courses, and post-secondary (community college) recruitment endeavors.

The primary purpose of this study was to determine the nature, scope, and consequences of drug and alcohol use by students enrolled at three southern Appalachian community colleges: Mountain Empire Community College (MECC) in Virginia, Northeast State Technical Community College (NSTCC) in Tennessee, and Southwestern Community College (SCC) in North Carolina. An additional purpose was to use this information to formulate recommendations for new and improved preventive substance-abuse programs. The design for this study was descriptive research. The Core Alcohol and Drug Survey (CORE) was selected as the appropriate instrument for use in this study. The 23-item questionnaire was designed specifically to investigate the nature, scope, and consequences of alcohol and drug use of students who attend the three southern Appalachian community colleges. A proportional stratified sampling procedure was utilized to select clusters (classes) at each community college. A total of 1,101 surveys was collected. Four research questions and 22 hypotheses were addressed. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, Chi-square, and Somers' D. The researcher, using the.05 level of significance, rejected nine null hypotheses and failed to reject 13 null hypotheses. Forty-eight percent of the students used alcohol in the past 30 days. Forty-six percent of underage (younger than 21) students drank (indicated alcohol use at least once in previous 30 days). Twenty-six percent of students had "binged" in the previous two weeks. The data in this research showed the following: (1) no relationship existed between the use of alcohol and the age groups, (2) a difference existed between the age groups in their use of marijuana, amphetamines, and sedatives, and (3) a difference existed between the use of alcohol, and marijuana, and grade-point averages. Twenty-five percent of the students have used marijuana (at least once in the past year). The most frequently reported illegal drugs used in the past 30 days were: 17% marijuana, 7% amphetamines and 7% sedatives. Key findings on the consequences of alcohol and drug use are as follows: 38% reported some form of public misconduct and 18% reported experiencing some kind of personal injury at least once during the past year as a result of drinking or drug use. Findings of the study showed that no difference existed between mates' and females' perception of the alcohol and drug policies, regulations and prevention programs on campus. The study also revealed no difference existed among the age groups' perception of the alcohol and drug policies, regulations, and prevention programs.

This purpose of the study was to explore the personal perspectives of three select state college administrators regarding their purpose, values, and beliefs they inherently espouse about leadership, developmental education and academic success. The researcher examined the ways in which community college administrators used communication strategies to lead change processes within their organizations. The researcher identified the administrators’ leadership approaches in leading a major redesign of a developmental education program at a large community college in Florida. The following primary research question was explored: What are the strategies adopted by the select state college administrators leading a major developmental education redesign initiative within a community college? Utilizing a qualitative approach, the methodology encompassed comparative case study including interviews, observations, and selected document analysis. The conceptual framework utilized Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson’s (2008) authentic leadership model, adaptive communication from Heifetz, Linsky, and Grashow’s (2009) adaptive change model, agile leadership approaches based on elements of Eddy’s (2010a) multidimensional leadership model, and leadership competencies identified by the American Association of Colleges and Universities (2005). Results of the study included four primary considerations: (a) the influence of a leader’s past experiences contextualized the approach to leading change in developmental education redesign; (b) the leader’s intrinsic values and beliefs formed the foundation to conceptualize change in developmental education redesign; (c) the leader’s sensemaking and communication necessitated the understanding of complex change; (d) leadership qualities and approaches facilitated acceptance, adaptation, and management of leading change in developmental education redesign. Recommendations included processes for new employee orientation, educational advocacy, professional development, strategic planning, mentorship, and collective bargaining.

This quantitative study investigated faculty trust in their immediate supervisors (academic deans and faculty chairs) in a state college setting. A survey instrument created for this study was based on existing research on trust in schools by Bryk and Schneider (2002) and Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (1998), as well as research on trust in corporate setting. The study’s purpose was to determine the types and frequencies of interactions between community college faculty and deans/faculty chairs – i.e., faculty immediate supervisors – that are related to higher levels of faculty trust. Also investigated were the relationships between faculty trust and demographic characteristics including age, gender, ethnicity, length of employment, and number of faculty in department. The study’s findings suggest policies and practices for creating more trusting environments in community and state college settings, thereby leading to higher faculty retention levels. These, in turn, can contribute to increased levels of student success, higher graduation rates, and financial savings for schools.

Cubans arrive in the U.S. with more formal education than other Latino immigrants, and they arrive to communities with long standing networks of support. Though their baccalaureate degree attainment is better than their non-Cuban Latina counterparts, Cuban women still lag behind White, non-Latina women. The qualitative study aims to explore the principal influences and non-academic factors that 15 adult Cuban non-native English-speaking women in South Florida attribute to the successful attainment of their baccalaureate degree. There are many differences among the various immigrant Latino communities in the U.S., and Cuban women are largely absent from the research. Nearly 75% of Cuban women who start Miami Dade College with English as a second language course-work drop out within one year of matriculation. Understanding the principal influences and non-academic factors related to the baccalaureate attainment rate of this group may assist educators and administrators in providing the support these women need to enhance their degree completion. The literature says that the baccalaureate degree attainment of Latinos is influenced by age-at-the-time-of-immigration, country of origin, and gender, yet little research was found on the degree attainment specifically of female Cubans who entered the U.S. having already completed most of their education in Cuba. My dissertation explores the journey of 15 Cuban women who arrived in the U.S. as teens during the 1990s and had to learn English as a second language at an urban community college prior to completing a baccalaureate degree. The purpose of the research is to describe the principal influences and non-academic factors that these women attribute to their baccalaureate degree attainment.

The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to describe the impact the SLS courses had on the retention and success rates of students who were taking developmental English courses at FSCJ-Kent Campus, (b) to explain how students taking developmental English felt the SLS courses impacted them, and (c) to find out what elements of the SLS program were most and least valued by students. In order to understand how the SLS program impacted students in the developmental English program at FSCJ-Kent Campus, I conducted a mixed methods case study using FSCJ–Kent Campus as the research site. The case study included a quantitative stage, during which I examined archival data from fall 2008 to summer 2010 to determine the impact of the SLS program on student success and retention, and a qualitative stage, during which I conducted a survey and two focus groups to get an understanding of participants’ perspectives. The evidence that the SLS program affected the success and retention rates of students in the developmental English classes at FSCJ-Kent Campus was not conclusive. However, students reported that the program was extremely beneficial to them and provided insight into why they thought the program contributed to their success. The study was significant because I was able to get a deeper understanding of students’ perspectives and provide a framework for understanding those perspectives. I concluded that the SLS program was a mechanism to transition and integrate students into the institution. This study may affect the way leaders in educational institutions approach developmental English, the SLS program, and all other developmental programs.

Nontraditional college student enrollment in the United States is rapidly growing and is predicted to continue to increase. Similarly, female students are currently the majority student population on college campuses. Although numerous studies document college student experiences, few focus on first-generation Latinas who are student-mothers at community colleges. The purpose of this study was to explore the educational experiences of first-generation Latina nontraditional student-mothers enrolled at a community college in California to identify the ways in which grit (ganas) and mindsets influenced their success. This inquiry followed Moustakas’s (1994) transcendental phenomenology research process. Individual interviews of five Latinas were analyzed using Moustakas’s modification of the Van Kaam method of analysis. The findings indicate that each woman had a similar yet unique story based upon their intersectional identities and the space in which they lived in at the time of this study. These stories collectively echoed a phenomenon rooted in cultural pervasiveness and generational continuity, an urgency to break cultural norms, and the grasp on ganas and mindsets that each participant held onto while striving to reach their educational goals. The participants’ stories illuminated an unanticipated connection to my own story as a Latina student-mother in search of a higher education. This connection provided me with a deeper understanding of my educational path and the realization that ganas and mindsets also influenced my educational experiences. The implications from this study offer ways to support this specific group of students both collectively and individually. La inscripción de estudiantes del colegio no tradicionales en los Estados Unidos está creciendo rápidamente y se prevé que continúe aumentando. Del mismo modo, las alumnas son actualmente la población estudiantil mayoritaria en los colegios. Aunque numerosos estudios documentan experiencias de estudiantes de colegio, pocos se centran en latinas de primera generación que son estudiantes-madres en colegios comunitarios. El propósito de este estudio fue explorar las experiencias educativas de las madres Latinas que son estudiantes no tradicionales de primera generación inscritas en un colegio comunitario en California para identificar las maneras en que sus ganas y mentalidades influyeron en su éxito. Este estudio siguió al proceso de investigación de fenomenología trascendental de Moustakas (1994). Las entrevistas individuales de cinco Latinas fueron analizadas utilizando la modificación de Moustakas del método de análisis de Van Kaam. Los hallazgos indican que cada mujer tenía una historia similar pero única basada en sus identidades interseccionales y el espacio en el que vivían en el momento de este estudio. Estas historias hicieron eco colectivamente de un fenómeno arraigado en la omnipresencia cultural y la continuidad generacional, la urgencia de romper las normas culturales y la comprensión de las ganas y las mentalidades que cada participante aferró mientras se esforzaba por alcanzar sus metas educativas. Las historias de los participantes iluminaron una conexión imprevista con mi propia historia como estudiante-madre Latina en busca de una educación superior. Esta conexión me proporcionó una comprensión más profunda de mi camino educativo y la comprensión de que las ganas y las mentalidades también influyeron en mis experiencias educativas. Las implicaciones de este estudio ofrecen maneras de apoyar a este grupo específico de estudiantes tanto colectiva como individualmente.

The rising costs of college attendance and changes in financial aid packages leave students with little option other than to incur a debt of some amount. Unfortunately, colleges often fail to provide adequate financial literacy and student loan information so prospective students planning to attend college can make informed decisions. Student loans may seem attractive in the short term because, unlike other loans, repayment does not begin immediately. However, the accrual of student loan debt leads to long-term financial consequences, including the opportunity to build economic wealth after graduation. Utilizing a basic qualitative research design, I explored first-generation community college students’ experiences with financial aid, financial literacy, and the challenges and individual circumstances of using student loans to fund expenses related to their postsecondary enrollment. A human capital framework supported students informed financial decision-making experiences to effectively persist confidently in pursuing their educational goals. Collectively, students’ detailed statements provided a powerful voice for first-generation students accessing financial resources at the community college. The six themes included (a) Student-Centered, (b) Understanding Consequences of Student Loans, (c) Development of Financial Aid Literacy, (d) Student-Connection, (e) Simplifying Financial Aid Access for Students, and (f) Support From Campus-Based Programs. Findings provide helpful insights for community college practitioners and financial aid administrators.

The purpose of this study was to discover which southern universities have graduate preparatory programs in community college leadership and how, if at all, ethics is addressed in their curricula and in instruction. Surveys were mailed to 38 southern universities located in the Southern Regional Education Board member states. Of the 21 responses received, there were 16 usable responses from universities in these states. Through an examination of databases of Council for the Study of Community Colleges Graduate Studies and the American Association of Community Colleges Leadership Programs for Community College Professionals databases, 38 senior universities were found to have community college leadership programs. State programs were further confirmed through the survey to personnel listed on program websites for the universities. 15 of 16 southern universities responding to the survey item were found to have community college leadership preparatory programs that provide ethics instruction. Although the results of this survey indicate that the majority of the respondents include ethics in their curricula and in instruction, the manner in which they integrate it is varied and shows a lack of consensus among southern universities. Of the institutions that responded, the majority of respondents indicated that ethics instruction is integrated into specific discipline- or department-based courses. Offering ethics in an elective or general core course requirement was noted as a less common approach, but a viable alternative to the specific discipline- or department-based course method. Additionally, several respondents revealed that ethics instruction is institution-wide. This finding, in particular, is hopeful because it suggests that colleges are going beyond the confines of courses and degree programs and making ethics instruction a university priority. A review of the graduate preparatory programs in community college leadership courses, syllabi, and course descriptions revealed that a number of universities often incorporated instruction in ethics-based courses such as Ethical Decision Making or Ethics in the Workplace and Education. Conversely, the majority of the universities in this study addressed ethics through community college leadership core courses to include, but not limited to, The Community College, The History and Philosophy of the Community College, and Legal Aspects of Higher Education.