Title IX was enacted over 40 years ago, and although there have been marked increases in the number of girls and women participating in athletics at every level, gender equity in athletics continues to be a concern. This is especially evident at the community college level. Title IX requires equity in the areas of opportunities for participation, opportunities for financial aid, and equity in benefits and services. This study sought to ascertain perceptions of equity held by community college coaches of women’s teams. A cross-sectional design was used to survey coaches from all regions of the NJCAA who were listed in the National Directory of in regard to their perceptions of equity in opportunities for participation, opportunities for scholarships, awareness and understanding of Title IX and related compliance issues, including whistleblower protection, and their level of comfort in discussing gender equity issues with supervisors. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed significant differences in perceptions regarding gender equity in terms of opportunities for participation, opportunities for financial aid by means of athletic scholarships, benefits and services, awareness and understanding and level of comfort in discussing perceptions regarding gender equity issues or Title IX non-compliance based on gender, years’ experience coaching, sport coached and region, although effect sizes for each analysis were determined to be small. Without question, women are in a better position to recognize gender inequities in athletics on college campuses. It is essential that women are recruited and hired into leadership positions in athletic departments and into executive positions in educational administrations at community colleges. Without a voice at the decision-making levels, the pace at which community colleges move toward equity will continue to lag.

The purpose of this study was to determine if freshman students based on their age, ethnicity, and gender who enter a community college with a GED credential will have a higher cumulative grade point average (GPA) after their first semester than traditional high school graduates. Findings from this study will aid individuals in developing a more accurate perception of the academic abilities of GED graduates. The academic performance of GED graduates was compared with traditional high school graduates after their first semester at a rural community college in the Fall 2007 semester. Intact data from the students f academic records were used for this study (n=680). Graduates were compared on gender, race, and age. Data were analyzed with the t-test and a multiple linear regression. There was not a statistically significant difference in the mean GPA between GED graduates and traditional high school graduates. It was also found that there was a statistically significant difference between the ethnic groups, as whites had higher mean GPAs than the nonwhite students. There was not a statistically significant difference between the mean GPAs among the male and female students. The age of the college students had no influence on GPAs.