Obtaining a degree from a community college is a strong pathway to numerous career opportunities for students from low-income backgrounds. Unfortunately, graduation rates from community colleges are often very low, so many students do not reap the benefits of a degree. With the goal of increasing graduation rates, three community colleges in…

In the educational landscape, educational data mining has emerged as an indispensable tool for institutions seeking to deliver exceptional and high-quality education. However, education data revealed suboptimal academic performance among a significant portion of the student population, which consequently resulted in delayed graduation. This…

Performance funding has been a popular form of funding colleges and universities for several decades. Often the purpose is to make universities more efficient (Miao, 2012). Missouri has had two separate models of performance funding in play, a decade apart. In this research both performance funding models are examined, including a 10- year period…

In this study, the organizational intelligence model (OI model) was used as a theoretical framework to explore strategic factors (leadership, strategy, and culture) and several hypothesized variables that influence employee engagement as a proxy for improving individual and institutional effectiveness (Falletta & Combs, 2018). A single case…

Unparalleled changes in dietetics education are underway with a new competency-based model and graduate degree requirements. This two-phase mixed methods study explored dietetics directors' perceptions of costs and benefits to implement the new model. First, e-Delphi participants identified 34 cost and 22 benefit items, which were then used to…

The United States cannot meet its higher education goals without changing the way it funds public colleges and universities. Current funding models do not sufficiently advance fully scaled improvements. Instead, today's models create unfunded mandates: Colleges are required to increase completion rates, but they do not receive essential funding…

Improving graduation rates is one of the biggest missions in many universities across the country and it is surely the case on the campus of this institution. The work here presents a statistical tool box to use early academic performance as a predictor for graduation with logistic regression and machine learning techniques. The methods described…

This research explores the suitability of system-based simulation analysis for higher education (HE) policy-planning. A dynamic system model of the Finnish university funding system covering bachelor-level students is presented. The results show that the model captures the nature of the current funding system, which can be considered a zero-sum…

A large American university in the southeastern United States has infused experiential learning into academic courses to create a national model that is both sustainable and replicable. The EXL Scholars Program has consistently shown growth and significant positive outcomes by providing students with opportunities for hands-on experiences in their…

The number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled at universities continues to increase; however, completion rates have not. In this study, we sought to understand what contributes to university completion rates by Indigenous Australian students. We employed a mixed-method approach, utilising the higher education success factor…

An estimated 1,400 colleges and universities nationwide have invested in predictive analytics technology to identify which students are at risk of failing courses or dropping out, with spending estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. How accurate and stable are those predictions? The authors put six predictive models to the test to gain…

This dissertation contributes to a better understanding of performance management systems (PMS) by examining adoption, stringency, and impact of performance-based funding (PBF) in public institutions of higher education within the United States. The public sector has been under increasing pressure to be more accountable to stakeholders--that is,…

Despite advances made in broadening access to higher education, some evidence suggests that college completion rates have actually declined over time, and attainment gaps stemming from race/ethnicity and socioeconomic background have remained stubbornly persistent (Bound, Lovenheim, & Turner, 2010; National Center for Education Statistics,…

Predicting student's successful completion of academic programs and the features that influence their performance can have a significant effect on improving students' completion, and graduation rates and reduce attrition rates. Therefore, identifying students are at risk, and the courses where improvements in content, delivery mode, pedagogy, and…

Community colleges in the United States, which serve a disproportionate number of students from low-income backgrounds, can provide a valuable pathway toward well-paying careers. However, graduation rates at community colleges are very low--among first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who enter public two-year schools, only 29 percent…