Background: Condensed courses, as opposed to semester-long courses, are an increasingly popular strategy to improve equity in higher education. With condensed courses, students focus on a smaller number of courses during seven- to ten-week terms (Gullatt, 2006; Zepeda & Mayers, 2006). Historically marginalized students may benefit because the…

Although student academic support programs have dated back to Early Colleges in America, the way we service our students' populations has had to evolve. Various student support programs have been utilized over the years, and while at that current time may have indicated benefits, are now outdated. One service that is demonstrating success is…

The purpose of this quantitative research study is to determine through the foundational lens of the temporal motivational theory, if active procrastinators outnumber passive procrastinators, and outperform them on an online mathematics final exam. Conducted at an associate's degree granting institution in the southeastern region of the United…

Research suggested that community college students struggle to find time to commit to classes and often lack learning strategies to balance school amidst conflicting life needs. This study explored the use of metacognitive monitoring training in a Success and Study Skills class. Learners who participated in the training described the process of…

Background/Context: As students increasingly enroll in online postsecondary courses, instructors and students need new strategies to maintain engagement, motivation, and sense of belonging to have academic success, particularly for historically disadvantaged students. This study focuses on improving student success in online postsecondary STEM…

The recent expansion of 7-week course offerings at Tennessee's community colleges prompted an in-depth, mixed-methods examination of the impact of these courses. This third policy brief delves deeper into the impact of 7-week courses by using qualitative research methods to investigate how these courses shape the experiences of students, faculty,…

It has become increasingly difficult for individuals with only a high school diploma to earn a living wage. It is vital for individuals to have more education and training to increase their earnings and be competitive in the marketplace. Adults needing to enhance their skill set or to learn a new skill are enrolling in community colleges, which…

In 2022, the Center for the Study of Social Policy and Project SPARC conducted research to better understand the barriers experienced by parenting students participating in CalWORKs, California's cash assistance program for families with children. This brief highlights findings from the research about parenting students' experiences navigating…

An opportunity exists to attract students from historically underrepresented communities into the geosciences, the least diverse of the STEM fields. Home to a diverse population, Riverside County in Southern California supports several community colleges with thriving geoscience programs where students can take a range of geology courses in…

Despite the continued growth of online enrollments nationwide, students consistently are not as successful in online courses as traditional face-to-face courses. The challenges are magnified in the two-year college environment, which has a disproportionately high percentage of low-income or minority students compared to four-year universities.…

Disparities in academic performance between African-American and White students are larger in online courses than in face-to-face courses. As online learning grows and students enroll in more online courses as a way of balancing school with work and family obligations, African-American enrollment in online courses threatens to exacerbate the…

The purpose of this single phenomenological case study was to examine the importance of an FYE or College 101 seminar and why this topic matters to Latinx students' success. The research took place in a two-year Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) located in the Southwest part of the United States. The overarching question was: "How can…

Competency-based learning (CBL) is a grading strategy that emphasizes the mastery of content. At Middle Technical College (MTC), success rates in the college algebra class have decreased. This study will answer two questions: how will a CBL approach to learning affect student perceptions of their success and what are student perceptions of after…

The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to examine how Hispanic/Latinx ESL students describe their engagement and overcome learning challenges in higher education flipped classrooms. After completing a questionnaire, 12 participants from a community college and university in southern California described their experiences in a…

High-structure course designs have reduced achievement gaps for low-income and underrepresented minority students at research universities. But do community college students have time to do the preclass preparation required for intensive active learning, given their work and family commitments? We asked introductory majors biology students at two…