This doctoral research study examined how professional-technical faculty experienced their onboarding and support as they transitioned from industry into teaching. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven professional-technical instructors who were within their first five years of full-time employment at a two-year community college…

While the value of mentoring has long been presumed in the literature as well as in practices, little is known about the success of formal, and informal mentoring practices (Crisp, 2010; Crisp & Cruz, 2009; & Ward & Ball, 2016). In addition, there is a lack of research on community college student mentoring in higher education…

This study examined the experiences of students with disabilities transitioning from high school to the post-secondary institution. Participants were seven successful students enrolled in their second year at a Southern California community college and two resource specialists who worked closely with them. A case study was determined to be the…

With over 50% of current college CEOs expected to retire within the next few years, boards are seeking new ways to connect the hiring and onboarding processes to ensure the new CEO's effectiveness and longevity. The first year often sets the stage for the CEO's success. This document outlines key first-year strategies for the board and new…

This study used the National Longitudinal Transition Study--2 (NLTS2) data set to determine the effects of expectations and transition planning goals on the postsecondary education enrollment of deaf youth. Propensity scoring modeling results indicated that high expectations held by deaf youth and their parents significantly predicted…

As open-access institutions serving diverse student populations, community colleges are perfect settings for broadening participation in computing efforts in higher education. The very nature of open access, however, places students with a wide variety of previous experience in the same introductory computer science classroom, intimidating the…

Research suggests that community college alumni may be underrepresented within PhD programs. As such, we implemented and evaluated the Community College to PhD (CC2PhD) Scholars Program at the University of California, Los Angeles. CC2PhD was a 7-month undergraduate research and PhD preparation program for community college sophomores in the…

Higher learning institutions have encountered increasing student-veteran enrollment rates due to the surge of servicemembers discharged from the military in recent years. Community colleges have also experienced increased rates of student veterans choosing two-year institutions either to pursue a technical degree or to enroll in courses…

Many states have enacted policies to increase accountability for 2- to 4-year institutions in an effort to increase degree completion (Sponsler, Pingel, & Anderson, 2015). Reform initiatives, including Guided Pathways (Bailey, Jaggers, & Jenkins, 2015), have developed mechanisms for 2-year students to have structured, sequential course…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) launched Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) after the passage of SB164 (1969). Colleges leverage their EOPS funding to offer academic, career, and personal counseling; financial resources; and services "over and above" traditional campus supports. This latest research builds on the…

The partnership between Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC) and the Southwest Environmental Health Sciences Center (SWEHSC) at the University of Arizona (UA) has relied on principles that have produced a long-term relationship and full participation among the partners. Active listening, travelling to the community, longevity, understanding…

This dissertation examines the implementation of peer-based career seminars as an intervention to analyze career counseling services in the community college setting and delineate potential benefits for students. Highlights include identifying barriers to access, discussing a student-centered approach to service utilization, and implementing…

The purpose of this study was to show the impact of community college transition programs on adult learners and on adult learners transitioning to post-secondary institutions. The research has shown that there is a great need for transition programs because adult learners, specifically those who have entered English as a Second Language (ESL) and…

With a looming enrollment crisis, colleges must explore new efforts for developing strategic and sustainable partnerships that support institutional advancement. As such, Kent State University (KSU) partnered with three regional, two-year institutions developing high-impact pathways to expand upon the transfer student experience and success rates.…

Objective: Although most community college students intend to transfer to a 4-year college, few ultimately do. We sought to assess how student experiences of the Exploring Transfer (ET) program influenced transfer rates. The ET program was offered by a private, 4-year liberal arts college. Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional survey of…