Students face many difficulties when attempting to complete a 4-year college degree. Without a college degree, upward mobility is less likely for members of disadvantaged communities. There is little understanding among post-secondary educators about the role of certifications as an alternative to a bachelor's degree in obtaining upward economic…

Psychological trauma is common in mental health, the recent pandemic, the ongoing social justice issues, and the sociopolitical environment add to an already high rate of trauma in the general population. The literature revealed a paucity of adequately trained trauma counselors across the mental health field. Many counseling programs do not offer…

When examining career pathways, post-secondary institutions such as community colleges align education and training to career success, aiming to connect students to gainful employment. Career pathways support the skill needs of industries and incorporate competencies in an occupation or field represented by certificates and degrees awarded by the…

Students with disabilities in U.S. community colleges continue to disproportionately experience lower degree attainment compared to students without disabilities. Furthermore, students with disabilities are twice as likely to choose community colleges for postsecondary education compared to four-year colleges. Students with disabilities in…

This research study utilized a phenomenology approach to determine barriers faced by two-year community college students and investigated ways in which colleges can mitigate these barriers in order to minimize students withdrawing from their courses. The objective was to explore students' experiences and perspectives to answer three research…

Few studies have been completed on the persistence of certificate-seeking students attending American proprietary career colleges. Therefore, this study investigated variables predicting the persistence of certificate-seeking students at ABC Career Health College (a pseudonym), a Texas proprietary career institution. Data for the quantitative…

The purpose of this study was to determine students' success by examining the effects of certain demographic variables (gender, race/ethnicity, age, GPA, and course pass rate) on degree completion (certificates and associate degrees) at a suburban community college in the Mid-Atlantic region over a period of seven years (from 2012 to 2018). In…

This study sought to examine the state of media literacy in higher education across the United States. More specifically, this study aimed to describe various working models of media literacy within college and university minors, specialization/concentrations, and certificate offerings at the undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to provide statistical evidence to support that if males take the Caribbean Certificate of Secondary Level Competence (CCSLC) mathematics examination before the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) mathematics examination, they will have a statistically significantly higher average score than…

Adult learners' retention, persistence, and completion remain a significant challenge for many higher education institutions. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the factors and improve persistence for part-time older adult learners of color enrolled in a credit-bearing certificate program within a small college in a large…

This qualitative case study examined one community college's attempt to better meet the needs of the single mother student population and create a better understanding of the barriers encountered by single mothers in their access to and completion of a short-term certificate program at a community college. Through a qualitative case study of…

Introduction: Over the past decade, informaticists expressed dissatisfaction with their training, feeling unprepared for the demands of their role. To address this, we developed the Tiered Skills Acquisition Model (TSAM) program in 2023 to improve the onboarding process of new hires. The goal in evaluating TSAM was to assess its effectiveness and…

The American health care system is one of the most expensive in the world but has poorer health outcomes than other developed nations. Improving health outcomes cannot occur without addressing social determinants of health. Job training programs aimed at youth positively impact social determinants and one's ability to access the health care…

Adult postsecondary transition programs can be found within larger cities; however, school districts in rural communities have their own challenges due to limited resources. With transition programming, do families in the community understand and utilize the services, activities, and programs offered by outside agencies? The purpose of this…

Digital inclusion is an opportunity to fill the digital divide, the inequity preventing access to technological resources which support participation in online learning. Specific to financially disadvantaged students, this interpretive qualitative study examines how factors of digital inclusion influence one's decision to pursue an online health…