The topic for this study is the lack of engagement of full-time faculty at a Midwest community college. The problem to be addressed by this study is determining the factors leading to the need for more employee commitment, also known as disengagement, in the operation of a community college. The impact of disengaged faculty on other faculty could…

Student conduct professionals serve an important role in the community college setting by ensuring all students exhibit positive behavior and actions consistent with college policy (Griffin, 2018; Mawdsley, 2004). Like the rest of the world, these professionals were impacted by onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a border theory lens, I explored…

This qualitative study used the Burke-Litwin organizational change model as its primary framework to understand the lived experiences of community college educators who were first to transition to remote work during the 2020 global pandemic. The purpose of this research was to examine the lived experiences of community college remote workers in…

This qualitative, multi-site, case study examined the personal and professional experiences of women of color who currently hold higher-level administrative positions at a Texas community college district and the role that Bicultural Socialization Theory played in their pathway to the leadership pipeline. Using interviews, campus observations,…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) Attendance Decisions Survey was designed to understand the factors influencing prospective and previously enrolled community college students' decisions to attend a California community college in fall 2022. This survey was administered in late summer/early fall 2022 and included responses from all 116 CCC…

This post-qualitative study explores work-life balance as a sustaining fantasy produced by neoliberal, patriarchal, productivity-driven systems and how this fantasy manifests affectively for mothers who work in community colleges. The study began by contextualizing the work-life balance fantasy within higher education as a gendered workscape.…

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…

The majority of students in the United States completing advanced technologies coursework, certifications, and AS/AAS degree programs within two-year colleges are adults with complex lives. They have to balance an array of challenges including health, children, and work. These school-work-life challenges can be informed by a body of knowledge…

The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study is to investigate the lived experience of females who ascended to rural community college presidencies. This study explores their perceptions of barriers and facilitators that influenced their success in capturing a rural community college presidency. Lastly, this study aims to examine their…

This chapter draws on a longitudinal study about women faculty, work-family, and career advancement in community colleges. The study found that the participants, though highly satisfied with their careers and qualified for administration, are largely uninterested in moving to more senior administrative positions.

This study used a phenomenological research approach to examine the essence of what it means to be a full-time professor at a community college while also being a mother of young children. Of specific note to this research are two occurrences. First, women are earning more graduate degrees and entering the professoriate at higher rates than…

This action research study examined the lived experiences of student mothers at Gateway Community & Technical College. By increasing understanding, specific interventions for policy and practice emerge to increase retention and completion rates for this substantial population. Results suggest that student mothers have increased stress from…

Historically, higher education research has focused on traditional students (i.e., recent high school graduates at a residential, 4-year institutions), but community college students are quickly becoming the new traditional student (Jenkins, 2012). In the fall of 2011, more than one third (36%) of all students enrolled in postsecondary education…

COVID-19 challenged higher education to rapidly shift to remote course delivery. This study surveyed community college students (N = 356) about their confidence in completing learning related tasks before and after the shift, access to technologies used in in remote learning, and disruptions that impacted their learning. Results indicated notable…

The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of female presidents in Arkansas community colleges. This was accomplished by collecting data through one-on-one interviews to examine how these women have navigated the labyrinth of leadership to reach the presidency of a community college. Using the conceptual framework of the…