Some of the most common cybersecurity threats are malware, ransomware, phishing and spam. For their victims, including higher education institutions (HEIs), cybercrimes range from inconveniences to data breaches to grand heists. The threat that cyberattacks pose for HEIs is extremely costly and increasingly frequent, according to April 2022…

A growing body of research has documented extensive credit loss among transfer students. However, the field lacks theoretically driven and empirically supported frameworks that can guide credit loss research and reforms. We develop and then test a comprehensive framework designed to address this gap using novel administrative credit loss data from…

This dissertation investigates the major pathway selection process of students at a California community college from the perspective of counselors in light of the Guided Pathways movement. This study seeks to understand counselors' perspectives on how Guided Pathways shapes students' choices in selecting their majors. A qualitative research…

Research shows that while many students express interest in STEM, far fewer go on to complete degrees in these fields, with significant disparities across race and gender. Our latest report spotlights the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program, which is designed to address these disparities. Utilizing interviews with national…

This phenomenological study explores the shared experience of undecided community college students' indecision towards major and career choice using guided questions. The research explores the three categories of undecided student, while further dissecting the categories into subtypes or stages which displays the depth of the undecided student…

There is substantial variation in the returns to a college degree. One determinant is whether a worker's employment is "matched" with their education. With a novel education-industry crosswalk and panel data on 295,000 graduates, we provide the first estimates of an education-industry match premium leveraging within-person variation in…

Guided pathways is arguably the most widespread whole-college community college reform movement in decades. In this report, the authors present findings from a study on the scale of adoption of guided pathways practices across community and technical colleges in three states--Ohio, Tennessee, and Washington--where there are state-level efforts to…

Given an impending shortage of geographers, and a lack of diversity in the field, the American Association of Geographers (AAG) has worked to expand the number of geography majors, in part by outreach to community college faculty and students.

The purpose of this study was to research the correlation between the academic achievement and enrollment data of students who attend Deer Park Community College who are majoring in Health Sciences. These students were categorized into four groups including subjects who are: traditional students who do not register for remediation courses;…

The need for more STEM graduates in the workforce has been an ongoing conversation for decades; however, very little attention is spent on the differing levels of degree attainment. This study focuses on variables that predict (positively or negatively) the degree aspirations of STEM majors six years after they begin their post-secondary education…

This study examined overall success and creativity in students taking STEM courses at a Midwestern community college. There were four hypotheses in this study. The first was that STEM majors who had taken one or more fine arts courses would report a higher GPA than STEM majors who have not taken fine arts courses. The second was that there would…

Meta-majors refer to the creation of broad program pathways or areas of interest, such as "Allied Health or Business." They are key components of the Guided Pathways efforts that provide students with a more structured and integrated academic experience. There are several different approaches (e.g., sorting exercises) colleges can use to…

One method for reducing gender and racial segregation in career fields is addressing sorting by major in college. However, previous research has not examined the full process of major sorting; few studies have explicitly explored the majors of which students are aware or the majors that students consider choosing. In this study, we use survey data…

Many community college students are enrolled in basic mathematics courses that are equivalent to high school mathematics courses. Students from developmental mathematics courses at a Midwest community college completed a questionnaire and were interviewed to find themes in their learning past and perspectives on mathematics classes. These students…

Three key constructs--the self, the body, and the dance classroom--help define how community college dance students develop their artistic voice. I identify the educational context of a community college dance class as a significant space where dance students can engage in artistic practices that lead to transformative and empowering experiences.…