This three-article format dissertation presents a comprehensive examination of the 2017 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), focusing on its measurement properties across diverse community college student populations. Study 1 centered on the validity of the internal structure of CCSSE. Exploratory and confirmatory factor…

Community college enrollment has seen a significant shift in student demographics, including the decline of White students from 60% in 2001 to 46.2% in 2017 (American Association of Community Colleges, 2019), whereas efforts to diversify senior leadership have had little success (Rodriguez, 2015). Examining literature from peer-reviewed journals,…

The purpose of this quantitative ex post facto study was to understand if select student characteristics (student status, age, gender, Pell status) predicted student success. In this study, student success is defined as acceptance into a dental hygiene program and completion of a dental hygiene program for Black students at a community college.…

This dissertation is a quantitative research study designed to investigate the influence of articulation agreements on completion of a baccalaureate degree by community college transfer students holding an associate degree. The research study examined the relationship between four variables (age, gender, associate degree completion, and transfer…

This dissertation examined how California Community College leaders have been engaging in responsive practices to create and sustain equitable and inclusive learning environments for students who have been historically excluded in higher education. Through a case study of five critical leaders of color, this research illuminated how these leaders…

Objective/Research Question: Research indicates that work-life integration is linked with career satisfaction for women administrators in higher education. This study focused on midlevel women leaders who are an essential component of higher education organizations and asked the question: how do mid-level women leaders in rural community colleges…

The dearth of research on the journeys of Black women led to the desire to conduct a research project that seeks to fill a void of research on the lived experiences of racially marginalized Black women community college presidents. A qualitative multiple bounded case study design was used in this study. As the number of minority women who become…

This study investigates student perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI). The study analyzed four independent variables -- age, gender, school, and employment -- to predict students' level of readiness to adopt AI within an educational setting. Using an instrument with two constructs, data was collected from a diverse, multicultural group of…

Home to the nation's largest Latinx (15 million), Asian American NHPI (almost 7 million) and the 5th largest Black (2.8 million) populations, California is our nation's most diverse and populous state. This diversity is one of the state's greatest assets, yet, representation of racially minoritized leaders in California's colleges and universities…

Home to the nation's largest Latinx (15 million), Asian American NHPI (almost 7 million) and the 5th largest Black (2.8 million) populations, California is the nation's most diverse and populous state. This diversity is one of the state's greatest assets, yet, representation of racially minoritized leaders in California's colleges and universities…

The value of a college degree has grown significantly for both society and individuals over the last decades. Research shows a large earning gap between individuals with a high school diploma or GED and higher education levels. Many individuals start their postsecondary journey with a public institution. Community colleges must design academic…

In January 2024, the Campaign for College Opportunity published the report "Still Left Out: How Exclusion In California's Colleges & Universities Continues To Hurt Our Values, Students, and Democracy." The report documents the lack of representation and diversity among the senior leadership, faculty, and academic senates in the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the relationship of age, gender, ethnicity, military experience, educational level, and the Criminal Justice Basic Abilities Test (CJBAT) score of recruits to discern if those factors are valid predictors of student success in a community college law enforcement academy. The relationship…

The ability to immerse oneself during a virtual simulation encounter can enhance the nursing student experience. The purpose of this modified study was to determine if a correlation existed between nursing students' level of immersion and their score during virtual simulation. Secondarily, it explored if there were any differences in scoring based…

Community college students who are juggling busy lives may be drawn to enroll in self-paced online courses. Shorter, eight-week versions of online courses are an option for these students instead of taking full sixteen-week versions. However, because eight-week courses cover the same amount of material in half the time, student success may be…