Many African international students see two-year colleges as a pathway to higher education in the United States. It is critical to better understand who these students are, what draws them to two-year colleges, what support services are available, and how their needs are met. As African international students contribute to more robust, diverse,…

Objective: In this study, we were interested in investigating how Undocumented Student Resource Centers (USRCs) as counter-spaces were developed and sustained within community colleges. Method: We conceptualized USRCs as counter-spaces and conducted interviews with 19 staff and students coordinating the work of USRCs. Results: Three themes emerged…

Despite high levels of motivation, only 8% of single mothers who attend a community college will graduate (Cruse, Milli et al., 2019). As a component of this Dissertation in Practice, a systematic literature review was conducted to explore the reasons behind these unacceptably low success rates. Based on data from empathy interviews, peer-reviewed…

There is a need to fully understand why Hispanic students are not as successful as other cohorts of students are when completing college. In past research, the focus has been on persistence and retention, but understanding the need for connection and feelings of campus immersion have been absent. The research questions investigated the barriers…

Under-resourced community college students struggle to meet their basic needs, often facing food and housing insecurities, all while trying to focus on their studies. A handful of institutions have increased the graduation rates of their under-resourced student populations by creating holistic models that provide a variety of financial, academic,…

Under-resourced community college students struggle to meet their basic needs, often facing food and housing insecurities, all while trying to focus on their studies. A handful of institutions have increased the graduation rates of their under-resourced student populations by creating holistic models that provide a variety of financial, academic,…

Autism-specific college support programs (ASPs) are emerging to create more equitable transitions into higher education for autistic students. Such programming is necessary to guide autistic students' journeys as they navigate academia with greater agency. This case study, drawing on the social justice model of disability, explores how an ASP…

Hurricane Harvey devastated the state of Texas in August 2017, with the city of Houston and surrounding areas being heavily impacted. Over 30,000 people were displaced from their homes as flooding ravaged the Gulf Coast during this natural disaster. This qualitative study examined the impact of Hurricane Harvey through the voices of 15 community…

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how triangulating responses from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) with information from the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) exposes data incongruency, specifically when considering the population of students with disabilities at 2-year…

The COVID-19 pandemic not only presented unique challenges to faculty and students in the classroom, but it also forced institutions to think creatively about the way they support students. Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) knew it had to provide more than just academic supports for students as the school quickly transitioned into virtual…

This dissertation explores the daily lives of student services personnel at for-profit and community colleges by inquiring into how they frame the students they work with and whose interests they articulate themselves as serving. Student services personnel are tasked with serving students but must do so within the context and structure in which…

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were high rates of food and housing insecurity and unmet childcare, clothing, and physical and mental health needs among community college students. There was a growing body of evidence linking these unmet needs to adverse educational outcomes. In response, many community colleges had started to develop basic…

Over 2,000,000 servicemen and servicewomen returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will take advantage of the educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill and will enroll in community colleges. Despite over 70 years of education benefits for U.S. veterans, there has been little research into the availability and effectiveness of…

In response to the significant and still growing number of college students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity in California, the State Legislature appropriated $9 million in the 2019-2020 State Budget for ongoing funding to provide housing services to students. Per section 9795 of the statute, colleges, in partnership with local…

During the 2016 campaign, President Trump promised to establish numerous anti-immigration policies, which heightened undocumented students' fears and anxieties. The present longitudinal qualitative study investigated seven undocumented students' socioemotional states and whether administrators and educators provided sustained positive validation…