The five-paragraph essay is highly controversial, and yet it has also been a useful format for composition. In this essay we explain why, despite its limits, students need to go along with the format to make what use and get what advantage of it. We then demonstrate that valuing the philosophical, historical, cultural, and educational backgrounds…

Objective: This research study examined textbook costs and student success rates at one community college in the Southwest United States. Method: Descriptive statistics were used in the study to identify the mean textbook costs and student success rates over five semesters. Chi-square tests for independence were used to determine if a…

This qualitative narrative inquiry study explored students' perceptions of intervention strategies used in the early alert program at an Arkansas two-year college. The problem addressed in this study was that student perceptions do not inform early alert program designs. By assessing the student's perceptions of intervention strategies,…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the proven strategies used by faculty to increase retention and recruitment at two-year colleges. The theory guiding this study is van Manen's theory on hermeneutical phenomenology, as it focuses on the lived experiences of the participants and interpreting their told stories. The setting…

As a community college writing instructor, I found older students to be both an asset and a mentor in guiding students through the process of exploring their lives and values.

Two-year community colleges enroll nearly half of all first-time undergraduates in the United States, but to ambiguous effect: low persistence rates and the potential for diverting students from 4-year institutions cast ambiguity over 2-year colleges' contributions to upward mobility. This paper develops a new instrumental variables approach to…

This book highlights the exciting work of two-year colleges to prepare students for their future careers through engagement in undergraduate research. It emerged from work in five community college systems thanks to two National Science Foundation grants the Council for Undergraduate Research received to support community colleges' efforts to…

Objective: To determine whether sexual-risk and STI-testing behaviors differ by college student status. Participants: Sexually experienced 17- to 25-year-olds from a 2013 nationally representative panel survey that evaluated the "Get Yourself Tested" campaign. Non-students (n = 628), 2-yr (n = 319), and 4-yr college students (n = 587)…

This study examined the influence of multiple types of insecurity on student GPAs. Data demonstrated that students who did not experience one of the four insecurities had significantly higher GPAs that those facing housing, transportation, and employment barriers; food insecurity or combination; or all four insecurities.

Higher education institutions responded quickly to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The majority of the research conducted primarily focuses on understanding the well-being of collegiate athletes enrolled in 4-year institutions and neglects to address community college student-athletes unique population. This research examined the mental…

Higher education governance of community colleges is understudied. Driving an increased focus on community college coordination and oversight at the state level are the role of access from dual enrollment to adult learners, the need to smooth the transfer function of community colleges, jobs requiring educational attainment beyond high school, and…

Community colleges report general opening spring term enrollment figures to the Illinois Community College Board using a brief web-based survey. These figures reflect student enrollments as of the end of registration for the Spring 2022 semester--usually the 10th day of the term. Community colleges in Illinois serve a racially and ethnically…

Writing Intensive (WR) High Impact Practice (HIP), which incorporates Transparency in Learning and Teaching (TILT), was applied to written assignments in Human Biology and Anatomy and Physiology II (A&P II) courses. As part of our study sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), certified AAC&U Valid…

Community College student-parents shared their personal, academic, and career experiences in association with conducting and presenting psychological science (STEM) research. Raelynn began, "I never would have imagined myself being into research … I would think that it would be kinda like my old self before school … Would have thought, oh…

To successfully transition from college to career, community college students must be prepared to sell their skills to potential employers. LinkedIn, the world's leading professional networking website, provides college students and graduates with an affordable platform to promote their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Unfortunately, students…