The experiences of first-generation college students are not monolithic. The nexus of identities matter, and this book is intended to challenge the reader to explore what it means to be a first-generation college student in higher education. Designed for use in classrooms and for use by the higher education practitioner on a college campus today,…

This report responds to the key questions raised by educators regarding English as a second language (ESL) practices, programs, and support services across the three California postsecondary systems: the California Community Colleges (CCC), the California State University (CSU), and the University of California (UC). Though there is unanimous…

This paper provides an overview of the United States higher education system. It gives readers introductory information about the size, scope and governance model of US higher education. This is a challenging task because higher education in the US is highly decentralized with no single 'system' coordinating all institutions of higher education…

The focus of this study is on understanding different indicators of academic performance in high school, college enrollment, and college persistence of English Learners--including variation in attainment among active and former English Learners--to support their path to high school graduation and access to college. To understand the academic…

Computer science (CS) programs offered at 2-year institutions are important, as they could significantly impact disparities in educational opportunities and outcomes (i.e., equity gaps) for Hispanic/Latino, Black/African American, and low-income students. These groups have been historically marginalized in 4-year CS programs and often face…

This article aims to examine the factors which must be taken into consideration before attempting to utilize Kasper and Petrello's nonjudgmental approach to English composition classes at a small 2-year college in the American Southwest. The majority of the students there are Navajo. Navajo oral tradition and syntax are two important factors to…

The California Community Colleges, through the Economic and Workforce Development Program (EWD), continue to propel the California economy forward by providing students with skills to earn well-paying jobs. At the same time, EWD helps provide California companies with the talent they need to compete on a global scale. This annual report for…

In this study, we examined our understanding of the way our spiritual lens informed our practice as mathematics instructors. In this duoethnography, we conceptualize our work through a servant leadership model and employed it to understand our approach to our students, teaching, and classroom environment. The data for this study consisted of our…

Using personal narratives, in this chapter the authors weave together two distinct perspectives to illuminate the stark reality of many students' experiences as they transition from the foster care system to postsecondary education.

The buildings in which people work, live, and spend their leisure time are increasingly embedded with sophisticated information technology (IT). This article describes the approach of Metropolitan Community College (MCC) in Omaha, Nebraska of the United States to provide an occupational context to some of their IT coursework by organizing IT…

The present study explored how student support service administrators responded to the observed transitional challenges of students with disabilities during a period of systemic imbalance. Administrators at four community colleges in Tennessee, responsible for the coordination of student disability services, participated in a multi-site case…

Community college student affairs and services units are foundation to students' academic goals and success. As such, these professionals are often central to the critical initiatives and trends developing throughout 2-year institutions to support the overarching goals of student success. For the most part, these initiatives originated during…

Though research in religion and spirituality within the field of psychology has been increasing, research on the impact of religiosity on academic outcomes is rare. Much of the research conducted on religiosity and academic performance in college has been conducted in Southern or Midwestern regions of the United States. To our knowledge,…

Student retention is a problem that continues to challenge American colleges and universities, especially two-year technical colleges. Students are enrolling in two-year colleges, but they are not persisting to graduation. The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship between students' initial enrollment goals, their feeling of school…

Unacceptably high attrition rates present a challenge for American community college administrators. Paradoxically, community colleges have been denoted in fewer than 25 percent of the research conducted with regard to the potential benefits of cohort learning communities. This qualitative case study was conducted with 10 students from the…