Students 25 years of age and older comprise one-third of the population in public two-year institutions, and these students face significant disadvantages in first-year retention and eventual graduation. Successfully passing college math and college English are important steps for adult students in building momentum toward a degree. Classroom…

Community college students are experiencing food insecurity at high rates, and students with children are especially vulnerable with as many as 67% being food insecure. To understand food access in certain populations, previous research has examined the food shopping strategies implemented by families to manage a tight budget. In this study we…

Constructed response (CR) assessments allow students to demonstrate understanding of complex topics and provide teachers with deeper insight into student thinking. Computer scoring models (CSMs) remove the barrier of increased time and effort, making CR more accessible. As CSMs are commonly created using responses from research-intensive colleges…

While the phenomenon of academic entrepreneurship has been explored in different higher education sectors, it has not been sufficiently investigated in the private for-profit 2-year sector of the education industry. The present study fills this gap by narrating the perspectives of twelve academic entrepreneurs who operate private for-profit…

Real differences do exist among the generations in terms of attitudes, behaviors, expectations and motivations that have an impact at work and in the classroom, in spheres of activity like building teams, dealing with change, motivating and managing, and teaching. But community college leaders and other administrators and faculty can leverage…

The more polarized American politics become, the more challenging it becomes for institutional leaders of all stripes to maintain a balanced approach and not get crosswise with anyone. Community college leaders are no exception to this reality--and they say succeeding in this environment requires an artful combination of underscoring the natural…

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,…

Researchers continue to examine psychological safety and its impact on individual performance in both work and learning environments. Psychological safety in the learning environment reduces perceived learning threats and barriers while also promoting an atmosphere that increases engagement and commitment to learning roles. Growing evidence…

We estimate the education and earnings returns to enrolling in technical two-year degree programs at community colleges in Missouri. A unique feature of the Missouri context is the presence of a highly-regarded, nationally-ranked technical college: State Technical College of Missouri (State Tech). Compared to enrolling in a non-technical community…

Many community college students do not finish their 2-year degree on time, and there are several institutional barriers that prevent students from taking 15 college credits per semester. Students are not aware of the academic and economic benefits of taking 15 college credits per semester. A 15 to Finish communication campaign, which has been…

The problem this study addressed is that undergraduate, female, single parent students are less likely than other groups of women to complete college. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore perceived challenges of persistence to degree completion of undergraduate, female, single parent students in a Southern state, at a…

This edition of "WICHE Insights" discusses the most recent results of WICHE's annual survey, "Tuition and Fees in the West," as well as the recent trends in state appropriations and state financial aid. Overall, the most recent data highlights a positive trend in state higher education finance as most states reported minimal…

Representation matters and is the center of many conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging today. Representation is not just another trend, and an overwhelming amount of literature and data indicate a need for increased cultural representation, particularly in academia. This Action Research study aimed to understand the…

Research indicates that women and Students of Color are less likely than men or White students to succeed in STEM degree pathways due to pre-college factors, college engagement, and campus environments. Similarly, racially and ethnically minoritized students, particularly Black and Latinx students, are underrepresented in STEM degree fields and…