This report presents the findings of a non-returner survey, which was developed to elicit information from students who enrolled at Nevada's Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) as first-time college students but did not return the following semester. The intent of this research was to determine what type of students do not persist, what…

This report provides the methodology, results, and highlights of a survey developed to assess general education satisfaction of graduates as well as to collect data essential to Nevada's Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) Performance Indicators. The Graduate Outcomes Survey is an annual questionnaire distributed to all TMCC students…

This fall 1998 report describes student characteristics, enrollment, test scores, and outcomes at Jefferson College, Missouri. Statistics are grouped into seven sections. In the Admissions area, nearly sixty-nine percent of students graduated from an in-county high school or General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program. Regarding Total Student Body,…

This digest is drawn from "Understanding the Impact of Reverse Transfer Students on Community Colleges," a "New Directions for Community Colleges" volume. Reverse transfer student characteristics, reasons for non-traditional transfer patterns, and implications for community colleges are discussed. Reverse transfers are students…

This study addresses the placement of students in remedial education among community colleges in the United States. Of specific interest is the appropriate entry-level placement of students in math courses. Citing that traditional standardized placement tests are overly broad and thus of questionable value for placing community college students in…

This report is the fourth review of the accomplishments of Washington's 32 two-year colleges under the provisions of the Worker Retraining program. It provides detailed information about program results, with findings indicating that: (1) workers who participate in programs are finding good jobs at high salary levels, with 81% of all worker…

In fall 1996, Washington State developed a performance goals and indicators system in seven areas, including student retention, which is the focus of this report. Six indicators were developed for assessing student retention: (1) the percent of degree-seeking students who attend 4 or more quarters in a 2-year period; (2) percent of degree-seeking…

To date, no studies have focused solely on community college students' epistemological beliefs and the courses students pursue. The purpose of this study was to determine if a semester-long community-college course designed to increase critical thinking skills could help students attain more sophisticated levels of epistemological beliefs. A…

This study compares the educational aspirations of college freshmen students in public and private two-year colleges around the nation. Surveying a sample of over 13,000 first-time, full-time students from a national database elicited the following results: about half of students at public and private two year colleges aspired to obtain the…

The purpose of this curriculum design is to teach college students library research skills. The gap in the existing condition is that students entering college for the first year are unable to do a college level research paper because they lack the necessary library research skills. This is the existing condition. To train students to improve…

This report presents the results of the 1996 Los Angeles Community College District Student Survey. The survey was administered in a randomly selected group of classes. Each college sample is independent of the others and the proportion of students sampled within each college will vary. Responses were weighted inversely to account for…

This report from Jefferson College (Missouri) contains demographics and other statistics on its students. Highlights include: (1) In fall 2001, Jefferson had an enrollment of 2,027 full-time and 1,890 part-time students--28 more students than the previous year, and a credit-hour increase of 4%; (2) 94% of the total student body was degree-seeking;…

This study compared the perceptions of personal and ideal gender roles, and the fit between an individual's personal and ideal gender roles. Participating were 108 female and 61 male students (ages ranged from 17 to 56) enrolled in undergraduate psychology classes at a Midwestern university and at a community college. For comparison purposes,…

This study presents data and findings on student retention at South Texas Community College (STCC) and recommends steps to improve retention rates. STCC groups attrition into three categories: (1) positive attrition, due to graduation, completion or transfer; (2) neutral attrition, due to non-institutional conflicts; and (3) negative attrition,…

This paper examines how U.S. community colleges can and do organize the diverse set of guidance, counseling, and other supports--collectively known as student services--that surround their academic programming. To many Americans, community colleges are the most accessible way to earn the postsecondary degrees that can be stepping stones to…