This study investigated 113 community college students enrolled in face-to-face and online speech communication courses and their perceptions of instructor speech assessments. Each course completed a self-inventory questionnaire using Google Forms at the completion of the semester. Descriptive statistics and an independent samples t-test analyzed…

This qualitative study explores how students and alumni of community college career and technical programs value their education. Participants for this study were cultivated from a variety of community colleges. The following prevalent themes emerged from the data, economic independence, access to a better lifestyle, and gaining self-confidence.…

Objective: Despite the popularity of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), this instrument has been criticized regarding its development, theoretical basis, validity, and connection to practice. In light of these concerns, this article reframes the survey by employing Chickering and Gamson's seven principles, one of the…

In this chapter, the authors highlight the importance of student affairs in community colleges, define the role and responsibilities of midlevel leaders, and highlight their potential impact with respect to student success at community colleges. Best practices for supporting student affairs midlevel leaders and recommendations are offered.

Developmental English in urban-serving community colleges was considered as the site where racial and ethnic minority students who are deemed underprepared for college must learn the white, middle-class literacy conventions valued in higher education. The idea of symbolic violence--the systematic devaluation of one's culture--was used as a…

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has emerged in the public consciousness as a major public health challenge for athletics in all levels of competition. Football receives the greatest level of attention given its visibility in American culture. For many community colleges, football plays a central role is promoting institutional objectives…

Instructors expect students to read before class to engage them in using higher-order thinking skills that are critical to performing in group work and engaging in discussions. As many instructors are aware, however, for various reasons many students don't read the assigned textbook. In this study, science news articles were used as prereadings to…

The term "throughput" refers to the percentage of a student cohort who complete a course sequence within a set period after having begun that sequence at the same point in time. Under AB 705 the set period for observing throughput rates is described in law as "one year". While that time frame seems intuitive enough, the…

Texas is taking a multipronged approach to improving developmental education delivery and increasing student success rates by aggressively pursuing programmatic, research, and instructional strategies that will boost college completion and help reach labor market goals. Texas higher education has committed itself to providing improved and more…

The purpose of this survey research was to identify spending, purchase behaviors, and points of impact for course material costs on academic decisions and the ability of students at Tennessee community colleges to progress to graduation. The survey also addressed the extent to which required materials were being used in the classroom. 1,912…

This Data Point uses data from the 2015-16 National Postsecondary Student Aid Study (NPSAS:16), a national survey of undergraduates enrolled in Title IV eligible postsecondary institutions, to examine the characteristics of students seeking subbaccalaureate credentials (certificates and associate's degrees) in health sciences. The Data Point…

This snapshot goes beyond traditional measures of postsecondary attainment by tracking the fall 2012 entering cohort over time, and showing persistence, stop-out, and completion rates at the end of each subsequent academic year. The model tracks outcomes for both full-time and part-time starters, and takes spring and summer terms into account.…

This report describes four measures of the price of undergraduate education in the 2015-16 academic year: total price of attendance (tuition and living expenses), net price of attendance after all grants, out-of-pocket net price after all financial aid, and out-of-pocket net price after all aid excluding student loans. Estimates are based on the…

Public two-year colleges serve as an important access point for two out of every five students enrolled in postsecondary education. However, only 40 percent of community college students earn a postsecondary credential of any kind within six years, limiting their opportunities for advancement. Hoping to increase student retention and success, many…

This chapter describes the functions of an ethics center on a university campus and how it benefits the learning environment for faculty, staff, and students. While a full-blown ethics center may be too ambitious for some community colleges, it serves as a template for what programs could be offered on a smaller scale.