The category of "English as a Second Language" or "ESL" student is no longer a label of someone in the process of learning English. Rather, linguistic categorization is a complex social processes of ascribed identity formation that positions students as deficits and others, circumscribing them out of belonging to both academic…

The current study explores differences in transfer shock between veteran and non-veteran community college transfer students at a land grant institution in a rural state. Analysis includes institutional data for community college transfer students, including those who self-identified as veterans or used veteran tuition benefits from Fall 2015 to…

The purpose of this case study was to understand how attending an undergraduate academic conference contributes to a student's sense of belonging, not only within their institution but also in the larger academic community. This research was informed by the literature on club participation in conferences and faculty/student connections. Through…

Nursing educators are challenged to find strategies that will develop critical thinking and clinical judgment abilities in students. As technology has advanced, the use of virtual simulation platforms has increased in use in nursing courses. This study examined the effect of a pilot virtual simulation intervention on critical thinking and clinical…

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented numerous challenges to students across the United States, particularly those who are parents enrolled in community colleges. California's community college system serves a diverse student population, including a significant number of non-traditional, working adults who are also parents. These students have faced…

This quantitative survey study compared student perceptions of counseling services between a community college that employed counselors on-campus with one that outsourced services to an online provider. Many community college students struggle with mental health which challenges their educational progress. Counseling services have been shown to…

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) fields face challenges with underrepresented minority (URM) student achievement and retention. White students earned 59% of bachelor's degrees in science and engineering, while LatinX and African American students earned 16% and 9% respectively (National Center for Science and Engineering…

TBR--The College System of Tennessee received a grant from Ascendium Education Group to conduct a mixed methods study on the impact of 7-week courses on colleges with a team of academic researchers. This executive summary provides high-level overview of Policy Brief #2, which presents results from quantitative analyses that estimate relationships…

This study investigates the impact of mindfulness meditation practices on the mental health and well-being of a specific community college population. Inspired by studies on Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), the focus of this research is on participants who attended the free "Just…

The increasing prevalence of single-parent households, particularly among Black single mothers, presents unique challenges in higher education. Historically Black Community Colleges (HBCCs) serve a significant proportion of non-traditional students, including single parents. However, little research addresses how HBCC leadership can effectively…

Historically, colleges have used standardized testing to determine whether a student is ready for college-level work or requires developmental courses first, but this method has been criticized as inaccurate. To obtain more accurate placements, nearly three-quarters of colleges now use multiple measures assessment (MMA) systems. These systems…

Community college students are less likely to complete their educational objectives than are students who attend 4-year institutions. Students who opt out of the recommended remedial coursework in the foundational subjects of reading, writing, and math may be further disadvantaged when attempting college level coursework. As one way to reduce this…

Faculty-led, in-class mentoring is an opportunity for larger numbers of undergraduate students to receive additional support. Specifically, this case study researched how embedding mentoring activities in community college business courses would change student perceptions of mentoring. The study addressed three questions: (a) in what way do…

In 2015, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in collaboration with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) undertook an ambitious "60x30 TX" plan as a part of its implementation of House Bill 22, introduced by the 85th Texas House of Representatives to enhance public school accountability. The "60x30 TX" is a higher…

Some community colleges lack the socioemotional support required to help underprepared students grow into autonomous, college-ready learners (Callahan, 2004; Capt et al., 2014). Black and Latinx students could benefit from the inclusion of positive, emotionally supportive programming that acknowledges their personhood, cultural capital…