scholarly journals Perspectives on Implementation: Challenges and Successes of a Program Designed to Support Expectant and Parenting Community College Students in Rural, Midwestern State

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (S2) ◽  
pp. 152-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natoshia Askelson ◽  
Grace Ryan ◽  
Felicia Pieper ◽  
Whitney Bash-Brooks ◽  
Addie Rasmusson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Implementation Evaluation ◽  
Gift Cards ◽  
Parenting Students ◽  
College Staff ◽  
One Year ◽  
College Setting ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

Abstract Objectives Expectant and parenting students (EPS) at community colleges are an underserved and often under-resourced group. In a rural, Midwestern state, the department of public health was awarded the Pregnancy Assistance Fund (PAF) grant to assist this population. This paper outlines the results of the implementation evaluation and offers suggestions for programs and evaluators working with this population in the community college setting. Methods We conducted a multicomponent evaluation utilizing quantitative and qualitative methods. Evaluation activities included tracking activities/services, surveys and interviews with participants, and interviews with community college staff implementing grant activities. The research team calculated frequencies for quantitative data and coded qualitative data for themes. Results Data from the community colleges and students’ self-reports revealed that EPS most commonly received concrete support from the program, often in the form of stipends or gift cards. Students reported that concrete support was beneficial and helped to relieve financial stress during the semester. Students’ major barriers to participation were lack of knowledge about the program and busy schedules that prevented them from accessing PAF services. Staff reported that difficulty identifying EPS and the short one-year project period were major implementation challenges. Conclusions for Practice We recommend that community colleges work to identify EPS, use fellow EPS to recruit program participants, and implement programming that works with the students’ schedules.

Fulfilling the Democratic Mission of the Community College Through Student Civic Engagement

2021 ◽  
pp. 21-39
Author(s):  
Jennifer Englert-Copeland
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Civic Engagement ◽  
Change Agents ◽  
College Education ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
High Impact ◽  
Community College Education ◽  
College Setting ◽  
Access Policies

Community colleges are inherently democratizing institutions. Through their open access policies, immersion in their local communities, and mission of preparing students for transfer or the workforce, they are positioned to produce graduates who have the skills to become change agents in their communities. Incorporating civic engagement within the community college setting often presents steep challenges as a result of funding models, a national narrow-focus on completion and credential production, and the barriers their own students face. Yet despite these challenges, community colleges across the country are increasingly focusing on methods of encouraging the civic engagement of their students and are participating in high-impact practices. Research confirms that students who are engaged civically do better academically. By assessing their civic programming, community colleges can shine light on the value of civic engagement as a fundamental outcome of a community college education. Only then will these institutions fully realize their mission as America's democracy colleges.

Learning Disabilities Referrals, Eligibility Outcomes, and Services in Community Colleges: A Four-Year Summary

1993 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 199-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daryl F. Mellard ◽  
Mark Byrne
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Ethnic Groups ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Older Students ◽  
Referral Patterns ◽  
Filipino Students ◽  
And Gender ◽  
College Setting

This study examined access to LD services in California's 103 community colleges. The data describe the pattern of referrals for LD, eligibility decisions, and students served according to age, ethnic, and gender groupings. Referrals in these settings are self-initiated and decisions on who receives state-supported classes and services are based on a statewide eligibility model. While the nature of students judged eligible and served as LD was similar to the referral patterns, the initial referrals themselves did not reflect the proportional groupings of the colleges' age, gender, and ethnic groups; besides, year-to-year fluctuations were noted. Fewer referrals were observed from some age and ethnic groups; the most notable differences included lower percentages of older students and Asian and Filipino students. These differences may be associated with such factors as the students' goals, self-attributions, and social influences. Of particular interest in future research is examination of influences on students' decisions to seek assistance in the community college setting.

Designing Learning Environments That Integrate With Students' Academic Learning in a Community College Setting

2021 ◽  
pp. 134-145
Author(s):  
Anne M. Hornak
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Academic Learning ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
College Setting ◽  
Equity And Inclusion ◽  
The U.S

This chapter focuses on how student learning needs to be intentionally designed to consider both what happens in and out of the classroom. The chapter focuses on student learning within a community college context, where co-curricular engagement looks much different than at a four-year school, specifically on how community colleges engage in design thinking principles related to curricular and co-curricular learning around equity and inclusion issues. Additionally, it is important to note that while some community colleges have residential opportunities for students, approximately 28% in the U.S., most are considered commuter campuses. Creating co-curricular opportunities on a commuter campus can be more challenging, however not impossible, and often adds value to the community college experience.

A Consortium Project to Improve Retention and the First Year of College: Results and Recommendations

2005 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 189-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Cutright
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Student Retention ◽  
First Year ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Short Term ◽  
First Year Of College ◽  
One Year ◽  
External Consultant

This article examines the operation and perceived effectiveness of a short-term, nine-community-college consortium, a consortium dedicated to the improvement of student retention and first-year education at each of the colleges in the consortium. The consortium was composed of Alabama community colleges, essentially during calendar year 2002. Its formal title was the Alabama Community College consortium on the First College Year. The effectiveness of the consortium is considered at the conclusion of its one-year duration based on the final reports submitted by the consortium members, and on the evaluation of an external consultant who gathered information from the participating institutions on a confidential basis. Finally, the consortium's effectiveness is considered based on interviews with campus coordinators one year after the consortium's conclusion. The article concludes with recommendations for improved practices in such improvement-directed exercises.

scholarly journals Community Colleges Online

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinne Crawford ◽  
Colin Persaud
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Online Education ◽  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
Prospective Students ◽  
Online Technology ◽  
Higher Education Attainment ◽  
College Setting

Presently, community colleges are bursting at the seams. In 2011, community colleges turned away more than 400,000 prospective students. In the next six years, 63 percent of all U. S. jobs will require postsecondary education. Twenty two million new workers with postsecondary degrees will be needed by 2018. Community colleges are turning increasingly to online technology to increase capacity in order to meet the surging demand for higher education attainment. In this article we will look at the role of online education in the community college setting.

Teaching in the American Community College

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Carol Hittson Kent
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Faculty Perceptions ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Faculty Professional Development ◽  
Four Year Institutions ◽  
College Setting ◽  
Internal Pressures

With increasing emphasis on accountability in higher education, the value of faculty professional development continues to gain traction across campuses. Prompted by growing accreditation, assessment, and accountability measures, higher education institutions must provide evidence of faculty compliance with requirements that are tied to professional development. This is as true for community colleges as well as for four-year institutions. External and internal pressures for continuous improvement in teaching necessitates institutional commitment to understanding faculty perceptions and acceptance of high-quality professional development. Community colleges need to gain faculty acceptance of and participation in professional development in order to achieve fidelity to institutional instructional goals and initiatives. This chapter investigates community college faculty buy-in and support for professional development and considers cogent and relevant literature related to faculty professional development within the contemporary American community college setting.

How Community College Staff Inflict Pervasive Microaggressions: The Experiences of Latino Men attending Urban Community Colleges in Texas

2020 ◽  
pp. 004208592096359
Author(s):  
Claudia García-Louis ◽  
Victor B. Sáenz ◽  
Tonia Guida
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Racial Microaggressions ◽  
Latino Men ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
Implicit Biases ◽  
Subtractive Schooling ◽  
College Staff ◽  
Urban Community Colleges

In this qualitative research study we illustrate how implicit biases held by college personnel hinders the educational success of Latino men attending urban community colleges in Texas. In particular, we identify how often well-intentioned educators are (un)aware of how often they perpetrate racial microaggressions against Latino men. Interviews with community college faculty, staff, administers, as well as Latino men were conducted in order to triangulate findings. Findings illustrate racial microaggressions and subtractive schooling were evident through deficit based assumptions educators held about Latino men, their family and culture.

Immigrant-Origin Students in Community College: How Do They Use Their Time on Campus?

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-48
Author(s):  
Edwin Hernandez ◽  
Carola Suárez-Orozco ◽  
Janet Cerda ◽  
Olivia Osei-Twumasi ◽  
Monique Corral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Generation Immigrant

Background Immigrant-origin students are the fastest growing new population in community colleges, making up nearly a third of the community college population. To date, little is known about how immigrant-origin students make use of their time on community college campuses. Purpose This study sought to understand in what ways and to what extent immigrant-origin students—defined as first-generation (foreign-born) or second-generation (born in the United States to immigrant parents)—used their out-of-class campus time at three urban community colleges. We examined the following quantitative questions: How much time do students report spending on campus doing what activities? What is the demographic variation in these patterns (according to immigrant generation, ethnicity/race, and gender)? What factors predict how much overall time immigrant-origin students spend on campus? What is the effect of academically productive time spent on campus on grade point average for immigrant-origin students? We also explored the following qualitative questions: What do immigrant-origin community college students say about the time they spend on campus? What insights do they have as to what impedes or facilitates their spending (or not spending) time on campus? Research Design The study proposed a new conceptual framework and employed an embedded sequential explanatory mixed-methods design approach. As part of a survey, participants (N = 644, 54.6% women; M age = 20.2 years; first-generation immigrant n = 213, 33%; second-generation immigrant n = 275, 43%) completed a series of items about the time that they spent on campus and their relationships with their instructors and peers. Qualitative response data were derived from an embedded interview subsample of participants (n = 58). Results Immigrant-origin students reported spending a considerable amount of out-of-class time—an average of 9.2 hours—on campus. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that peer relationships and time spent helping parents or commuting positively predicted the amount of time students spent on campus. Qualitative responses provided further insights into immigrant-origin community college student experiences and provided perspectives on issues contributing to their spending out-of-class time on campus. Conclusions This study has implications for research, practice, and policy, given that immigrant-origin students make considerable use of their campus spaces. Community colleges should strive to nurture positive spaces and design the kind of on-campus programming that will enhance the success of immigrant-origin students. Collectively, these services will not only enhance the experience of immigrant-origin students but also be beneficial to the larger campus community that uses the community college sector as a stepping-stone toward upward social and economic mobility.

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