The Impact of Community College Baccalaureate Adoption on Associate Degree Production

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-36
Author(s):  
Justin C. Ortagus ◽  
Dennis A. Kramer ◽  
Manuel S. González Canché ◽  
Frank Fernandez
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Associate Degree ◽  
Degree Program ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Community College Baccalaureate ◽  
Baccalaureate Degrees ◽  
Degree Production ◽  
The Impact

Background/Context As of 2018, a total of 19 states allow at least one community college to offer baccalaureate degrees. Previous researchers have suggested that community college baccalaureate (CCB) adoption will lead to a host of unintended consequences, including decreases in associate degree production. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study This study empirically examines the impact of CCB adoption on associate degree production and adds to conversations surrounding the consequences of CCB adoption. Research Design We use a quantitative quasi-experimental research design to examine the effect of CCB adoption on associate degree production. Findings/Results When comparing adopting and non-adopting community colleges within the state of Florida, the authors find that the adoption of CCB degree programs has a positive impact on overall associate degree production, but this impact varies considerably according to the type of academic degree program. Conclusions/Recommendations Opponents of CCB legislation have argued that giving community colleges the authority to confer baccalaureate degrees will detract from the sub-baccalaureate institutional mission of community colleges, but our results suggest that the adoption of a CCB degree program is associated with an overall increase in associate degree production. Findings from this work should be an important consideration for policymakers seeking to increase baccalaureate degree production in addition to—not at the expense of—associate degree programs.

The Price of Mission Complexity: A National Study of the Impact of Community College Baccalaureate Adoption on Tuition and Fees

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (8) ◽  
pp. 504-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Ortagus ◽  
Xiaodan Hu
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
National Study ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Community College Baccalaureate ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Regression Approach ◽  
Baccalaureate Education ◽  
Tuition And Fees ◽  
The Impact

The traditional mission of community colleges is rooted in the provision of sub-baccalaureate education at a low price, but a total of 19 states have changed their legislative policies and currently allow community colleges to offer community college baccalaureate (CCB) degree programs. This study examines the impact of CCB adoption on the tuition and fees at CCB-adopting institutions. We leverage a novel national dataset and employ a difference-in-differences regression approach to find that CCB adoption is associated with increases in tuition and fees at public community colleges.

scholarly journals Academic Advising and the Community College Baccalaureate: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edna Martinez ◽  
Chinasa Elue
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Academic Advising ◽  
Research Policy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Baccalaureate Degrees ◽  
Advising Models ◽  
Policy And Planning

An increasing number of community colleges have expanded their programmatic offerings to include baccalaureate degrees. In this national, mixed methods study, we examined how and to what extent the implementation of baccalaureate degree programs has impacted academic advising policies and practices across U.S. community colleges. Survey and interview data highlighted the reorganization of advising and adoption of various advising models as well as the need for collaborations, communication, and professional development. In addition to underscoring the overall complexities involved in establishing four-year degree programs at the community college, results from this study helped us illuminate implications for policy and planning as well as suggested areas for future research related to advising.

“The Rules Change”: Exploring Faculty Experiences and Work Expectations Within a Drifting Community College Context

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-135
Author(s):  
Edna Martinez
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Baccalaureate Degree ◽  
Data Sources ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Community College Baccalaureate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Faculty Experiences ◽  
Baccalaureate Degrees

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of faculty working within baccalaureate degree–granting community colleges. Method: Data sources included 16 semi-structured interviews, numerous publicly available organizational documents, and participant observations. Results: Analysis revealed three distinct, yet interconnected themes. In light of the institutionalization of baccalaureate degrees, faculty experienced shifting and intensifying work expectations related to service, research, and research-related activities. These shifts exacerbated existing tensions, which in turn led faculty to live with uncertainty in terms of tenure and promotion, the direction of the college, and whether or not they could thrive in a highly contradictory environment. Contributions: This study adds to the literature concerning the community college baccalaureate—a topic of heightened interest. It is essential that we gain a better understanding of the implications of this trend for faculty, which in turn carry implications for students.

Competing for Bachelor’s Degrees: Are Community Colleges Cutting Into the Market Share of 4-Year Institutions?

2020 ◽  
pp. 000283122094630
Author(s):  
Dennis A. Kramer ◽  
Justin C. Ortagus ◽  
Jacqueline Donovan
Keyword(s):  
Community Colleges ◽  
Market Share ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Degree Production ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Impact

To address local workforce needs and expand access to affordable bachelor’s degrees, some states allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degree programs. Despite concerns that community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs will duplicate efforts and cut into the market share of nearby 4-year institutions, extant literature has yet to examine the impact of CCB adoption on bachelor’s degree program enrollment and bachelor’s degree production at 4-year institutions. Using program-level data, our findings show that local CCB degree programs have a negative effect on overall bachelor’s degree enrollment and bachelor’s degree production at 4-year institutions, but this effect is concentrated primarily within for-profit 4-year institutions. This study represents the first comprehensive evaluation of the impact of CCB degree programs on neighboring 4-year institutions.

scholarly journals International Student Experience at US Community Colleges at the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Whatley
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
International Students ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
International Student ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
College Leaders ◽  
Residency Status ◽  
The Impact

This study’s purpose is to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on international students who were studying at US community colleges at the onset of this public health crisis. While previous work has explored the impact of the pandemic on international students generally, we argue that community college international students deserve focused attention due to their potentially marginalized status on their campuses. Using a mixed-methods research approach, we analyze survey and focus group data provided by 17 randomly-selected community college educators. Our results speak to two overarching themes: the supports provided to students at the onset of the pandemic (and educators reasons for providing these specific supports) and the unique impact of the pandemic on community college international students due to their citizenship or residency status. These findings have important implications for community college leaders and international educators as they work with international students during future times of crisis.

Community College Teacher Education Baccalaureate Programs: Early Evidence Yields Mixed Results

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1018-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby J. Park ◽  
David A. Tandberg ◽  
Hyun-Ki Shim ◽  
Shouping Hu ◽  
Carolyn D. Herrington
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Teacher Education ◽  
Teacher Education Programs ◽  
Community College Baccalaureate ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Teacher Supply ◽  
State Adoption ◽  
Degree Production ◽  
Bachelor's Degrees ◽  
Community College Teacher

Faced with declining numbers of students in teacher education programs, policymakers in many states are considering new actions that might increase teacher supply. One approach that has gained increasing popularity is community colleges beginning to offer 4-year degrees in teacher education. This study explores state adoption of these programs and its effect on the number and diversity of students earning bachelor’s degrees in teacher education. Overall, we find no effect of these programs; however, in the limited case of a state with widespread use of community college baccalaureate (CCB) teacher education programs we find that degree production increased, yet the diversity of the graduates declined.

Convergence of Adult Learners, STEM Programs, and Promise Programs in Community Colleges

2021 ◽  
pp. 59-73
Author(s):  
Deirdre Conway ◽  
David Deggs ◽  
Kelyn Rola
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Adult Learners ◽  
College Campuses ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
American Higher Education ◽  
Stem Programs ◽  
College Leaders ◽  
Recommendations For Practice

American higher education is currently experiencing a convergence of three trends: a rise in adult learners as the largest population of students on college campuses, an increased focus on academic STEM degree programs and credentials, and the proliferation of promise programs that provide financial assistance to students. Community colleges as open access institutions are at the nexus of where these three trends converge and thrive. This chapter provides an overview of these three trends with recommendations for practice to guide community college leaders and faculty who are charged with management of these three trends during this unique time in higher education.

scholarly journals Does College Focus Matter? Explaining Differences in Labor Market Outcomes among Community Colleges

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
Michael Dunn ◽  
Arne L. Kalleberg
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Labor Market ◽  
Junior Colleges ◽  
Market Outcomes ◽  
Remedial Students ◽  
The North ◽  
College System ◽  
Service Areas ◽  
The Impact

The evolution of community colleges from their origins as junior colleges to institutions with dual missions to provide both academic and workforce preparation raises questions about the impact of a college’s mission focus on their students’ labor market success. We examine this question using the 58 colleges in the North Carolina Community College system as case study for community colleges nationally. We find that students from community colleges that specialize or focus on career objectives had higher labor market earnings; about one-fifth of the variation in students’ earnings across community colleges is due to the college’s mission focus. Other community college variables also enhance students’ earnings, such as institution size as well as having single-county service areas and low proportions of remedial students.

The Impact of Full-Time Enrollment in the First Semester on Community College Transfer Rates: New Evidence from Texas with Pre-College Determinants

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (12) ◽  
pp. 1-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toby J. Park
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
State Level ◽  
Public High School ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Transfer Rates ◽  
Policy Lever ◽  
The Impact ◽  
First Time

Background/Context Recent developments in state-level policy have begun to require, incentivize, and/or encourage students at community colleges to enroll full time in an effort to increase the likelihood that students will persist and transfer to four-year institution where they will be able to complete their bachelor's degree. Often, these policies are predicated on the idea that full-time status is associated with greater engagement on behalf of the student, a concept that has been widely studied in higher education as it relates to student persistence and degree attainment. Purpose Building upon theory and observational studies, I seek to empirically test whether enrolling full time at a community college has a discernible effect on transferring to a four-year university. Research Design I follow four cohorts of first-time traditionally aged college students who graduated from a public high school in Texas in the years 2000–2003 and employ a propensity score matching procedure designed to reduce sample selection bias. Findings I find that enrolling full time increases overall transfer rates by at least 12%. These results are robust to the inclusion of many pre-college factors as well as to a sensitivity analysis, across four separate cohorts. Conclusions/Recommendations This study provides evidence in support of a key policy lever for increase transfer rates already in place in a handful of states: encouraging incentivizing, or requiring full-time enrollment. The key, however, will be to develop policy that results in more students enrolling full time while also maintaining the open access mission of community colleges. While requiring students to enroll full time may not be appropriate in all contexts, states should seriously consider other ways to incentivize or, at a minimum, support and encourage full-time enrollment, particularly for first-time traditionally aged students.

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