Leading them to water: A study of the efficacy of a Mandatory Placement Project in first-year academic courses at a community college

Are international undergraduates whose native language is not English less prepared to succeed academically at an American four-year institution after transferring from an American community college than ones who are first-time freshmen (NFRS) or exchange visitors (EAPR)? This question's answer was no at an American West Coast public university where five cohorts of international transfer undergraduates (TRAN) earned mean first-year grade point averages (GPA) between B- and B. Less than 12% of these students earned GPAs below C, and less than 15% were in bad academic standing (probation, subject to disqualification, or dismissed). In comparison, five parallel cohorts of NFRS and EAPR earned mean first-year GPAs averaging between B and B+ to A-. Less than 10% earned GPAs below C or were in bad academic standing. Thus, a minority of this university's international undergraduates struggled academically regardless of whether they were TRAN, NFRS, or EAPR.

Download Full-text

Time Perspective and Grade Expectations as Predictors of Student Achievement and Retention in the First Year of Community College

Journal of College Student Retention Research Theory & Practice ◽

10.1177/1521025120960676 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 152102512096067

Author(s):

Taylor W. Acee ◽

Meagan A. Hoff ◽

Darolyn A. Flaggs ◽

Breana Sylvester

Keyword(s):

Community College ◽

Economically Disadvantaged ◽

First Generation ◽

Time Perspective ◽

Motivational Factors ◽

First Year ◽

Student Background ◽

First Semester ◽

Orientation Course ◽

Hispanic Serving

The authors examined three motivational factors (first-year grade expectations, present-focused time perspective, and future-focused time perspective) as predictors of achievement and retention outcomes for students ( N = 844) in their first semester at a predominately Hispanic-serving community college, accounting for student background characteristics. In this correlation research study, instructors administered surveys to students in a required first-year orientation course. Survey data was then merged with institutional data. The results of the multiple regression analysis suggested that first-year grade expectations, present-focused time perspective, age, ethnicity, first-generation status, and academically underprepared status were statistically significant predictors of first-semester GPA and explained 9.0% of the variation, whereas future-focused time perspective, sex, and economically disadvantaged status were not. First-year grade expectations and economically disadvantaged status significantly predicted second-semester retention; the other study predictors did not. This study expands research on malleable motivational factors educators could target to support students in their first year of community college.

Download Full-text

Including Student Voices in Instructional Design: Community College Students with Below-Proficient Skills Talk About IL Instruction

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of CAIS / Actes du congrès annuel de l'ACSI ◽

10.29173/cais377 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Don Latham ◽

Melissa Gross

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Community College ◽

Instructional Design ◽

Focus Groups ◽

First Year ◽

Student Voices ◽

Skill Levels ◽

First Year College ◽

First Year College Students ◽

Groupes De Discussion

First-year college students with below-proficient IL skill levels were identified through a standardized IL test. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with a subset of these students. This paper will focus on the findings of the focus groups and describe how these findings are informing the design of the intervention.Les étudiants universitaires de première année ayant une maîtrise de l'information inadéquate ont été identifiés au moyen d'un test normalisé sur la maîtrise de l'information. Des entrevues et des groupes de discussion se sont déroulés avec un sous-groupe de ces étudiants. Cette communication s'attarde aux résultats des groupes de discussion et décrit comment les résultats sont pris en compte dans la conception de l'intervention.

Download Full-text

Predictors of First-Year Student Retention in the Community College

Community College Review ◽

10.1177/0091552108320222 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 68-88 ◽

Cited By ~ 98

Author(s):

David S. Fike ◽

Renea Fike

Keyword(s):

Community College ◽

Student Retention ◽

First Year ◽

First Year Student

Download Full-text

First-Year Community College Students' Perceptions of and Attitudes Toward Intrusive Academic Advising

NACADA Journal ◽

10.12930/nacada-15-012 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

pp. 30-42 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Paul Donaldson ◽

Lyle McKinney ◽

Mimi Lee ◽

Diana Pino

Keyword(s):

Community College ◽

Academic Advising ◽

Single Case ◽

Community College Student ◽

First Year ◽

College Student Success ◽

Intrusive Advising ◽

The Impact ◽

The Relationship

For this study, we analyzed the relationship between intrusive academic advising and community college student success. Utilizing a qualitative, single-case study design, we conducted interviews with 12 students who participated in an intrusive advising program at a large, urban community college in Texas. Analysis of the interview data revealed the benefits, limitations, and contributions to success of intrusive advising. This study addresses a notable gap in the extant literature, as few researchers have published empirical examinations on the impact of intrusive academic advising within the community college context. The findings can be used to improve the delivery of academic advising and student support services at community colleges.

Download Full-text

College on the Cheap: Consequences of Community College Tuition Reductions

American Economic Journal Economic Policy ◽

10.1257/pol.20150374 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 155-188 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jeffrey T. Denning

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Community College ◽

Community Colleges ◽

College Enrollment ◽

First Year ◽

College Tuition ◽

Percentage Points ◽

Experimental Variation ◽

Quasi Experimental ◽

Over Time

This paper examines the effects of community college tuition on college enrollment. I exploit quasi-experimental variation from discounts for community college tuition in Texas that were expanded over time and across geography for identification. Community college enrollment in the first year after high school increased by 5.1 percentage points for each $1,000 decrease in tuition, which implies an elasticity of —0.29. Lower tuition also increased transfer from community colleges to universities. Marginal community college enrollees induced to attend by reduced tuition have similar graduation rates as average community college enrollees. (JEL H75, I22, I23, I28)

Download Full-text