Differences in Ethnic/Racial Diversity of Texas Community College First-Time in College Full-Time Students Over Time: A Multiyear, Statewide Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-82
Author(s):  
Juan Carlos Lebron ◽  
John R Slate ◽  
Frederick C Lunenburg
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Empirical Investigation ◽  
Racial Diversity ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Time Period ◽  
First Time ◽  
First Time In College ◽  
Over Time

In this multiyear, statewide empirical investigation, the degree to which ethnic/racial diversity of first-time in college full-time Texas community college students changed from the 1999-2000 through the 2014-2015 academic years was determined.  Over this time period, the percentage of Hispanic first-time in college full-time Texas community college students showed a statistically significant increase, whereas the percentage of White first-time in college full-time students statistically significantly decreased.  No changes were noted with respect to either Black or Asian first-time in college full-time college students during this time period.  Although some improvement was noted in the ethnic-racial diversity of Texas first-time in college full-time students, more work remains.  Implications for policy and recommendations for research were provided.

The Answer Is Yes

2016 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Grubb ◽  
Pamela H. Scott ◽  
Donald W. Good
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Dual Enrollment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Student Aid ◽  
Fall Semester ◽  
Northeast Tennessee ◽  
The Impact

Objective: The study assesses the impact of dual enrollment participation on remediation and completion for traditional first time, full-time freshmen at a community college in Northeast Tennessee. Method: This study began with the full population of 1,232 students who enrolled between 2008 and 2012 at a community college in northeast Tennessee the fall semester after finishing high school. The population was required to have American College Testing (ACT) scores, completely fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), enroll full-time as a degree-seeking student, and complete the first fall semester. Propensity score matching was utilized to eliminate self-selection bias and enable parametric comparisons using optimal matching of dual enrollment participants and non-participants while controlling for a range of covariates. Results: The analyses showed that community college students who participated in dual enrollment were (a) 9% or nearly 3.4 times less likely to take remediation, (b) 26% or nearly 2.5 times more likely to graduate in 2 years, and (c) 28% or nearly 1.5 times more likely to graduate in 3 years. Contributions: This study contributes to the literature showing that dual enrollment reduces remediation rates and assists in timely completions for community college students. Policy recommendations are to increase equitable participation, normalize dual enrollment for students academically able to do college coursework, align state terminology with the nation, and improve data for future research.

The Road to Becoming a Scientist: A Mixed-Methods Investigation of Supports and Barriers Experienced by First-Year Community College Students

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-50
Author(s):  
Xueli Wang ◽  
Kelly Wickersham ◽  
Seo Young Lee ◽  
Na Bedolla Lor ◽  
Ashley Gaskew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Interview Data ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The Road ◽  
Stem Programs ◽  
Stem Students

Background Although a long line of research has been devoted to transfer pathways in general, there remains limited work on the capacity for community colleges to cultivate STEM baccalaureate transfer. In particular, both quantitative and qualitative evidence is extremely sparse on how STEM-aspiring students beginning at community colleges experience supports and barriers on their journey to pursue a STEM baccalaureate. Purpose This mixed-methods study addresses the question: What salient factors are associated with beginning community college STEM students’ decisions to transfer into baccalaureate STEM programs, and how do students describe the supports and barriers they experienced specifically pertaining to these factors? Research Design Guided by the STEM Transfer model, we carried out this research using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design. We incorporated survey, administrative, and interview data from three large two-year institutions in a Midwestern state. We applied Artificial Neural Network (ANN) techniques to identify factors associated with beginning community college STEM students’ decisions to transfer into baccalaureate STEM programs. Based on the factors that emerged from ANN, we analyzed the interview data to give meaning to the identified factors using students’ rich descriptions of their experiences. Findings Results from the ANN revealed that students’ initial attitudes toward science was the most salient factor related to transfer in STEM. Following that, GPA, students’ initial attitudes toward math, transfer capital, being employed full time, major declaration, science preparation in high school, income levels above middle level, and transfer efficacy also turned out to be important variables shaping students’ transfer in STEM. Qualitative results further illustrated how the factors from the ANN exerted their impact. Conclusions This mixed-methods research illuminated significant factors shaping the road to becoming a scientist, as well as how those factors manifested their influences within the contexts of students’ educational journeys. Through this approach, we were able to establish the significance of influential factors without presuming directionality and leverage the interview data to disentangle how these factors functioned independently and together in sophisticated and nuanced ways. Our study brings forth a deeper understanding of community college students’ STEM pathways, including the many plot twists and processes involved to overcome challenges and maintain progress.

scholarly journals Instructional Practices of Part-Time Faculty at Two-Year Institutions: Observations and Implications

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 156
Author(s):  
Yahya Mohammad Alshehri
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Faculty Members ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Part Time Faculty ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Time Faculty

This paper attempts to shed more light on the teaching practices of part-time faculty members and their impacts on community college students. It has been found that part-time faculty members employ traditional teaching practices compared to full-time faculty members. These teaching practices have, to varying degrees, negative effects on community college students. It has also been found that some of the compelling factors that hinder part-time faculty from utilizing effective teaching practices are institutional and departmental policies and practices. This paper identifies some gaps in the literature and calls future studies. It delineates a couple of recommendations aiming at improving the teaching practices of part-time faculty as well as their working condition. 

Determinants of Intent to Transfer among Black Male Community College Students: A Multinomial, Multilevel Investigation of Student Engagement

2016 ◽  
Vol 118 (8) ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
J. Luke Wood ◽  
Robert T. Palmer
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
Social Integration ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Black Men ◽  
Black Male ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Institutional Level

Background/Context Transfer is a core function of community colleges; this is a critical point given that these institutions serve as the primary pathway into postsecondary education for Black men. However, too few Black men identify transfer as a primary goal and/or eventually transfer to a 4-year college or university. Purpose Using Nora and Rendón's (1990) research on transfer predisposition as a theoretical guide, this study investigated determinants of Black male community college students’ predisposition to transfer from a community college to a 4-year university. This research sought to determine whether student-level and institutional-level measures of engagement were predictive of transfer intent. This research also examined whether engagement predictors at the student level had randomly varying slopes across colleges. Population This study employed a quantitative analysis of secondary data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). A total of 11,384 Black men nested within 259 community colleges were included in the analytic sample. Research Design Data were analyzed using multilevel, multinomial logistic regression. Students’ predisposition to transfer was modeled in three categories, transfer as a primary goal, secondary goal, or not a goal. The first analysis examined predictors of students’ intent to transfer using student-level variables while the second analysis added institutional-level variables. In the third analysis, the researchers’ constructed random slopes and intercepts models to investigate whether the student-level engagement slopes on the outcome differed across the nested structure. Findings/Results Students with transfer as a primary goal (as opposed to not being a goal) were more likely to be younger, have earned more credits, non-first-generation, full-time enroll-ees, and to have taken developmental education courses. They were also more likely to spend more hours per week studying and involved in extracurricular activities. These students were also more engaged in active and collaborative learning and used student services on campus. Conclusions/Recommendations This research has shown that that the factors influencing Black men's predisposition toward transfer largely mirror that of their White and Hispanic peers. Findings from this study demonstrated that social integration was a positive predictor of students’ intent to transfer; the finding diverges from prior research on Black men in the community college, which have shown social integration to serve as a negative predictor of success outcomes.

Understanding Loan Default Among Community College Students

2021 ◽  
pp. 009155212110014
Author(s):  
Lyle McKinney ◽  
Jacob P. Gross ◽  
Andrea Burridge ◽  
Brittany Inge ◽  
Alexander Williams
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community College Students ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Pell Grant ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Lower Income ◽  
Loan Default ◽  
Federal Loans

Objective: The purpose of our study was to identify the factors associated with federal loan default among a nationally-representative sample of community college students. The guiding research question was: For community college students who borrow federal loans, to what extent do demographic, academic, and enrollment characteristics relate to default? Methods: Using data from the Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS:04/09), our analysis focused on loan repayment outcomes six years after enrollment for students who began their postsecondary careers at a community college (i.e., a public, two-year institution) and had not transferred to a four-year institution. The analytic methods included descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Compared to their peers who did not use federal loans, borrowers were more likely to be female, unmarried, lower-income, a Pell Grant recipient, and enrolled exclusively full-time. Regression results indicated that compared to borrowers still in repayment, defaulters were more likely to be male, first-generation college, lower-income, enrolled in workforce certificate and applied associate degree programs, lateral transfers, and non-completers. Notably, two-thirds of the defaulters had $5,000 or less in outstanding debt. Conclusions: Many of the student groups that have traditionally experienced the lowest rates of success at the community college are also the populations more likely to default on their loans. Relatively low levels of debt can still place severe financial hardship on community college borrowers. We propose several modifications to federal loan policy and institutional practices that could help reduce the number of community college borrowers who default.

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