Faculty Perceptions of Community College Student Retention and Persistence

Recently Published Dissertations on Community and Junior Colleges

Nationally, a majority of community college students require remedial assistance with mathematics, but comparatively few students who begin the remedial math sequence ultimately complete it and achieve college-level math competency. The academic outcomes of students who begin the sequence but do not complete it are disproportionately unfavorable: most students depart from the community college without a credential and without transferring to a four-year institution. Interestingly, however, many of these students continue to attend the community college after they exit the remedial math sequence, sometimes for an extended period. One is led to ask why students who do not complete the sequence generally are not finding their way to an alternative credential objective that does not require college-level math competency, such as a career and technical education certificate, sometimes referred to as a vocational certificate. In this study, I explore three possible answers to this question, including difficulty navigating to the alternative credential, declining participation in the community college, and declining academic performance. I find that all three of these explanations contribute (to varying degrees) to explaining the low rate of certificate completion among remedial math students who do not achieve college-level math competency.

Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges: An Academic Administrator's Guide to Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining Great Teachers Desna L. Wallin (Ed.). Anker Publishing: Bolton, MA. 2005, 227 pages. $39.95, Cloth. ISBN 1-882982-81-9. Reviewed by Clifford P. Harbour.Desna L. Wallin's book, Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges: An Academic Administrator's Guide to Recruiting, Supporting, and Retaining Great Teachers, provides campus leaders with a new resource to improve institutional practice regarding employment of part-time faculty. This work is an edited volume published by Anker in 2005 and is comprised of 13 chapters written by community college presidents, academic administrators, faculty, and university researchers.Community colleges are facing new challenges in the 21st century because of budgetary constraints, looming retirements in the faculty and leadership ranks, demands for new curricula and delivery modalities, and a student population that is becoming increasingly diverse and complex. These developments mean public two-year institutions must become more efficient and effective in providing educational programs and services to their communities. Many institutions have realized new efficiencies through increased use of adjunct faculty. Wallin's goal in publishing Adjunct Faculty in Community Colleges is to explain how campus leaders can now become more effective in selecting, developing, supporting, and retaining this critical human resource.Wallin has organized the volume in three parts. Pan One presents Wallin's excellent overview of the text, and this overview is supplemented by research reported by university scholars. Akroyd and Caison report on their analysis of recent data from the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty. They describe how adjunct faculty compare with their full-time counterparts on factors such as demographics and job satisfaction. This work is complemented by research findings presented by Phillips and Campbell regarding faculty development at Florida's community colleges. Results from these two studies paint a picture of important similarities and differences concerning adjunct faculty and their full-time colleagues.Akroyd and Caison's comparison of adjunct and full time instructors reveals that the two populations are quite similar regarding (a) age, gender, and academic qualifications, and (b) overall job satisfaction. But there are important differences in how these two populations perceive job security, advancement opportunities, and benefits. Adjunct faculty are significantly less satisfied with these aspects of their employment. To date, these lower levels of satisfaction have not significantly affected community colleges. Institutions have been able to replace departing adjuncts with new ones. However, Akroyd and Caison's research suggests practitioners should not overlook the possibility that a dissatisfied adjunct faculty could have serious implications for institutional stability.Phillips and Campbell report on a statewide survey of mathematics and communications faculty at Florida community colleges regarding the value of certain professional development activities. These authors found that adjunct and full-time faculty agreed that new faculty orientation programs were a very valuable professional development activity. However, they differed, for example, on the importance of (a) travel money, (b) on campus workshops, and (c) access to professional development materials in the college library. The first two items were characterized as very valuable by full-time faculty but less so by adjuncts. Conversely, adjuncts regarded access to on campus professional development materials as more valuable than did their full-time counterparts.These two chapters provide a sound introduction to critical similarities and differences to be considered by campus leaders working to improve the selection, development, support, and retention of adjuncts. …

The high concentration of underprepared students in community colleges presents a challenge to educators, policy-makers, and researchers. All have pointed to low completion rates and caution that institutional practices and policy ought to focus on improving retention and graduation rates. However, a multitude of inhibiting factors limits the educational opportunities of underprepared community college students. Using Tinto's (1993) and Astin's (1999) models of student departure as the primary theoretical framework, as well as faculty mentoring as a strategy to impact student performance and retention, the purpose of this study was to determine whether a mentoring program designed to promote greater student-faculty interactions with underprepared community college students is predictive of higher retention for such students. While many studies have documented the positive effects of faculty mentoring with 4-year university students, very few have examined faculty mentoring with underprepared community college students (Campbell and Campbell, 1997; Nora & Crisp, 2007). In this study, the content of student-faculty interactions captured during the mentoring experience was operationalized into eight domains. Faculty members used a log to record their interactions with students. During interactions they tried to help students develop study skills, set goals, and manage their time. They also provided counseling, gave encouragement, nurtured confidence, secured financial aid/grants/scholarships, and helped students navigate their first semester at college. Logistic regression results showed that both frequency and content of faculty interactions were important predictors of retention. Students with high levels of faculty interactions in the area of educational planning and personal/family concerns were more likely to persist. Those with high levels of interactions in time-management and academic concerns were less likely to persist. Interactions that focused on students' poor grades, unpreparedness for class, or excessive absences were predictive of dropping out. Those that focused on developing a program of study, creating a road map to completion, or students' self-perceptions, feelings of self-efficacy, and personal control were predictive of persistence.

Community colleges have traditionally struggled with student retention. A growing subset of today's community college students seek degree programs that will not only fortify their minds, but prepare them to meet current workforce demands. The post-recession view of community colleges as engines of change, relative to affordability and gainful employment, has prompted government officials and college leaders to explore ways to best meet students' needs from enrollment to graduation. This study examined the effects of infusing relationship-marketing strategies into academic advising practice to improve student retention. The researcher believes that service augmentation and relationship customization can significantly improve student-institution bonds. The conceptual framework for this study is grounded in Tinto's student engagement model (retention), Berry's relationship-marketing approach, and academic advising theory. The researcher used an explanatory mixed-methods design to explore the following research questions: (a) How can relationship-marketing strategies be used to improve the formation of affective advisor-advisee bonds? (b) How does academic advisors' implementation of relationship-marketing strategies impact student retention? And (c) What is the relationship between students' satisfaction with academic advising and retention rates? This research used an explanatory mixed-methods approach and a sample of 93 students and four professional academic advisors to examine the impact of relationship-marketing on student retention. The results indicated that relationship-marketing concepts, namely service augmentation and relationship customization were strong determinants of affective advisor-advisee bonds. The results also indicate that students' retention behavior was strongly determined by advisor-advisee bonds and a sense of belonging to the institution. Student satisfaction with the advising process was also a contributing factor in their decision to remain enrolled at the college. In addition, trust, honesty, and openness in the relationship-building process was a strong determinant of a student's decision to return. The findings of this study suggest that a comprehensive, authentic approach to developing, managing, and maintaining student relationships can impact student satisfaction with the university and their college experience.

For much of the twentieth century, the definition of success for most community colleges revolved around student retention and graduation. This definition no longer works—if it ever did. InStudent Success in the Community College: What Really Works?respected community college leaders, researchers, and innovators argue that student success is about redesigning community colleges in a manner that is consistent with each college’s mission, goals, student population, and resources. Concluding that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to increasing student success, chapter authors analyze national, state, and regional efforts to increase student success; identify principles institutions can use to frame student success initiatives; and outline specific actions community colleges can take to increase student—and institutional—success.Student Success in the Community College: What Really Works?also provides concrete examples of effective student success initiatives in a variety of community college settings.

Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) is a newborn hearing screening system created to detect infants with hearing loss (HL) and intervene to reduce language and communication impairment. Early hearing detection (EHD) consists of three sequential stages: identification, screening, and diagnostic testing. This study longitudinally reviews each stage of EHD in each state and proposes a framework to improve utilization of EHD data. A retrospective public database review was conducted, accessing publicly available data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Summary descriptive statistics were utilized to generate a descriptive study of EHDI programs in each U.S. state from 2007 to 2016. Data over 10 years from 50 states as well as Washington, DC were included in this analysis, creating up to 510 data points per analysis. Hundred percent (85 to 105) (median [min to max]) of newborns were identified by and entered EHDI programs. Ninety-eight percent (51 to 100) of identified infants completed screening. Of the infants who screened positive for HL, the proportion that received diagnostic testing was 55% (1 to 100). The overall proportion of infants who failed to complete EHD was 3% (1 to 51). Of the infants who fail to complete EHD 70% (0 to 100) are from missed screenings, 24% (0 to 95) are from missed diagnostic testing, and 0% (0 to 93) are from missed identification. Although there are more infants missed at screening, it was estimated, with limitations, that there is an order of magnitude more infants with HL among those who did not complete diagnostic testing compared with those who did not complete screening. Analysis demonstrates high completion rates at both identification and screening stages, whereas the diagnostic testing stage demonstrates low and highly variable completion rates. The low completion rates at diagnostic testing create a bottleneck in the EHD process and the large variability impedes the comparison of HL outcomes across states. Analysis also demonstrates that among all stages of EHD, whereas the largest number of infants are missed at screening, the largest number of children with HL are likely missed at diagnostic testing. Therefore, a focus by individual EHDI programs on addressing causes of low diagnostic testing completion rates would yield the greatest increase in the identification of children with HL. Potential causes of low diagnostic testing completion rates are further discussed. Finally, a new vocabulary framework is proposed to facilitate further study of EHD outcomes.

Problem Statement. There are conflicting studies on the relationship between the union and nonunion faculty and trust. Studies have shown that the union environment inherently produces a distrustful atmosphere and, with a union, employees are actually more dissatisfied than their nonunion counterparts. On the other hand, this has created a cycle where faculty may not trust administration, and administration may not trust faculty. For example, when doing negotiations, each party fights on behalf of itself, instead of fighting for the betterment of the organization. However, unions can give faculty a voice with administration and state and federal government, and may positively influence extrinsic rewards such as salary and benefits. This study investigated the relationship between faculty trust towards administration, other faculty, and union membership—specifically how trust is related to the relationships of faculty, administration, and the union. Method. This study used ex post facto or non-experimental research, which is a systematic inquiry where the researcher does not have control over the independent variables. It was used to determine if there is a relationship between faculty’s level of trust and their desire to be unionized, or if already unionized their desire was to stay unionized. This type of research displays the relationships among the variables but does not assume cause or effect. The Omnibus T-Scale developed by Hoy and Tschannen-Moran in 2003 was used to measure trust with their colleagues (other faculty), trust with administration, and trust total. The trust survey was sent to the full-time faculty at five Michigan community colleges. Community colleges selected were similar in size, demographics, and setting. The main difference for all of the community colleges is their union membership. Three nonunionized community colleges in Michigan were selected along with two unionized community colleges similar to the non-unionized community colleges in demographics, socioeconomic status, student population, and full-time faculty. Results. Based on these findings, this study led to the conclusion that there is a relationship between unionization and trust between faculty at unionized schools and administration. There is not a significant difference between trust at unionized and nonunionized schools and faculty. In fact, these findings are consistent with the literature that says, “There is usually an inverse relationship between rules and trust: the more people depend on rules to regulate their interactions, the less they trust others, and vice versa.” On the other hand, one important finding of this study that does not seem to be addressed in the literature is that there does not seem to be a relationship between trust and faculty and other faculty in regard to unionization status. Conclusion. According to the findings of this study, trust tends to make a difference on faculty trust with administration in a unionized environment. Trust is foundational to all relationships; it may positively influence faculty job satisfaction, student retention, and student engagement, and improve organizational effectiveness. It is my expectation that this study will help community college administrators develop strategies to increase trust

The practice of hiring adjunct instructors was initially considered to be an anomalous event (Todd, 2004). Community college employment of adjunct instructors, however, witnessed a 50% increase during the 1970s (Cain, 1999) and, by 1984, adjunct instructor utilization in community colleges rose dramatically with an additional 80% growth. Over a 33-year period, 1970-2003, the employment of adjunct faculty in the academe increased 422% (Bouton, 2010). With such a strong adjunct presence within the community college, one question came to mind: How do adjunct and fulltime faculty perceive the other? The purpose of this study was to investigate adjunct perceptions of fulltime faculty and, vice versa, fulltime faculty perceptions of adjunct faculty. With an increasing presence of adjunct instructors within the community college environment, it was deemed important to illuminate the experiences and perceptions held by each strata of faculty concerning the “other”. Ethnomethodology was used to conduct this study. Four community college liberal arts fulltime faculty members and four community college liberal arts adjunct faculty members were selected as research participants, utilizing a purposive sampling technique involving four research sites, which were located in the same geographical location within the continental United States. One liberal arts fulltime faculty member and one liberal arts adjunct faculty member who taught in the same field were selected from each of the four sites. Data gathered from semi-structured interviews and institutional artifacts were analyzed to identify emerging themes. From the data analysis,

Opening Doors to Student Success: A Synthesis of Findings from an Evaluation at Six Community Colleges

Reviewed by: Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students Juan R. Guardia Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students Liz Thomas, Michael Cooper, and Jocey Quinn (Eds.) Stoke on Trent, U.K.: Trentham Books, 2003, 176 pages, $27.50 (softcover) What are colleges and universities across the globe doing to assist disadvantaged students? What can be done to improve their retention and graduation rates in higher education? The answers to these and other related questions are found in Improving Completion Rates Among Disadvantaged Students. Editors Thomas, Cooper and Quinn gathered a group of 14 higher education professionals from around the world, including Mike Abramson, Helen Anderson, Margaret Andrews, John Benseman, David Coltman, Kay Gardner, Stephen J. Handel, Margaret Heagney, Alfred Herrera, Peter Jones, Patricia McLean, Judy Nicholl, Margaret Noble, and Vincent Tinto, who have substantial experience working with access, attrition and retention programs to contribute to this volume. Although they all originate in countries dominated by the Anglo-Saxon culture, they have a general validity dealing as they do with central issues that have to be addressed if we are to come to terms with the problem of drop-out. (p. xiii) The book is organized into eight chapters. In the first, "Establishing Conditions for Student Success," Tinto describes four factors that contribute to student retention at colleges and universities in the United States (U.S.): (1) institutional commitment, (2) academic and social support, (3) involvement, and (4) learning. "Students are more likely to persist when they find themselves in settings that hold high expectations for their learning, provide needed academic and social support, and actively involve them with other students and faculty in learning" (p. 5). In addition, Tinto describes the importance of federal and state programs targeted at disadvantaged students and how institutions are being held accountable for student retention and graduation. In chapter two, "The Implications of Globalisation for Supporting Students with a Disability: An Australian Perspective," McLean, Heagney, and Gardner introduce us to their work with students with disabilities in Australia. Many of Australia's universities employ Disability Liasion Officers who provide services for disabled students, including those planning to study abroad and international students with disabilities studying in Australia. We also learn about the culture clash experienced by international students with disabilities and how Australia's Federal Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 and the federal government's equity blueprint, A Fair Chance for All: Education That's Within Everyone's Reach, play an important role in Australian higher education. Chapter three, "Access and Retention of Students from Educationally Disadvantaged Backgrounds: Insights from the University of California" provides readers with a U.S. perspective and describes how the University of California (UC) system addressed the issue of diversity on campus after Proposition 209 prohibited the use of race in admissions in state agencies. Handel and Herrera describe how UC created an Outreach Task Force (OTF) in charge of developing new ways of attracting disadvantaged students to UC [End Page 99] campuses. One of their initial findings included how "a significant number of underrepresented students attend a California Community College yet never transfer to a UC campus" (p. 38). The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) responded with the creation of the Centre for Community College Partnerships, which "develop academic partnerships among UCLA and community college faculty and administrators to increase the number of underrepresented students who apply and are admitted to the University of California" (p. 44). UCLA also offers the Summer Intensive Transfer Experience (SITE), a six-day academic program for educationally disadvantaged, low-income, first-generation, underrepresented community college students, which prepares them to transfer to a four-year institution (Handel & Herrera, 2003). In chapter four, Andrews discusses "Access and Learner-centred Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Further and Higher Education." The chapter focuses on a qualitative study of students, teachers, and staff who participate in programs targeted at disadvantaged groups, including women, Black and ethnic minorities, and lower-socioeconomic groups at two further education colleges and two universities in London. Further education colleges are "voluntary and private training organizations usually at sub-degree levels" (p. 54) and higher education is referred to mainstream universities. Results found that further education colleges are more consistent in...

The study aimed to identify the obstacles that faculty members face at Sana'a Community College. To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher used the analytical descriptive method and the questionnaire as a tool for collecting data. The study population consisted of (176) faculty members. As the population was small, the sample was selected by the complete census method. The study results showed that the most important academic constraints were absence of support for conducting research, lack of department support to participate in courses, seminars and conferences and scarcity of training programs. The most important financial and administrative constraints were lack of adequate attention to the problems of faculty members, lack of suitable places to practice scientific activities, and absence of incentives for distinguished faculty member. The most important obstacles associated with students were low background level of accepted students, lack of clear syllabus for courses, and the reluctance of students to research and refer to scientific references. The most important technical constraints facing faculty members were lack of participation in academic sites, lack of appropriate learning resources, permanent power cut-offs in classrooms and laboratories and lack of printing and photocopy machines for the faculty members when needed. The study also showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the responses of faculty members about the obstacles due to variables of gender, academic rank and years of experience. The study recommended providing material and moral support to faculty members to conduct research, holding training courses to raise their efficiency, taking care of their own financial aspects and involving them in important decisions related to the educational process, applying appropriate criteria for admitting students, avoiding favoritism, paying attention to updating study plans, and providing recent references.
 Keywords: obstacles, faculty, community college.

The purpose of this study was to identify the experience and development of academically underprepared emerging adult Latino community college students. The retention and completion of Latino college students in higher education is a serious concern for college officials and has led to the enactment of legislation by many state lawmakers across the United States. Not only has the context in which students persist evolved into a funded system based on outcomes, a new psychosocial level of development called emerging adulthood has been proposed with relatively unknown ramifications for Latino students. Using grounded theory methodology, this study has identified critical areas that can support Latino emerging adults as they persist at a California community college and who anticipate transferring to a baccalaureate degree institution. The three theoretical categories that materialized from this research, which supports Latino students in emerging adulthood in persisting at a community college, are: (a) evolving as a student, (b) self-awareness through reflection, and (c) giving back to help others. This interpretive framework suggests that Latino emerging adult students trace their identity through their concept of Community Cultural Wealth and critical consciousness to overcome oppression and succeed at a community college. This study offers three recommendations for further study and implementation. First, a socially responsive career theory can be developed from the framework suggested in this study and through critical consciousness. Second, a peer advising program should be developed at the site to provide Latino emerging adult students with the opportunity to give back and validate themselves and other students at the college. Finally, a strategic outreach initiative aimed at the parents of prospective Latino students who work in the housekeeping or caregiving industries could help and encourage their children and others in the community to pursue a degree and break the cycle of poverty present in many communities.

Help wanted: Preparing community college leaders in a new century (New Directions for Community Colleges Series, no. 123) by William E. Piland and David B. Wolf. San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 2003. 114 pages. ISBN 0194-3081. Reviewed by Leila Gonzalez Sullivan.In response to a nationwide sense of crisis in community college leadership, authors William Piland and David Wolf have called upon noted current leaders in the field to describe the causes of this crisis, to examine the ways leaders have traditionally been prepared, and to suggest other means for creating new leaders to guide these institutions effectively in the face of dramatically different conditions and challenges.Chapter 1, Leadership Blues, outlines the dimensions of the problem. Those who are brave enough to take on a presidency frequently find their good work blocked by political machinations, legislative intrusions, and fiscal disasters, as well as suffering capricious cruelty (p. 6) and politics of personal destruction (p. 8), according to authors James March and Stephen Weiner. Listing a series of cases that ended or nearly ended a presidency, they note that campus culture and a lack of civility often contribute to a leader's downfall. And once employees lose confidence in the leader or the emotions surrounding an issue rise to an intolerable level, there is little hope of rescuing the presidency or restoring good relations. To avoid what the authors refer to as poisonous (p. 13), leaders should take every opportunity to build trust, to encourage civility, to develop conflict management mechanisms, and to emphasize continually that the community college is a social system in which all members are working toward a shared vision of student learning. This chapter speaks eloquently to the realities of presidential leadership in higher education these days; however, some readers may find the content discouraging enough to set aside the book and perhaps even their aspirations to leadership. This chapter might have served the purpose just as well at a later point in the book.In Chapter 2, Leadership Context for the Twenty-First Century, George Boggs, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, summarizes research conducted by AACC which sounded the alarm regarding the growing leadership vacuum. Not only are nearly half of the current community college presidents planning to retire in the next five years, but their potential successors, upper level administrators, also expect to retire in even greater numbers. Yet community colleges will continue to be in the forefront of higher education as the primary providers of career preparation and lifelong learning, and the rewards of leading these institutions far outweigh the challenges ahead. Looking at the coming leadership turnover as an opportunity for new energy and greater diversity, the AACC board and its staff have identified essential skills and qualities of leaders, have established a web-based resource list of degree and professional development programs, and have begun to offer training for aspiring new leaders. Although little of this material is new or unknown, the chapter does set the stage for much of what follows in the text.Joanne Cooper and Louise Pagotto, the authors of Chapter 3, Developing Community College Faculty as Leaders, base their discussion in a literature review and see a pool of potential leaders already on campuses-the faculty. However, many faculty members are reluctant to step forward, preferring to wait until they receive a clear invitation to move into administrative leadership roles. Still others refuse the invitation entirely. Whatever the means by which faculty are drawn into administration, they generally have little preparation, formal or informal, for their new roles, and they may be apprehensive about making the move because their teacher colleagues will see them as having sold out (p. 30). To make the transition from teaching to administration easier, there must be formal training either through degrees or through workshops such as the model programs in Hawaii that are outlined in the chapter. …

Latinx students comprise the largest population within the California Community College (CCC) system, but experience disproportionately lower retention rates. This dissertation used a phenomenological qualitative design and testimonios collected from Latinx general counselors to explore factors influencing Latinx student retention. Sixteen tenured Latinx general counselors from ten Northern California Hispanic-serving community colleges served as participants. Guided by two research questions, the study explored counselors’ perspectives on the factors influencing Latinx community college students’ retention and the counseling strategies, services, and resources that General Counseling Departments should provide to support Latinx student retention. Grounded in Latinx Critical Race Theory, the study integrated a community cultural wealth and servingness framework to generate a comprehensive call to action. Findings are organized across four levels—individual counselors, general counseling departments, institutions, and systemic structures—offering actionable recommendations to transform counseling practices and advance Latinx student success. This work contributes to the field of transformative educational leadership by demonstrating how intentional, culturally responsive counseling can improve retention outcomes for Latinx students in the California Community College System. This system consists of a majority of Hispanic-serving institutions.