Browsing by Subject "Community college"
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Item A Study of the Attitudes and Opinions of Full-Time Faculty at Three Texas Community Colleges on the Addition of the Baccalaureate Degree to Their Traditional Mission.(2010-12) Gibbs, Ryan C.; Rodriguez, Roy C.; Shonrock, Michael D.; Cohlmia, KristaThe purpose of this study is to find out what are the attitudes and opinions of full-time faculty, at traditional community colleges in Texas who have recently added baccalaureate degree programs, on the effect of adding new degree programs, especially baccalaureate degrees, to the overall, intended mission of the institution. The data will be collected through an online Likert-scaled survey that will be distributed via e-mail to all full-time faculty members at the three Texas community colleges that currently offer Baccalaureate degrees. The study will utilize exploratory factor analysis in order to determine any underlying factors influencing attitudes and opinions. These data will be looked at through the lenses of Globalization Theory (Levin, 2001) and the concept of mission creep (Levin, 2004). After the data was collected, factor analysis was used to reduce the information into five factor variables which were called: 1) Perceived baccalaureate program need, 2) Baccalaureate Program duplication within commuting distance, 3) Traditional community college mission change, 4) Community / student Baccalaureate need, and 5) Baccalaureate Program duplication within the community. These five new factor variables were the dependent variables and MANOVA was used to test the correlation with the aforementioned independent variables. The study concluded that only the independent variable “Types of classes currently taught” had a significant relationship for the factor variables 1) Perceived baccalaureate program need, and 2) Baccalaureate Program duplication within commuting distance.Item Basic skills and areas of expertise needed by C.A.O.'s at community colleges(Texas Tech University, 2007-05) Chambers, Lloyd Steve; Murray, John P.; Olivarez, Arturo; Oliver, DianeAt community colleges the chief academic officer (CAO) holds a very important leadership position. Very little data can be found on the basic skills and areas of expertise perceived as necessary to effectively perform the job responsibilities of a chief academic officer at a community college. Few studies have been conducted that focus on the basic skills and areas of expertise perceived as necessary to effectively perform the job responsibilities of a chief academic officer at a community college. The leadership skills that some CAO’s possess in conjunction with certain basic skills and areas of expertise could be a contributing factor in their ability to effectively perform the job responsibilities at this position. The lack of research studies that examine the basic skills and areas of expertise of current CAO’s supports a need for this study. This study used a proportional stratified random sample method. By stratifying the target population of the six accreditation regions within the United States and limiting the study to chief academic officers at community colleges ensured proper representation nationwide. The results of this study will benefit presidents and hiring committees at community colleges by identifying the basic skills and areas of expertise perceived as necessary to effectively perform the job responsibilities of a chief academic officer at a community college. Second, leadership programs that focus on training future community college leaders will benefit from this study by identifying these skills and developing curriculum that will introduce these basic skills and areas of expertise as needed skills to effectively perform the job responsibilities of a CAO at a community college.Item Career Paths of Student Affairs Administrators at California Community Colleges(2010-12) Raby, Melissa L.; Rodriguez, Roy C.; Paton, Valerie O.; Jones, Stephanie J.This study evaluated the career paths of student affairs administrators (deans and vice presidents) in the California community college system. Top administrators are retiring at alarming rates and there are not enough potential leaders in the pipeline to fill these vacancies. Charting the career paths of individuals who have obtained top-level positions provides perspectives to help aspiring professionals plan their futures. In addition, institutions will need to rethink the current recruiting processes in order to identify potential candidates for these leadership roles. Data was gathered via a survey instrument sent to deans and vice presidents in student affairs at the 110 California community colleges. A total of 126 (34% return rate) responded to the survey. There were 41 vice presidents and 85 deans that responded (58.7% women and 41.3% men). Separate career paths were calculated for VPs and deans utilizing Twombly (1988) criterion of 10% of each sample holding a first previous position and 5% of the total sample for each earlier position. Results of this study indicate there are clear career paths to the student affairs administrator position at a California community college. However, the pathway to these positions is not different for men and women. Both the VP and the dean’s current position yielded four distinct career paths. The most common career path for VP was (1) counselor to (2) student services director or associate dean to (3) student services dean or associate vice president to (4) vice president. The most common career path for dean was (1) student services director or associate dean to (2) student services director or associate dean to (3) dean. Major findings indicate several trends for the personal characteristics of student affairs administrators. First, men still tend to be married more than women. However, in other areas, there seems to be more of equality between genders. Women are earning doctorate degrees and they are attaining top-level positions at an equal rate of men. For both genders, administrators are an older population, they spend fewer years in each position and more plan on retiring than earlier studies showed. This study also stressed the importance of getting involved with internal and external professional development as well as finding a mentor. This body of research is important for both institutions to understand how they can fill future administrative openings when there is an apparent lack of potential candidates in the current pipeline, and for potential candidates to know what characteristics are most common for those who have attained administrative positions in the California community college system.Item A cross cultural investigation of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational factors affecting student achievement(2011-08) Jung, Jae Hak; Weinstein, Claire E.; Schallert, Diane L.; Svinicki, Marilla D.; Beretvas, Susan N.; Stuifbergen, Alexa M.My goals for this study were to use Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) to: propose a conceptual model based on theoretical frameworks of student motivation variables, use of cognitive strategies, and use of self-regulation strategies affecting student academic performance; statistically examine each of the structural relationships among the above variables on student achievement; and, test for cultural differences between American and Korean community college students on the measurement model, factor means, and structure model. These SEM results provided support for four research hypotheses: (a) Students’ reported motivational variable scores had significantly positive effects on students’ reported use of self-regulation strategies for both the American and Korean community college students; (b) Students’ reported motivational variable scores had significantly positive effects on students’ reported use of cognitive strategies for both the American and Korean community college students; (c) Students’ reported motivational variable scores significantly positively predicted students’ academic achievement for both the American and Korean community college students; (d) Students’ reported use of cognitive strategies was positively related to students’ reported use of self-regulation strategies for both the American and Korean community college students. However, these results did not provide statistical support for the four research hypotheses; (e) Students’ reported use of cognitive strategies did not significantly predict students’ academic achievement in the overall model for both the American and Korean community college students; (f) Student’s reported use of learning skills strategies did not significantly predict students’ academic achievement in the overall model for both American and Korean community college students. Based on the results of the current study, many future studies can be suggested. First of all, future studies need to have various measurements to assess student academic achievement. GPA is only one measure for students’ academic achievement or success. Future research should consider alternative measurements such as peer or teacher evaluation, students’ satisfaction, problem-solving ability in the context of the course student are taking, ability to transfer and so on. If research includes more alternative measurements to measure student success, research may avoid the limitation of using only GPA as student success.Item Differences in Texas community college certificate completion rates by ethnicity/race, gender, and institution enrollment(2017-04-04) Godley, Scott; Moore, George W.; Slate, John R.; Fuller, Matt B.Purpose The purpose of the first study within this journal-ready dissertation was to determine the extent to which ethnicity/race-based differences were present in Texas community college completion rates specifically within workforce certificate programs. Regarding the second study, the purpose was to determine the extent to which gender differences were present in the Texas community college completion rates specifically within workforce certificate (i.e., non-degree) programs. The purpose of the third study was to investigate the extent to which differences in enrollment size influenced the Certificate I and Certificate II completion rates among different ethnic/racial groups. Method In this causal comparative study, archival data from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board were analyzed to determine the extent to which differences were present in workforce certificate programs (i.e., Level 1 Certificate and Level II Certificate). Completion rate data also were collected regarding gender, ethnicity/race, and student enrollment. These student outcomes were analyzed for the 2005-2006, the 2010-2011, and 2014-2015 academic years. Findings The only ethnic/racial group to yield statistically significant results for Level I Certificate and Level II Certificate completion rates for all years analyzed were Hispanic community college students. They had the greatest percentage point growth in Level I Certificate and Level II Certificate attainment compared to the remaining ethnic/racial groups. The statistically significant completion rates for White students decreased by more than 10 percentage points for both credentials over the 10-year period. Male students represented the majority of Level I Certificate completers for nine of the 10 years associated with this study. The completion rates for male community college students increased to 56.75% by the 2014-2015 academic year. The percentage of male community college students who obtained a Level II Certificate credential steadily increased over the 10-year period; however, female students still represented the majority of completers (i.e., 58.70%) by the 2014-2015 academic year. Certificate completion rates for both credentials among Hispanic students gradually increased across all institution sizes between the 2005-2006 academic year and the 2014-2015 academic year. Meanwhile, the Level I Certificate and Level II Certificate completion rates among White students decreased across all institution sizes.Item The dual credit teaching experience on high school and college campuses from the perspective of community college faculty(2012-05) Hinds, David Meade; Roueche, John E.; Ellis, Martha M.; Reddick, Richard J.; Holme, Jennifer J.; Eastin, Matthew S.Hundreds of thousands of students earn credit toward both high school and college each year through dual credit programs. This research project used qualitative methods to elicit the story, the shared reality, of faculty who spend their time with these students. It is an important story to tell as legislators, community college and public school administrators, parents, and students are motivated to see these programs not only continue, but grow. System influence diagrams (SIDs) depicting the dual credit teaching experience on high school and college campuses were developed for two separate groups of community college faculty. The models were used for comparing the high school and college dual credit teaching environments. The results of this study support other research, suggesting there are important differences between the high school and college environments when teaching dual credit students. From an overall perspective, faculty found the community college campus environment superior to teaching on the high school campus for reasons related to facilities and technology, a sense of belonging in the larger organization, and the integration of dual credit students into a more traditional college environment.Item Exemplary rural community college presidents: A case study of how well their professional qualities mirror job advertisements(Texas Tech University, 2005-12) Leist, James E.; Cejda, Brent D.Major differences exist between rural community colleges (CCs) and their urban and suburban counterparts, especially in the areas of mission, location, culture, and constituencies (Valadez & Killacky, 1995; Eller, Martinez, Pace, Pavel, & Barnett, 1999; Rosenfeld, 2001). The educational, economic, and sociological challenges endemic to rural America may require a CC president to possess professional qualities not needed in a city-based venue. Although research has suggested this fact, presidential job advertisements continue to treat rural, urban, and suburban CCs as a homogenous group—thus perpetuating the notion that a universal set of professional qualities exists. This can lead to an advertisement focused on personal attributes rather than organizational needs and challenges and prevent a “good fit” between a president and an institution (Bumpas, 1998). This study examined how well the professional qualities of exemplary rural CC presidents mirror job advertisements. Archival records and telephone interviews supported the collective case study methodology. Ninety-five job advertisements published over a five-year period in The Chronicle of Higher Education provided data for a baseline template. This document offered a marketplace perspective of the professional qualities typically sought in rural CC presidents. Fifteen rural CC presidents participated in one-on-one interviews. They critiqued how well the template depicted the qualities for their position. They also suggested changes for future advertisements—to improve the potential for a good fit between a president and a rural institution. Despite acknowledging the existence of a universal set of professional qualities, these senior leaders nonetheless emphasized that rural CCs are different. As such, a president must possess special traits and characteristics to successfully confront the challenges and issues posed by the geography, politics, and culture of a rural setting. These challenges and issues require a president to genuinely engage, respect, and embrace local citizens—and assimilate—into their rural way of life. Most institutions either downplay or fail to mention this “concept of rurality” in their advertisements. The baseline template also failed to address the situational context of an institution. The 15 presidents argued that advertisements must emphasize the current status of the organization and its future goals and challenges, to help applicants understand where the institution is, where it wants to go, and what factors might serve as barriers in getting there. Rural CCs should use this situational context to identify the professional qualities listed in a presidential job advertisement. This feedback, coupled with inputs focused on other aspects related to the professional qualities needed by a rural CC president, resulted in a new format for future job advertisements. This format utilizes the concept of rurality and the situational context of the organization to identify specific professional qualities that will maximize the potential for a good fit between a president and the institutional mission, location, culture, and constituencies.Item An exploration of organizational behavior that affects California community colleges’ ability to remove sanctions and have accreditation reaffirmed(2014-05) Reynolds, Steven James; Cantú, Norma V., 1954-Accreditation is a federally recognized review process of quality assurance in higher education and is intended to engage institutions in continuous efforts to improve quality. If a college does not receive a positive evaluation as a result of an accreditation review, its regional accrediting agency may impose a sanction until that time when the college can fix deficiencies identified during the evaluation process. In California, the number of public community colleges having a sanction imposed by the western region’s Accrediting Commission of Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC) has increased since the turn of the century, rising from one college on sanction in 2003 to as many as 27 colleges on sanction in 2012. From 2008 through 2013, 70 of California’s 112 community colleges had experienced a sanction. Of those, 49 made recommended improvements and had their accreditation reaffirmed within two years. However, some colleges take longer to make improvements and to have the sanction lifted. Focusing on colleges that successfully removed a sanction, this study employed a qualitative research approach using multiple methods: a survey questionnaire and a multiple case study of two colleges. Accreditation Liaison Officers from eight colleges responded to the survey. Two colleges participated in the multiple case study in which administrators, managers, faculty, and classified staff were interviewed. Survey and interview participants were asked what they believed were the organizational behaviors and characteristics that contributed to their successful removal of the sanction. Findings indicate that successful colleges did not delay responding to the sanction; they organized human resources into work groups to accomplish tasks; they mapped out plans and created timelines for completion; they increased communication efforts across campus; they involved many persons from their multiple constituent groups; and they documented all work and accomplishments. Findings also indicate that leaders at successful colleges are effective communicators and organizers; value the accreditation process; exhibit trust, respect, and openness, and work collaboratively and collegially. The findings in this study may provide helpful information to sanctioned colleges in the future.Item Flute repertoire for the community college: An annotated guide for practice and study presented as a supplementary teaching tool(2011-05) Plagman, Anna T.; Killian, Janice; Garner-Santa, Lisa; Stoune, MichaelAccording to data, many community college teachers of applied flute are woodwind specialists instead of flute specialists. This document consists of practice guides containing flute-specific information for use by woodwind specialists to teach an applied flute student. Literature was selected with consideration for the abilities of entering community college freshmen. Quality was based on parameters set by previous research studies and best practice articles. Each music selection was studied and practiced by the researcher before preparing a practice guide. The practice guides are organized into sections dealing with specific aspects of flute playing: tone development, vibrato production, articulation, intonation (and alternate fingerings), dynamics, tempo choice, stylistic considerations, breathing suggestions and historical/cultural considerations. Formatted this way, the compilation provides an excellent collection of flute pieces to study at the collegiate level.Item Hearing their stories : the experiences of general education development (GED) graduates in transitioning to and persisting in community college(2012-05) Harris, Mary Elizabeth; Sharpe, Edwin Reese; Kameen, Marilyn C.; Ovando, Martha; Chesney, Lee; Christensen, KathleenThis dissertation reports the results of a qualitative study conducted at a community college in central Texas. Through a grounded theory approach, participant stories were used to capture the experiences of adults with a GED who transitioned to and were persisting in college. Research questions used to guide the study were: (1) What factors contribute to the decision of adults with a GED to enroll in community college; and (2) What factors do adults with a GED report influence their persistence in community college? Eight students participated in the study through individual interviews. Student demographic information was reviewed to develop a thorough and accurate profile of the study participants. Also, three Recruiting/Advising Specialists were interviewed to capture their perceptions on the experiences of GED graduates in transitioning to and persisting in college. This research demonstrated the positive effect education can have in the lives of the participants and their families. After having little to no previous exposure to higher education, students developed a realization that education was an imperative in order to improve their quality of life. This realization was instrumental in the decision by the study participants to pursue a GED and transition to college. Through the assistance of intrusive advising by Recruiting/Advising Specialists, students were able to successfully navigate the college system. Support during GED preparation was established in the GED classroom and continued for most students throughout their transition to college. When in college, students were comfortable developing relationships with faculty in order to have a source of academic support. Eventually students had a network of student and academic support that gave them a sense of belonging at the college.Item Lessons learned from men of color student success initiatives : a descriptive analysis of the characteristics of community college programs and an in-depth analysis of the evidence of effectiveness for selected programs(2011-08) Marshall, JaNice Clarice; Roueche, John E.; Bumphus, Walter G.; McClenney, Kay; Salinas, Cinthia; Northcutt, Norvell; Thornton, Jerry-SueThe promises of the open door community college system have helped people from all walks of life access and achieve higher education credentials. Numerous community college graduates transferred to other universities to continue their academic pursuits or entered the emerging career areas with skills that afford those wages and lifestyles that allow them to support their families, contribute as tax payers and full participants in the American Dream. For many African American and Latino men, the hope of achieving a college degree was realized through their involvement in a special student success program that offered mentoring, academic support, life skills necessary for managing personal and professional relationships, financial literacy and friendships with peers built on honesty, integrity, and accountability agreements. Many of these programs, though life changing for participants, were small in scale, are not supported across institutions, lacked broad involvement from faculty members, and were limited in their scope. Long term sustainable program plans must include issues related to scalability, replication; financial and strategic plans; common measures of effectiveness that eliminate current achievement and attainment gaps President Obama along with other policy groups has challenged 2-year colleges to help America lead all other nations in producing the largest percentage of adults with a college credential. This research used a qualitative case study approach to collect, review, and analyze 82 community college minority male student success programs. To broaden the research study pertinent to what measures of evidence are used to determine effectiveness, program directors and participants were interviewed with a semi-structured approach. Data were analyzed and greater clarity of the problems many men of color face and the programs designed to increase their academic, career and workforce success. To close the gender and racial gaps identified demands holistic solutions between and among private, public, governmental, social, cultural, academic, and financial organizations. Our global knowledge economy demands college presidents, governing board members, faculty, staff, community, faith-based institutions, and men of color to collaborate and create, and improve and strengthen the chances for more minority men to attain college credentials.Item A mixed methods study : the allocation of resources in times of fiscal austerity for community colleges in the state of Texas(2012-08) Bender, Karla Connor; Roueche, John E.; Gooden, Mark A.; Heilig, Julian V.; Bumphus, Walter G.; Tyler, Arthur Q.; Butler, Jesse J.The current fiscal crisis in U.S. institutions of higher education is a direct result of the 2008 global recession. The collapse in the financial industry, housing foreclosures, and high unemployment are just a few of the consequences that continue to wreak havoc on state and local governments. Funding cuts continue to trickle down as state revenue sources decline. Debates over what should be funded (national security, health, or education) leave legislative bodies at odds. Higher education is especially vulnerable in part because lawmakers are less willing to slash such programs as Medicaid, children's health insurance and K-12 public education. The competition for state funding leaves public institutions with fewer resources and major deficits to address. Given the challenging fiscal environment that community colleges continue to face, this research, focusing specifically on community colleges in the state of Texas, presents the pressing array of challenges that confront community colleges and identifies the techniques that have been adopted to allocate resources most effectively. Exploration of the issue may provide insight into the best practices, and strategies that can help other institutions address fiscal challenges. A mixed method research design, using survey and interview research methods, was used to implement this study. The survey findings provide useful insights into what is currently going on at Texas community colleges. Follow up interview discussions compliment the survey findings and provide the researcher with important contextual information pertaining to “why” things are as they are based on participant perceptions.Item Performance and pressure : a mixed methodological study on the coping and managing of community college CEOs(2014-05) Cantu, Karla Irasema; Reddick, Richard, 1972-; Saenz, Victor B.; Olivarez, Ruben D.; Homnes, JeffreyCoping with stress is essential for a CEO to remain effective as a leader of a community college. The mastery of self-development techniques for CEOs, visualization techniques for CEOs, and techniques which teach the CEOs to master Building Allies are essential tools for CEOs to provide vision and direction for community college. In the mid-1990s, California was going through an economic crisis. The tax base was significantly reduced resulting in the reduction of allocated funds for the local communities. The reduction of public funds limited the availability of social and health services, and community college programs. The economic disruption ultimately lead to employee layoffs, business closures and home foreclosures. (Wady, 1998) The unstable economic environment created many challenges for Chief Executive Officers (CEO)s at the California community colleges that led to stress for the CEOs Several researchers have examined how these changes have affected the CEOs in the types of stress produced, and more importantly, how the CEOs cope with this stress. In 1998, Dr. Gwendolyn Wady conducted a study on the coping skills of California Community College administrators. "The purpose of Wady's study was to identify and describe the administrative stresses and coping strategies utilized by administrators in the California Community College System to manage the job pressures associated with the execution of their official job functions. The administrative job leaders had to occupy a position of Executive, Managerial, and administrative category and must be a member of the Association of California Community College Administrators The outcome from the data indicated that there were significantly differences between coping strategies utilized by community college administrators. There were no significant differences in the selection of coping strategies in relation to personal background (age, years of experience, etc.) Successful administrators tended to use a variety of coping strategies to reduce stress dependent on their personality and type of job pressure."(Wady, p.7, 1998) The findings in Wady's study clearly indicated that the coping approach most selected by the majority of the community college administrators were strategies in the problem-solving category and the least beneficial stress-reducing techniques were postponing the activity. Wady concluded the study with a recommendation that the study be replicated in other states. This current study is designed to examine how community college CEOs in Texas are experiencing stresses, with the added problems caused by the economic crisis and a drastic increase in enrollment. During the past four or five decades, community colleges have experienced expediential growth (Hagedorn, 2010). They are often viewed as a stepping-stone to the fouryear College or university for those students who required an institution closer to home or for other reasons. Now community colleges are seen as a way to enhance skills, learn new skills, and better prepare for the future during severe economic times (Kolesnikova, 2009). Due to dramatic increases in unemployment and the need for retraining new job skills, community colleges are being overwhelmed with new students who are taxing the basic services of these institutions. Administrators are facing problems such as; overcrowded classes, community college faculty are being required to teach extra classes, and students not getting the courses offered to them in a timely fashion, delaying the completion of degrees. (Inside Higher Ed).Item A profile of minority male achievement : a quantitative case study of data from academic years 2008-09 and 2009-10 at Pima Community College(2010-12) Sorenson, Nancee Jane; Bumphus, Walter G.; Roueche, John E.; Northcutt, Norvell W.; Kameen, Marilyn; Harrison, Louis; Albert, Louis; Fortin, ShelleyThe purpose of this study was to provide a descriptive case study of the academic achievement of minority male students over a 2-year period. It was conducted at an urban community college district, which is a Hispanic Serving Institution. Utilizing institutional data, the research examined 3,825 male and female students divided into a total of ten cohorts by gender and ethnicity. All students were 18 to 24 years of age, new-to-higher education and enrolled full time. Key findings show significant results for enrollment, departure rates and academic performance for all groups. Male students demonstrated lower rates of enrollment, higher rates of attrition, and lower academic achievement that females students. Significant results were demonstrated among male and female student performance within their own gender group and by comparison to the opposite gender of the same ethnicity. The high departure rate and achievement gaps by students who were enrolled full time, strongly suggests that student engagement, is a profound concern. This study was conducted to identify potential disparities in achievement by gender and ethnicity to provide detailed information to inform the public and promote institutional change.Item Returns to two-year degrees and certificates in Texas(2016-08) Hamrock, Caitlin Ryan; Von Hippel, Paul T.; Cavanagh, Shannon E; Crosnoe, Robert L; Marder, Michael; Marteleto, LeticiaCommunity college credentials are an increasingly important part of post-secondary education in the United States. Two-year institutions have been receiving additional attention from students, researchers and policy makers, yet it is still not clear how much labor market value these degrees have. Previous studies have been limited in their ability to differentiate between types of community college credentials (CCCs), and been unable to limit selection bias. In this study, I estimate the value of four different kinds of CCCs in the Texas labor market, paying particular attention to gender-based gaps in wage premiums. I then estimate the value of these degrees using an Instrumental Variable strategy which allows for the estimation of the causal effect of CCCs on earnings. I find that considering only a single category of community college credentials masks variation in the value of these degrees, namely the high value of Applied Associate’s degrees. Results suggest that even after accounting for the self-selection of individuals into higher education, Applied Associate’s degrees significantly increase early career earnings.Item Student engagement in community college online education programs : an exploration of six constructs with implications for practice(2010-05) Fisher, Karla Ann; Roueche, John E.; Bumphus, Walter G.; McClenney, Kay; Northcutt, Norvell; Resta, Paul E.Improving student outcomes in community college online education requires understanding how institutional practices and student characteristics affect levels of student engagement in online courses. This study investigated community college online student engagement using an ex post facto quantitative methodology, reporting the results of an online survey administered to students enrolled in online courses at four community colleges and one statewide community college online consortium in the fall 2009 academic term. Online engagement levels were measured based on five constructs from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Academic Challenge, Student Effort, and Support for Learners) and a sixth construct from the literature (Presence). The study measured the engagement levels of 906 survey respondents taking classes exclusively online compared with 1,179 survey respondents taking classes both online and on-campus. Differences in engagement levels also were explored in terms of student characteristics including gender, race/ethnicity, age (traditional/nontraditional), enrollment status; experience in online classes, and veteran status. The results of this study revealed the following: Community college online students are less engaged than students taking courses both online and on campus.Enrollment status is a strong predictor of online student engagement; online students enrolled part-time are substantially less engaged than online students enrolled full-time. Experience with online learning is another strong predictor of engagement; as students gain experience in online courses, they become more engaged online learners. Student demographics appear to play less of a role in student engagement online than on campus. Although measurably less engaged, online students scored high on Student Effort, suggesting respondents found courses taught exclusively online required substantial individual effort. Online students are isolated relative to other students and faculty, and are unlikely to reach out to make connections within the college community without assistance. Based on their distinctive experiences and characteristics, online students should be tracked as a unique cohort within community college student populations. This study concludes with recommendations for further research and strategies that community colleges could implement to increase online student engagement, retention, and ultimately success.Item Successful frameworks for financing capital projects: an analysis of Texas community college processes for bond referendums, 1998-2008(2009-12) Brazier, Elise Ann; Roueche, John E.The purpose of this study was to investigate the capital project financing methods of Texas community college districts, including an analysis of successful general obligation bond elections. A two-phase research approach was used in this analysis. The first part of the research investigation surveyed 65 community college executives and administrators representing 50 community college districts in Texas. College leaders were asked to participate in an online survey regarding finance methods used to fund capital projects. This included leaders who have participated in general obligation bond referendums on their college campuses. Thirty-four out of 65 leaders responded to the survey, which resulted in a 52.3% response rate. The second part of the investigation disaggregated survey response information from district college leaders into two groups: Those who finance capital projects utilizing general obligation bonds (GO bond) and those who use other methods than general obligation bonds to fund capital improvements or renovations. A cross-sectional study was conducted during the second phase, which investigated 12 community college district leaders’ processes and strategies of passing general obligation bond elections from 1998 to 2008. As a follow-up to the survey instrument, 11 interviews were conducted from GO and non-GO bond community college districts. The results from the findings led to the following conclusions. Each community college district is unique in how capital projects are funded. The commonalities that existed among survey participants and the personal interviews conducted were establishing strong community relationships prior to the planning of bond campaigns. The data reinforced the basic premise of building key relationships with civic/business leaders early on in the process. The importance of creating an environment that focuses on open communication and trust in support of the college was a determining factor for winning bond elections. The recommendations that emerged from this study were community college leaders must begin a dialogue to share best practices in capital project funding. Secondly, community college leaders must advocate for an organized system of data collection to record general obligation bond elections from their state agencies. Lastly, an organization for capital project advocacy must be created.Item The Role of the Community College in Baccalaureate Attainment At a Rural Public University(Texas Tech University, 2005-12) Rhodes, Jeffrey HNot AvailableItem Unexpected challenges that define the decision-making process of community college presidents(Texas Tech University, 2004-08) Kishur, Joseph MThis study examines the decision-making process of community college presidents when encountering unexpected major challenges. During the day-to-day operation of a community college, the president typically relies upon his/her best judgment when making "routine" decisions. However, this decision-making process changes when the unexpected occurs and causes a threat to the potential further existence of the community college, or to the continued tenure of the community college president. Prior to this study little had been researched regarding the actual decision making process, when encountering an unexpected major challenge. Rather prior studies dealt with the eventual outcome resulting from a major challenge and the impact upon the community college and/or the community college president. This study is restricted to presidents of community colleges. University presidents, chancellors, and other leaders of community college systems were excluded from the study. Likewise, also excluded from the study were the presidents of private two-year institutions and the presidents of tribal community colleges. During this study, fours areas of interest were developed that typically generate unexpected challenges for a community college president. These four areas involve financial issues, personal issues, political issues, and public relations issues. The financial issues derived from the reduction of state funding appropriations after the start of the academic year. The personnel issues derived from employees who were not performing their assigned duties in a responsibility manner. The political issues derived from situations in which the community college president was advised by state political officials that they had to expand their community college. One by absorption of an adjoining vocational/technical School and the other by creating a new campus in a neighboring community. The community college president who encountered a public relation issue did so because the community became highly divided over a dramatic stage production, scheduled to be produced and performed at the community college. A key factor in resolving the major challenge was communication. The affected community college president communicated to all affected stakeholders the nature of the challenge and kept stakeholders apprised of the progress regarding the resolution of the major challenge. To resolve these major challenges the effective community college president drew on the collective wisdom of his/her administrative team for advice and consultation. The community college presidents in this study also called upon their personal integrity in that once the decision had been made to resolve the major challenge they adhered to the predetermined course of action despite criticism that would immerge from those who sought to undermine the resolution process..