The applied baccalaureate degree, which integrates once-terminal applied associate degrees and course work into a four-year degree, is a relatively new phenomenon in higher education. This article presents findings from the first of two phases of research conducted--utilizing Kingdon's (1995) Multiple Streams framework--exploring the status of…

State-level interest in meeting workforce needs and facilitating adults' baccalaureate attainment is changing conceptions of the applied associate degree and the mission of the community college. In this article, the author draws on data from a recent study about the applied baccalaureate degree (Townsend and Bragg, 2008) to describe the growing…

In the nation's changing economy, there is an increasing necessity for baccalaureate level education for jobs that have never before required that level of education. One potential solution to issues related to baccalaureate attainment and workforce development is the applied baccalaureate degree. Applied baccalaureate degrees have arisen from a…

Increasing demands for economic competitiveness and educational effectiveness have led states and institutions to implement new approaches to facilitating baccalaureate completion. This study examined one of these approaches, the applied baccalaureate degree, which is designed to incorporate applied associate course work and degrees once…

Without appropriate education, American workers are hampered in their ability to have the requisite technical skills needed to participate fully and effectively in the modern workforce. Higher education as a system must develop programs and infrastructures that ensure adult learners receive postsecondary education, including at the baccalaureate…

National quantitative studies examining the impact of community college attendance upon educational attainment conclude that initial attendance at a community college (as opposed to a 4-year institution) reduces the likelihood of attaining a bachelor's degree. Yet these studies, which suggest that initial attendance at a community college is not a…

This paper examines the shrinking divide between upper and lower division courses and the phenomenon of two-year colleges now being authorized to offer the community college baccalaureate. The author describes the following three educational trends: (1) the upside-down baccalaureate degree, where the order in which students take general education…

Examines the factors influencing the choice process and institutional/educational satisfaction of baccalaureate degree holders in two-year college degree programs. Constructs demographic profile of these students, ascertains reasons for attending two-year college, and determines factors contributing to satisfaction. States that 62% of students…

This article discusses community colleges as educational institutions that not only prepare students to transfer to other colleges, but also receive transfer students from other institutions as well. The article emphasizes the limited awareness of this transfer reciprocity, both on part of the general public and of policymakers. Cited are the…

Argues that community college transfer mission needs to be redefined as facilitating baccalaureate degree attainment for college students in general, not just for students who begin their undergraduate education in the two-year college. Current patterns of transfer from and to the community college need to be considered. (AUTH/NB)