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…

This study used the National Study of Postsecondary Faculty data from 1993 and 2004 to examine the work roles of community college faculty. Results indicated that the average reported work week (i.e., time spent on instructional activities and on scholarly activities) of faculty in 2004 was significantly longer than that of faculty in 1993.…

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…

This qualitative study sought to discern the applicability of Tinto's theory of the importance of academic and social integration to students' persistence by interviewing community college transfer students who had persisted for several semesters in a large, public, research extensive university. Twelve students who participated in a 2004 study…

This review of existing literature about community college faculty members speculates about why they have received so little scholarly attention, summarizes the nature of existing research, including its methodology and topics, and suggests what else needs to be known about them. (Contains 1 table.)

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…

In the mid-1990s, the author of this article edited a "New Directions for Community Colleges" volume on gender and power in the community college. One of the articles explored the extent to which women community college faculty members were on the margins in academe and within the community college itself. Over a decade later, the author has been…

This paper explores the issues of what would constitute a positive organizational climate for women and minorities within the community college setting and ways in which such a climate might be achieved. It first describes some traditional or standard measures of a positive organizational climate for women and minorities and then evaluates how…

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…

To increase understanding about community college faculty members and an appreciation of what they do, the authors of this monograph focus on five major topics. "A Profile of Community College Faculty" relies on data from the various iterations of the National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty and other sources to paint a demographic profile of…

This chapter analyzes various ways of conceptualizing the missions of the community college, describes how those missions have varied over time and across geographical regions, and examines how missions complement and conflict with one another.

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…

One of the original missions of the two-year college, the transfer mission was highly criticized in the latter part of the twentieth century. It is currently experiencing both challenges and opportunities due to changing enrollment demographics and governmental interest in transfer and articulation.

To understand factors affecting the academic and social integration of community college transfer students, we interviewed 19 students who transferred to one state's large Research-Extensive university. We inquired about the transfer process, efforts of the university to orient and assist them, and perceptions of the university versus the…

Using data from the 1999 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty, this study examines the extent to which demographic variables, the quality of worklife, and satisfaction have an impact on community college faculty members' intentions of leave. The findings indicate that faculty members' worklife had a direct and powerful impact on their…