Community colleges offer access to higher education for many who otherwise would not be able to attend college, including academically underprepared students, students from low-income backgrounds, and place-bound adults. Recently, some community colleges have diverged from this historical mission and embraced "mission expansion."…

Effectively building, coordinating, and enhancing large, decentralized networks of professionals remains a vexing challenge, despite the rise of digital tools and social media platforms. This study examines the evolution of a nascent research- and policy-focused network, spanning more than 60 university groups and policy institutes in the United…

Improving student motivation and changing students from a negative motivational mindset to a positive one can be a viable way to ensure that students stay in their programs and obtain academic success. While educators and administrators are interested in improving motivation, they may not have the full body of knowledge about motivational theories…

Saudi Arabia, as delineated in its Vision 2030, has made increasing the participation of the private sector the utmost priority in the development. One of the key policies that Saudi is pursuing for greater private sector involvement is the privatization of government sectors. Parallel to this, higher education is no exception to this trend. A…

In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education research, the intersection of performance-based funding policy, export control laws, and research endeavors presents a complex web of challenges and opportunities. This dissertation explores this intricate interplay through two distinct yet interconnected lenses. The first paper, a law review…

As demand for more highly educated workers rises, a growing number of community colleges have expanded their services beyond two-year degree programs and begun conferring baccalaureate degrees. These programs, referred to as Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) programs, have become increasingly prevalent: Prior to 2000, only four states offered…

Racism, racial inequity, and racial violence, including micro-aggressions (slurs and fearful glances) are endemic in modern American society. Finding ways to eliminate or at least mitigate racism and racial violence is important, not only for public safety but also to ensure equality, fairness, and social harmony among every stratum of American…

Identifying which active shooter training method, the students prefer to receive was the central focus of the research. Active shooter situations are on the rise and do occur on college and university campuses. Having a trained campus population, primarily a trained student body, can help save lives from such an active shooter event. However,…

Quantitative research has long shown lagging community college transfer student completion rates, in addition to excess credits earned and lengthened time-to-degree for transfer students that do earn a bachelor's degree (Horn & Skomsvold, 2011; Jenkins & Fink, 2016; Simone, 2014; U.S. GAO, 2017). Scant qualitative studies exist related to…

The study compared the Outcome Measures (OM) to the traditional Graduation Rates (GR) to ascertain if OM portrayed the performance of higher education institutions differently than GR and to determine which of the two metrics aligned better with accountability policy objectives. GR refers to the percentages of first-time, full-time students who…

In response to policy and accountability mandates requiring California community colleges (CCCs) to address disparities in student outcomes, CCCs must adapt to evolving frameworks, funding structures, and parameters (e.g., definitions, equity populations, and metrics). Recent guidance has focused on race-conscious and equity-minded approaches.…

In the face of declining enrollments and increasing accountability and expectations, private colleges and universities will be facing greater internal and external pressures to deliver higher quality education at a lower cost. In this environment, multiple stakeholders are focused on institutional sustainability. To address these concerns, it is…

Faculty academic advising provides students with academic support to enhance academic persistence and retention. Prior research on faculty academic advising has not included higher education leaders' (HELs') perceptions of the function and purpose of faculty academic advising when creating policies and procedures that are intended to support…

This study aimed to provide a quantitative analysis of industry's perception of the effectiveness of community colleges, specifically from industries in the advanced manufacturing sector, within the state of Michigan. This study investigated interactions, awareness, and perception of effectiveness by industry leaders with community college CTE…

This qualitative Case Study sought to evaluate the perceptions of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's professional service delivery from the New Accelerated Promotions Program perspective. Institutional Theory, Transformational Leadership Theory, and Social Learning Theory were used as the primary lens for this study. JCF institutional documents on…