The problem addressed in this study is the underrepresentation of professional staff in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at West Coast community colleges. Although DEI efforts have mainly focused on faculty, professional staff have been overlooked, potentially leading to decreased engagement and feelings of undervaluation. This…

This research aimed to assess students' perception of the campus climate as it relates to issues of gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation at a community college in Hawai'i. Despite LGBTQ+ individuals' historical acceptance in Hawai'i, little research explores their current experiences within higher education, specifically…

Chief fundraising officers at technical colleges within the Technical College System of Georgia face complex challenges, including scarce resources, small staff sizes, and a lack of formal training. The purpose of the study was to understand how chief fundraising officers use self-directed learning experiences and learning projects to build…

This qualitative study aimed to conceptualize how Oregon Community College Career and Technical Education program administrators perceive Professional Skills attainment in their students. The overarching themes that emerged from analyzing interviews with administrators at several community colleges were administrators' belief that Professional…

The California Community College (CCC) system is the largest higher education system in the United States and serves diverse students. However, CCC's leadership does not mirror the diversity of its student population. Senior-level positions continue to be dominated by White men, highlighting the lack of diversity among leadership at these…

This article explores the experiences of project directors at two-year Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander serving institutions in the Midwest. Specifically, we examined how project directors faced racialized campus environments, navigated support structures (or the lack thereof), and continually combatted misperceptions about the…

Research on senior leadership in higher education systems is urgently needed, particularly in the context of system-wide transformations. This study focuses on a critical juncture in Ireland, during which Institutes of Technology (IoTs) collaborated to undergo 'redesignation' as Technological Universities (TUs). Based on interviews with the…

The Suburban Boulevard Community College (SBCC), a pseudonym, has been experiencing a low persistence rate among first-year full-time students. Further, a gap in practice exists where college administrators at the SBCC were not assessing first-year students' level of college readiness as a likely predictor of low persistence. The study was…

This study examined the experiences of faculty members who transitioned into the role of department chair at community colleges in the United States. While there is research on faculty transitioning into department chair roles at four-year colleges and universities, there is very little research on this transition within community college…

This qualitative study explored the decision-making processes of 13 diverse Chancellors, President/Superintendents, and Presidents from California community colleges during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on how they navigated campus closures, the return to in-person work, and what or who influenced their decisions. Through interviews, three main…

This study utilizes interviews with five Hispanic presidents at Hispanic-serving community colleges in the United States to understand how presidents define and perceive their role in ensuring Hispanic servingness, that is, guaranteeing that the Hispanic population is being fully served, at Hispanic-Serving Institutes (HSIs). We employ Garcia and…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the roles of quality managers at community colleges, their experiences balancing accountability and improvement and their insights into the future of quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach: This phenomenological, qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with eight community college quality…

Racially minoritized students (RMS) face substantial disparities in college persistence and completion rates (Museus & Saelua, 2017). In particular, Black student enrollment at public two-year or community colleges has declined significantly, dipping below 13% in 2020, while for-profit institutions have maintained enrollment of Black students…

This constructivist qualitative case study examined factors that assisted and impeded the expansion of City University of New York's (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) from 4,300 to 25,000 students between 2014-2018. The study consisted of open-ended interviews with 11 CUNY system and college leaders who directly led the work…

On October 20, 2023, Red Crow Community College ("Mikaisto") board of governors, elders, staff, and students made their grand entry into their long-awaited new campus. This marked a new era for adult education on the Kainai First Nation Blood Tribe, in Stand Off, Alberta, Canada. The college's former campus was located at St. Mary's…