This qualitative investigation explains the ways in which community college decision makers justify the inclusion of international students at three community colleges in the United States. We identify and explain the ways in which decision makers rationalize institutional policy--particularly recruitment strategies and motivations--related to…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Asian Americans who became chief executive officers (CEOs) of a California Community College District. This study discussed the experiences, the influence of Asian culture, the perception of Asian Americans, and the challenges encountered by Asian American CEOs. To…

Women are underrepresented in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from high school to college and into employment. As these are the fastest growing and highest paying fields of the economy this means women are missing the large economic benefits. While there has been a great deal of research into female STEM…

Purpose: Community colleges continue to face an ever-changing environment. California Community Colleges are confronted with state initiatives, accountability, and accreditation changes that require integrated planning processes. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the role of communication as perceived by community college…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the learned experiences, challenges, and leadership pathways of Latinas currently in California community college management positions. Latinas have been underrepresented in community college leadership positions. Currently, women constitute a majority of those attending college, and…

Purpose: The purpose of this qualitative, replication study was to discover what behaviors female administrators exhibit that may prompt male administrators with whom they work in a California community college to demonstrate behaviors associated with gender dissonance and also to determine what impact these dissonant behaviors may have on women's…

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how faculty experience the transition from Blackboard to Canvas LMS and which LMS is preferred. The general problem addressed in this study was that California Community College students' success and retention in online courses was 7-10% lower than in face-to-face courses. To try to…

Access to higher education in the U.S. is seen as an opportunity for social mobility. California's Master Plan for Education created a three tier system to provide educational opportunities for its citizens. By design, transfer pathways were implemented to allow students to begin their higher education journey at open access community colleges and…

Community colleges enroll nearly half of the total U.S. undergraduates, have the most diverse student population, and serve as the only contact with postsecondary education for many students. Community colleges have engaged in internationalization efforts for decades. Most rely on study abroad and international students as the only methods to…

The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to illuminate the prevalence and configurations of peer mentoring programs at Central California Community Colleges with emphasis on how the programs impacted student retention. The study's sample was drawn from ten campuses and five centers that operate within five California Community…

California community colleges are facing serious obstacles in relation to students of color achieving academic success. African American men see the community college as a pathway toward economic and social mobility; however, collectively they have disparate outcomes in every conceivable marker of success; persistence, achievement, transfer,…

An emerging trend today is the increased enrollment of international students at community colleges. International students look to American community colleges as a steppingstone to achieving an education that might otherwise be beyond their reach. They are attracted to the community college by the lower tuition costs, opportunities for guaranteed…

Many community college students show a lack of interest and engagement in studying history; students' disinterest in history curriculum appears to stem from a teacher centered pedagogy of lecturing and reading unaesthetic history textbooks. Using historical fiction to teach history and develop student interest and engagement is examined in this…

This article examines the ways in which citizenship status uniquely shapes both the access and persistence of undocumented community college students in the Central Valley of California. Drawing on more than 2 years of qualitative fieldwork, it is argued that undocumented community college students navigate an institutional landscape of…

Purpose: It was the purpose of this study to identify and describe the perceived barriers that hindered California community college students from successful transfer to a four-year college or university and what services they perceived were needed to support the successful transfer to a four-year college or university. Methodology: This…