This dissertation investigates the implementation of Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs in Illinois community colleges, focusing on Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) faculty perceptions. Utilizing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study first conducted a survey among full-time ADN faculty across Illinois community…

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…

The purpose of this study is to gain insight on the comparative value of a DMS bachelor's degree and associate degree. While there are multiple training routes to become a diagnostic medical sonographer, it is beneficial to understand the perspectives of those that have experienced how training correlates to practice. While participant perceptions…

In this study, associations among emotional intelligence, background variables, and academic performance in prelicensure nursing students enrolled in associate and baccalaureate degree nursing programs are explored. A gap in the literature exists regarding the specific background variables utilized in this study and the population. This study used…

Student mobility in higher education has garnered much interest by researchers and institutions alike as enrollment, persistence, and graduation rates continue to be areas of interest and concern. Reverse transfer is a unique type of mobility wherein students begin at a 4-year postsecondary institution and subsequently transfer to a 2-year…

This dissertation is a quantitative research study designed to investigate the influence of articulation agreements on completion of a baccalaureate degree by community college transfer students holding an associate degree. The research study examined the relationship between four variables (age, gender, associate degree completion, and transfer…

Nationally, reverse credit transfer is a practice of transfer credit. The reverse transfer program at the study site was implemented in 2013, but no information had been analyzed about the experiences of participating students. This study explored students' experiences of the reverse transfer program at the study site. The theory of student…

Since the early 1900s, scholars, police, and the public have debated and discussed the role of higher education in policing. The questions of whether police officers should have experience in higher education and how that will influence job outcomes have not fully been answered to this day. The purpose of this research study is to examine the…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to compare mean first-time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) of nursing graduates who were trained in hybrid versus traditional prelicensure nursing programs in California from 2018 to 2023. A theoretical framework in constructivism connects this…

This research aimed to determine if community college students who complete an associate degree before transferring are likelier to complete a baccalaureate degree than those who transfer before completing an associate degree. Additionally, this study examined if the type of institution, public vs. private, that a student transfers to impacts…

This research study explored a gap in the knowledge related to nontraditional RN-to-BSN students and their retention and persistence. Nontraditional students face a higher risk of leaving their undergraduate program before completion, and the attrition rates for RN-to-BSN programs vary greatly. Research has shown a positive correlation between…

While level of education predicts life income, the problem for this study was to determine the extent to which educational attainment predicts level of employment. The purpose of this quantitative study of archival data was to determine whether educational attainment predicts level of post-graduation employment for sub-baccalaureate associate…

This study was designed to highlight the attitudes of Associate Degree nurses (ADN), who graduated prior to the Baccalaureate in Science in Nursing (BSN) in 10 Law in NYS, regarding returning to school for the BSN. The historical progression of nursing practice and academia, the significance of nurses to continue formal education, attitudes nurses…

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of students formally enrolled in a California community college promise program at Mountain View Community College, Lakeview Community College, Hillcrest Community College, and Ocean Valley Community College, each located in Southern California. The…

Upward transfer is the process by which students begin their higher education at a Community College or other two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution to complete their bachelor degree. Community Colleges enroll 45% of all undergraduates in the United States, or approximately 7.7 million students (AACC, 2015). From their…