The purpose of this study was to examine sustainability policies and practices at community colleges. A social-constructivist worldview guided my exploratory qualitative study that targeted nine sustainability professionals at eight community colleges with enrollment under 10,000 in the midwestern region of the United States. I relied on the…

Addressing the Student Success Center Network's newly adopted statement on racial equity and economic recovery, this chapter describes actions the student success centers and their affiliated college networks are taking to address policies and practices that perpetuate systemic inequalities and recommends additional steps to enhance educational…

From the foreword by Walter G. Bumphus, President & CEO of AACC: "Becoming an Equity-Centered Higher Education Institution is a significant contribution to the on-going struggle to find practical approaches to implementing an equity agenda in higher education." The authors had three main goals for this text: (1) Relevance: This book…

California policymakers passed the Student Equity Policy, requiring all community colleges to develop a "student equity plan" that identified outcome disparities for select student groups, including racial/ethnic students. Through an instrumental case study, I examined Huerta College because their equity plan stood out for its focus on…

This paper used data from a multi-institutional study of community colleges developing and implementing degree reclamation strategies (adult reengagement and reverse credit transfer) to understand and unpack the factors that influence implementation and capacity development. The data come from seven colleges that are implementing equity-focused…

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which programs offering community college baccalaureates (CCBs) address access and equity for underrepresented racial minorities (URMs). The study first aimed to understand how administrators described the purpose of CCBs with regard to advancing equity for URMs.…

Despite the steady growth in transfer enrollment in the California State University (CSU) system, Black transfer students face significant equity gaps in access and completion. This study aims to enhance the limited research on the transfer experiences of Black students at four-year institutions, particularly within the CSU system, where over 40%…

Objective/Research Question: This article examines the racial equity of transfer incentive policies by responding to the research question: How do students of differing races and ethnicities vary in their opportunity to benefit from transfer incentive policies? Methods: We utilized a mixed-methods approach, grounded in Critical Race Theory (CRT).…

Published annually since 1985, the Handbook series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews on a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of research findings on a selected topic, critiques the research literature in terms…

LGBTQ+ students are increasingly visible on community college campuses, and a safe and welcoming campus climate is critical to LGBTQ+ students' academic success and well-being. Campus climate is difficult to assess for prospective LGBTQ+ community college students, and institutional websites may be a source of information about campus climate.…

ACCT's "Equity Action Agenda for Community College Governance" is a guide based on the responsibilities of community college trustees and the college's leadership to promote policies that support access, affordability, equity and completion for all community college students. College diversity, equity, and inclusivity policies facilitate…

This chapter highlights the use of the Equity Scorecard with the Community College of Aurora. The Equity Scorecard is a theory-based strategy that assists community colleges in embedding equity into their institutional norms, practices, and policies.

This study explores the extent to which community college study abroad is exclusive, meaning that opportunities are restricted to certain students, or inclusive, meaning that education abroad is available to all that express interest. We administered a survey collecting both quantitative and qualitative data to leaders in community college…

Access to education has long been seen as a fundamental element of a developed country. Specifically, the relative availability and access to education by various constituent groups has been identified as an essential metric in educational evaluation. Yet, individuals with disabilities have been identified as being underrepresented within…

January 2014, Governor Jerry Brown announced in his budget proposal an unprecedented line-item designation for student equity in community colleges. His proposal of $100 million for student equity set the stage for the past year and a half of enhanced activities locally and statewide on student equity issues. Most prominently, the 112 community…