BIPOC students attending a community college in the Bay Area bring traumas to school with them and then they relive their traumas in the classroom through professors' pedagogy and the curriculum. This dissertation which was conducted during twin pandemics of COVID 19 and racism, researched a group of English professors that teach first generation…

This basic qualitative study contributes to what is known about mentoring in higher education: the mentoring experiences of minority women leading in academic and student affairs at Pacific Island community colleges (PICC). This study examined the mentoring experiences of these minority women leaders and related mentorship to their leadership…

Women now comprise the majority of the higher education workforce; yet they still experience workplace aggression at alarming rates. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate workplace aggression among women colleagues at a small, rural community college. The study also sought to create a more supportive work environment for…

Research suggests that hearing how students perceive their experiences (positive and negative) can allow institutions to reevaluate their approaches and assumptions about what is working (or not) on their campuses and develop strategic plans that respond to this information. In early 2022, the Center for Community College Student Engagement…

Persistence of first-year, full-time students toward graduation at U.S. community colleges poses concerns for administrators, faculty, and policymakers. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of faculty members teaching a college success seminar at an urban multicampus community college on what impedes or supports the persistence…

The purpose of this qualitative case study is to learn about, describe, and understand the experiences and perceptions of adult students who attend a community college that has ongoing student success initiatives. The research question addresses how adult learners uniquely perceive their student experiences at a community college immersed in a…

This grounded theory study explored and identified the theories that best describe the experience of faculty transitioning from on-campus to online or virtual learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, the world experienced a nationwide shutdown, which affected various aspects of society, especially in higher education.…

This mixed-methods study of 507 trans and gender-nonconforming students (75% undergraduate, 25% graduate) aimed to understand (a) what institutional factors are associated with the presence of more trans-inclusive policies/supports, (b) what trans-inclusive policies/supports are viewed as important by different groups of trans students, and (c)…

Objective: In Spring 2020 when COVID-19 hit, community colleges moved almost all classes online. This disruption impacts recent math reforms, including contextualization, raising concerns about sustained faculty and institutional leadership commitment. This study investigated how community college faculty teaching contextualized math courses…

This qualitative case study utilized interviews, classroom observations, and course syllabi to investigate the experiences of Black male students at a community college. Applying a conceptual framework of Dumas's anti-Blackness and Paris's culturally sustaining pedagogy provided a lens to understand how Black men experience classroom spaces on…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) Attendance Decisions Survey was designed to understand the factors influencing prospective and previously enrolled community college students' decisions to attend a California community college in fall 2022. This survey was administered in late summer/early fall 2022 and included responses from all 116 CCC…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to uncover effective parental styles that have led to successful outcomes for community college Black males, a population that has historically fared badly and whose plight has shown limited academic success. Despite pervasive negative perceptions in society and historical references, such as low college…

When the Obama administration implemented the first gainful employment (GE) rule in 2014 to protect students from education credentials that lead to unaffordable debts, virtually all programs at public institutions passed the test. The Biden administration is developing its own GE rule after the Trump administration repealed the Obama-era rule. A…

The current increase in demand for post-secondary educators, coupled with other labor issues, is exasperating faculty shortages. Noting a gap within current research, it was not known how intrinsic and extrinsic job characteristics influence commitment of full and part-time faculty. Therefore, the purpose of this qualitative case study was to…

Early college high schools (ECHS) have contributed to the increased number of Black students earning associate degrees. However, data show that students considered college and career-ready upon entering the ECHS/dual enrollment program are underperforming in college classes, hindering their acceptance into higher education institutions and…