Although United States community college enrollment rose in Fall 2023, the community college sector as a whole has contracted by 37% since 2010, representing over 2.6 million students. As a result, community college practitioners, specifically, those working in admissions and enrollment management should ensure that admissions instructions are…

Historically underserved and minoritized students are more likely to thrive when they are supported and led by diverse faculty and staff. In 2019, leaders of the country's largest higher education system, California Community Colleges, recognized wide gaps in representation: 52% of 2.1 million students identified as underrepresented minorities,…

Recent years have seen a major decline in community college enrollments across the country. Although the market to attract secondary school students contains many pathways, the overall marketplace is very competitive as most schools are competing for the same body of students. The adult market is the largest and most neglected group of potential…

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the proven strategies used by faculty to increase retention and recruitment at two-year colleges. The theory guiding this study is van Manen's theory on hermeneutical phenomenology, as it focuses on the lived experiences of the participants and interpreting their told stories. The setting…

Adjunct faculty are important to academe and have been part of community colleges since the early 20th century, providing community colleges flexibility with student enrollment by filling instruction needs while keeping salaries manageable. Rural community college adjunct faculty bring industry expertise and many other positives to their work.…

International students contribute much to community college campuses and their surrounding communities, both economically and culturally. In the 2018-19 academic year, community colleges enrolled more than 86,000 international students, according to data from the Institute of International Education's Open Doors report. However, at a time when…

These are the appendices for the report, "Strengthening California's Transfer Pathway." California's higher education system depends heavily on community colleges. California enrolls a much larger share of recent high school graduates in community colleges than other states--but is near the bottom when it comes to enrolling in four-year…

Postsecondary programs in early childhood education (ECE) can provide a pathway for new educators to enter the child care and early education (CCEE) field or for the advancement and professional development of individuals already in the field. At a time when CCEE administrators report difficulties in finding qualified applicants, the recruitment…

Randomized control trials (RCTs) have long been considered the "gold standard" for evaluating the impacts of interventions. However, in most education RCTs, the sample of schools included is recruited based on convenience, potentially compromising a study's ability to generalize to an intended population. An alternative approach is to…

Randomized control trials (RCTs) have long been considered the "gold standard" for evaluating the impacts of interventions. However, in most education RCTs, the sample of schools included is recruited based on convenience, potentially compromising a study's ability to generalize to an intended population. An alternative approach is to…

Representation matters and is the center of many conversations about diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging today. Representation is not just another trend, and an overwhelming amount of literature and data indicate a need for increased cultural representation, particularly in academia. This Action Research study aimed to understand the…

Research shows that employers play a key role in work-based learning (WBL) programs such as internships but are seldom involved in conversations around the topic (Greenfield & Stevens, 2018). While the benefits of work-based learning are well documented, employers are often unaware of the benefits they would receive from participating in an…

Community colleges fill a unique space in the U.S. higher education system supporting skill development and preparation for students to enter a global workforce. Over time, global workforce demands have prompted community colleges to focus with greater intention on global competency skill development and internationalization of programs and…

The problem examined in this study was that student progression suffers from the lack of structured pathways for noncredit health science college students to credit-bearing health science programs. The problem is compounded by inconsistencies in reporting funding and enrollment data at the state level and the lack of existing research on noncredit…

Recent research suggests that dual enrollment programs are a useful recruiting tool for colleges and universities as many high school students remain at their dual enrollment institution after high school graduation. Students staying enrolled at their dual enrollment institution for college may be beneficial for institutions, but is it beneficial…