The search for a common model of instruction in first-year composition began in the 1960s when composition first began to separate from literature in college English departments. Because writing is essentially a methods course with no standard curriculum as one might find in physics or economics, common model has been elusive. A sign that…

Competency-based education (CBE) refers to online and hybrid courses and programs that offer credit or degrees based on evidence of student learning, or competencies, rather than on the amount of time spent in a course. Students work at their own pace, receive personalized academic support, and demonstrate mastery as they progress through their…

This qualitative study investigated ethnic/racial diversity in the community college faculty search process. The researcher interviewed 12 participants--administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwestern United States--who served on faculty search committees from 2006-2009. Analysis of the…

This article addresses the identity claims of part-time faculty at three types of higher education institutions. Using culture theory and professional identity theory, the article documents that part-time faculty members across institutions have a divided sense of identity. On the one hand, they perceive themselves as professionals based on their…

The initial support from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the group that became Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) was one of a cluster of grants the foundation made in the late 1980s to lay the groundwork for reforming the nation's undergraduate science and mathematics sector. What inspired the NSF to initiate and support these groups was a…

Performance contracting has been acclaimed as an effective and promising means of improving the performance of public enterprises as well as government departments. The government of Kenya introduced performance contract signing in 2004. The aim of performance contracts was to improve resource utilization in public institutions among other…

Research studies have shown that one half of all students who begin college fail to realize their goals. This case study of one community college provided a comprehensive examination of best practices developed over several years through strategic enrollment planning. Additionally, this dissertation examined the decision-making processes that…

Community college department chairpersons have experienced a broadening span of control due to the restructuring tactics of community colleges and the approaches utilized in order to cope with decreased budgets and increased enrollments. Many community colleges used strategies which involved flattening the middle management section of the…

This report describes the early childhood degree programs offered in Oregon, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics, as well as the extent to which Oregon ECE higher education programs are incorporating early math, family engagement, and working with dual language…

Oregon is home to more than 275,000 children under the age of six; about 166,498 of these children potentially need child care. Like many states in recent years, Oregon has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education services, including early education degree and certification programs, in…

Oregon is home to more than 275,000 children under the age of six; about 166,500 of these children potentially need child care. Like many states in recent years, Oregon has committed public and private resources toward multiple efforts to improve early care and education services, including early education degree and certification programs, in…

The present paper determines whether community college transfer students have higher baccalaureate rates when they enroll in four-year colleges and departments that have larger shares of transfer students. Transfers attending non-technical campuses with larger shares of transfers have higher eight-year baccalaureate rates, but within-campus…

This study utilizes a mixed methods exploratory design to examine the nature of math faculty engagement in the student learning outcomes assessment cycle. The focus of the study is on the types of changes that math faculty are implementing as a result of assessment outcomes and the institutional environmental factors that impact faculty engagement…

In North Carolina (NC) there are a total of 58 community colleges, each of which provides a unique approach to handling support for adjunct faculty. The NC Community College System provided a good setting to explore how one state in particular compares to current research on administrative support of adjunct faculty in the areas of hiring,…

The role of a community college department chairperson is not well defined and the job is often perceived as more of a burden than an honor. Faculty come to the position frequently by "default" and without a ready set of management and leadership skills. The matter is of concern since chairs influence academic department strategy, culture, and…