The issue of student success is a common concern in the typical community college, and no less so at Santa Fe Community College (SFCC) in New Mexico. As a result of a comprehensive program review of student success rates in mathematics, the Mathematics Departments in the Divisions of Arts and Sciences and Developmental Studies collaborated on…

Threaded discussion forums have been a popular topic for the past few years in distance education research and studied as a factor in student participation, satisfaction, learning outcomes, social presence and interaction. Only recently has it been considered as a potential vehicle for the development of critical thinking skills and deep learning.…

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) periodically conducts a survey of community colleges to identify hot programs. Hot programs are defined as those for which there is a large market demand for graduating students. Highlights from the 2004 Hot Programs and Homeland Security Survey include the following: Allied health programs…

In 1994 and again in 1997, AACC selected groups of institutions, known as Horizons colleges, to work together in collaborative mentoring relationships to build campus-based service-learning programs. While the number of service learning programs has grown significantly, not all of those programs are sustained by colleges for the long term. This…

Estimates are that approximately 100,000 to 125,000 students take introductory astronomy classes each year at colleges and universities that do not grant bachelor's or higher degrees in physics or astronomy. This represents roughly 40% to 50% of the total number of students taking intro astronomy in the United States. Such nonresearch institutions…

In order to explore the differences in engagement levels between entering and returning community college students, the researcher analyzed 13,300 surveys from the 2007 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) pilot data set utilizing a quantitative methodology. This study focused on analyzing engagement levels of entering and returning…

The economic success of the state of Texas is dependent upon future market participants having access to higher education. The ability of Texas citizens to access higher education is dependent upon access to financial aid resources to pay for higher education. Much is known about the impact of particular financial aid outcomes on access and…

This chapter describes how Tallahassee Community College used CCSSE data as part of its overall student-retention program, consisting of faculty workshops, analysis of state accountability data, and conscious incorporation of best practices. The resulting Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) meets accreditation requirements and strengthens the college's…

This study makes available the findings of the research in the teaching of mathematics reported to the U.S. Office of Education during the calendar years 1959 and 1960. To secure the data for this study the U.S. Office of Education, with the aid of the Research Committee of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, sent a questionnaire to…

During the last few years, the development of seamless education systems to promote students' postsecondary success has been discussed by policymakers at the local, state and federal levels as well as reform-minded individuals. Florida, Washington, Iowa, Georgia and California either have statewide integrated systems or are moving quickly toward…

The purpose of this case survey was to examine the reasons that students provide regarding why they are on academic probation and the efficacy of discussing the family life cycle among this group. Initially, a pilot population of 93 students on academic probation, who are a part of a multi-cultural community college in New York City, were surveyed…

In April 2002, a NAS/Zogby poll found that only a quarter of sampled students perceived uniform standards of "right and wrong" and that most students felt that ethical behavior depends on cultural diversity. In this effort to replicate those findings in a larger sample of American college students, the authors obtained results that…

This paper presents the findings of the 2008 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). This year, CCSSE zeroes in on high expectations and high support as it presents the results of its 2008 survey. Both are critical to student success: Students do best when expectations are high "and" they receive support that helps them…

The Faces of the Future Survey is the first national survey developed to examine the lives and experiences of credit and noncredit community college students. This report summarizes survey findings on the demographic characteristics, goals, and college experiences of the nation's first-generation community college students who are enrolled in…

During the past 60 years, 2-year colleges have increased rapidly in numbers and in enrollment of students. Over 650 institutions of the 2-year type have been established in this short period, and the number of students served each year by the public and private 2-year colleges has grown to the impressive total of over three-quarters of a million.…