A dissertation research study was conducted to examine the conditions behind the continued lack of advancement for Black student affairs professionals within the California State University (CSU) System. This study sought to understand the perspective of the executive and management-level positions categorized as the Management Personnel Plan…

Using data from the Quarterly Workforce Indicators, this brief explores changes in the Los Angeles County labor market and in the working-age population as a plausible explanation for some of the enrollment decline at the county's community college campuses.

Given its ongoing struggles at attaining demographic diversity and its key role in nations' economies, the engineering workforce receives considerable attention from researchers and policymakers. Yet, prior studies and STEM recruitment initiatives have often underemphasized the variety among available engineering jobs and careers. It therefore…

The lack of representation of Latina community college presidents in California is an equity and social justice issue because the majority of students enrolled in community colleges are female and Latina but White men continue to dominate the office of the president. This issue is timely given the number of baby boomers who will be retiring in the…

The U.S. college presidency remains predominantly white and male. However, trend data over the past several decades have documented increased diversity by race, gender, and race and gender (Green, 1988; Melidona et al., 2023). Still, LGBTQ+ college leadership has not been included in instrumentation resulting in a paucity of literature, with only…

The California Community College (CCC) system is the largest higher education system in the United States and serves diverse students. However, CCC's leadership does not mirror the diversity of its student population. Senior-level positions continue to be dominated by White men, highlighting the lack of diversity among leadership at these…

The 2022 Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Handbook is a tool to advance the cultural transformation of the largest system of public higher education and one of the largest employers in California. The updated handbook is the cumulative effort of decades of courageous and intentional leadership to ensure equitable student educational opportunity…

The purpose of the action research project was to provide part-time professors in the California community college system a framework for meaningful professional development that could lead to more preparedness and empowerment; and to give part-time professors an avenue to gain leadership opportunities, and greater control over their learning and…

California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) has been implementing a Title Vb grant, "Promoting Excellence in Graduate Education and Increasing Hispanic STEM Related Degree Completion," to continue "strengthening the STEM program support" for students of Latino origin and "developing a Graduate School-Going…

Prior research has established that undocumented immigration status disrupts students' transition into life after college, but limited research has examined their preparatory experiences in college. Drawing on interviews with 154 undocumented college students and 32 alumni, we examine how immigration status impacts undocumented students' career…

Examining linked academic transcripts from urban community colleges and their feeder high schools, we identify math course-taking patterns that span sectors. We highlight stifled mobility and chronic repetition of math coursework in the transition to college, and we identify "math traps" from which students do not escape. Math mobility…

The Postsecondary Pathways for Former Foster Care Youth (PP-FFCY) study is a research project that focuses on the transitions of foster care alums to and through postsecondary institutions. Through the Ofice of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL), the PP-FFCY project team is conducting a comprehensive needs assessment report that:…

The Optimizing Learning Opportunities for Students (OLOS) Observation System was developed by the Early Learning Network's assessment team at the University of California, Irvine. OLOS is a user-friendly, web-based tool designed to help teachers understand what is happening in their classrooms and uncover ways to meet the unique learning needs of…

In this report, AIR shares an exploratory analysis of how the past and present experiences of adult learners of color shape their perceptions of college and decisions they make. Existing research highlights some common motivations, strengths, and barriers for adult learners (see, e.g., Patterson, 2018); however, it does not deeply explore the full…

The 10th biennial Community College League of California's (League) "CEO Tenure and Retention Study" for California Community Colleges (CCC) includes data from the League's updated companion "CEO Tenure and Retention Dashboard" available on the League Website. This 10th edition of the League's CEO Tenure and Retention Study…