A small university in rural Texas explored developing a criminal justice bachelor's degree curriculum through the lens of perspective transformation focusing on humanity courses, resulting in a paradigm shift away from a traditional criminal justice baccalaureate degree curriculum. This article addresses the university's journey in developing the…

The qualitative phenomenological study used interviews to examine if there is a relationship between mental health disparities in Black males and low retention and persistence rates for college students. Following the guidelines of interview process to survey-based method, which Cohen et al. (2017) identifies survey-based research as a gathering…

The interest and participation in dual credit programs and courses has grown over the past several decades, especially within Texas; however, there is a lack of research that shows how the participation in dual credit programs and courses has impacted leading and lagging student success metrics once they enroll at a post-secondary institution. The…

Texas has approximately 200 designated early college high schools (ECHS). The present study aimed to acquire feedback from ECHS graduates to identify how students could be prepared more effectively for postsecondary education degree attainment and identify potential areas of disconnect between ECHS and 4-year colleges. To explore early college…

In the United States, people often feel like they need to choose between pursuing a conventional four-year college degree or working, leaving millions of people with no opportunity to achieve the professional and economic advancement that comes with a bachelor's degree. What if this is a false choice? Apprenticeship Degrees offer a hybrid option…

Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drone applications have experienced tremendous growth over the past several years. Their capabilities and technology have penetrated many aspects of the modern world. They are being used for everything from emergency response and agricultural research, to entrepreneur businesses and package deliveries. Experienced…

The majority of community college entrants aspire to earn a bachelor's degree; yet fewer than a third do. States use several strategies to support community college's transfer function, including a transferrable core curriculum, a block of pre-major coursework universally accepted at public postsecondary institutions. In this study, we used…

The U.S. Department of Labor approved the first nationally registered K-12 teacher apprenticeship program in January 2022, opening the door to a rapidly growing pathway for prospective teachers. By October 2022, Texas had an approved program, and the Department of Labor has now approved registered teacher apprenticeships in more than 30 states.…

Student enrolment in higher education is increasing, as are enrolments in non-traditional pathways, such as degree completion programs, particularly those that are offered online. These changes have shifted the nature of student learning needs and perceptions. Therefore, stakeholders in higher education need a greater understanding of the drivers…

Following up on a previous impact study of Early Colleges (EC) based on retrospective admission lotteries, this study assessed longer-term impacts on students' postsecondary outcomes with 4 more years of data. The study found that students who won EC admission lotteries were significantly more likely to enroll in college, enroll in 2-year…

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which programs offering community college baccalaureates (CCBs) address access and equity for underrepresented racial minorities (URMs). The study first aimed to understand how administrators described the purpose of CCBs with regard to advancing equity for URMs.…

College affordability has been an urgent concern in the context of Texas higher education. In September 2003, the Texas Legislature passed HB 3015 (2003) to allow governing boards of public universities to set different designated tuition rates, with no upper limit. As a result, tuition at four-year colleges and universities in Texas has…

This report examined school-to-work linkages among bachelor's degree holders in the state of Texas. Linkage is a measure of how closely connected college majors are to specific occupations in the labor market. Studying linkage is useful as the state works toward ensuring students complete postsecondary credentials with marketable skills. The study…

This qualitative interview-based study examined the perceptions of 17 diverse, mainly non-traditional age early childhood practitioners enrolled in a 2 + 2 Bachelor of Applied Science degree completion program focused on children birth to age five, as to the perceived influence of program on them personally and professionally. The theories of…

This report examined: (1) Supply and demand for labor in Houston and Texas, including an examination of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board's (THECB) "60×30TX" strategic plan; (2) In-demand occupations and skills in the Houston area; and (3) Early career wages and unemployment receipt among high school graduates from the…