This digest reviews recent approaches and models for diverse learning environments, with specific emphasis on fostering the retention and educational achievement of ethnic minority students at community colleges. In 1997, 22.8 percent of all associate degrees were awarded to minority students, a 7 percent increase from 1987. But compared with…

The summer 2001 issue of New Directions for Community Colleges evaluates recent research and policy discussions about transfer students and addresses the critical issues facing students moving through the educational pipeline. Chapters include: (1) "Transfer Student Adjustment" (Frankie Santos Laanan); (2) "Institutional Responses…

In the last 10 years community college enrollments have leveled off, bringing a new urgency to institutional efforts to retain current students. Obstacles to academic persistence include external factors such as insufficient funds, work demands, social demands, family obligations, housing or transportation problems; and internal problems such as…

Concern about retention and attrition rates in higher education have increased over the years and efforts to identify and treat potential dropouts have grown considerably. Studies investigating the retention and attrition of community college students have found specific characteristics related to outcomes, including full- or part-time attendance,…

This report presents a discussion of articulation and transfer between community colleges and four-year institutions and points to future directions for transfer education. Chapter I examines the current situation regarding transfer education including background information on transfer enrollments; a summary of the literature on transfer…

This digest examines the extent and nature of Hispanic college enrollment in comparison to that of other racial and ethnic groups. Patterns of college entry and participation are analyzed by nativity, ethnicity, and age. College completion data show that while roughly 10 percent of Hispanic high school completers finish their schooling with an…

This digest is drawn from "Transfer Students: Trends and Issues," the summer 2001 issue of New Directions for Community Colleges. Although community colleges in the United States have complex academic and vocational goals, the transfer function is of central importance to maintaining access to higher education. Community colleges provide…

Over the next ten years, the United States will need to train an additional 1.9 million workers in the sciences. Increased participation of women and minorities is essential in meeting the projected need for Science, Mathematics, and Engineering (SME) workers. Women, who received 56% of B.A.'s overall, comprised 37% of the SME bachelor degrees…

Questions related to underrepresented groups' access to postsecondary education and their experiences while in college are fundamental to the goal of achieving equal educational opportunities for all students. Some researchers have viewed community colleges as important in giving access to students who might not have the academic ability for the…

Factors that affect the attainment of a bachelor's degree by urban students are outlined. The demographic profile of American school children makes it clear that problems for urban colleges and universities will grow in the years ahead. There is a correlation between income and education achievement; low income students do not achieve, persist, or…

The "revolving door syndrome" refers to the ease with which students are able to enroll in community colleges and the equal ease with which they can drop out. In addition to traditional retention strategies, such as assessment, placement, orientation and advising, innovative approaches have been implemented at five community colleges…

Community colleges play a major role in improving the access of Hispanic students to higher education, with roughly 56% of all college-going Hispanics attending these institutions. Relatively few however, have attained a postsecondary degree of any kind. A study of 145 community colleges found that Hispanic student retention was influenced by such…

Factors that affect the attainment of the baccalaureate degree by urban students are addressed. Attention is directed to: characteristics and aspirations of urban students attending public institutions in urban areas, problems and roles of urban community colleges and universities, performance of urban students, transfer from two- to four-year…

A variety of community college programs and services designed to enhance minority student participation and success in higher education are described in this volume. Issues related to minority student recruitment, retention, and transfer to four-year institutions, and to minority staff professional development are explored in the following 15…

In an effort to promote greater student participation (especially among women and minorities) in science courses and programs, a study of science education in the Los Angeles Community College District was conducted. The primary objectives of the study were, first, to describe students' course-taking patterns, science background, and attitudes…