Kuh's theory of student engagement was used in this quantitative study to examine the relationship between student participation in co-curricular activities and student engagement among women in engineering programs in community colleges. Self-reported ex post facto student data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) for…

As the entry point into higher education for over half of the bachelor's degree earners, (Trapani & Hale, 2019), community colleges are positioned to have a positive impact of bringing a more diverse student group into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors. However, the vertical transfer function from community…

Institutional researchers (IRs) at higher education institutions fulfill a crucial role in identifying, processing, and disseminating data to administrators. Identifying effective ways for leaders to make sense of data is essential to advancing the most critical institutional issues, including achieving equitable student outcomes. However, leaders…

The purpose of this non-experimental, comparative, quantitative study was to determine if there were significant differences between the perceptions of male and female community college students about the importance of sense of community (SoC) in online classes and sense of instructor presence (IP) at eight southern, public, community colleges…

The researcher in this study used qualitative grounded theory methodology to explore the perceptions of higher education professionals in both academic affairs and student affairs units on the subject of a cultural divide between the two areas in the community college sector. The researcher also aimed to gain insight from the study participants on…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students as they engage in services offered at a Maryland community college and the effect of participation and engagement in those services on their overall success while enrolled at the community…

The purpose of this study was to understand the academic and social engagement experiences of community college transfer students at a private four-year institution. Approached through the lens of a conceptual critical framework for transfer student research advanced by Laanan and Jain (2017), and using a qualitative narrative methodology, this…

Guided pathways is a nationwide whole-college reform that aims to improve college completion rates and times for students, especially in the community college sector. This multisite case study sought to explore how pathways institutions supported students to better align with the right academic and career programs. Through individual…

This dissertation examined how California Community College leaders have been engaging in responsive practices to create and sustain equitable and inclusive learning environments for students who have been historically excluded in higher education. Through a case study of five critical leaders of color, this research illuminated how these leaders…

The state of California has the largest community college system in the United States with 1.8 million students from diverse backgrounds and 64% percent of students who are economically disadvantaged (California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office, 2022; Felix & Castro, 2018). California community colleges also experience inequitable…

Undocumented students face a multitude of barriers to access higher education. Academic advisors can support these students as they pursue their college degrees. This hermeneutic phenomenological study used the Undocumented/ DACAmented Status Competency (UDSC) tripartite framework to learn about the awareness, knowledge, and skills of academic…

Advocates for marginalized students have worked to understand the equity implications of public policy and its application on educational performance gaps. This study investigated equity policies in a southern California community college intervention program: the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS). EOPS is an equity program created…

Mental health is on the decline. At a community college in Southern California, 55% of students admit to suffering from anxiety, 42% have depression, and 16% have seriously considered or attempted suicide. However, less than a quarter have sought treatment due to the barriers of stigma, mental health literacy, and limited access to resources.…

Most Black males envision community colleges as a gateway to higher education and upward mobility. Unfortunately, success metrics from across the United States reveal that community colleges fail to facilitate equitable outcomes for these students. A combination of factors creates campus climates that are not conducive to Black male student sense…

Community Colleges have an open-door policy that publicly states all are welcome but after acceptance, the student encounters the hidden locked door of placement testing. For some students, placement testing is the key that unlocks the door and provides them access to their path toward their academic journey. But for most students, placement…