Using a rich and unique nationally representative sample of a cohort of young adults selected in the late 1970s and surveyed routinely through the 2010s, this study characterizes patterns in college enrollment with respect to the timing of initial enrollment, enrollment interruptions, and graduation (or non-completion) and investigates the…

This quantitative, exploratory study examined the budget decisions made by administrative leaders and academic leaders at 15 Pennsylvania community colleges as measured by the Budget Criteria Instrument (BDCI). Sixty-two leaders ranked 15 budget criteria items on the 4-point Likert scale used by the BDCI and the responses were analyzed based on…

National Guard students experience academic disruptions when military service and college academic coursework overlap. The pace of military operations and the increased reliance on the National Guard raise the likelihood of more disruptions for National Guard students who are enrolled in higher education. Extended weekend drill, state active duty,…

This study examined the effect of specialized orientation courses on community college student academic achievement and retention. The study utilized a quantitative design and compared the outcomes of specialized orientation courses to a more generalized orientation course. Due to the lack of previous research, there was little to suggest either a…

This study reviewed the college decision of non-first generation Latinx students from the Rio Grande Valley border region. While there is a vast amount of literature on first generation students, there is a gap in literature for non-first generation students overall, with a larger gap for those non-first generation students that may be Latinx from…

Financial pressures on public doctoral universities are forcing them to seek more new student enrollments to grow net tuition revenues. This study evaluated public doctoral university net tuition revenue and its relationship with tuition discount rates and state appropriations. It focused on public doctoral universities with institutional…

Black male college enrollment is at concerning and acutely low numbers compared to other groups; this is especially challenging at Historically White Colleges and Universities (HWCUs), where Black men often face hostility and ostracism on campus and during college recruitment and admissions. This study aims to amplify the voices of Black male…

Every year, the national high school graduation rate is declining and impacting the number of students applying to colleges. Moreover, the majority of students are applying to more than one college. This makes a lot of colleges to be highly competitive in student recruitment for enrollment and thus, the necessity for institutions to anticipate…

This dissertation aims to explore the relationships of diversity and internationalization in Higher Education from an institutional level. The project focuses on how colleges and universities construct diversity projects through international students. The project seeks to address three core questions: (1) How are international students included…

Institutional reliance on tenure-line faculty reached a historic low after the Great Recession in 2009, remaining at approximately a third of all faculty through 2022. Postsecondary institutions have steadily increased their reliance on full-time adjunct faculty over the last two decades. Part-time adjuncts, meanwhile, were hired in great numbers…

In the 21st century, the exponential growth of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education and the corresponding critical need for STEM graduates in the profession have both outpaced the number of STEM graduates joining the workforce. This is a global problem, one to which the U.S. can relate. A literature review of research…

This study examined the impact of academic momentum (enrollment intensity, summer enrollment) and loss of momentum (developmental education incidence, excess credit accumulation) points on associate degree attainment among students in the fall 2014 cohort at a California Community College (CCC) in the Central Valley. Completers had a significantly…

This study utilized performance improvement theories, models, tools, and techniques to investigate why a new Instructional Design and Technology (IDT) Bachelor of Science program at a comprehensive university was experiencing low enrollment. The program was recently launched based on thorough research in the job market that indicated a high demand…

The student retention behavior of stopping-out is widely misunderstood and yet very important in explaining community college student enrollment patterns. Stopping-out remains understudied in higher education literature as it is challenging to collect data from students who discontinued their enrollment, and since these students are not retained,…

The purpose of this study is to compare the immediate college enrollment of students who participated in the community college's dual credit program in high school with students who did not participate in the dual credit program. Data from a local community college's dual credit program is analyzed to understand the effects of participation,…