This qualitative dissertation explored the challenges faced by African American students in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) Hospitality Program at a Historically Black Community College (HBCC) in Alabama. Framed by Social-Identity Theory, Critical Race Theory, and the Inclusive Excellence Framework, the study addressed the…

Professional organizations can play an important role in the lives and work of educators. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore Alabama educators' experiences with membership in statewide professional organizations and to determine what benefits, if any, members feel their organizations provide them. Four main benefits that…

Incorporating instructor continuity into the first-year composition (FYC) sequence represents an opportunity for community colleges to make an informed scheduling and advising decision in order to assist in the goal to increase student success rates in FYC. Utilizing course completion data from a community college in northern Alabama, this study…

The purpose of this reflective essay is to encourage the discussion of community-engaged scholarship (CES) that does not progress as planned. Insufficient attention is given to lessons gleaned from missteps and outright failures experienced by scholars in the field, which results in a paucity of documented cases and recommendations for…

This study explored institutional governance in an Alabama public two-year community college and investigated the perceptions of faculty and administrators within this sector. To answer the research questions for this study, a quantitative cross-sectional survey utilizing inferential analysis of the collected data was employed. To analyze the…

The interaction with, accountability for, and inclusion of part-time instructors is a growing concern of higher education. The increase and development of virtual classrooms, online courses, and other transformative technologies have also impacted this particular phenomenon. As students become more focused on a customized education that fits their…

This study examined the relationship between community colleges faculty and students perceptions on the teaching behaviors necessary for excellent teaching. The research questions looked at what faculty's perceptions were in regards to teaching behaviors necessary for excellent teaching. The second research question examined student's views on…

Enrolling in and completing college can be especially challenging for first generation in college (FGC) students. The purpose of the present quantitative study was to investigate the demographic and academic characteristics of FGC students and non-FGC students in Alabama. The study also included identifying the factors that mediate FGC students'…

This exploratory research surveyed faculty who instruct in community colleges from 18 states about their attitudes toward the concealed carry gun policies that allow appropriately licensed citizens to carry a handgun in public places such as college campuses. Building upon previous research involving 4-year institutions, we surveyed 1,889…

The transfer rate from community college to four-year institutions has been dropping for the past 70 years. In the most recent statistics, the national rate of transfer is 23% (Cohen & Brawer, 2008). In the state of Alabama the transfer rate is approximately 4%, and in the rural counties of Alabama the transfer rate hovers around 1%. Many…

Background: Public health professionals must monitor the effectiveness of school policies and programs to prevent youth initiation, promote quitting, and eliminate secondhand smoke. This analysis of school tobacco policies was preliminary to release of a state tobacco prevention and control plan for 2010-2015. Methods: University health educators…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the course design decisions and pedagogical practices of American literature teachers at three rural community colleges of varying size in North Alabama. Fink's (2003) Integrated Course Design (ICD) model provided a framework for this study, and the researcher attempted to determine if and to…

The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) consists of 21 comprehensive community colleges, four technical colleges, and Athens State University, the state's only upper level, two- year college. The majority of those 21 colleges incorporate the five objectives of providing transfer, vocational/technical and remedial education, as well as…

This study examined (a) the differences in perceptions of faculty, full-time versus part-time, at a community college in northern Alabama on the importance of institutional effectiveness activities; (b) the factors that affect perceptions of the importance of institutional effectiveness activities; and (c) the effect of academic discipline,…

Technology has permeated almost every aspect of society. With this popularity of technology, information has become more accessible than ever. Because society has become inundated with information, it is more important than ever to prepare citizens to be educated consumers of information. Perhaps the community college, whose mission has always…