The purpose of this case study was to understand how collaboration, or lack of collaboration between community college-level silos, affected the process of accreditation as conducted by the Higher Learning Commission. The theory that guided this study is Smith's theory of seven silos of higher education, as it explains the relationships between…

As an early career professional, I often felt as if I was on the road less traveled as a community-engaged scholar and tenured-track faculty member in academia. Although the work of community-engaged scholarship (CES) may be valued, the mechanisms for advancing CES, such as through faculty reward systems, often are not well-established. In my…

For most colleges and universities, community-engaged scholarship (CES) is a value that supports the public mission of academic institutions. However, shifting CES from a core value to a guiding principle requires demonstrable support and structural modifications to academic practices and policies. Through this reflective paper, I will propose…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the successful implementation of a multidisciplinary wellness program in a university setting utilizing student workers and university resources. Methods: The WU Moves Community Wellness Program (WUM) was developed to provide health and wellness services to low-income individuals. Since wellness…

An important component of social justice research is centering the voices of those individuals whose lives the research is intended to improve, not as subjects from whom researchers collect data but as active participants in a process of understanding and addressing issues of concern to the community. This ideal of community engagement slows the…

The purpose of this dissertation was to investigate whether students who completed the accelerated learning program (ALP) in English at Butler Community College in fall 2016 perceived a three-part, structured approach to the course as having been a significant factor to their persistence and successful completion of the course. These perceptions…

Gerontologists at state-funded universities are being challenged to demonstrate the value of their programs amid looming budget cuts. This article, third in a series reporting research and development of the Future Self exercise, suggests that the latest iteration of the exercise is an effective way to demonstrate the value of a gerontology…

Contemporary trends in leadership education emphasize paradigms of learning and educational practices associated with developing responsible citizens, furthering higher education's civic mission. Yet, few introductory leadership courses include an explicit civic component (Johnson & Woodard, 2014). Service-learning is a high-impact practice…

The responsibility for college success has historically rested with the student, but since the 1980s, educators have taken increasing ownership of this, designing structures that increase the likelihood of learning, success, and retention. These efforts have included a variety of initiatives--first year seminars, learning communities,…

Sixteen scholarly papers and twenty abstracts comprise the content of the eighteenth annual Brick & Click Libraries Conference, held annually at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri. The proceedings, authored by academic librarians and presented at the conference, portray the contemporary and future face of librarianship.…

There has been considerable debate in community colleges over the last forty years regarding the impact of increased use of part-time faculty (PTF) on student learning. It has been argued that part-time faculty fail to provide the same level of teaching quality as full-time faculty (FTF). The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of…

This chapter discusses the development and implementation of the Kansas Study of Instructional Costs and Productivity, which collects and reports data on community college instructional costs and faculty workloads. The project provides data for both intra- and inter-institutional comparisons about how much community college faculty teach and the…

In March 1984, a study was conducted to estimate the tangible, positive economic impact that community colleges in Kansas have both on their local economies and on the state economy. The model used in the study calculated a conservative estimate of the economic impact associated with direct expenditures by the colleges, their employees, and their…

For over 30 years, researchers and practitioners have identified challenges unique to small, rural community colleges. The purpose of this study was to examine the distinctive problems facing rural community colleges today and the challenges those institutions must address to fulfill their mission in rural America. There are 5 current challenges…

During 1978-79, a study was conducted to determine differences in the perceptions of community college presidents, faculty, and trustees with regard to appropriate selection criteria for these positions. Questionnaires were sent to all of the presidents, all 114 of the trustees, and a random sample of 150 faculty members at the 19 Kansas community…