Enrichment programs make up a small but significant part of a community college's offerings. In some cases, their impact can be enormous--especially in rural areas where a community college might be the only source of enrichment for residents. Community enrichment programs also can be challenging to administer. For instance, it can be hard to find…

Adjunct faculty are important to academe and have been part of community colleges since the early 20th century, providing community colleges flexibility with student enrollment by filling instruction needs while keeping salaries manageable. Rural community college adjunct faculty bring industry expertise and many other positives to their work.…

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, embedded tutoring became a popular model to address the need for additional student support in higher education. Four U.S. community colleges collaborated to develop a successful embedded tutoring model that provides a framework and definition for embedded tutoring and training for tutors and participating…

The function and purpose of higher education has changed over the last decade. COVID-19 exacerbated that change, but well before Coronavirus exploded on the world stage, standard operations at most colleges and universities were in flux. In 2013, a New York Times article predicted many colleges and universities would shutter their doors or merge…

Public accountability demands have resulted in changes to higher education funding over the past four decades (Heller, 2011). The performance-based funding (PBF) metrics of retention and completion impact community colleges struggling to secure public funding, while addressing the needs of broad student populations (Dougherty, Jones, Lahr, Natow…

This study examined differences in reported campus criminality on selected community college campuses in the years between 2005 and 2016 representing the years preceding and succeeding the implementation of Mississippi's 2011 concealed carry legislation. Each campus included in this study is a public-funded community college in Mississippi. Using…

Job Corps is the largest and most comprehensive education and job training program in the United States for young people ages 16 to 24 who are not in school or working. Most students live at and take classes at its approximately 120 residential centers. To explore ways to improve student outcomes and reduce per-student costs, Job Corps pilot…

In July 2014, the State of Idaho Legislature, after several failed attempts in earlier years, successfully passed Idaho Senate Bill 1254 which allowed for the possession of weapons on Idaho public college campuses by individuals with enhanced concealed carry permits. The Idaho State of Board of Education and the boards of trustees from each of the…

In a rapidly changing world, it is more important than ever for learners of all ages to develop the skills and experiences necessary to succeed in high-wage, high-skilled and high-demand careers of their choosing. Career Technical Education (CTE) is working with every state to help learners succeed, while also providing employers with skilled and…

The purpose of this quantitative study was to determine if self-determination theory (SDT), the human needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Basic Psychological Needs), provides a theoretical explanation of professional staff work engagement (vigor, dedication, and absorption -- Levels of Work Engagement) in public higher education…

More than half of Idaho's high school seniors are already enrolled in college. Dual enrollment programs, in which high school students enroll in college courses, have gained traction nationally in the past two decades, but Idaho's "Advanced Opportunities" initiative has been particularly successful. When students reach seventh grade,…

As additional states embark on the process of implementing four-year degrees at community colleges, they can learn from others' experience for help navigating the legislative, regulatory, and program approval processes. This brief uses examples from states currently offering bachelor's degrees at their community colleges to provide guidance for…

Rural communities all too often face scarce funding, instructors and facilities, forcing institutions to choose between offering a variety of introductory courses across a breadth of subjects or providing more narrowly focused, sequenced programs within one or two priority Career Clusters. Providing learners access to diverse career pathways in…

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…

This non-experimental quantitative study examined the following question: What is the relationship, if any, between COMPASS placement scores and the student success in the first online course during the students first semester? Discriminant function analysis was used to examine the relationship. This study used existing data from new students, who…