Learning assistance services offered by U.S. community colleges are vital to the academic success of many students, but the tutors themselves remain understudied. This paper attempts to narrow both the research and recognition gaps by exploring and categorizing prominent aspects of professional community college tutors. Using a small-scale,…

This qualitative phenomenological study aimed to explore community college graduate lived experience as it relates to retention and persistence. Data was collected from 15 California community college graduates from multiple community colleges who earned an associate's degree and were 18 years of age or older. Collecting participant data provided…

This study examined the experiences of faculty of color in community colleges within the context of faculty diversification efforts. Community college students have become more racially and ethnically diverse, yet faculty remain overwhelmingly White. Ten faculty of color from diverse disciplinary fields were interviewed in this phenomenological…

Community college students often face more stressors than those at four-year institutions. Many are working adults with families. Some are homeless, food insecure or have financial instability. The pandemic has exacerbated these challenges. Community college leaders are employing a number of strategies to solve the mental health crisis, such as…

Previous research exploring the lived experiences of marginalized groups of students in STEM at community college settings is limited, despite the fact that community colleges have the potential to create pathways to 4-year engineering degrees and diversify the STEM workforce. This study explored what underrepresented students in STEM valued most…

Objective: Given funding concerns and heightened work expectations at baccalaureate degree-granting community colleges, we set out to understand faculty advisors' emotional labor in such context. Methods: We conducted a supra analysis, which is a form of secondary analysis of qualitative data. Existing interview data were drawn from a…

Higher education is critical to the earnings potential and other outcomes for Black/African Americans and Hispanic/Latinx Americans (Carnavale & Strohl, 2013) who attend community college at higher rates than any other type of institution of higher education (CCRC, 2021). However, they graduate at lower rates than White and Asian students;…

This study aimed to understand why and how community college practitioners act for institutional change in support of undocumented students--drawing on concepts from the tempered radicals framework. I used qualitative inquiry and exploratory interviews to understand how community college practitioners make meaning of the changes they have been…

This descriptive case study investigates how full-time community college curriculum faculty members perceive and navigate professional development in their community college. Community college faculty teach nearly two-thirds of all undergraduate students in the United States and have a significant impact on the success of their students.…

Critical Race Theory (CRT) can be used as an analytical framework for understanding the propagation of systemic racism within societal structures and institutions, particularly in community colleges. CRT provides insights into the structural nature of racism as an issue of individual prejudice and one built into society's fabric. However, many…

Purpose: This conceptual piece applies what we know about student success to introduce a faculty model of success called the Faculty Pathway to Excellence. The model elevates faculty voices in the conversation of student success in community colleges. Method: We collected qualitative data from interviews with faculty at two community colleges and…

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of community college faculty and the impact of those perceptions on the academic success of African American and Hispanic students. Within the context of the achievement gap, finding out how colleges can better serve disadvantaged students supported the aims of this study. This…

A well-prepared oral healthcare workforce is essential to the overall health of the general population. A knowledgeable and qualified workforce would be non-existent without strong academic programs and faculty to prepare oral health professionals. For over 20 years, the dental and allied dental educator workforce has been a concern for the oral…

Academic advising is a critical component of student success, retention, and completion. The advising process is vital to the success of community college students and serves as a tool for connecting students with faculty. Faculty advisors are often immersed in the college culture and are highly familiar with discipline and institutional…

This case study investigated disciplinary literacy specific to the trades from a sociocultural perspective. Four community college faculty (diesel marine technology, mechatronics, and mathematics) participated in a disciplinary literacy learning community where they unpacked the discourse of their discipline, identified what it meant to be a…