Postsecondary institutions, and particularly community colleges, are positioned well to train more and more of the nation's entry- and middle-skill workers. The New World of Work (NWoW), a program that promoted teaching and learning soft skills, was designed in 2012 and operated briefly in over 75 community colleges in California. The program…

This chapter provides an overview of three assessment scholars whose work influenced the articles contained in this volume.

This chapter describes a model of assessment based on Action Research that promotes and relies on faculty engagement to improve student learning.

Using a case study design, this research explores how two department chairs, Jan and Tammy, in community colleges implement AB 705, an assessment policy impacting California ESL programs. AB 705 seeks to centralize previous multiple measures legislation in California by requiring the use of high school data in community college course placement.…

This chapter affirms the increasing value of outcomes assessment at one of many institutions where once it was mostly ignored, how the knowledge afforded by increased use of assessment functions as a precursor to change, and how the faculty and staff work of program and outcomes assessment--discussions, decisions, preparations, actions,…

Depression and anxiety disorders are common among college students. These disorders may impact a student from being successful in various aspects of their personal and professional life; the level of support one receives matters to success. Through this qualitative phenomenological study, I explored the level of mental health services marketed to…

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the roles of quality managers at community colleges, their experiences balancing accountability and improvement and their insights into the future of quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach: This phenomenological, qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with eight community college quality…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have the potential to impact student success and reduce barriers for students to participate in undergraduate research. Literature review has revealed that, while CUREs are being implemented at both community colleges (CCs) and bachelor's degree-granting institutions, there are limited…

Retention is a continuing concern for institutions of higher education, especially rural community colleges. Students are often not prepared for the rigor of college-level coursework, encounter academic and/or life obstacles, or do not possess the soft skills needed to succeed in college life. Research has shown that college-preparation courses…

This study investigated the existing training practices for online instructors in the Illinois community college system. As online learning continues to alter the educational landscape, online faculty need to be better prepared to support student success. A survey with questions based on best practices in online instructor training was distributed…

Purpose: The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to determine what relationships exist between the number of matriculation services reported (orientation, assessment, and advisement) and the number of certificates, degrees, and transfers awarded by California community colleges before the implementation of Senate Bill (SB) 1456,…

With an emphasis on planning and cutting costs to make better use of resources, facilities managers at community colleges across the nation have undertaken facilities audits usually with the help of outside engineers. Such assessments analyze the history and structural integrity of buildings and core components on campus, including heating…

The Internet is a critical tool for higher education institutions as they rely upon their web presence for interaction with multiple stakeholders, including current and prospective students, parents, faculty and staff, and the community (Hong & Kiousis, 2007). As colleges count upon their websites to serve as the primary medium for presenting…

How can we help significantly more students reach their educational goals and improve their employment outcomes? How can we reign in the growing time burden and ballooning costs students must shoulder throughout their educational journey? How can we recognize the learning and experience the vast number of nontraditional students bring when they…

Published annually since 1985, the Handbook series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews on a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities. Each annual volume contains chapters that discuss salient dimensions of scholarly and policy inquiries on topics pertaining to…