Both policymakers and educators have identified the pressing need for clear and consistent pathways from two-year to four-year postsecondary institutions in STEM fields. Though numerous interventions for transfer pathways have been designed and implemented, there remains a need for effective and sustainable models of transfer partnership that…

As a best practice, community-engaged courses should benefit students, community, and faculty through centering the needs and goals of each entity. Ensuring reciprocity and centering sustainable authentic relationships requires great care, intention, time, and a clear strategy to execute. We describe how our intercollegiate and co-instructed…

This dissertation examines the pedagogical beliefs and instructional practices of community college faculty members. The dissertation uses a qualitative interpretive inquiry approach to explore the contextual understanding of pedagogy and teaching of community college. Drawing from the theoretical framework of pedagogy, teaching and beliefs, this…

While there has been a surge in the number of adults entering accelerated academic programs at colleges and universities over the last decade, there has not been a corresponding increase in the number of adult learners in these programs who persist and achieve their degrees. This work sought to develop a detailed model for helping faculty and…

The study of student transfer has been researched since the inception of the community college. It was not known how community college students interested in transfer and community college administrators perceive the transition into a four-year institution. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to understand how transfer-interested…

Community college leaders face unprecedented change, and some have begun reexamining their institutional strategic planning processes. Yet, studies in higher education strategic planning spend little time examining how community colleges formulate their strategic plans. This mixed-method qualitative study used an expert sampling method to identify…

As an individual socialization initiative, informal mentoring has often been lauded as an effective tool to provide spontaneous and immediate social-emotional and career-related assistance to new teachers. Little is known about how informal mentoring is perpetuated in workplace. Through the conceptual lens of dynamic process theory of mentoring,…

Our paper considers a critical juncture in community college leadership as many community college leaders approach retirement. These transitions are inescapable. How will institutional memory (Parker, 2011) be preserved with the passing of the leadership mantel to a new generation? These transitions also impact ways in which leaders influence…

This dissertation examines the role of the faculty-student interaction in the perceived sense of belonging first generation students experience while attending 2-year community college. While Strayhorn's (2012) definition of sense of belonging is referenced this researcher has developed a diagram that focuses on the sense of belonging that focuses…

Community colleges have a storied history of successfully providing pathways and access to credentials and degrees through various models of delivery and in diverse programs of study. Until recently, the highest degree offered by community colleges was the associate degree. During the past decade, major changes have occurred in the landscape of…

Authentic undergraduate research laboratory experiences are essential to aid in the implementation of science education reform mandates and to effectively train a new generation of biology students. Here we present assessment data on a unique four-step laboratory pedagogical framework that allows students to develop scientific thinking and…

This study addresses gaps in the theoretical and policy literature by examining the relationship between associate degree program credit requirements and four student outcomes: associate degree attainment, time to degree, final associate degree grade point average, and persistence. Using student unit record data, a longitudinal quantitative study…

In this study, the authors focus on the initiation and development of the Alamo Academies, aiming to illustrate an exemplary industry-driven model that addresses workforce development in local community. After a brief introduction of the context, the authors summarized major factors that contribute to the success of the collaboration model,…

This study explored how community college presidents understood spirituality as part of a community college institution. Using a purposive criterion sample, five community college presidents were interviewed in the natural setting of their individual colleges. The interviews took place over a thirteen month period of time. A phenomenological…

This multi-site case study is really the story of three same-state community colleges (Bridge and Buffer Community College, Grants and Reserves Community College, and Crystal Ball Community College) two years after they suffered a potentially catastrophic 50% reduction in state allocations. This study examined their responses to those reductions…