The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to understand the community college online instructors' and online students' perceptions of the underlying reasons for academic underachievement at a California community college. The study comprised eight online instructors and seven online students at a community college in California. The study employed purposive sampling to recruit participants. The data collection consisted of semi-structured interviews, field notes, and member-checking. The data was systematically analyzed using NVivo 12 software and Atlas.ti8[TM]. Two main research questions and six research sub-questions were created focusing on factors affecting the underachievement of online students. The data analysis revealed six significant themes: Online instructors view the potential in students to be successful online, online instructors are provided ample resources and services for online teaching and professional development, support and training from institutions, instructors use flexible and creative teaching strategies, students face challenges in online education that impacts their progress, students' challenges in time management, and students' mixed experiences with online learning. Findings showed that online students should have a realistic understanding of online studies, basic knowledge of reading and comprehension, and remain mindful of time management. Online instructors are encouraged to be well-versed in technology and available for students. The recommendation is to focus on teachers from a wide range of online education. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]