Since its introduction in the early 1900s, the codification of vocational education has made explicit that one purpose of the American public education system should be preparation for the workforce. Over three-quarters of high school students participate in present-day career and technical education, nearly half of undergraduate degrees conferred…

In response to concerns about the additional costs and time-to-degree associated with traditional developmental education programs, several states and postsecondary systems have implemented corequisite reform where academically underprepared students take both a developmental education course and college-level course in the same subject area…

Time to degree and graduation are paramount concerns in higher education today and have caught the attention of educators, policy makers, and researchers in recent years. Delays in student flow through learning pathways may result in undesired consequences and this fact has made educators and the public start to regard timely degree completion as…

Many colleges and universities have implement programs to support undergraduate student's academic success. One type of program is described as a four year graduation guarantee program. The use of this type of program has been growing over the last several decades. This study was designed to determine how participants in a particular program…

We investigate whether student participation in undergraduate research--a high impact practice at TBR community colleges--has an effect on (1) academic performance; (2) probability of graduation, university transfer, and student departure; and (3) time to completion, transfer, and departure. Using enrollment, graduation, and course-taking data on…

This dissertation addresses the unequal incarceration of African-Americans and Mexican Americans in the United States. It examines the historical foundations of the construction of race to create criminality toward African-Americans. The legacy of the prison industrial complex perpetuating and prolonging further criminalization to enslave people…

Community colleges serve as access points to bachelor's degree attainment for a growing number of students, particularly those who live in rural areas. Although increasing the number of people trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields remains a national need, and a bachelor's degree in these fields offers a higher…

Developmental systems theory and life span development describe the role of individual--context interactions in individual development but have not directly addressed how individuals pursue achievement goals in institutional contexts. We developed a theory informed by these perspectives that explains how institutional contexts affect emerging…

Given the increasing number of community college students aspiring to complete a bachelor's degree and the decrease in traditional college-bound high school graduates universities have started to focus their attention on the recruitment and retention of transfer students. The institution in this study is a large public research institution located…

Curriculum prerequisite networks have a central role in shaping the course of university programs. The analysis of prerequisite networks has attracted a lot of research interest recently since designing an appropriate network is of great importance both academically and economically. It determines the learning goals of the program and also has a…

Although many studies demonstrate that online education is as good as face-to-face education with regard to learning gains, course grades, and other near-term metrics, there is a major gap in exploring the long-term outcomes of online vs. face-to-face education, particularly in STEM programs. In this study, the effect of course delivery method on…

Many students arrive at colleges and universities underprepared for college-level mathematics courses. In the United States, these students are required to complete developmental mathematics courses before completing the required mathematics courses for their degrees. Students who are required to take developmental mathematics courses frequently…

Time to degree completion is an important metric of academic progress and success for doctoral students. It is also a common way for educational stakeholders to compare programs even if the content of the degree programs varies. But what types of behaviors and experiences are associated with faster times to degree? In this study, we examine the…

Research on first-generation college students' (FGCS) is centered around cultural, demographic, and personal characteristics and structural barriers that adversely impact their persistence and graduation from postsecondary institutions. Literature is limited in its examination of how FGCS' utilize their personal strengths and assets, institutional…

Social support is a crucial factor for first-generation students' (FGS) integration at university and their educational success. FGS are often assumed to lack social support and integration, but research shows mixed results. By means of a mixed-methods approach (combination of interviews and online survey), we aimed to shed light on the…