This dissertation investigates the experiences and narratives of women of color who pursue a computing degree through vertical transfer from a two-year to a four-year institution. The study used a qualitative research design informed by narrative inquiry to understand the lived experiences of six women of color at various stages of transfer…

Attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by a collection of symptoms that include inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (Davidson, 2008). Students with ADD/ADHD need greater assistance at the post-secondary level (Benedict & Parker, 2002), as overall they have less academic…

This study explores the factors, attributes, and commitment that contribute to African American adult student success, retention, and completion in the community college environment. This study explores what factors contribute to African American student retention as opposed to those factors that serve as deficit; literature abounds with reasoning…

The purpose of this qualitative case study (Yin, 2018) was to explore the perceptions of 11 full time English faculty who teach at least one section of "ENG 101-College Composition I," regarding interactions with students with disabilities (SWD) and learning disabilities (LD) at Friendship County Community College (FCCC), an urban…

This study aimed to understand the lived experience of eleven undocumented students that attended a community college in an agricultural part of Northern California without a designated undocumented student academic center. Specifically, these students were interviewed to understand the factors that impacted their education and their sources of…

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore and understand the reasons why community college music majors choose to persist, leave the major, or leave college, and what effects a first-year seminar designed specifically for music majors might have on their intent to persist.A questionnaire was used to compare the likelihood of…

This qualitative study explored how recipients of means-tested government assistance programs, who are enrolled in community colleges, make decisions about voting, and how structural factors affect their decision to vote. It used a grounded theory approach to generate knowledge about why some recipients of means-tested assistance vote and others…

A sense that there are a limited number of role models at colleges and universities for Hispanic and other minority students has been a concern of researchers in higher education for a number of years but little is actually known about who Hispanic students consider a role model. Similarly, researchers have investigated the impact of mentoring…

Colleges are experimenting with integrating technology into the classroom to improve student learning and reduce costs. While fully online models appear to have negative effects on student learning compared to in-person instruction, there is less evidence about models that blend elements of online and in-person instruction. In this study, I…

As the number of available cybersecurity jobs continues to grow, colleges strive to offer to their cybersecurity students an environment which will make them sufficiently prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. This paper explores the academic and professional needs of STEM-students in various higher education institutions across…

The study to be discussed in the proposed session was an extensive, multi-site research project that sought to answer the following essential question: What does it mean for students to be prepared to read at a college level in career technical education (CTE) courses? The impetus for this study was a need to fully understand what it means to be…

Historically, girls and women have experienced gender disparity in access to, and persistence in, STEM education. Though women comprise 50% of the total workforce, they occupy only 25% of STEM-related occupations. STEM degrees and occupations have been linked to economic prosperity, both for individuals and the nation as a whole. However, women…

Globalization, technology, labor market demands and economic growth have created the need for a skilled workforce. Community colleges serve as a pivotal player in the fight to meet workforce development needs through their offerings of Career Technical Education (CTE) courses. So doing, community colleges play a key role as a developer of human…

In two studies, we explored the associations among situational reading-related competence beliefs and task value, inference strategies, comprehension during reading, and foundational skills in college age students. In Study 1, 93 participants from a community college completed assessments of comprehension and two types of inference strategies…

This study focused on the self-directed learning strategies of dual enrollment students. The use of self-directed learning strategies has been increasing throughout industry. The focus of the study was to examine the difference between the dual enrollment and a traditional student's self-directed learning strategies. The Motivated Strategies for…