Community College Review recent issues

Editor's Note

Palmer, J. C. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:08 PDT

Financial Aid and Persistence in Community Colleges: Assessing the Effectiveness of Federal and State Financial Aid Programs in Oklahoma

Mendoza, P., Mendez, J. P., Malcolm, Z. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:08 PDT

Using a longitudinal, state-wide dataset, this study assessed the effect of financial aid on the persistence of full-time students in associate’s degree programs at the Oklahoma community colleges. Three financial-aid sources were examined: the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), Pell grants, and Stafford loans. Results indicate that these forms of financial aid, alone and in combination, were predictors of persistence measured in terms of the student progressing from 1styear status to 2nd-year status.The effect of financial aid, however, was moderated by ethnicity and income.

The Denominator as the "Target"

Hom, W. C. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:08 PDT

Various analyses have used the transfer rate as a performance indicator for community colleges, but the question of what constitutes an appropriate denominator in the transfer-rate equation remains a point of contention. This article examines the potential drawbacks of using student-reported educational goals to determine which students are included in the denominator and notes how the behavioral signal approach—based on the courses students take and complete—may be a more appropriate alternative. In addition, the article discusses the prospects of employing a "transfer opportunity diagnosis" based on multiple indicators.

The Importance of Funding Postsecondary Correctional Educational Programs

Mercer, K. R. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:08 PDT

The correctional population in the United States has increased dramatically in the past two decades and shows no sign of tapering off. In addition, the recidivism rates of those inmates who are released are high. Consequently, various constituencies have questioned how the number of inmates who return to the correctional population can be reduced. It has been empirically established that the more education acquired by inmates the less likely they are to return to the correctional population. However, funding for postsecondary correctional education (PSCE) programs has been neglected by the federal government, resulting in limited opportunities for inmates to participate in PSCE programs. This article profiles the prisoner population in the United States, describes three state correctional education programs in which community college play a central role, and makes the case for additional fiscal support for PSCE programs.

Institutional Contradiction in the Community College

Ayers, D. F. — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:01:08 PDT

Critical discourse analysis was employed to examine the narratives collected from 40 community college administrators who were asked to recount their experience in an event, activity, or decision that challenged their values.The analysis yielded three findings. First, contradictions emerged between the administrators’ educational and professional values, on the one hand, and managerialism (pressure from above), on the other hand. Second, participants either acquiesced to managerialism or resisted through insubordination or advocacy. Third, the styles enacted by the administrators in the face of these contradictions included the alienated victim (who felt that his or her authority had been usurped), the survivor (who eventually recovered or at least feigned a positive attitude), or the institutional entrepreneur (who successfully aligned a policy or practice with his or her values).The latter successfully advocated for change, suggesting the need for future research on leadership strategies and organizational climates that foster institutional entrepreneurship.

Ties That Blind: Perpetuation of Racial Comfort and Discomfort at a Community College

Price, D. B., Hyle, A. E., Jordan, K. V. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:48:05 PDT

Interviews with 17 African American students and 19 White students were employed to examine interracial relations at a predominantly White community college campus. Seen through the lens of Granovetter's strength of ties theory, the interview findings revealed that strong intraracial ties and the absence of weak interracial ties inhibited communication between White and African American students, perpetuating the feelings of racial discomfort that students brought with them to the college campus. These findings illuminate the need for higher education to intentionally deconstruct racial discomfort through an analysis of the social structures that perpetuate the status quo of uncomfortable race relations.

Predictors of Transfer to 4-Year, For-Profit Institutions

Sheldon, C. Q. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:48:05 PDT

Logistic regression was employed to determine whether student transfer to for-profit, 4-year colleges (as opposed to other 4-year colleges) is a function of students' social background characteristics, the students' academic experiences at the community college, and the transfer context of the community college attended (i.e., the overall transfer rate of students from the community college and the distance of the community college from a public university). Study results, based on records for 613,595 California community college students who transferred to 4-year institutions between July 2000 and June 2004, indicate that the strongest predictors of transfer to for-profit institutions include part-time enrollment, age, and grade point average. However, students of color were more likely to transfer to for-profit institutions than White students, and students attending community colleges with lower overall transfer rates were also more likely to transfer to the for-profit sector. Finally, students who used the community college transfer center were less likely to transfer to 4-year, for-profit universities.

"It Was Just That I Was Afraid": Promoting Success by Addressing Students' Fear of Failure

Cox, R. D. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:48:05 PDT

This article considers the risk of failing college and how the fear of failure shapes students' behavior. Drawing on a semester-long study of students and instructors in a community college English composition course, this analysis highlights the potential for students to undermine their own educational goals in the absence of active intervention from the college, especially from course instructors.

Online Education and Organizational Change

Garza Mitchell, R. L. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:48:05 PDT

An in-depth case study examined faculty and administrator perceptions of how online education affected the organizational culture of a large, suburban community college. Findings suggest that in addition to structural and procedural changes, online education had an impact on faculty and administrator roles, teaching and learning (in both online and face-to-face settings), and the community of students and faculty members who comprise the college. The result was a new perception of the organization itself.

Book Review: Staley, C. (2010). Focus on Community College Success. Boston: Wadsworth

Bartlett, M. E. — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:48:05 PDT

Editor's Note

Palmer, J. C. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:38 PDT

College Hopping: Exploring the Occurrence, Frequency, and Consequences of Lateral Transfer

Bahr, P. R. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:38 PDT

Lateral transfer (between community colleges) is second only to upward transfer (to a 4-year institution) among community college students' most common patterns of transfer. Yet, upward transfer is the focus of innumerable studies, while lateral transfer has received very little empirical attention. This study explores the occurrence and frequency of lateral transfer in California and its consequences for the measurement of one particular outcome, namely, completion of a credential. The results indicate that students transfer laterally quite frequently, leading to substantial undercounts in rates of credential completion when measured from the standpoint of a single community college or single district. Furthermore, the frequency of lateral transfer varies systematically with a number of student characteristics of recurrent interest in the literature, leading to exaggerated differences in the likelihood of credential completion between some groups of students and inaccurately attenuated differences between other groups, when measured under the single-college and single-district analytical frameworks.

Examining the Relationship Between Class Scheduling and Student Achievement in College Algebra

Gallo, M. A., Odu, M. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:38 PDT

This study examines the relationship between scheduling (3-, 2-, and 1-day-per-week classes) and achievement in college algebra. The study is grounded in spacing effect theory, which examines how variations in the frequency and timing of instruction affect student learning, and involves 116 Florida community college students. Regression analyses controlling for student and teacher attributes show that the 1-day-per-week group consistently scores the lowest on unit tests and final examinations. The findings suggest that although many students may prefer intensive courses or compressed schedules that minimize the time they spend on campus, these scheduling options may not be optimal for learning, at least not in mathematics.

Maneuvering the Role as a Community College Artist-Educator: Scholarship Assessed

Gibson, J. R., Murray, J. P. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:38 PDT

This study examined how Texas community college artist-educators balance artistic productivity with their teaching responsibilities. The 98 survey respondents represented 76.6% of a stratified random sample of the full-time instructors in visual arts departments within the 50 Texas public community college districts. Access to studio space and equipment, peer support, and new avenues for artistic expression and creative stimulation were seen as promoting or enhancing artistic production. Lack of studio time for producing one's artwork was cited a barrier to artistic production, as were the demands of teaching and related responsibilities. In addition, those who saw themselves more as artists than as educators or who saw themselves equally as artists and educators were more likely to balance art with teaching and service than were those who saw themselves more as educators than as artists.

Book Review: Mellow, G. O., & Heelan, C. (2008). Minding the Dream: The Process and Practice of the American Community College. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

Hagedorn, L. S. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 13:58:38 PDT

Unintended Consequences: Examining the Effect of Part-Time Faculty Members on Associate's Degree Completion

Jaeger, A. J., Eagan, M. K. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:27:49 PST

Employment of part-time faculty members by community colleges has become an increasingly common approach to reducing institutional costs, which may have unintended consequences for student outcomes. This study examines the relationship between part-time faculty members and the associate's degree completion of community college students. The authors use hierarchical generalized linear modeling to analyze student- and institution-level data from the California community college system to determine how student exposure to part-time faculty members affected the likelihood of earning an associate's degree. Findings indicate that students experienced a significant yet modest negative effect from exposure to part-time faculty members on the probability of completing an associate's degree.

Student Success Courses in the Community College: An Exploratory Study of Student Perspectives

O'Gara, L., Mechur Karp, M., Hughes, K. L. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:27:49 PST

This study examines student success courses in two urban community colleges. Through analysis of student interview data, we find that such courses are an essential resource for students, in large part because the various benefits reinforce one another and magnify their influence. These benefits include learning about the college, classes, and study skills. In addition, students build important relationships with professors and peers.

Delicate Engagement: The Lived Experience of Community College Students Enrolled in High-Risk Online Courses

Bambara, C. S., Harbour, C. P., Davies, T. G., Athey, S. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:27:49 PST

This article reports the findings of a phenomenological study that examined the lived experience of community college students enrolled in high-risk online courses (HRCs) at a community college in the American Southeast. HRCs were defined as college courses with withdrawal or failure rates of 30% or more. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 students enrolled in four different HRCs. Isolation, academic challenge, ownership, and acquiescence emerged as structural themes that framed the experience of participants. These structural themes intermingled in discrete ways that led to the survival or surrender of these HRC participants and formed the essence of the phenomenon that is referred to as delicate engagement, which speaks to the vulnerable threads of academic and social involvement that permeated the HRC student experience.

Do University Centers Produce Comparable Teacher Education Candidates?

Locklear, C. D., Davis, M. L., Covington, V. M. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:27:49 PST

This study investigates the effectiveness of a two-plus-two university center teacher education program. In this program, the entire curriculum is delivered on community college campuses; community college faculty members deliver the general education coursework, and university faculty members deliver coursework in the teacher education program area. A comparison of university center teacher education graduates with graduates who completed their programs on the university campus yielded no significant differences across several measures, including grades, assessments of dispositions, progress reports, and self-assessments of competence. The findings suggest that the university center model is a viable alternative to traditional, on-campus teacher education programs and may help address the teacher shortage—especially in rural areas—by reducing geographic and fiscal barriers to baccalaureate teacher education programs.

Book Review: Rosenbaum, J. E., Deil-Amen, R., & Person, A. E. (2006). After Admission: From College Access to College Success. New York: Russell Sage

Kennard Kiessling, M. — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:27:49 PST