Background: The transition from lower-secondary to upper-secondary education marks a critical period for adolescents that impacts their academic achievement. Objective: Based on Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework, we examined associations between math achievement as measured by PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) and PYD…

This article considers student affairs practice within the Completion Agenda by studying community college student affairs educators' beliefs about their work related to the value others attribute to it. The Completion Agenda's goals are largely economic, and community colleges have been asked to focus on speed rather than the quality of the…

This chapter discusses the work of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, highlighting institutes the Center hosts and work that comes from these meetings. Examples of interventions that evolved from the High-Impact Practices Institutes conducted by the Center are provided. The chapter concludes with a discussion about implementation…

Student affairs and student services practices are concepts that can replace traditional models of student development, now emphasizing student identity, student voice, and emancipatory advocacy. A new identity is suggested to replace the title for student affairs professionals and student affairs programs in community colleges: student success…

This qualitative research study describes how a Midwest community college's implementation of an Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (SSTEM) program influences engineering identity development for its students with financial need. Using a phenomenological approach, the study finds that the program enables community…

Efforts to promote college for all for all has opened college doors to a broad range of students. But college--and career success after college--doesn't have to mean a bachelor's degree. Community college credentials, such as associate's degrees and one-year certificates, can lead to further degrees or jobs that offer more benefits than students…

Defining the practical and theoretical context of honors programs and courses in today's complex educational climate is challenging. Many institutions have used budget shortages to make decisions to reduce honors offerings that are not in the best interest of the students. Funding for honors programs may seem to be extraneous, but these programs…

The purpose of this study was to identify the ways in which veterans with disabilities navigate the process of transition from their lives as members of the military community to participants in the community college. This study analyzed the subset of veterans with disabilities in a community college to identify the support structures and services…

When students begin their education at community colleges, they may face more obstacles to obtaining their college education than students starting in four-year institutions. Research has shown the importance of academic and student services in the support of student athletes, that community college student athletes are often at academic risk, and…

This chapter draws from national data to explore unique attributes of first-year seminars in community college contexts as well as high-impact practices that are often connected to them. Findings point to areas of opportunity for practice and directions for future research to better understand how community colleges can be poised to meet the…

This report describes how Ohio's two-year colleges are approaching guided pathways reforms, based on on-site interviews with faculty, administrators, staff, and students at six selected community colleges and telephone interviews with representatives from all 23 Ohio community colleges. In these interviews participants were asked to describe their…

Using a conceptual framework constructed from elements of self-evolution, epistemological reflection, and constructivist adult learning theories, I examined how 8 student veterans progressed toward the developmental stage of self-authorship and what role, if any, their military training or experience played in that development. The findings from…

In this essay, Michael Satterfield recounts his experiences as a student in and outside of prison. His narrative exposes the challenges faced by one person in pursuit of an education, and recounts his early educational experiences as well as his participation in a college-in-prison program. He also describes his journey to a four-year college and…

Although science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and vocational training programs are presented as today's community college students' gateway to entry-level positions in the workforce, liberal arts instruction plays a critical role in their training, by providing these students the skills that many employers require and that make…

When Case Willoughby took his first community college job, he started by applying student development and student engagement theory to advising. He refocused advising to support students in exploring academic and career goals and teach them the intellectual and practical skills they need to learn. This experience led Willoughby to notice that…