This paper traces the development of community colleges, analyzes their curricular functions, and discusses their contributions to the American educational system. First, several hypotheses accounting for the rise of the community college in America are summarized, including those pointing to a conspiracy of the elite, a populist alliance, and a…

In 1990, the National Center for Academic Achievement and Transfer awarded partnership grants to 13 pairs of two- and four-year institutions to strengthen transfer education through attention to academic practices. The grant program was open to institutions located in the 50 largest cities in the United States. To be eligible, two-year schools…

Research was conducted in Europe to determine the current situation in the health industry with regard to transparency, recognition, and transfer of qualifications. The study identified current and needed patterns of mobility, European policy assisting mobility, and attitudes and practices of institutions and businesses. Data were gathered through…

This dissertation examines transfer shock and its impact on community college students after transfer to four-year institutions. The author utilized the concept of consequential transition as developed by King Beach as a lens for examining progress over time in the relationship of the transfer student to the new four-year university. Thirty-five…

This study provides a thorough examination of the experiences of a group of students who transferred from a public community college in the Midwest to a nearby public residential university between spring 1994 and spring 2001. The study population consisted of 552 students who transferred from the community college to the university with 12 or…

Assesses the community college transfer function with respect to low transfer and retention rates, the value of associate degrees, lack of congruence between students' intention to transfer and actual transfer rates, vocational programs as subbaccalaureate tracks, curriculum structure, the overproduction of bachelor's degrees, and colleges'…

In an era of tight budgets and declining enrollments, two-year colleges are increasingly viewed as feeder schools by larger, four-year colleges and universities, and are themselves exploring the costs and benefits of cooperative arrangements. Research has isolated five general types of cooperative arrangements between two- and four-year…

This two-part report considers the implications of Florida's Post-Secondary Reorganization Bill for community colleges. Part I first presents the relevant sections of the Bill, which mandate that college students' computation and communication skills be tested at entry; that colleges provide remediation and counseling appropriate to students'…

Southwest Texas State (SWT) University has developed a system of communication with two-year community colleges that aims to provide information about new student performance and identify student needs. About 60% of the 7,000 new undergraduate students first enrolling in SWT each year are transfer students. In 1992, about 60% of new students at…

In 1991, a national survey was conducted of transfer practices at both two- and four-year institutions. The survey was sent for the second time to two-year public and private institutions (n=1,350), and for the first time to four-year institutions (n=1,950). The two-year college response rate was 39% in 1990 and 31% in 1991, while the response…

This booklet opens with a list of the features that society now demands from higher education and then describes approaches to assessing the community college mission. Twenty-first century expectations for higher education are being shaped by: (1) a change in focus from teaching to learning; (2) the need to base credentials on demonstrated…

A small number of studies conducted during the 1980's provide insights into the magnitude of transfer activity and the characteristics of students who are likely to transfer. The studies, based occasionally on state data and more frequently on secondary analyses of the U.S. Department of Education's longitudinal databases, reveal that: (1)…

Designed for the community college practitioner who may be considering initiating a student tracking system, this report draws upon selected writings and other sources to examine the potential role of student tracking systems in student outcomes research. The report examines the limited scope of community college longitudinal studies conducted to…

This is a report on indicators of success in achieving community college goals at El Centro College (Texas). The report provides statistics from 1997-2000 and focuses on the progress of nine goals: (1) institutionalizing service beyond expectation--according to student satisfaction surveys, campus changes that have occurred between 1996 and 1999…

A study was conducted to examine relationships between community college transfer and curricula by analyzing course offerings at the remedial and advanced levels. The study analyzed the Center for the Study of Community Colleges' National Curriculum Database, containing data on 1991 liberal arts course offerings for 164 representative community…