First-generation college students are a prominent higher education student population and are well-represented at the community college. Unfortunately, many first-generation community college students do not persist for degree completion. These students face many academic and social challenges that impact their persistence. However, research has…

Transfer student capital encompasses the knowledge, skills, and experiences that transfer students acquire before transitioning to a new institution from their previous ones, communities, and cultures. This capital plays a crucial role in shaping their academic and social transition, identity development, and overall success in the new…

Short term study abroad use by community colleges has been on the rise. This study looks at the effectiveness of short term study abroad programs at a community college. The study examines the use of these programs in promoting student retention, completion, and growth in intercultural competence. By looking at student retention and completion…

This study explored how associate deans in Illinois community colleges understand and practice culturally responsive leadership (CRL) in their institutions. The conceptual framework for this study is composed of the Culturally Responsive School Leadership (CRSL) model in the K-12 system first proposed by Khalifa et al. (2016) and the Applied…

While extensive research has been conducted on academic advising at four-year colleges, there is a noticeable gap in studies addressing academic advisors within support programs at two-year colleges. This creates an opportunity to investigate the roles, practices, challenges, and experiences of academic advisors in this often-overlooked…

This qualitative narrative study aimed to explore the impact of the tutor-student relationship on students' perceptions of belonging in community colleges. This study employed a qualitative narrative approach to understand a distinct phenomenon: the influence of the student-tutor relationship on the sense of belonging among community college…

Community colleges serve the most racially and ethnically diverse student population across higher education institutions, yet the highest level of leadership does not reflect the racial diversity, as community college presidents are most likely to be White (American Council on Education, 2017; Campaign for College Opportunity, 2018). Student…

In today's increasingly interconnected world, intercultural skills and global competence are essential for success in the workforce and society. Internationalization initiatives, such as student mobility, have emerged as effective ways to develop these skills. This study explored the experiences of Black students who participated in community…

Using a qualitative, naturalistic inquiry research design, and following the guide principles for conducting research with American Indian populations, this study explored how American Indian college students develop a sense of well-being as they pursue an associate degree in a rural community college. To understand well-being from an American…

To ascertain variance and predictive measure between respondents' self-reported time of disclosure and disability identity development while mitigating for confounding variables: social desirability, transition planning experience, visibility, ethnicity, gender, veteran status, and age, research was conducted at a public two-year institution.…

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of identity negotiation and capital in the context of first-generation college students' use of supports in community college and four-year institutions. The study followed Merriam's and Tisdell's (2016) basic interpretive design as the methodological approach. A sample of 17 participants were…

The aim of this dissertation was to evaluate the effect of the Columbia International University Prison Initiative program on the spirituality of male inmates incarcerated within South Carolina's Department of Corrections. The Prison Initiative program is an accredited two-year associate's degree in Biblical studies offered to SCDC inmates.…

Career technical education is an essential element for the workforce development needs of employers in the United States of America. The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2021 has created challenges for higher education and has affected the lives of faculty and students in different ways. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenology study was…

Academic mid-level managers, despite their work history and education, are not always prepared for the duties and responsibilities of their current positions or for senior-level management positions. The purpose of this study was to examine how academic mid-level managers perceived intentionally-designed professional development at a suburban…

Community colleges in Northern and Southeastern Virginia have struggled with enrollment and retention of adult learners. Addressing adult learners' needs is an important focus for instructors, yet few studies have addressed how instructors can use andragogy, the art and science of adult learning, to influence their instructional practices to…