Despite evidence suggesting that standardized tests are an imperfect measure of academic readiness, many community colleges across the country rely on them alone to determine student course placement. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced campuses to transition to remote operations in spring 2020, proctoring in-person placement tests became…

Located in Minnesota, Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) is an inspiring example of what a suburban community college can do to expand its ability to serve and reengage students with "some college, but no degree." As a finalist for the prestigious Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence in 2017, ARCC fulfills many roles common to…

This study investigated applications of social media in promotion activities among Higher Learning Institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania. Guided by a phenomenological philosophy, a multi-case study was conducted with four HLIs ranging from public to private offering institutions. The findings revealed that there is still a limited use of social media…

A growing number of community colleges and four-year universities are seeking to improve student outcomes by redesigning academic programs and student support services following the guided pathways approach. These institutions are mapping out highly structured, educationally coherent program pathways for students to follow by starting with the end…

The idea behind guided pathways is straightforward. College students are more likely to complete a degree in a timely fashion if they choose a program and develop an academic plan early on, have a clear road map of the courses they need to take to complete a credential, and receive guidance and support to help them stay on plan. However, most…

In 2011, working groups from across the eight campuses of Miami Dade College (MDC) conducted a wide-ranging examination of why many students were not completing their programs. These groups identified a number of reasons for student attrition. Students were unclear about how to progress through programs--they had too many course and program…

Located in Redding, California, Shasta College is an inspiring example of why serving students with "some college, but no degree" is critical to supporting the local community. Most residents in the area, which is one of the state's northernmost counties, live and work in the immediate area and serve the community through local…

For the nearly one third of students who transfer from 1 college to another, transfer credit represents time and money. Unfortunately, many colleges provide degree-specific transfer credit evaluations only after students financially commit to attend the institution. The purpose of this study was to investigate, analyze, and compare early and late…

This chapter presents the state of Wisconsin and the University of Wisconsin System as an ongoing case study for best practices in systematic, intentional, statewide programming and initiatives connecting undergraduate research and economic development.

This dissertation explores organizational narratives of engagement initiatives involving two comprehensive universities and the larger regional communities they serve. The purpose of this study is to develop a holistic description of engagement initiatives, reflecting data collected through interviews, documents and other artifacts from…

A study was undertaken to investigate and describe international/intercultural education approaches used by AASCU's 320 member institutions. Five questions were addressed: (1) What is the state of international/intercultural education in the U.S.?; (2) What are the trends?; (3) How do small, medium, large, and nontraditional state colleges and…

Recent initiatives in higher education have been designed to increase Black undergraduate male collegiate retention and persistence through graduation for this historically underrepresented population. Although institutional leaders in higher education have focused on creating more inclusive campuses, designing and implementing programs to retain…

The outcomes of the Faculty Evaluation Project of the Southern Regional Education Board are reviewed. The project sought to promote principles of comprehensive, systematic faculty evaluation. During an 18-month period, the project worked closely with 30 institutions to assist them in developing such programs. Regional aspects of the project, the…

Effective ways to handle program discontinuance were studied based on experiences at 10 campuses. Two variables that were considered to be institutional approaches to financial difficulties are the degree of financial difficulty and the degree of control exercised by the institutional leaders. The study sample was drawn primarily from large public…

Findings and implications of a study of the institutional development of a sample of colleges and universities that were federally funded are summarized. The information is designed to assist personnel at the institutional level and at the developmental activity level. The study sample of 51 institutions had substantial funding through Title III…