As the economy struggles to recover amidst ongoing uncertainty, adults across the country could benefit from earning a degree and opening the door to new careers. Colleges and universities recognize the importance--but also the challenge--of getting "some college no degree" (SCND) students back on track and supporting them, along with…

This study adopted a case-study approach to examine how associate degree sociology graduates evaluate their learning in a Hong Kong community college. Through focus group interviews, the learning experiences of sociology graduates were examined, specifically paying attention to their identification of enhancements in learning. The results of this…

Objective: This study evaluates the postgraduate earnings of students with an applied baccalaureate (AB) degree compared to the earnings of students with the same associate degree but no baccalaureate degree. The research questions include the following: For those students who earn an AB degree, does it result in higher earnings than the associate…

Community and technical colleges serve a vital function in STEM education by training workers for medium- and high-skilled technical careers and providing employers the labor necessary to operate and maintain thriving business ventures. A curriculum developed with the elements of a systems-based approach results in a program more relevant to the…

In this study, I draw on longitudinal data for 1.1 million students in California to estimate the effects of community college credentials on students' earnings, as compared with students who are not awarded a credential. In contrast to much of the recent work on this subject, which assumed that the effects of credentials on students' earnings are…

Of the copious research on the labor market returns to college, very little has adequately modeled the pathways of non-completers or compared their outcomes with those of award holders. In this paper, we present a novel method for linking non-completers with completers according to their program of study. This method allows us to calculate the…

The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to investigate variables associated with learning and performance as measured by the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN), (2) to validate the predictive value of the Assessment Technologies Institute (ATI) achievement exit exam, and (3) to provide a model that could…

This study presents the experiences of success of 11 women who have completed an associate degree while parenting children. Women parenting children are a population at especially high risk of non-completion. In much of the research, however, women parenting children are only mentioned peripherally as a subpopulation of nontraditional students;…

This article describes how people with bachelor's and even advanced degrees are using two-year colleges as a form of graduate school. It defies the stereotype of community college as a place of last resort, and counters the norm of the first-time college students earning an associate degree and then transferring to a four-year institution. For the…

A study was conducted to determine if different benefits would accrue to Colorado graduates of Associate of Applied Science Degrees (AAS), Associate of Occupational Studies Degrees (AOS), and vocational certificate programs if the programs were of equal length, occupational curriculum content, and quality of instruction. As a part of the study, an…

As part of the Master Plan data gathering process, Florida's Postsecondary Education Planning Commission requested that the State Board of Community Colleges (SBCC) develop estimates of Associate of Art (AA) graduation rate and student transfer rate from the Community College System (CCS) to the State University System (SUS). The SBCC developed a…

Of the 5,227 1973-74 graduates of the Virginia Community College System, the majority (61 percent) were men. Racial minorities comprised 11 percent of the graduates. Although the largest single age group was 21 years or younger, the majority of the graduates were at least 22 years old. Thirteen percent were older than 35, and the median age for…

This document contains volume 10 (2000-2001) of St. Petersburg College's (formerly St. Petersburg Junior College) (Florida) Research Brief. Issue 1 addresses performance-based program funding, stating that programs have been established to reward high performing colleges, rather than simply funding according to FTE (full-time equivalent)…