This research evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of current recruitment policies and retention practices at Delaware Technical Community College, Jack F. Owens Campus in Georgetown, Delaware. Delaware Tech is a statewide community college with four campus locations with over 15,000 students and 155 student-athletes representing 1% of the…

The American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) periodically undertakes research projects to keep themselves and the higher-education community in general, informed about current and emerging institutional practices. College completion rates, and how to improve them, have been in the forefront of the higher…

Community colleges have received renewed attention from policymakers seeking to increase college attendance and completion rates because they provide open access to postsecondary education for historically marginalized students. Yet, transfer rates from community colleges to 4-year institutions are low. Inequities in opportunity that are shaped by…

This study analyzed the effectiveness of a minority male mentoring program at a public two-year institution of higher education in South Carolina. To assist in investigating the successfulness of African American males at the institution, data regarding graduation rates, grade point averages, developmental course completion, and campus involvement…

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine how Southern California community colleges have implemented best practices based on the 8 Keys to Veterans' Success as identified by the U.S. Departments of Education, Defense, and Veterans Affairs to effectively support and retain military and veteran students in higher education programs. The…

Perceptions of graduating American Indian students at a mainstream sub-baccalaureate technical college about how support from academic student services had helped them learn and persist in their studies were solicited. Bean's (2005) themes of college student retention served as the framework for the inquiry. Findings indicate that (1) academic…

In the last decade, higher education institutions have come under attack for their inability to enhance graduation rates. Although community colleges are known for their open-door enrollment policy, they are currently challenged to improve student success. This study was designed to determine which strategies have been most effective in…

President Obama's 2009 graduation initiative has emphasized the shift in the national academic focus from access to higher education to graduation, making degree attainment one of the most important factors of measurement and accountability for institutions of higher education. Students of color, in particular, Hispanic males, have not fared well…

More New Yorkers than ever are enrolling in universities and community colleges, driven by seismic changes in the economy that have made postsecondary credentials nearly indispensable for today's workforce. On college campuses across the state, the makeup of the student body has changed. College is no longer just for "traditional"…

This case study describes how Alexander Community College (ACC), a two-year State University of New York (SUNY) institution is addressing challenges associated with its developmental education effort--primarily high costs for repeated developmental (assumed by the institution and students) and low persistence and graduation rates for developmental…

The challenge faced by all community colleges is how to increase student success, whether success is defined in terms of graduating with a degree or certificate, transferring, or retaining a job. With approximately 40% of the nation's undergraduates pursuing higher education through the community college (52% when one considers public institutions…

Starting with the troubling statistics regarding community college completion rates of under-represented minorities this study sought to analyze how the success or failure of these students is understood within the literature of higher education and the organizational and cultural contexts that shape their experiences. The study's theoretical…

The traditional high school model derived from the factory deficit model of the early 1900s has left many students, mainly minorities and/or low socioeconomic students, disenfranchised. This is evident in the poor school performance and high dropout rates of such students. Whereas the factory deficit model was created to promote only a few high…

Almost 12 million students, more than half of the nation's undergraduates, are currently enrolled at community colleges. The commitment of these institutions to open access admission attracts a significantly underprepared population. Consequently, less than 50% of first time freshman students earn a degree or transfer to a 4-year institution…

Retention of minority students continues to be a problem for many institutions of higher education. Despite increasing enrollments of minority students in higher education, there are still disparities between completion rates of non-minorities and completion rates of minorities. The disparities are perhaps more evident in low retention rates of…