Mississippi lacks a formal unified method for evaluating academic advising programs, and it is unclear whether advisement practices are satisfactory and aiding in student success. This study attempted to assess advisement satisfaction among students attending community colleges in Mississippi. The purpose of this study was to explore the level of…

This report explores the demographics of community college students and how they compare to those in other sectors of higher education. Next, it reviews the common reasons undergraduate students stop their studies or drop out. The report then examines technology-enhanced education in community colleges and presents several case studies showing how…

College success requires more than the ability to master college-level academic skills. Students must learn to navigate an unfamiliar campus, satisfy bureaucratic requirements, meet new expectations (Shields, 2002), and engage in new types of interpersonal relationships (Dickie & Farrell, 1991). Academically vulnerable students--those who are most…

College student persistence and dropout have been studied for decades, but little inquiry has focused on community college or private two-year college students. Although about half of first-time postsecondary students enroll in a two-year college, researchers understand little about why only approximately a quarter of these degree-seekers complete…

This white paper continues the Commission's examination of how rising college costs are affecting California families. An earlier paper looked at the costs for students living on campus at the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). Rising costs for UC and CSU have been particularly hard on middle- and lower-income…

A quasi-experiment using quantitative methods was conducted to examine the effects on academic student outcomes when a cohort of employed low-SES community college commuter students (the treatment group, N=198) participated in a comprehensive support and access intervention program, compared with similar students (the matched comparison group,…

The purpose of this study was to examine what types of initiatives exist to increase access to and affordability of postsecondary education, especially in community college programs that lead to occupational advancement. We reviewed community college agency and state legislative Web sites to discover what initiatives or policies are currently…

Compares the outcomes of connected developmental mathematics and writing to those of nonconnected sections at a regional commuter campus at a Midwestern public university, proving that students enrolled in the two connected developmental classes had the highest retention rates. Recommends a holistic approach for institutions that teaches basic…

This chapter explores how community colleges internationalize curricula by examining both on- and off-campus strategies.

Analysis of data from the 1978 Current Population Survey of the Bureau of the Census shows that commuting costs are substantially more than those reported by the College Scholarship Service, and the disparity is greater for the average community college student. (MLW)

This report presents the results of a survey of a pilot group of 19 community colleges as compared with 48 urban-commuter institutions. Tables 1-8 describe the sample of community colleges in terms of their enrollment, highest degree granted, accreditation group, location, ethnic predominance, and students housed. Data is also presented from the…

Drawing from research on the non-classroom development of commuter and residential college students, presents an overview of the developmental patterns of the two groups and discusses causes of the differences between them. Considers faculty and peer group influences and the development of self-concept. (DMM)

A study investigated how long it takes Frostburg State University (Maryland) (FSU) commuter students to drive to courses and how long they were willing to commute to pursue their educational goals. Students and graduates of two local two-year colleges, potential matriculants at FSU, were also asked how long they were willing to drive. Little…

This bold experiment should serve as an inspiration to commuter colleges across the country. (Editor)

To determine whether the scholastic averages of resident students at York College, Pennsylvania are significantly different from those of commuting students, 200 resident students were compared with 200 commuting students. The groups were randomly selected and matched in terms of sex, college class, marital status, and intelligence. Scholastic…