This dissertation is a quantitative research study designed to investigate the influence of articulation agreements on completion of a baccalaureate degree by community college transfer students holding an associate degree. The research study examined the relationship between four variables (age, gender, associate degree completion, and transfer…

Do older community college students build momentum toward graduation differently than their younger peers? One-third of students in community colleges are 25 years of age or older, and these students tend to have lower rates of graduation than their younger peers. Yet, we know little about how the factors that influence college graduation differ…

This study leverages the Texas Statewide Longitudinal Data System to examine the characteristics of community college students with non-apparent disabilities who access disability accommodations, including students with learning disabilities (LD), other health impairments (OHI), emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and autism spectrum…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in satisfaction levels for students, based on enrollment status groups within a hybrid course and to examine the relationship between student satisfaction and student-instructor interaction within a hybrid course and. This was addressed through a quantitative correlational…

This paper examines the graduation rates between 2000 and 2015 of United States colleges and universities at the national, state, and institutional levels. This research focuses on two-year and four-year programs. Rates are investigated longitudinally along with variables that distinguish between public/private institutions, percentages of…

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is critical for student success in online postsecondary education. Many technology-based interventions have been studied to improve SRL skills, but few were situated in broad-access institutions that disproportionately serve systemically marginalized student populations in STEM fields. This study presents preliminary…

More students entering into higher education in the United States are choosing to attend two-year colleges, but completion rates at these colleges, especially for nontraditional students, are consistently below 40%. Increased faculty interaction has been studied at four-year colleges as a strategy to increase completion rates and job prospects,…

Non-traditional learners (NTL's) are students who have delayed college enrollment, have dependents, are single parents, are financially independent, have non-standard high school credentials, attend part-time or work full-time. They are a growing segment of college students. Their success is critical to the future of the American workforce, but…

This study examines two 5-year longitudinal data sets of community college students (n = 595 and n = 593) to explore factors associated with successful outcomes in developmental mathematics. Logistic regression models consider the role of demographic factors, course format, and student support structures on the likelihood of a student completing…

The increasing demand for access to higher education and declining financial support from states help fuel the increasing employment of part-time faculty at US institutions of higher education. Although prior studies acknowledged employing part-time faculty is positively associated with student learning or choice of major as they bring…

Over the last two decades, more than 30 states have implemented statewide transfer agreements between community colleges and four-year institutions (Jenkins & Fink, 2015; Kirk-Kuwaye & Kirk-Kuwaye, 2007; Roksa & Keith, 2008). Although research indicates that those earning associate's degree before transferring are more likely to earn a…

This dissertation consists of three independent chapters in applied microeconomics. In the first chapter, I study the causal effect impact of early life circumstances on adult psychological well-being using the property reform in China as a positive and policy driven change in economic resources in early life. Exploiting the staggered adoption of…

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among external time obligations of work and care giving by part-time students, their participation within structured group learning experiences, and student engagement. The Structured Group Learning Experiences (SGLEs) explored within this study include community college programming…

This study examines the relationship between community college enrollment patterns and student outcomes--credential completion and transfer to a 4-year institution--introducing a new way of visualizing the various attendance patterns of community college students. Patterns of enrollment intensity (full- or part-time status) and continuity…

This study examined how community college instructors perceive their level of work engagement. Businesses have studied work engagement, but the empirical literature on work engagement of community college instructors has been limited. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent the type of faculty member (full-time instructor versus…