This study illuminates faculty beliefs about reading by closely examining their attitudes toward assigned readings and faculty professional reading practice. Drawing upon interview data from instructors teaching in a range of disciplines at a two-year college, we suggest that conversations about reading would benefit from greater awareness of the…

After the choice of a two-year college, more choices follow--and individuals make those choices based on a combination of knowing why (aspirations), knowing how (gaining knowledge and skills), and knowing whom (sources of information about college and careers). In this article, we unpack the relationship between two-year college students' choices…

This report describes how Ohio's two-year colleges are approaching guided pathways reforms, based on on-site interviews with faculty, administrators, staff, and students at six selected community colleges and telephone interviews with representatives from all 23 Ohio community colleges. In these interviews participants were asked to describe their…

African American students enroll in 2-year colleges at disproportionately high rates. Little exploration has been conducted on students within this population who could have attended 4-year institutions--a phenomenon known as "undermatching" (Bastedo & Flaster, 2014). This study explores their college choice process, the factors that…

There are over 20 million young people of color in the United States whose representation in STEM education pathways and in the STEM workforce is still far below their numbers in the general population. Their participation could help re-establish the United States' preeminence in STEM innovation and productivity, while also increasing the number…

Presents several definitions of community services. Argues that community colleges will offer different community services depending upon their missions, and that community services should be designed to meet individual, institutional, and community needs. Proposes an adaptive community services model designed to respond to community needs, while…

General principles of history instruction at the community college level are presented in this essay. Suggested criteria for the teaching of history include emphasizing relevant, vital subject matter in ongoing lessons and units, and encouraging students to utilize primary as well as secondary data sources. Potential philosophies that the history…

The accountability model presented in this report was developed by the Student Support Services staff of Gavilan College (GC) to help meet public demands for learner success, to increase efficiency, and to promote a proactive mode of delivering student support services. Introductory material traces the development of the model and discusses the…

The purpose of this study was to determine levels of citizen awareness of the mission and operations of Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC), to identify access barriers to potential TNCC attendance, and to assess the educational goals of local residents. A 15-item questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 1,000 local adults. The 381…

As part of an effort to understand and reduce an unacceptable attrition rate at Kirkwood Community College (KCC) in Iowa, a study was conducted to determine students' reasons for coming to the college. All 584 students who applied for admission to KCC in winter 1984 were mailed a copy of the Student Goals Inventory, an instrument which assesses…

It is a commonly held belief that student educational achievement is enhanced when students have goals. But individual goals may vary in terms of difficulty, as well as in terms of their importance and the commitment students make to achieve them. In this study, goal complexity was viewed as the influence of commitment, difficulty, and importance…

This document is an assessment of a performance-based education project that involved a United States history course, offered at a community college. Thirty-two student performance objectives are outlined and lesson plans designed to achieve each objective are presented. Each lesson plan consists of an instructional topic, prerequisites, interest…

Non-traditional adult students at West Los Angeles Community College (WLACC) who already had bachelor's or higher degrees were surveyed to ascertain why they had returned to college, why particularly to the community college, and what they expected to get from it. Questionnaires were mailed to 120 students who had completed the fall 1977 semester;…

Due to their more diverse populations, urban colleges have different concerns than suburban and rural colleges, and they must provide programs and services specific to those concerns. The question arises as to whether urban college effectiveness can be measured with traditional indicators. The declining test scores in American public schools have…

Discusses the question of whether community colleges are providing valid liberal arts/general education curricula, citing both community college critics and supporters. Argues for a definition of liberal arts/general education that takes into account the educational aspirations of community college students. Considers the fine line between liberal…