Many community college students across the country face financial constraints and unmet basic needs for food and housing. Basic needs insecurity is associated with negative academic outcomes, and many colleges now view such basic needs supports as food pantries and emergency aid as a core strategy for supporting student success. The goal of this…

Learning about evolution is a foundational part of biology education, but most current studies that explore college student evolution education are conducted at universities. However, community college students tend to be more diverse in characteristics shown to be related to evolution education outcomes. To explore how studies involving…

The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to understand how leaders at two community colleges that participated in Guided Pathways used early momentum metrics (EMMs) to change institutional policies or practices to improve student success and degree completion rates. By focusing on EMMs as short-term indicators, leaders could track…

This research study examines the relationship between socioeconomic barriers students encounter and the interventions to address those factors at Lenoir Community College. Specifically, the study seeks to determine the barriers and motivators that influence their education in regards to retention and persistence in academic programs. The study…

This report provides a synthesis of advice from community college presidents across 15 states, including North Carolina. The advice focuses on recommended areas of innovation that rural-serving institutions should consider in order to align with the changing nature of work and the workforce. While the nature and nuance of innovations at each…

An estimated five million Americans participate in non-credit college and university classes annually. The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) does not require the reporting of non-credit student postsecondary enrollment, which means there is a lack of data about non-credit higher education. This qualitative case study provides…

This study was conducted to examine the impact of spirituality and religion on a student's College experience at a large Hispanic-serving community college in South Texas. The problem is that in the realm of higher education literature and research, there is scant information regarding spirituality and religion as factors in a student's motivation…

Research has revealed that online writing instructors use a variety of instructional methods in class to improve student learning experiences. However, current research has not addressed rural students' learning experiences with connectivism in an online composition course. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore what, if any,…

Only a quarter of full-time U.S. students complete their desired goal from community college attendance, with the rate of success even lower for Latinx students. This panel-data regression study looks for evidence regarding the expected influence of increasing the presence of Latinx faculty or administrators on cohort completion rates for all…

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) students have unique needs when attending American community colleges. The purpose of this dissertation is to identify current policies and practices of community colleges when working with transgender students, explore best practices when it comes to serving…

The COVID-19 pandemic forced most community colleges across the country to radically shift the ways in which they provided instruction to a majority of their students. Over the last three years, these institutions have learned how to better support students who take online courses. However they are continuing to investigate and understand how…

This report provides a look at the Fall 2024 term enrollment in categories such as student load, location and demographics of the community college student population. The content and format of this report have been developed through a collaborative effort between the Wyoming Community College Commission (WCCC), the Executive Council and the Data…

In community colleges in the United States, graduation rates remain frustratingly low. Students face many challenges, including the financial costs of attending college; the demands of school, work, and family; complex institutional systems; underfunded student support services; and insufficient preparation for college-level work. To address these…

The corequisite model is a promising developmental education reform effort that is helping students transition into college-level coursework more quickly. The purpose of this Brief is to offer recommendations to college leaders, faculty, and staff involved with implementing the corequisite model at their institution. Our recommendations are from a…

In 2015, Tennessee community colleges initiated a wave of national reform that reimagined academic support and accelerated student success. Through innovations in the delivery of targeted learning support, such as the corequisite support model, students are more likely to achieve key milestones of success in their first year of college. Now, after…