Short-term certificate (STC) programs at community colleges represent a longstanding policy priority to align accelerated postsecondary credentials with job opportunities in local labor markets. Despite large investments in developing STCs, little evidence exists about where and when STCs are opened and whether community colleges open new programs…

This research aimed to determine if community college students who complete an associate degree before transferring are likelier to complete a baccalaureate degree than those who transfer before completing an associate degree. Additionally, this study examined if the type of institution, public vs. private, that a student transfers to impacts…

Academic advising has been described as the second-most important function in the community college (behind only instruction) toward helping students achieve their goals. Using interview data from 78 students and 33 advisors at one of the nation's largest and most racially diverse community college systems, our qualitative case study examined how…

In 1947, the Truman Commission recommended that American colleges and universities recommit themselves to civic education. Community colleges accepted this responsibility and today they offer a wide range of programs and activities designed to educate students and prepare them for the life of an engaged citizen. Still, overall, the data show that…

Community colleges play an important role in providing access to higher education to underserved student populations who often arrive on campus underprepared for the academic rigor of a college classroom. To support these students, many community colleges have implemented academic coaching programs. Built from professional coaching practices,…

Community colleges in America are facing significant challenges that necessitate transformational change. Collaboration is essential to address these challenges within an environment characterized by external stakeholder interdependence, internal stakeholder interdependence through shared governance, and unique power and authority structures.…

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System's major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled during the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. In 2010, a review process…

Implementing nature-based learning (NBL) experiences in community college courses is an emerging area of exploration in higher education. This article describes how a faculty group was formed at an urban community college with the intention to explore how nature exposure impacts learning for community college students, with faculty members from…

A newly appointed SUNY Chancellor contemplated a proposal to integrate marketing, branding, and admissions of SUNY Broome Community College with Binghamton University. Their presidents asked the Chancellor to move the integration plan forward to the SUNY Board of Trustees and were waiting for a response. An educational leader profiled in this case…

This chapter illustrates the potential promise and complexities of free college initiatives from the perspective of administrators, faculty, staff, and students who are involved in a scholarship program at a small Midwestern community college. Based on two waves of interviews conducted in 2019 and 2021 respectively, we found that, while largely…

This ethnographic study aimed to understand how the educational goals of Multilingual Learners at community colleges were shaped and examine how institutions may influence goal orientation. A critical ethnographic case study was utilized, employing data triangulation through observations and interviews as data collection methods. Participants…

Online education, also referred to as distance education, has been on a steady rise for over a decade, and California community colleges offer more online courses than any other public higher education institution. Although the success gap, as measured by course completion, between online and face-to-face learning is closing overall, online…

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a relationship between the learner interactions of learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner and either course satisfaction or perceived learning in online mathematics courses at the community college level. Additionally, this study investigated whether the learner interactions…

In the past several decades, the number of college students who experience mental health concerns has increased astronomically. During that time, acts of campus violence have increased as well. Unfortunately, many colleges have been unable to effectively meet the needs of students with mental disorders. This article explores the challenges…

This study focuses on the potential academic benefit of virtual international exchange for community colleges and the students they enroll through a comparison of virtual exchange and study abroad. Using data from two community colleges in the US Southeast, this study draws upon the notion of socioacademic integration. Specifically, this study…