RECENTLY COMPLETED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

This study was undertaken to investigate the perceptions held by developmental educators and counselors—student affairs professionals of current procedures for working with students with learning disabilities in community colleges. Current knowledge of students with learning disabilities and perceptions about their academic success were also examined. Implications for practice based on the results of this study were included.     

RECENTLY COMPLETED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

The recession prompted reflection on how resource allocation decisions contribute to the performance of community colleges in the United States. Private benchmarking initiatives, most notably those established by the National Higher Education Benchmarking Institute, can only partially begin to address this question. Empirical and financial barriers may limit the utility of private benchmarking initiatives, and this article argues that renewed interest in public benchmarking initiatives is needed in order to overcome these difficulties and advance the study of how resource allocation decisions contribute to the performance of community colleges. Data is provided to illustrate how the Integrated Postsecondary Data System can be used to compare key financial parameters of two-year public postsecondary institutions.     

RECENTLY PUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

To discover the organizational components that nurture good teaching at 2‐year colleges, the author undertook a comprehensive survey of faculty development programs at Ohio 2‐year colleges. A review of the literature uncovered several variables that need to be considered when assessing the state of faculty development in higher education institutions. The most important of these appears to be institutional support, that is, a climate that fosters and encourages faculty development. To assess these elements, a 65‐item, four‐part survey was constructed. Unfortunately, the results force the researcher to draw the conclusion that Ohio 2‐year colleges are not doing a better job of emphasizing or supporting teaching.     

RECENTLY PUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

The imminent teacher shortage in the United States has caused educators, policy makers, parents and concerned citizens to focus on teacher preparation not only at the university level, but also at the community college level. As a result, many community colleges are developing teacher education programs and focusing on real life classroom situations for early field experiences. Mentoring, one of the most popular ways of benefiting from the positive influence of a more experienced person, is an approach to preparing teachers for educational occupations.

The main objective of this study was to see if a preservice mentoring program can affect changes in the emotions, attitudes, and anxieties of students about the teaching profession. The participants were 60 education majors (30 in the experimental group and 30 in the control group) from a community college. The experimental group had first-hand experiences with 30 master teachers from a local school district. The 30 students in the control group were education majors from the community college who completed a pre- and posttest instrument. Data was collected from results of a pre- and posttest of a teaching attitudinal survey for preservice teachers. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed to test for significant differences between the means of the posttests for the control and experimental groups while controlling for the pretests. Results revealed that there were no statistically significant differences between the means of the two groups with respect to changes in emotions and anxiety. However, there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in attitudinal changes.     

RECENTLY PUBLISHED DISSERTATIONS ON COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

The use of student satisfaction measures remains an almost universal practice in higher education despite controversy regarding their usefulness and validity. Even with their prevalent use, and the importance placed on them for outcomes assessment and faculty evaluation, little research has examined personality factors that influence students while completing satisfaction measures. The role that emotional awareness plays in the evaluative judgments students make was the focus of the current study. Results indicate that community college student satisfaction ratings are influenced by the interaction of gender, emotional awareness, and awareness of physiological states.     

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT IN COMMUNITY/JUNIOR COLLEGES: THE STATE OF THE ART AS VIEWED BY THE ACADEMIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

The purpose of this study was to determine the state of the art in curriculum development in U.S. community/junior colleges. Responding to a questionnaire of 33 items, 184 academic affairs officers expressed their perception of community/junior college curriculum development including (1) goals and objectives, (2) content, (3) learning experiences, (4) learner characteristics, and (5) planning and evaluation. Several areas are identified as needing attention that provide direction for improved curriculum development.     

工业区社区大学办学主体和治理结构

如何在较短的时间内使继续教育覆盖到工业区的4000多万外来务工人员?我们的答案是在工业区办社区大学。在农民工的继续教育上存在着若干重要利益相关者,每一个主体都有自己的利益,各利益主体的参与和他们的资源保障社区大学“成本分担模式”可持续。治理结构可能主要有三种类型:政府举办和管理;真正非盈利性的民办社区学院,由社区各方共同举办并有参与式的治理结构;盈利性的公司或私人举办的盈利性社区学院。     

A STUDY OF JUNIOR AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE HISTORY INSTRUCTORS IN THE SOUTH

Instructors in community and junior colleges within the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ accrediting region were the focus of this study to determine characteristics and activities of those teaching history. A questionnaire was mailed to each history instructor in 88 of the 285 institutions in the region. A total of 230 instructors responded. After data were compiled and analyzed, it was determined that the typical history instructor in the region is a married, middle‐aged male who is Southern born and bred, and holds at least a master's degree in history. He has been in his present position for at least 10 years, coming to the present position from the high school ranks. The lecture method is used in teaching the 13‐to 15‐credit‐hour average load. Teaching is the primary activity of history instructors, with research and service not a part of usual expectations.     

COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN JAPAN AND THE SOCIAL STATUS OF JAPANESE WOMEN

Historically, Japanese junior colleges have served as preparatory institutions for young Japanese women pursuing marriage. Under influences of American higher education systems during the post-World War II era, Japanese junior colleges have successfully attracted eighteen-year-old females and provided them with a terminal liberal arts education. This article investigates briefly the history of Japanese postsecondary education systems prior to the educational reforms of 1945 and the post-war development of junior colleges. Based on the historical development of Japanese junior colleges, implications for women's social status are examined. Recommendations are made for the future development of Japanese junior colleges and the academic and career advancement of Japanese women.     

THE STATUS OF FACULTY SENATES IN COMMUNITY COLLEGES

Shared governance plays an important role in institutional decision making. The extent to which faculty are involved in governance, though, has largely been ignored within community colleges. The current study was designed to profile faculty governance units, such as senates, in community, junior, and technical colleges in order to initiate a constructive dialogue about how best to build structures that allow faculty input into decision making. An exploratory survey of faculty governance in community colleges was mailed to a apurposive national sample of community colleges to provide geographic representation. Findings reveal that governance bodies are less common that perhaps previously thought, and that these structures tend to be more informal than in their 4-year college counterparts.