Transfer Between Community Colleges and 4-Year Colleges: The All-American Game

ABSTRACT

In this article, the authors introduce a novel way, using the metaphor of a baseball game, to evaluate and measure community college student progress for those whose stated goal is to transfer to a 4-year institution and, ultimately, earn a bachelor's degree. The proposed framework of “the Transfer Game” is an outgrowth of the Transfer and Retention of Urban Community College Students (TRUCCS) project, which is a longitudinal study of 5,000 community college students from the 9-campuses of the Los Angeles Community College District. The goal of the project is to explain how the “all-American game” provides a method to measure, comprehend, and visualize student progression, and identify the factors that predict both success and barriers. The framework provides a scholarly comparison of the all-American game of baseball to the All-American invention of the community college.     

Complementarity Between the Transfer Goals of Community Colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Learning from History

Community colleges and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) often serve the same populations; however, the historical purposes, policies, and practices of HBCUs often better prepare them to serve first-generation students. Although both HBCUs and community colleges have their origins within the same historical period, the forces that created each of these branches of higher education also created a divergence in how they operate. This article looks at the most critical of those shaping forces to identify why HBCUs and community colleges often view their mission and their students differently and, thus, perform their work differently. The increased diversity of students whom community colleges are serving provides an opportunity for community colleges to look at HBCUs' successes and determine how community colleges can learn from and adapt those successes with students of color especially. The article suggests that in their mission to serve transfer students, community colleges can learn much from HBCUs' successes with underprepared students.     

美国社区学院的转学教育

转学教育是美国两年制学院最重要的特征之一.同职业教育、社区教育和补习教育相比,转学教育在美国两年制学院最初半个多世纪中一直是最重要的课程,后来才走向衰退.但这种衰退已引起美国各州政府和高等教育领导人的高度关注.本文探讨了美国社区学院转学教育的演变过程及其决定性因素、转学教育的内在本质及由此决定的未来趋势,最后简要论述了我国开展转学教育试验的必要性.     

Student Decisions to Attend Public Two-Year Community Colleges

While the strategy of funding both systems provides an incentive for both school districts and community colleges to participate with dual enrollment, the current fiscal environment has drawn attention to the inefficient use of the dual funding structure. This article highlights the results of a case study on Florida's dual enrollment program documenting how over a 20-year period policymakers offered different financial incentives as an inducement to greater participation among districts and community colleges. The article documents how the current state fiscal condition has altered lawmaker's motivations for supporting dual enrollment. It concludes by describing the implications of this on community college participation with dual enrollment.     

Transfer Student Success: Exploring Community College,University, and Individual Predictors

ABSTRACT

This paper investigates community college transfer success by exploring the relationship between individual and institutional-level characteristics at students’ two- and four-year institutions. Using statewide administrative data from North Carolina, this study employs a cross-classified multilevel model to investigate the impact that a student’s community college and four-year transfer institution have on post-transfer success. Our findings offer important and compelling insights into the relationship between transfer students, the community college they attended, the four-year transfer institution, and educational outcomes. While individual effects were small, we find several institutional factors associated with student success. Attendance at a large community college or having a public university in the same county as their community college is positively associated with student success, whereas size of the university is negatively related to grades during the first year and persistence to the second year. While the four-year institution’s selectivity is negatively related to many of our outcomes, transferring to a Historically Black College or University is positively associated with GPA, college persistence, and degree completion.     

Articulating and Utilizing Communication Student Learning Outcomes in Community Colleges

Academia in the United States stands face-to-face with the constant call for greater levels of assessment and accountability. Academics question whether our students are learning what they’re taught? Are they able to secure employment upon completing their education? Are they prepared to be active, productive citizens in society? Community colleges provide education to those who may typically not have the opportunity to attend an institution of higher education. A foundation of any assessment process is the articulation of the core learning outcomes. It is from this foundation, then, that community college faculty can start assessing the effectiveness of teaching and curricular design. The present investigation details a project that focused on creating discipline-specific student learning outcomes and how these outcomes can be utilized to aligning learning outcomes and mapping to curriculum. Communication studies faculty can utilize the learning outcomes to strengthen and clarify curriculum, demonstrate the acquisition of competencies, and improve departmental offerings.     

中美社区学院的比较与启示

中美社区学院在促进高等教育大众化、服务社区发展、开展灵活办学等方面具有较大的相似性,但因为国情和历史的差异,在发展背詈和动力、政策制定和定位、制度设计和管理等方面存在许多不同。借鉴美国社区学院的发展经验,我国社区学院应定位公益教育,立足制度创新,实施三教融通。     

How Community Colleges Can Help Prevent Financial Hardship Among Student Borrowers

The utilization of loans by community college students is a contentious issue. In this article we broadly examine issues related to borrowing by community college students, giving attention to how loans can help, as well as hinder, borrowers at these institutions. Despite increased rhetoric about the perceived student loan crisis, caution is warranted before jettisoning student loans as a tool for access and completion at community colleges. Instead, we suggest that a more nuanced approach, aimed at helping students understand and manage their loans, is in the best interest of students and the college. Our recommendations are intended to help community colleges increase the number of borrowers who earn a credential and reduce the number who default.     

Student Engagement and Institutional Graduation Rates: Identifying High-Impact Educational Practices for Community Colleges

Philanthropists, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners are increasingly focused on a college completion crisis in the United States. Collectively and independently, they have called for increasing the number of adults with postsecondary certificates and degrees as a national imperative. Using the 2007 administration of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), this article explores the statistical relationships between student engagement, as measured by the CCSSE, and institutional graduation rates reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Both bivariate correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses yielded results that reinforce the salience of student engagement as an important predictor of college completion. Specifically, the CCSSE student engagement benchmarks of active and collaborative learning and support for learners are positive predictors of institutional graduation rates. The article concludes with suggestions around instructional practices and institutional policies to consider for community college leaders committed to the completion agenda.     

The Growth of International Student Enrollment at Community Colleges and Implications

An emerging trend today is the increased enrollment of international students at community colleges. International students look to American community colleges as a steppingstone to achieving an education that might otherwise be beyond their reach. They are attracted to the community college by the lower tuition costs, opportunities for guaranteed transfer to a four-year university, and the opportunity to study at a variety of geographical locations throughout the United States. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine the reasons that international students choose to study at community colleges and to consider the implications for community colleges at a time when funding, services, and growth opportunities have been severely restricted. Suggestions for further research are also included.     

Trial and Error: How Student Affairs Staff in Community Colleges Learn to Supervise

Supervisory skills play an important role in individual staff development and the achievement of organizational objectives. These skills are vital to professionals in community college student affairs, who support a diverse student population and a wide array of programming. This study was conducted to describe the kind of supervisory training experience student affairs professionals received. Through interviews with community college student affairs professionals, we found that many experienced a lack of formal training and acquired supervisory skills over time on the job, through trial and error, and from workshops.     

The Relationship Between the Employment of Part-Time Faculty and Student Degree and/or Certificate Completion in Two-Year Community Colleges

Prior research studies associated the employment of part-time faculty with student degree and/or certificate completion (Benjamin, 2002; Ehrenberg & Zhang, 2005; Jacoby, 2006; Leslie & Gappa, 2002; Umbach, 2008; Umbach & Wawrzynski, 2005). To date, institutional-level data have been utilized to investigate whether such employment adversely associated with student degree and/or certificate completion in two-year community colleges. Little research, however, has been conducted to study such association utilizing both student and institutional-level data (e.g., Eagan & Jaeger, 2009; Jacoby, 2006). In this study, we draw data from Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and The Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study (BPS: 04/09), and employ a multilevel logistic regression model to investigate whether the proportion of part-time faculty is negatively associated with individual student’s likelihood of degree and/or certificate completion. Analytical results indicate the proportion of part-time faculty in community colleges is not negatively associated with student’s likelihood of degree and/ or certificate completion.     

Community College Student Success Inventory (CCSSI) for Men of Color in Community Colleges: Content Validation Summary

This study reports on the content validation of the Community College Student Success Inventory (CCSSI) for Men of Color. The CCSSI was designed to be used by community colleges to assess their effectiveness in addressing success outcomes for men who have been historically underrepresented and underserved in education, particularly men of color. A panel of subject matter experts (SMEs) rated the instrument and provided qualitative feedback on additional areas for consideration. Content validity index (CVI) and scale level index scores (S-CVI) are reported. The instrument illustrated strong CVI and S-CVI scores. SMEs suggested several additional areas for consideration that were added to the CCSSI. The instrument is recommended for use by community colleges interested in enhancing outcomes for men of color.     

美国社区学院转学教育功能研究

美国社区学院的转学教育是沟通副学士和学士学位的桥梁,透视美国社区学院转学教育的历史沿革、现状,研究影响转学功能的五个关键因素以及发展趋势,对完善中国高等教育专本衔接机制应有一定的借鉴意义.     

美国社区学院转学教育功能的形成和历史沿革

社区学院是美国高等教育系统中的重要组成部分,其最传统的教育功能就是转学教育。文章在分析社区学院转学教育功能形成原因的基础上,根据历史线索对其在不同时期的兴衰史及其相关因素进行了梳理和探讨,并对其未来发展趋势做了预测。     

Using the Wisdom Development Theory to Conceptualize Student Professionalism Development in Community Colleges

ABSTRACT

Historically, community colleges have played a vital role in career and vocational preparation for students. In today’s complex and ever-changing work environment, professionalism issues are at the forefront of employers’ concerns related to millennials and other young students and recent graduates. This issue is aggravated by the rise of social media and other trends that pose challenges related to, for example, professionalism in communication. The community college community is an excellent site for a movement towards structured professionalism training and research that is process-centered and that emphasizes lifelong learning. Drawn upon the literature review and our own experiences in career counseling, we expand on the perspectives of professionalism at the individual and group levels. And we present on how community colleges’ offices, instructors, and administrators can use the Model of Wisdom Development to understand whether and how are students developing professionalism.     

高校学生社团发展的文化引导及模式创新

对于高校社团而言,社团自身文化是其立身之本,发展之基．．而社团的文化来源于社会,并在大学这个纯洁的环境下茁壮成长,不断创新,最后以正确的方式回馈社会。社团在自身发展的过程中,也需要有一系列行之有效的管理制度,做到以人为本、深化模式、不断开阔、完善传承,而指导老师的适时点播也是社团在发展过程中难以取代的一盏明灯。当然,社团的发展过程中需注重学以致用,在平时的活动中多与外界交流合作,让学员能更早的感受社会氛围,积累社会经验,为其今后的就业搭建平台。