Journal of Applied Research in Community Colleges

SPRING 2015 - VOLUME 22, ISSUE 1

Enrollment and Completion Patterns Among African American and Latino Males Attending Illinois Community Colleges

Lorenzo DuBois Baber, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Edmund Graham III, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

Using Illinois as an illustrative case study, this article examines enrollment and degree completion patterns among African American and Latino males attending community colleges in the state. Findings suggest disparate trends in enrollment and credential completion when compared to the overall population and White male peers. Authors suggest potential factors influencing this observation and offer recommendations for key stakeholders invested in the success of this traditionally underserved population.

Keywords: community college, equity, men of color

Baber, L. D., & Graham, E., III. (2015). Enrollment and completion patterns among African American and Latino males attending Illinois community colleges. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 22(1), 1-11.

Fostering a Cross-College Mentoring Program: A Case Study Among Six California Community Colleges

Lu Liu, University of La Verne
Barbara McNeice-Stallard, Mt. San Antonio College
Claire Stallard, Citrus College

Using a qualitative case study design, this study focused on the outcomes of a formal mentoring program among six community colleges in California. The successful experiences of mentors and mentees in the program, as well as special characteristics related to a formal multi-college mentoring program, were examined. The impact of community college organizational and cultural structure in such a mentoring relationship was discussed as well. Based on the findings, the researchers provided suggestions and recommendations for a successful mentee-mentor relationship in a formal community college mentoring program.

Keywords: mentoring, community college, case study

Liu, L., McNeice-Stallard, B., & Stallard, C. (2015). Fostering a cross-college mentoring program: A case study among six California community colleges. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 22(1), 13-23.

Evidence-Based Management and Community College Decision-Making

Ronald B. Head, University of Maryland University College

While community college leaders have become adept in recent years at using data to inform decision making, they are less adept at scientifically reviewing literature to identify proven practices relating to issues faced by their institutions. Systematic review is a research methodology that can be used by leaders to base decisions not only on internal data, but also on study results reported in the literature. Systematic review locates existing studies, evaluates their utility, analyzes their data, and provides an understanding of what is and is not known about a specific issue or topic. This article describes the stages of systematic review, examines challenges faced by those in the community college sector that use systematic review, and explains how systematic review can contribute to a culture of evidence at a community college and lead to a practice of true evidence-based management by community college leaders.

Keywords: Systematic review, community colleges, leadership

Head, R. B. (2015). Evidence-based management and community college decision-making. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 22(1), 25-33.

A Matter of Institutional Size: A Comparative Case Study of Collaborations Between Academic and Student Affairs in Community College Settings

Needham Yancey Gulley, Morgan State University

This article focuses on understanding the impact of institutional size on collaborative practices between academic and student affairs. Specifically, the author examined the nature of academic and student affairs collaboration at three community colleges of distinctly different sizes within the same system, examining similarities and differences. The findings from this qualitative study offer insight into the impact of institutional size and type on the collaborative practice of these two units. Overall, while these community colleges collaborated more freely and naturally than the other types of institutions previously studied, there were distinct differences in the nature of collaboration among the various community colleges participating in this study.

Keywords: collaboration, case study, student affairs

Gulley, N. Y. (2015). A matter of institutional size: A comparative case study of collaborations between academic and student affairs in community college settings. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 22(1), 35-42.

Challenges and Support: Transfer Experiences of Community College Engineering Students

Yi (Leaf) Zhang, University of Texas at Arlington
Taryn O. Allen, University of Texas at Arlington

Focusing on community college students who successfully transferred to engineering programs at a four-year research university, we explored the challenges and sources of support this group of students encountered during their transfer process. The findings of the study suggested that engineering transfer students confronted academic obstacles as they enrolled in their major courses at the four-year research university. Another key challenge engineering transfer students experienced was related to their knowledge and awareness of the transfer process. Despite these challenges, participants successfully transferred to a four-year university as a result of three sources of support. The primary contributors to their transfer experiences included: (1) community college faculty, (2) the four-year university website and academic advisors, and (3) their families. Recommendations for policy and practice are provided based on the findings.

Keywords: engineering, transfer students, community college

Zhang, Y., & Allen, T. O. (2015). Challenges and support: Transfer experiences of community college engineering students. Journal of Applied Research in the Community College, 22(1), 43-50.