Community colleges

The purpose of the multi-site case study was to gain an understanding of the impact on human resources that public community colleges in the State of Florida experience when the institutions expanded their degree offerings to include Community College Baccalaureate degrees. The researcher was able to identify that there were changes in human resources in the areas of compensation plans, job descriptions, and credentialing of faculty members. The researcher determined the other impacts on human resources, such as changes to the organizational structure, and to the culture of the organization, in a positive way. Qualitative research methods were used that included personal, one on one interviews, observations, and review of documents. The sample for the study consisted of 2 of the 27 community colleges in the State of Florida that have offered baccalaureate degrees at their institutions. The conclusion of this study resulted in additional literature being available for community colleges, policy makers, and other decision makers interested in understanding the challenges faced by community colleges seeking to be successful in offering baccalaureate degrees at their institutions.

As global interdependency becomes increasingly more apparent in our shrinking world, changing economic conditions draw people of many different cultures closer together. It is crucial that we develop knowledge and understanding of international cultures and countries to initiate and encourage reciprocal commercial and cultural exchange between local community colleges and the global community. Community colleges have an exceptional opportunity to provide effective leadership in order to implement and integrate international education (IE) concepts in their mission statement, goals and curriculum. The ultimate goal should be to institutionalize IE throughout the curriculum, faculty, staff, and student body of all community colleges. The success of enlarging global dimensions of community college students depends largely on the expressed commitment of strategic institutional leadership as wen as community support for such an undertaking. It is essential that a strong commitment by the board of trustees, the president, key academic leaders, and the faculty exists to implement international education concepts in the curriculum of the institution. The institution's mission and goals statement should reflect that view, and the board of trustees should promote that mission statement with a supportive policy statement. A director of international education is absolutely necessary to initiate, implement and maintain IE programs as well as funds for the development of the programs and for travel-related IE activities. A public information system will keep the institution and the community cognizant of the program's activities, and community advisory and support groups should be utilized for community input. This study is based upon an established demonstration project at the community college level through the Community Colleges for International Development (CCID). Levels of commitment of strategic leadership at CCID institutions were determined as well as levels of integration of IE concepts in curriculum at CCID member and affiliate institutions. An evaluation of the relationship between the two variables was undertaken to determine if strategies have been successfully implemented to achieve the stated goals of Community Colleges for International Development. An evaluation between the level of involvement of COD member and affiliates in IE programs and activities was also undertaken to determine whether there is a difference between the commitment and involvement of members and affiliates in implementing IE concepts in curriculum at their respective CCID institutions.

The purpose of this analysis was to obtain architectural dimensions from selected community college theatres. A survey was sent to 315 community college theatre departments requesting information in 17 categories: stage dimensions, proscenium arch, grid, loading doors, rigging, stage floor, pit, storage areas, building shop, costume shop, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, green room, lights, light booth, control booth, auditorium, and colors. There was a 25% survey return rate. Results from the survey are reported in 5 tables: Mean, Median and Range of Survey Topics, Maximum and Minimum Responses for Survey Questions, Room Measurements, Adequacy Ratings, and Topics and Quantities. Appendices include a copy of the survey, mailing list, and comments from the respondents. The analysis shows that workshops and storage areas had the lowest adequacy rating. In addition, comments from respondents provided recommendations for future community college theatre designers. These include: (1) Determine needs and role of the college and theatre before a consultant or architect is hired and plans are drawn. (2) Determine instructional need in terms of current and future course offerings. (3) Provide concessions if the facility will host touring productions or community activities. (4) Theatre staff should have an active part in determining the needs and design. (5) The college should hire the theatre consultant. (6) Choose an architect with theatre experience.

The pedagogical effectiveness of the integration of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) into the community college general biology laboratory was compared with that of traditional "hands on" biology laboratory instruction. Two evaluative instruments were used as a measure of student achievement: a multiple choice test (pretest/posttest format) and a laboratory report form. The multiple choice posttest was readministered at a later date as an indicator of learning retention. Both evaluative instruments were referenced as to higher and lower cognitive learning skills according to Bloom's Taxonomy and subscores for each category were obtained. Student pre- and post-attitude toward CAI was addressed through the administration of a CAI attitude inventory. Enzyme Investigations, a program developed for HRM Software by James Chandler (1985) was used in this study. Statistical comparisons consisted of either ANOVA or multifactor ANOVA with the level of rejection at 0.05. CAI students did not differ at either cognitive level of learning achievement from traditionally instructed lab students when measured with a multiple choice test. A significant difference was noted favoring CAI students for higher cognitive level learning as measured by a laboratory report. Gender differences favoring male CAI students approached significance (p = 0.0759) using the multiple choice test but comparable differences were not noted with lab report scores. When test scores of students at varying levels of academic achievement (as measured by grade point average) were compared, the CAI and traditional groups' performances were similar for both evaluative instruments. No significant difference was noted between the CAI and traditional groups when learning retention was measured. Student participation in the CAI produced no significant change in attitude toward this instructional strategy. It was concluded that when the two forms of instruction were compared in the general biology laboratory, integrated CAI was at least as effective as traditional methods at the community college level. Additionally, CAI appears to be more effective than traditional lab methods for teaching higher level cognitive skills.

The purpose of this study was to determine certain perceptions
held by disadvantaged students about the usefulness of selected student
services at eight MOTEC-JC related Community junior colleges in America.
In order to accomplish this purpose, a survey questionnaire was sent to
eight community junior colleges participating in the MOTEC-JC Program
(Moving On To Enrollment and Completion of Junior College), a Federally
funded institute operated at Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton,
Florida. Some of the MOTEC-JC participants were teachers and administrators
employed at the following community junior colleges which partieipated
in this study: Central Florida Community College, Ocala, Florida;
Sanford D. Bishop State Junior College, Mobile, Alabama; Daytona Beach
Community College, Daytona Beach, Florida; Cumberland County College,
Vineland, New Jersey; Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, Florida;
Broward Community College, Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Jefferson State
Junior College, Birmingham, Alabama. A participant from each of these
eight community junior colleges identified disadvantaged students enrolled in their respective institutions and administered the survey instrument
to these students.
One hundred and forty-two questionnaires responded to by disadvantaged
students were returned and utilized in percentage, ratio, and
statistical analyses. Percentages were obtained to determine disadvantaged
students' utilization of selected student services at their respective
community junior colleges. Ratios were computed to isolate important
relationships among the answers given by disadvantaged students to the
questions comprising each of the ten sections of the questionnaire. Moreover,
findings were analyzed and tested by x^2
to identify significant
differences in the responses made by disadvantaged students when classified
as Freshmen and Sophomores. A comparison of the responses of these
two groups was made to determine if being freshmen or sophomores at the
community junior colleges made a significant difference in whether these
students utilized the selected student services.
Disadvantaged students were utilizing selected student services
at their community junior colleges. Furthermore, being freshmen or
sophomores made no significant difference as to whether these students
utilized the selected services. Nevertheless, there were those disadvantaged
students who never used the selected student services at their
community junior colleges. Consequently, future research is needed to
obtain information from disadvantaged students not utilizing selected
student services at their community junior colleges.

This study focused on the capital costs of the community college baccalaureate (CCB) institutions established in the Florida College System (FCS) from 2001 to 2010. This period spanned the entire history to date of the Florida CCB. The data analyzed included selected institutional, financial, and baccalaureate characteristics of the Florida CCBs and for comparison included corresponding institutional and financial characteristics for the non-CCB institutions in the FCS. The data analysis investigated the relationships between these characteristics and the baccalaureate capital costs reported by Florida's CCB colleges. From these relationships, the historic average of the baccalaureate start-up capital cost was derived. In addition, the total baccalaureate capital cost for the system and for each Florida CCB college was also determined. As part of the process of conducting this study, a number of additional relationships between CCB and non-CCB institutions were explored, reported, and described.

In this thesis a prediction model using graduation rate as the performance indicator is obtained for community colleges for three cohort years, 2003, 2004, and 2005 in the states of California, Florida, and Michigan. Multiple Regression analysis, using an aggregate of seven predictor variables, was employed in determining this prediction model. From this prediction model, a predicted graduation rate was obtained for each of the 142 institutions in this study. Using this predicted graduation rate, an Institutional Performance Ratio (IPR), was then calculated for each institution, by dividing the actual graduation rate for each institution by its predicted graduation rate. These IPR values were then used to classify the performance of each institution as meeting expectation, exceeding expectation or falling below expectation. Inter institutional comparisons were also made using these IPR values.

This study examined the perceptions held by former and current welfare-to-work participants of factors that contributed to the retention, persistence, attrition and/or completion of welfare-to-work training programs at a community college. Using the lived experiences and voices of former or current welfare-to-work participants and a qualitative research design, the researcher examined the following research questions: (a) What factors during the training impacted the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? (b) How did these factors enhance or serve as barriers to the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? This study was presented as a heuristic study of 12 former welfare participants who have transitioned or are currently transitioning from welfare to work. Using purposeful sampling, the researcher selected the participants for this study through self-identification or through nomination by program leaders and other program participants. Each of the 12 former welfare participants was interviewed about the situational, institutional, and dispositional aspects of their training. Demographic data were collected on each of the 12 participants for the purpose of a comparative analysis. Interviews of family members or friends of each of the participants validated the stories provided by the participant. Interviews with two administrators with direct responsibilities for some of the training programs for participants transitioning from welfare-to-work were also done to substantiate the stories of the participants. The findings of this study indicated three conclusions about the participants' perceptions of factors affecting their retention in welfare-to-work programs in a community college.

The purpose of this case study was to determine which, if any, alternative in delivering baccalaureate programs in the state of Florida was the most cost-effective one. This exploratory study focused on gaining an understanding of the cost effectiveness of two baccalaureate programs offered at a Florida community college to two like programs at a Florida university using qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The researcher interviewed five community college and three State Department of Education administrators during the Fall of 2007 and analyzed expenditure and effectiveness data from 2003-04 through 2006-07 to determine the cost effectiveness for the programs at each institution. The study revealed that the university and community college programs were equally effective as measured by student graduation and test scores. The community college baccalaureate programs were more cost effective, however, using a formula of per-student state funding combined with student cost. Th e lower per-student funding and student tuition charged resulted in the community college baccalaureate being a less expensive alternative of offering baccalaureate degrees to the state and the students. Using Henry Levin's ingredients model of measuring cost effectiveness, the quantitative analysis of the study revealed that that the university programs were more cost effective in the early years, but the differences diminished over time. Using Levin's model for comparison, the researcher concluded that increased growth in the enrollment of the programs combined with the implementation of effectiveness measures comparable to those of the university would render baccalaureate programs at the community colleges more cost effective.