Broward Community College--Students

The purpose of the study was to compare the academic needs of the adult part-time student, 22 years of age and older, with the needs of the traditional full-time student, 21 years of age and younger, in order to identify curricular and student services needs important to the adult student. Data was obtained from a random sample of 500 credit-taking students attending Broward Community College in south Florida. The closed-ended questionnaire was returned by over two-thirds of the students. Statistical tests of significance were chi-square and Kendall's tau. Results indicate the null hypotheses of no significant differences between the adult part-time student's curricular and student services needs and the needs of the traditional full-time student are not supported. The correlation coefficients indicate a weak to moderate association for the significant variables. The null hypotheses of no significant differences between the adult part-time student's curricular and student services needs and the needs of the part-time student, 21 years of age and younger are supported. The correlation coefficients indicate a weak to very weak association for the significant variables. Lambda, performed on the socioeconomic variables, indicate little or no predictive power by the adult (or younger) part-time student and the traditional full-time student. Among the findings are most adult part-time students usually attend night classes, need a greater selection of courses and academic advisors at night, need courses that will transfer to an upper level university, and plan to be on campus only to study and/or attend class. About a fourth expressed a need for daycare. Over half of all student indicated a need for courses to upgrade skills in effective communication, math, reading, and writing. Two-thirds of the students attend part-time. The majority are 22 years of age and older. The traditional full-time student comprise only one-fourth of the total student population. Findings indicate the needs of the adult part-time student (as well as the needs of the younger part-time student) should be strongly considered in decisions pertaining to curricular and student services needs.

This study was undertaken in an effort to determine, through the study of six carefully chosen variables, whether the student obtaining a GED diploma was as well prepared for post-secondary educational experiences as the student who completed a regular high school program and received a diploma. Subjects for the study consisted of all GED entrants to Broward Community College (a public, fully accredited two-year community college located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida) during the Fall term of 1980 and a randomly selected sample of high school diploma entrants for the same term who were matched to the GED entrants for age, sex and race. Subjects numbered 458 GED entrants and 458 high school diploma entrants, for a total of 916. The record for each subject was assessed for the three-year period beginning with the Fall term of 1980 and continuing through the Summer term of 1983, or a total of nine terms. Using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), statistics involving the variables were obtained with computer assistance. In all cases, GED entrants were compared to high school diploma entrants, with the confidence level being established at .05. The six variables studied were: (1) Incidence of enrollment in "remedial" courses; (2) Degree of success in "remedial" courses as evidenced by passing grade; (3) Overall grade point average; (4) Successful completion of programs as evidenced by degree or certificate awarded; (5) Enrollment pattern as evidenced by length of enrollment; (6) Indicated major area of study (academic as compared with technical) Results were supportive of the null hypotheses variables 2, 3, and 5; they were not supportive in connection with variables 1 and 6. Results concerning variable 4 were inconclusive due to the very small number of degrees or certificates awarded to either group. The overall conclusion reached was that GED entrants to post-secondary educational programs would probably need some remediation, especially in the area of mathematics. Mandatory assessment and placement for GED entrants was recommended, as were other revisions in College policy regarding grading practices and retention efforts.