Equity Case Studies on Rural Community Colleges: A Blueprint for Campus Change

Abstract

ABSTRACT The purpose of this article is to provide a blueprint to conduct equity case studies in rural community colleges. Informed by our field work experiences applying case study design and equity-minded frameworks, this blueprint involves four distinct steps: 1) identifying rural community colleges in North Carolina; 2) operationalizing equity in rural community colleges; 3) building rapport and creating buy-in with campus presidents and stakeholders; and 4) methodological considerations. We provide details about each of these steps with the goal of sharing principles, tools, and advice that aided our research design. We conclude by providing research implications to equip future researchers and practitioners interested in advancing equity-minded research in rural community colleges.