Looking back from the field: Student affairs practitioners’ perceptions of a graduate-level community college course

Abstract

ABSTRACTWe examined perceptions of 12 graduates from a master’s-level student affairs preparation program who took a course about community colleges via interviews. Participants were required to be: (a) graduates of the student affairs program at Midwestern Public University (MPU) and (b) employed in the field of student affairs in higher education. Four findings emerged from the data: (a) having a pragmatic curiosity about community colleges; (b) harboring initial unfavorable perceptions of community colleges; (c) experiencing a significant learning experience; and (d) the transferability of learning to their current institutions and students in higher education, regardless of institutional type.