Community College Faculty Research Articles

Faculty Expectations for Student Success in Community College Developmental Math

Community college faculty involved in developmental math instruction play a unique and leveraging role in helping large numbers of underprepared students navigate college success (Cejda & Murray, 2010). Based on a case study in a mainstreamed math department at one community college, this paper highlights how academic policy implementation can influence faculty expectations in developmental math classes and interact with the learning environment to enhance or dissuade student success. Theories of social perception and concepts of academic press provided the framework for analysis. Qualitative inquiry and grounded theory techniques were used to explore the foundational perceptions that shaped developmental math instructors’ expectations for student success. Contrary to previous findings, faculty participants viewed developmental math instruction as a teaching challenge, not a burden. Participants’ expectations were rooted in academic policy and tempered by perceptions of student motivation. Implications for student instruction and the role of faculty expectations are reported.

Community College Budgeting and Financing Demystified

The topic of budgeting and financial resources often strikes fear in the hearts of community college administrators and faculty, as they believe it is an arcane and complex art understood only by accountants and financial specialists. This chapter attempts to demystify the basic concepts involved in budgeting and addresses approaches to budgeting, cost allocation, and using budgets for planning and control.

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College Persistence and Engagement in Light of a Mature English Language Learner (ELL) Student’s Voice

An interview study at a community college in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States reveals factors in the persistence of English language learners (ELLs) starting from their courses in English as a second language (ESL) through to their graduation or transfer to 4-year institutions. The results form a narrative of a day in the life of a mature ELL woman and continue by reporting the primary reasons that ELLs either remained in or left the community college. Students talked about 3 main obstacles to remaining enrolled: full-time jobs, family obligations, and lack of finances, all of which are common factors for community college students. But particular to ELLs were their feelings of marginalization at the college because of their multilingual identities and linguistic struggles in their ESL and subject classes. The study closes with suggestions on ways for everyone at the college to assist ELLs in succeeding along their college trajectories. Community college faculty and administrators can work together to create a more welcoming atmosphere for ELLs with an emphasis on imparting the curriculum and college procedures that ELLs need to know in order to complete their college goals.

Integrating Language, Literacy, and Academic Development: Alternatives to Traditional English as a Second Language and Remedial English for Language Minority Students in Community Colleges

This article argues for the importance of integrating a focus on language, literacy, and academic development for United States-educated language minority (US-LM) students, sometimes called Generation 1.5. It describes four initiatives at community colleges in California that aim to do so. US-LM students have completed some K–12 schooling in the United States, but their English is considered by community college faculty, staff, or assessment measures to be inadequate for college-level instruction. Although enacting effective language and literacy support for Generation 1.5 has centered on debates about whether these students belong in English as a Second Language (ESL) or remedial English courses, how they can best be identified and tested, or whether they should be taught in separate classes, we argue that more fundamental shifts are needed. Instead of conceiving of students’ language and literacy development solely in terms of progress through ESL or remedial English sequences, educators designing support for US-LM students must also consider larger contexts of students’ academic progress, promoting students’ development of language and literacy for success in academic and professional settings as well as progress toward completing credits required for associate degrees, certificates, and transfer to four-year institutions.

Assessment Practices of Instructors in Community College

Critical thinking is an important outcome of a college education. Assessment techniques that require students to demonstrate their understanding of course concepts are referred to as authentic assessment and promote the development of critical thinking. Little research exists on the types of assessment and grading practices utilized by community college instructors. This research examined the incidence and nature of various assessment practices used by community college faculty for basing the course grade. In addition, the study also examined the percentage of course grades that was based on traditional and authentic assessment and factors that may influence the use of assessment techniques. To facilitate the study, an online survey instrument was used to obtain data from faculty employed at two community colleges in California. Study results revealed that a variety of assessment practices are used by community college instructors with differences in relation to faculty status, level of academic achievement, online teaching status, and years of teaching experience. In addition, findings indicate that faculty primarily use authentic assessment in basing the course grade as compared to objective or traditional assessment—suggesting that they are using assessment techniques that promote critical thinking. A significant finding was that part-time faculty emphasize objective exams, attendance, and homework whereas full-time faculty emphasize research projects and learning journals. Findings suggest that professional development may be warranted for faculty by faculty status.

Diversity, Communication, and Leadership in the Community College Faculty Search Process

This qualitative study investigated ethnic/racial diversity in the community college faculty search process. The researcher interviewed 12 participants—administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwestern United States—who served on faculty search committees from 2006–2009. Analysis of the participants’ interviews specific to ethnic/racial diversity in the faculty search process revealed themes around the communication of diversity’s value and role at the institution and the role of the chair and administration. Results are discussed utilizing critical race theory as a framework to better understand and address the phenomenon. The study concludes with implications for policy and practice as well as recommendations for future research.

“They Never Told Me What to Expect, So I Didn't Know What to Do”: Defining and Clarifying the Role of a Community College Student

Background Low community college completion rates are an area of concern for policymakers and practitioners. Although many students require developmental education upon entry, research suggests that even students who are deemed “college-ready” by virtue of their placement test scores or completion of developmental coursework may not earn a credential, suggesting that college readiness encompasses more than academic skill. Purpose The purpose of this study is to provide an empirically grounded description of the role of the community college student. Drawing on sociological role theory, we articulate the largely unspoken expectations, behaviors, and attitudes to which students must adhere if they are to be successful. In doing so, we begin to clarify a piece of the college success puzzle that has heretofore been underexamined. We also extend current literature on college persistence by integrating theories of psychosocial identity, social roles, and college persistence. Research Design The study uses qualitative data from semistructured interviews conducted with community college students (n = 97) and faculty and staff (n = 72) from a study of student success courses in three community colleges in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). We examined a subset of interview questions investigating the expectations that staff and faculty hold of community college students. We used analytic induction to categorize disparate expectations into discrete components of the community college student role. Findings Relying on sociological conceptions of the role, we find that the demands and expectations placed on community college students are different from other social positions with which individuals are familiar, particularly with regard to the level of fluidity and demands for self-awareness. We also identify four distinct components of the role of community college student: academic habits, cultural know-how, balancing multiple demands, and help seeking. Conclusions Our data clarify the nonacademic components of college success that contribute to academic readiness. We also find agreement between our data and other college persistence literature focused on other student populations. Our findings extend current understandings of the psychosocial transition to college by paying attention to the cultural elements of the community college student role. This paper concludes with suggestions for future research.

Beyond Compliance: Using Organizational Theory to Unleash the Potential of Assessment

This article illustrates how organizational theory can be used to support the development of authentic assessment practice among community college faculty, as well as guide research on implementation of assessment efforts. While many factors make implementing assessment difficult, the link between accreditation and assessment is a key element in distancing the practice from faculty. This dynamic arises not from the actions of accreditation agencies per se, but from the accountability narrative that has come to dominate both assessment and accreditation, the corresponding perception that assessment is “done to” faculty rather than by them, and a reliance among institutional leaders to echo this message in an effort to get assessment started. The result is implementation of assessment for compliance rather than meaningful program improvement. Understanding assessment as an innovation, and using organizational theory to guide implementation, may help community college leaders transcend this challenge and develop assessment practice that is more faculty-owned and meaningful. However, the current literature says little about how to use organizational theory to implement such assessment efforts. This article integrates Bolman and Deal’s (2008) framework on leadership and organizational change with actual examples of practice to illustrate how their model might be used to recapture the potential of assessment as well as guide research on effective implementation.

How Community College Faculty Members May Improve Student Learning Productivity in Their Online Courses

Eleven experienced community college faculty members were interviewed to elicit examples of how they improved student learning productivity in their online courses. The 11 faculty members represented eight different states, nine different fields or disciplines, and all were permanent or full-time faculty members at community colleges in the southern or western states. Based on a thematic analysis of the examples given, improvement in student learning occurred by (a) emphasizing seven approaches to increase student engagement, (b) using six different structuring tactics to focus student attention on learning, (c) using assessment techniques to improve learning, and (d) pursuing a personal passion for online teaching. These findings suggest that faculty can and do find ways to use different tools in different ways to improve student learning productivity in community colleges.

Attitudes on Barriers and Benefits of Distance Education among Mississippi Delta Allied Health Community College Faculty, Staff, and Students

Online distance education creates increased opportunities for continuing education and advanced training for allied health professionals living in underserved and geographically isolated areas. The purpose of this article was to explore attitudes on barriers and benefits of distance education technology among underrepresented minority allied health students. It also addressed potential issues to geographic isolation that may contribute to the shortage of adequately trained health professionals in the Mississippi Delta. Community college students, faculty, and staff of Mississippi Delta allied health programs were interviewed about their experience, barriers and benefits to participation, and self efficacy with distance education. Four focus groups meetings with 34 participants were conducted to understand perceptions of community college students and professionals about distance education. Exposure to and experience with online and distance learning format, frequent Internet usage, and plans to matriculate to a four-year university are significant factors when examining attitudes on barriers and benefits. Faculty and staff perceive that community college students would be more confident during discussions in an online environment; that an online class will reduce out-of-pocket educational expenses; and online learning will save time by making all course materials accessible from one webpage. Attitudes on benefits to distance education should be evaluated to assess whether distance education programs meet the needs of the students in underserved areas.

Social Capital, Stereotype Threat, and the Myth of Effort: A Narrative of Two Culturally Responsive Education Initiatives

Because we are social animals, what we know can most often be traced to the knowledge of others whose own human and cultural capital connections in micro-networks serve as our first knowledge resources for learning. This is evident in the example of how infants assimilate the languages (sometimes multiple languages) of their first micro-networks of family. Educators are well positioned in civil society to train students to access knowledge resources beyond the reach of their first networks. Educators can overtly train students to design and implement plans for expanding their connections to social capital micro-networks of people who know what a student wants or needs to know. This paper discusses two field projects to train community college students, faculty and staff to analyze, design and develop social capital connections of knowledge. The paper also conveys the theory that underpins the studies (J. Coleman, C. Steele, and C. Dweck) and several intriguing paths for further investigation that have emerged as Freirian generative themes during workshops this year, which trained hundreds of community college professional and students. One such path stems from the competing notions of effort-the myth of ineffective individual student effort versus a strategy of effective effort in which students are trained first to understand the importance of social capital in their education and trained to take action to design and access social capital resources for further learning, knowledge sharing, and empowerment through group social action. A discussion of the role of social media in new student designs for action might also be of interest.

Translating a health behavior change intervention for delivery to 2-year college students: the importance of formative research.

Young adults are at risk for weight gain in the transition to independent adulthood; 2-year college students are at greater risk and understudied relative to 4-year students. This project conducted formative research for a randomized controlled weight gain prevention trial among 2-year college students, to ensure appropriateness of content and delivery of a curriculum originally developed for 4-year college students. Data were collected from community college students, faculty, and staff from October 2009 to August 2011. Work included focus groups and key informant interviews, curriculum pilot testing, and social network and support website beta testing. Based on focus groups and interviews, program content, course delivery modes, and communication channels were adjusted to meet population interests and preferences. The course was delivered successfully in pilot testing, and the website was received well by beta testers. Formative work successfully guided program adaptations to address population needs.

The Impact of Human Capital and Selected Job Rewards on Community College Faculty Job Satisfaction

Community colleges accommodate nearly half of all United States college students. Increased reliance upon community colleges is driven by the current economic downturn, rising costs of higher education, and changing expectations for today's workforce requiring advanced skill sets. Community colleges offer more affordable options for broader spectrums of students including traditional and nontraditional college students and dual-enrolled high school students. Community college faculty facilitate student learning and program completion. A shortage of community college faculty will likely emerge as numerous faculty retire. Community college administrators need strategies for retaining and recruiting faculty amid increasing retirements. One effective strategy is to offer a work environment that cultivates positive work-related attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction). This study examines the ability of select human capital investments, intrinsic rewards, extrinsic rewards, and sociodemographics to predict overall job satisfaction for full-time community college faculty. A cross-sectional predictive design was used with secondary analysis of the 2004 National Study of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOPF:04) dataset. Logistic Regression was utilized to determine predictive ability of the independent variables on overall job satisfaction. Results indicated that faculty were more likely to be satisfied with their work if they were satisfied with their salary, benefits and workload; were satisfied with the teaching support they received from their institutions; and if they perceived that females and minorities were treated fairly by the organization. Conversely, minority faculty were less likely to be satisfied, as were faculty who indicated they would again choose a career in academe if given the choice.

A Critical Challenge: The Engagement and Assessment of Contingent, Part-Time Adjunct Faculty Professors in United States Community Colleges

In 2011, according to a National Center for Education Statistics report, part-time instructional staff in all higher education institutions exceeded full-time faculty members for the first time, accounting for 50% of all instructional staff (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2012). The same report indicates part-time faculty in community colleges exceeds 70% of instructional staff. Perhaps more alarming are the numbers of contingent instructional staff—faculty without long-term employment commitments. According to this measure, nearly 70% of faculty members in all areas of higher education have little-to-no job stability (American Association of University Professors [AAUP], 2013; Schuster & Finklestein, 2006). However, limited research exists on the working experiences of this major subpopulation of United States professors. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of part-time contingent community college faculty regarding the assessment processes their institutions implemented. Through interviews, researchers gathered data identifying what 20 part-time contingent faculty professors reported regarding teaching conditions and institutional assessment procedures. Participant interviews revealed two major themes centered on a lack of institutional engagement and meaningful assessment policies or procedures.

Community College Culture and Faculty of Color

This investigation examines and explains the ways in which community college faculty of color construct their understandings of institutional culture. We investigate four community colleges in California through interviews with 31 full-time faculty of color. This faculty group expresses identity conflicts between their professional roles and their cultural identities. Their understandings of their institutions suggest that the culture of the community college is more complex and multi-faceted than that portrayed in the scholarly literature, which often portrays the institution as homogeneous and the faculty body as uniform.

Contests for Professional Status: Community College Faculty in Sociology

Community colleges are playing an increasingly important and visible role in higher education in the United States. However, the additional attention to community colleges has not produced the same degree of recognition regarding the importance and needs of the faculty within those institutions, who make up about 27 percent of all faculty members nation-wide. This article examines factors influencing the professional status of community college faculty. We argue that understanding the position of community college faculty in higher education today depends upon understanding that professional status is a dynamic and contested terrain, rather than a series of static characteristics. Following Abbott’s (1998) analysis of the efforts of librarians to achieve professional status, we consider how the changing structure of higher education in the United States may impact community college faculty as professionals, both positively and negatively. As one example of community college faculty raising their issues within a discipline-wide professional organization, we examine the current state of community college faculty with the American Sociological Association (ASA). We consider potential status changes for community college faculty in sociology within the context of the broad threats to the professional status of faculty across the higher education landscape. Paradoxically, these threats might result in an opening for efforts by community college faculty to improve their professional status, perhaps in coalition with faculty in other sectors of higher education.

Newsflash: Happy People are More Productive

Newsflash: Happy People are More Productive

Multicultural Curriculum Development in Online Classes: Practices From Washington State Community Colleges

The community college system is based on an open-door mission and serves to provide access to students of diverse backgrounds. Online learning is one of the fastest growing segments of community college offerings. If the community college system embraces its open-door mission, it must also embrace new ways of providing multicultural experiences within online classes. Yet, little research has been conducted in looking at connections between online learning and multicultural education within community colleges. This study asked if multiculturalism plays a significant role in the traditional face-to-face college classroom—what role, if any, does it play in an online classroom? Literature on multicultural education, distance learning, educational theory, and social psychology were explored within the context of community colleges. Community college faculty who reported using multicultural approaches within their online classes were interviewed and observed. The results indicated that these online instructors generally had a collection of instructional methods that correlated to Banks’ (2004) Multicultural Dimensions. This article shares practices used by the faculty that can affect change in online students’ experiences with multiculturalism.

Balancing Open Access with Academic Standards: Implications for Community College Faculty

Community colleges act as the gateway for students to higher education. Many of these colleges realize this mission through open-door policies where students lacking in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills can enroll. But, this open-access policy often creates challenges when meeting academic standards. Based on data collected from selected community colleges in the United States, this article examines the balancing of open access with academic standards. The article reviews open-door admission policies, describes methods used to maintain academic standards, and it balances this with open admission and implications for community college faculty.