Community College Research Articles

Routes with roots: Pedestrian route choices and sense of place of an urban university community

Understanding how people choose routes in urban environments is essential for effective urban planning. While conventional transportation studies focus on utilitarian decision-making, this research investigates the complex interplay between human-environment interactions and emotional attachments to places, which influence transportation choices. Specifically, we examine the impact of sense of place in pedestrian route choice within a densely populated urban university community. Unlike typical urban settings characterized by clear roads and landmarks, university environments often feature intricate layouts with diffuse pathways, shared spaces, and a lack of clear spatial hierarchies. This complexity challenges conventional spatial knowledge acquisition methods. Individuals navigating such environments tend to rely on socio-sensory wayfinding strategies, developing emotional connections to specific places and routes over time. Consequently, route choices in these contexts may not always be deliberate but rather subconscious and nuanced. Our study focuses on elucidating the impact of the sense of place—a composite of conscious and subconscious perceptions, emotions, and attachments to a location—on daily route decisions. Through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis, we demonstrate that the sense of place significantly influences route choices within community building complexes, surpassing utilitarian considerations as a primary explanatory factor. These findings underscore the importance of emotional and psychological factors in shaping urban route decisions, offering valuable insights for urban planning and management strategies.

The Inclusive University: Practices and reflections for student community well-being

Following the 2030 Agenda (UN, 2015), the growth of an inclusive culture in higher education contexts contemplates the strategic value of promoting the university community well-being, starting from each person's contribution (Priestley et al., 2022). According to Article 30 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), providing opportunities to support study and university life means moving from a logic of needs to a logic of rights. In that sense, the University of Macerata promotes the psycho-physical and social well-being of its students, developing empowerment processes (Barbuto, 2018; Taddei, 2020) that guarantee a more equal participation in university life. In this paper, we will present the format Inclusion 3.0 which, starting from the "Voice" (Grion, 2017; D'Angelo et al., 2020) of university students with disabilities and SLDs (Giaconi, Del Bianco, 2018; Giaconi et al., 2018), embodies an innovative perspective for University as a place of well-being.

Shared e-bike operational planning under different relocation schemes: A smart campus case

Major urban centers are grappling with challenges related to urban mobility and elevated greenhouse gas emissions. Shared electric bicycles (e-bikes) present a potential solution to these issues. Nonetheless, many ventures of this nature have previously faltered due to high operational costs. This paper aims to assess the optimal decisions for a shared e-bike company serving a university community. To this end, we consider two relocation strategies: one led by the operator and another by the user. Additionally, we examine elements inherent to a smart campus, such as photovoltaic systems and advanced energy tariffs, like time-of-use and real-time tariffs. We modeled the optimization problem as a mixed-integer nonlinear program, further linearized to a mixed-integer linear program using the Big-M method. Our case study focuses on the academic community at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Niterói, Brazil. Findings suggest a trade-off between operator and user relocation tariffs. They also underscore an enhancement in meeting demand, from 51 % to 69 %, when both mechanisms are employed. Lastly, the smart campus influences the operator's decisions, highlighting the importance of considering the interplay between energy and rental tariffs during planning.

Evaluation of a novel university-based testing platform to increase access to SARS-CoV-2 testing during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort study

ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate the feasibility and utility of an unsupervised testing mechanism, in which participants pick up a swab kit, self-test (unsupervised) and return the kit to an on-campus...

Practices, policies, and support for student veterans in community colleges

Practices, policies, and support for student veterans in community colleges

An Exploration of Satisfaction with Mental Health Counseling Services in Western Australia Among Sexuality and Gender Diverse Youth

ABSTRACT Clinically significant psychological distress affects approximately 29.3% of Australian adolescents and 80.6% of sexuality and/or gender diverse youth (SGD-Y). Often, SGD-Y experience inadequate access and lower satisfaction with mental health services, stemming from age- and sexuality and/or gender diversity-status. Accordingly, exploration of factors affecting SGD-Y’s access to, and satisfaction with, mental health services is critical. Using a social constructionist lens, we explored factors supporting SGD-Y’s satisfaction with mental health services, and how these needs are or could be met. Seven LGBTQA+ youth aged 15 to 21 who received counseling in Western Australia in the last year, recruited via a university student participant pool and community organizations, participated in semi-structured interviews via video-conference, phone call, or SMS. Reflexive thematic analysis was inductively applied to participants’ verbatim accounts. Satisfaction was tied to participants’ sense of control over their healthcare-system experiences, shaped by four themes: person-centered support during the service-access process, resources to guide the search for services, confidence in therapists, and healthcare-system organization. Practices and policies supporting SGD-Y’s self-determination during their service access may allow for empowering and personally meaningful therapeutic experiences. Developers of policies and initiatives may need to adopt a systems approach to foster SGD-Y’s self-determination as they access services.

A mixed methods study of student veterans’ academic and service transitions before, during, and after attending community college(s)

AbstractThis mixed‐methods study examined characteristics and learning experiences of student veterans who transitioned from community college(s) into a 4‐year public university. The study descriptively compared veteran versus non‐veteran transfer students, using a survey and follow‐up interviews. Results illustrated that student veterans attended larger numbers of community colleges prior to their transfer compared with non‐veterans. They tended to be older, more ethnically diverse, and more likely to be men than non‐veterans. Transfer student veterans valued (a) differences among high school, military, community college, and 4‐year learning experiences; (b) connections between coursework and career work; (c) being informed about the cultural practices and norms of college, particularly for first‐generation student veterans; and (d) persistence in navigating multiple community colleges toward achieving successful 4‐year degree completion. For student veterans, the military became a way to enact and pay for their postsecondary aspirations. Interconnected community colleges meaningfully transported them to 4‐year postsecondary achievements.

A Controlled Phishing Attack in a University Community: A Case Study

A Controlled Phishing Attack in a University Community: A Case Study

Veterans starting their higher education at community colleges

AbstractThis manuscript focuses on student veterans’ best option to start their post‐high‐school education: attending community colleges. It illustrates this point using the story of the author, a US Army combat veteran who began his career at a community college, and other veterans who also began their college careers at the community college. Using qualitative methods, the author uses perspectives of former student‐veterans to provide first‐person accounts of transition into and through college—beginning at community colleges. Four themes emerge from this analysis: acceptance, transition, liminality, and comradery.

Examining Institutional-Level Factors and Campus Climate on Sexual Misconduct Reporting to Title IX Coordinators and in Annual Security Reports

ABSTRACT The present study examines the relationship between institutional-level factors and perceptions of campus climate and rates of sexual misconduct reporting to Title IX coordinators and in Annual Security reports. Data is drawn from public 4-year institutions of higher education (IHEs), community colleges, and independent IHEs in Maryland (n = 42) from 2018 to 2020. Regarding institutional level factors, higher residentiality, higher percentages of graduate students and students supported by Pell grants, and higher rates of alcohol and drug use violations were associated with higher rates of sexual misconduct reporting. On campus climate measures, only higher percentages of students reporting they know whom to contact to report sexual misconduct was associated with increased reporting. Implications for sexual misconduct prevention training and the integration of alcohol and drug use prevention into sexual misconduct prevention education are discussed. Directions for future research are also outlined.

Towards an Indigenous-Serving Institution: A Study on Sense of Belonging and Perceptions of Native Hawaiian Culture at Leeward Community College

Towards an Indigenous-Serving Institution: A Study on Sense of Belonging and Perceptions of Native Hawaiian Culture at Leeward Community College

Institutional heterogeneity in the education and earnings returns to postsecondary technical education: Evidence from Missouri

AbstractWe estimate the education and earnings returns to enrolling in technical 2‐year degree programs at community colleges in Missouri. A unique feature of the Missouri context is the presence of a highly regarded, nationally ranked technical college: State Technical College of Missouri (State Tech). We find that enrolling in a technical program in Missouri increases the likelihood of associate degree attainment and post‐enrollment earnings, but that the positive effects statewide are driven largely by students who attend State Tech. These findings demonstrate the potential for a high‐performing community college to change students' education and labor market trajectories. At the same time, they exemplify the potential for substantial institutional heterogeneity in the returns to postsecondary education.

Unpleasant emotions and associated factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in a university

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted Mexico, leading to the closure of educational institutions nationwide. Two years into the pandemic, schools, including the Technological University of Querétaro, were officially reopened. We surveyed the university community to evaluate the prevalence of unpleasant emotions. We gather data on demographics, social connections, psychological factors, and significant lifestyle changes attributed to the pandemic. Our analysis, based on a multivariable logistic regression, included responses from 2,616 participants. We identified an 8-24% prevalence rate for unpleasant emotions within our sample. Exhaustion, boredom, and frustration were the most intensely experienced emotions. The analysis revealed several risk factors for heightened unpleasant emotions: being a student (odds ratio [OR] = 1.85), younger age (OR = 2.91-3.00), poly-drug use (OR = 1.21-6.23), and increased substance consumption attributable to pandemic stress (OR = 3.32). Additionally, gender differences were observed, with female participants reporting higher levels of unpleasant emotions (OR = 1.18). Other significant factors included being single (OR = 1.61), experiencing social isolation (OR = 12.07), psychophysiological changes (OR = 6.59-174), and suicidal ideation (OR = 33.25). Our findings indicate a broad variation in the prevalence of unpleasant emotions among the university community, influenced by a range of demographic and psychosocial factors.

Implications of helplessness in depression: diagnosing mild cognitive impairment and analyzing its effects on cognitive decline in older adults.

This study focuses on how elements of depression correlate with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults and the diagnostic efficacy of combining these components with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The study also investigated the connection between individual depression components and overall cognitive function, as measured by the total score (TS) of the consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease (AD) assessment battery. The study included 196 nondemented adults aged 65 to 90 years at a university hospital and community. Comprehensive clinical assessments including the 30-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to measure components of depressive symptoms, TS, and blood nutritional biomarkers. Our stepwise logistic regression analysis highlighted the 'helplessness item' (odds ratio = 4.531, 95% CI = 2.218 to 9.258, p < 0.001) as a significant predictor for MCI diagnosis. Further, models incorporating 'helplessness item + MMSE' demonstrated markedly enhanced accuracy in diagnosing MCI, surpassing the performance of the MMSE used independently. Notably, the group characterized by helplessness showed a significant reduction in TS (B = -5.300, SE = 1.899, β = -0.162, p = 0.006), with this trend being particularly pronounced in individuals exhibiting lower levels of physical activity. Interestingly, this correlation did not manifest in participants with higher physical activity levels. Our findings suggest that helplessness is highly effective in diagnosing MCI and is linked to a decrease in cognitive function. Therefore, when addressing MCI and AD-related cognitive decline, clinicians should consider helplessness.

Autoimmunities after COVID: An Interview with Cindy Patton

Cindy Patton is Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Anthropology at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. An early AIDS activist in Boston, she holds a PhD in Communications from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. After inaugurating her academic career at Temple University (Rhetoric and Community) and Emory University (Graduate Institute of the Liberal Arts), she accepted a Canada Research Chair in Community, Culture and Health at Simon Fraser (2003-15). In that capacity, she worked with more than two dozen groups to develop small community-driven projects related to HIV/AIDS, housing, social welfare, mental health, while achieving, culminating in the creation of the Community Health Online Digital Research Resource, a catalogued, open-access, full-text collection of the materials from those groups (www.chodarr.org). Her academic publications span the social study of medicine, especially AIDS; social movement theory; gender studies; and media studies. She is the coeditor of Queer Diasporas (2000) and a special issue of Cultural Studies on Pierre Bourdieu (2003). She is the author of such works as Globalizing AIDS (2002), Cinematic Identity: Anatomy of a Problem Film (1997), Fatal Advice: How Safe-Sex Education Went Wrong (1996), Inventing AIDS (1990), and LA Plays Itself/Boys in the Sand: A Queer Film Classic (2014). Taken collectively, Patton’s scholarship and activism has laid the foundation for insights in the health humanities, particularly AIDS studies, that consider the inextricable connections between epidemiology and ideology. Patton’s theorizations of stigma and discrimination patterns, her deconstruction of “truth” discourses subtending science, her critical re-evaluations of axioms associated with risk, safe sex, community, and knowledge production have been crucial interventions in the understanding of health and illness as cultural and discursive scripts. Among Patton’s most enduring contributions has been her theorization of how “African AIDS” was invented and circulated—that is, the notion of geographically bifurcated HIV pandemics split by the essential linkage between Africa and blackness generally with pathogenesis. Equally influential has been her elaboration of the insurgent queer research practices that fused with antiracist struggle to combat this split. In the interview below, Travis Alexander and Nishant Shahani engage Patton in a discussion on a range of topics—from (dis)continuities between the HIV/AIDS and COVID pandemics to the role of queer activism in forging epidemiological counter-publics and the geopolitics of medical bureaucracy.

Perceptions of University Culture and Community Among Online Adjuncts

Using a qualitative survey, this study explores the perceptions of university culture and community held by graduate-level online adjunct instructors in two different schools of education. The intention of the research was to determine how the online adjuncts perceived their position within the university community and to solicit recommendations for improving the professional relationship between the schools themselves and their online adjuncts. The findings of this educational research add to the growing body of knowledge highlighting the importance and relevance of enhancing collegiality, communication, and collaboration with and among online adjunct instructors and the possible connection of adjuncts’ flourishing to student retention and persistence. Survey results suggested that communication, collaboration, respect, recognition, and systems of support were critical aspects that impacted the perceived climate and culture of adjuncts in an online teaching modality. This research demonstrates one avenue for engaging online adjunct faculty in building a framework for their support based on their own suggestions and recommendations. Universities, departments, or programs that offer multiple opportunities to collaborate may improve course content, collegiality, and connections with online adjunct instructors and the students they serve.

Applying Behavioral Economics to Social Capital to Increase International Enrollment in U.S. Community Colleges

ABSTRACT At a time when international student enrollment has been declining at community colleges for more reasons than just the pandemic, this paper attempts to address a gap in the literature to assist community colleges with their enrollment by helping them recruit international students. While there are many suggestions for improving international enrollment numbers, they are often financially costly. Given the budgets of community colleges and how international students choose their post-secondary institutions, community colleges are best able to raise international enrollment by concentrating on improving the campus experience for their current international students. To do so, this paper is the first to apply insights from behavioral economics to see how they might help increase the social capital of international students to boost international enrollment. Outside the classroom, international students may be helped by the college employing behavioral biases such as the availability bias and status quo bias and the heuristic known as the foot-in-the-door to raise their social capital with domestic students and using the information overload and choice overload to increase their social capital with academic counselors. Inside the classroom, faculty members can employ behavioral biases like the appeal to authority and the in-group bias to help international students increase their social capital with domestic students.

A Narrative Study on Authentic Leadership and Dual Credit Administration in Texas Community Colleges

ABSTRACT Community colleges play an integral role in early access to college via dual credit programs. Dual credit programs have grown exponentially in Texas, thus warranting further investigation into how these programs are led and administered at the district level. Authentic leadership is needed to ensure programs, students, families, and faculty members achieve success. Using authentic leadership and life-stories as a conceptual framework, this study focused on three community college administrators’ narratives, approaches to interpersonal relationships, and perspectives on dual credit challenges and priorities. The findings of the study indicated community college administrators lead these programs with a variety of leadership experiences. Furthermore, they must navigate relationships with multiple key stakeholders and respond to competing demands. This study also highlights the challenges of equity, lack of administrative infrastructure, and communication and compromise. Administrators shared their priorities in being “student ready,” strategic planning, and training and professional development. This study could assist researchers, educators, and policymakers in better understanding dual credit implementation by offering insights into the necessary training needed for district-level administrators to implement a dual credit program.

Beth Anish on how Rhode Island's community college is increasing student opportunities with work‐based learning

Ten years after the launch of the Guided Pathways program that offers reforms for community colleges, a new study by Columbia University's Community College Research Center assesses whether or not “guided pathways practices implemented at 62 community and technical colleges in three states—Tennessee, Ohio, and Washington—are associated with improvements in student outcomes during the first year of college.”

Addressing Inequality: How to better serve community college students who transfer for bachelor's degrees

Community colleges can offer access to “social mobility” via bachelor's degree “attainment for students and communities who have not had accessible and affordable pathways,” write the authors of two new companion studies, but, they find, these pathways are “ineffective, inequitable, and not improving fast enough.”