Browsing by Subject "Student success"
Now showing 1 - 18 of 18
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Alumnae reflections : the impact of early exposure, a sense of belonging in the major and connection to engineering(2013-12) Denyszyn, Jodi Lynn; Reddick, Richard, 1972-Despite efforts to increase female participation in STEM majors, women continue to be an underrepresented population in this domain, impacting the U.S. workforce. Researchers have identified a variety of factors that benefit engineering students without regard to gender (mentoring; student-faculty interactions; co-curricular involvement) but research is limited on how female engineering students foster a sense of belonging to the engineering major helping them persist through to graduation. Negative factors like gender bias or stereotyping are detailed in extant literature. Research needs to identify ways that contribute to female engineering connection and sense of belonging in engineering, not solely focus on the factors that negatively impact female engineering student trajectories. In an effort to address this gap in the literature, interviews with alumnae who graduated from engineering colleges across the U.S. were conducted. Data from this study provides a glimpse into what helped foster successful navigation through engineering majors for alumnae. Expanding current female and STEM literature, participants provide insights on pre-college, college, and on career influences.Item Board of trustees governing for student success(2009-05) Prater, Wendi Carol; Roueche, John E.The purpose of this study was to examine to what extent community college trustees understand student success and the processes they used to prioritize student success practices at their institutions. This study used qualitative and quantitative methods that included several analyses.Item Common challenges and diverse experiences : first-in-their-family college students' narratives(2012-08) Bukoski, Beth Em; Somers, Patricia (Patricia A.); Reddick, Richard J.; Saenz, Victor B.; Heinzelman, Susan S.; Reagins-Lily, Soncia“First-generation college student” is a category ubiquitous in higher education literature due to the social mobility this group has the potential of deriving from educational attainment. However, the first category is comprised of a diverse group of students who do not share any other common research construct, such as race/ethnicity, culture, immigrant status, or socioeconomic status. In addition, the literature often conceives of firsts from a deficit standpoint, blaming the students for lack of success attaching low expectations to students’ identity. In addition, although the literature implies that an intersectional approach would be appropriate for understanding this population, no work to date has attempted to apply an explicitly intersectional framework or considered probing the boundaries of the category itself. The goals of this study, therefore, were to understand the narratives of successful firsts at a highly selective institution in order to understand how students’ intersectional identities shaped their educational trajectories, and to understand the impact of utilizing a socially constructed and deficit-oriented category in research and practice. To achieve these aims, this study utilized a visual narrative analytic method. Seventeen successful participants self-identified as firsts and participated in two one-on-one interviews and took or found pictures relating to their pre-college and college experiences. I found that firsts made meaning of their multiple, intersecting identities in diverse ways. Although students had internalized conceptions of first status as a detriment to their educational opportunities, they were able to reframe this deficit as success through the American dream storyline. In addition, students’ multiple identities intersected and informed their educational trajectories in unique and individualized ways. These identities flowed through the constructs of personal characteristics, familial characteristics, and characteristics that were negotiated in personal and familial contexts. Students conceptualized success being intrinsically linked to learning, contributing to future generational success, and saw themselves as making contributions to the academy via the ideas of service and diversity. Students were able to reframe negative societal expectations, focus on learning as a goal in and of itself, and associate success with self in way that suggests that examining firsts through any single identity frame limiting in understand the ways they navigate and make meaning of their experiences. In addition, students saw themselves as making unique contributions to the academy via service and diversity. The present study offers conceptual maps to explain how students talked about their identities as well as the notion of success. I also offer suggestions for research, theory, policy, and practice.Item A cross cultural investigation of cognitive, metacognitive and motivational factors affecting student achievement(2011-08) Jung, Jae Hak; Weinstein, Claire E.; Schallert, Diane L.; Svinicki, Marilla D.; Beretvas, Susan N.; Stuifbergen, Alexa M.My goals for this study were to use Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) to: propose a conceptual model based on theoretical frameworks of student motivation variables, use of cognitive strategies, and use of self-regulation strategies affecting student academic performance; statistically examine each of the structural relationships among the above variables on student achievement; and, test for cultural differences between American and Korean community college students on the measurement model, factor means, and structure model. These SEM results provided support for four research hypotheses: (a) Students’ reported motivational variable scores had significantly positive effects on students’ reported use of self-regulation strategies for both the American and Korean community college students; (b) Students’ reported motivational variable scores had significantly positive effects on students’ reported use of cognitive strategies for both the American and Korean community college students; (c) Students’ reported motivational variable scores significantly positively predicted students’ academic achievement for both the American and Korean community college students; (d) Students’ reported use of cognitive strategies was positively related to students’ reported use of self-regulation strategies for both the American and Korean community college students. However, these results did not provide statistical support for the four research hypotheses; (e) Students’ reported use of cognitive strategies did not significantly predict students’ academic achievement in the overall model for both the American and Korean community college students; (f) Student’s reported use of learning skills strategies did not significantly predict students’ academic achievement in the overall model for both American and Korean community college students. Based on the results of the current study, many future studies can be suggested. First of all, future studies need to have various measurements to assess student academic achievement. GPA is only one measure for students’ academic achievement or success. Future research should consider alternative measurements such as peer or teacher evaluation, students’ satisfaction, problem-solving ability in the context of the course student are taking, ability to transfer and so on. If research includes more alternative measurements to measure student success, research may avoid the limitation of using only GPA as student success.Item Employee perceptions of progress with implementing a student-centered model of institutional improvement : an achieving the dream case study(2011-12) Cheek, Annesa LeShawn; Bumphus, Walter G.; Gooden, Mark A.; Brown, Anthony L.; Johnson, Steven L.; Mathis, Margaretta B.; Roueche, John E.Achieving the Dream is a national initiative focused on helping more community college students succeed, particularly students of color and low-income students. Achieving the Dream’s student-centered model of institutional improvement focuses on eliminating gaps and raising student achievement by helping institutions build a culture of evidence through institutional transformation. This interpretive case study employed a mixed methods approach and utilized a sequential explanatory strategy to gather detailed information related to the research questions. The study examined, from an insider’s perspective, the progress made by an Achieving the Dream college in implementing practices that reflect the principles of the Achieving the Dream model of institutional improvement. The four principles of the model are: committed leadership, use of evidence to improve programs and services, broad engagement, and systemic institutional improvement. The study was conducted in two phases and involved a quantitative survey of all college employees and semi- structured, individual interviews with members of the college’s Achieving the Dream team. The quantitative and qualitative data were given equal weighting in the study and were integrated to the extent that the qualitative data collected provided supportive insights into the findings derived from the quantitative analysis. This study found the college made progress in implementing the practices reflected by the Achieving the Dream model. The study findings also provide insights into underlying factors that existed at the college related to its implementation of the initiative. The findings will supplement current knowledge about the efficacy of change models designed to help community colleges build a student-centered model of institutional improvement and the knowledge gained should not only benefit the college, but also provide useful information to other institutions involved in this initiative.Item Examining leadership practices at achieving the dream leader colleges : a multiple case study(2011-12) Lebile, Linda Parker; Roueche, John E.; Ovando, Martha N.; Reddick, Richard J.; Cantu, Norma V.; Bumphus, Walter G.Achieving the Dream (AtD) assumes that leadership is critical for student success. These Leader Colleges have been able to demonstrate innovation sustainability through specific practices leading to increased student outcomes, while others have not been able to sustain the same level of student success. Limited research exists which highlights specific leadership practices employed by Achieving the Dream colleges, particularly Leader Colleges, which are known for being successful in sustaining innovations. The purpose of this study was to ascertain leadership practices used to increase student success through sustained innovation at two Achieving the Dream Leader Colleges. This study may add to the knowledge base regarding Achieving the Dream colleges as well as sustainability practices leading to increased student success in community colleges. The research was guided by the following questions: What leadership practices were employed by the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Trustees, Leadership Team, and Faculty to sustain innovation that led to increased student success?; What was the perception of the AtD coach and data facilitator regarding the leadership practices that contributed to student success?; What obstacles to change were encountered by internal stakeholders during innovation sustainability? This qualitative study consisted of three components: interviews, focus group, and document reviews with purposeful sampling. The participants included Chief Executive Officers, Board of Trustees members, the Leadership Team, faculty, and Achieving the Dream coaches and data facilitators at two AtD Leader Colleges. Findings from the study indicated: (a) commitment and support must be priorities of the Chief Executive Officer and senior leaders of the institution; (b) using data to inform decisions illuminates achievement gaps; (c) communication between internal and external stakeholders is imperative to affect change; (d) the institutionalization of interventions is essential to sustain student success; and (e) leading with passion is a critical component of leadership.Item Examining the sociocultural influences on the academic identity development of highly educated borderland Latin@s(2017-05-08) Martinez, Guillermo, III; Saenz, Victor B.; Reddick, Richard J; Somers, Patricia A; Greer, Samuel JMuch has been written about the struggles of Latin@s in higher education. Researchers have noted the many obstacles and barriers to academic success throughout the educational pipeline. Mostly absent from the literature, up until recently, is an asset-based approach to understanding Latin@s and their path towards academic success. Much less literature exists on borderland Latin@s, who typically must leave their hometowns in pursuit of higher education. This phenomenological study examines borderland Latin@s from Eagle Pass, Texas that have earned a doctorate, medical doctorate, or juris doctorate. This study adds to the literature by investigating two major questions: (1) What sociocultural and lived experiences influenced the academic identity development of highly educated borderland Latin@s? (2) What gender differences exist between the academic identity development of highly educated borderland Latin@s? The conceptual framework utilized for this study is Yosso’s (2005) community cultural wealth model, which incorporates multiple sociocultural variables influencing Latin@s development while taking an asset-based approach to understanding. I follow Asencio and Acosta (2010) and Carrillo (2013a) through the use of “@” in Latin@ to “acknowledge equally the experience of women and men in the construction of this diverse and heterogeneous community” (p. 70). Recent literature has used the term Latinx in a similar acknowledgement.Item The expanding role of community college trustees in student success(2013-05) Malcolm, Molly Beth; Cantú, Norma V., 1954-For generations American community colleges, governed by boards of trustees, have successfully provided open access to higher education. Today, all colleges are under intense pressure to improve student success rates. Using qualitative methodology, this grounded theory case study analyzed the expanding role of community college trustees in a college that has transformed to embrace student success. This study examined the expanding role of trustees through their eyes and the eyes of senior administrators. Their perceptions culminated into eight major themes: Achieving the Dream, Board of Trustees Institute, student success, data, leadership, partnership, trust, and vision. Two other themes of note developed: outcomes-based funding and the influence of Dr. Byron McClenney. Time expenditure on trustee duties and professional development concluded the findings. Conclusions drawn reveal that a transformational culture change from an emphasis solely on student access, to one of access plus student success began with the Board. Trustees developed an expanded skill set of awareness and acuity regarding student success data in order to interpret and use data effectively, resulting in an increased amount of time spent on Board duties and training. The Board now makes data driven decisions that have transformed fiscal policy to reflect the student success agenda. The primary focus of the Board is on how their actions affect student success rather than only on enrollment numbers and budgets. Through this process, the Trustees and Chancellor have developed a genuine and open partnership that extends to senior administrators. The Trustees continue to observe the boundaries of their policy-making roles as they ask the right questions without getting into day-to-day operations of the college. Because of limited research on community college trustees and student success, this study adds to available literature and may provide value to trustees, presidents, and chancellors who are changing their institutional culture to one focusing on student success. Conclusions drawn from the study may be used to enhance the education of trustees on their expanded role. The findings may also serve as a guide in helping trustees understand how to prioritize student success without stepping over the line into daily college operations.Item Improving college students’ self-knowledge through engagement in a learning frameworks course(2016-05) Stano, Nancy Kathleen; Schallert, Diane L.; Weinstein, Claire E.; Acee, Taylor W.; Cawthon, Stephanie; Whittaker, TiffanyThis study tested hypotheses about the accuracy of students’ strategic learning self-assessments using a sample of students enrolled in an undergraduate learning frameworks course at a highly competitive research institution. Previous studies demonstrated that learning frameworks courses significantly improve grade point averages, semester-to-semester retention rates, and graduate rates (Weinstein et al., 1997; Weinstein, 1994). Less is known, however, about changes that happen during the semester. Researchers have found that students tend to overestimate their academic abilities (Miller & Geraci, 2011), but that improving participant skill levels increases their ability to recognize the limitations of their abilities (Kruger & Dunning, 2009). This study built on the existing learning frameworks and calibration literatures and addressed the following research questions: Does students’ calibration accuracy improve from the beginning to the end of a semester-long strategic learning course (a type of learning frameworks course)? Does generation status influence calibration? What is the relationship between an individual’s theory of intelligence and their strategic learning calibration? And, is there a relationship between accurate self-assessment and demographic factors such as family income and ethnicity? The methods used in this study included self and objective assessments of strategic learning for 10 learning factors known to impact student success. Based on the Model of Strategic Learning (Weinstein, Acee, Jung, & Dearman, 2009), these 10 factors were assessed by the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory, 2nd Edition (LASSI) (Weinstein & Palmer, 2002). I used mixed ANOVA and regression analyses to identify how accurate students were at the beginning of the semester, how accurate they were at the end of the semester, if this difference was significant, and if other factors – a student’s theory of intelligence, parental education level, family income, and ethnicity – were related to the accuracy of these self assessments. I was particularly interested in the extent to which the least strategic students became more accurate in their self-assessments. Overall, three key findings emerged from the current study: 1) Students’ initial self-assessments were inaccurate and, for the most part, students overestimated their actual strategic learning capabilities, 2) self-assessments are amenable to change and accuracy can improve within a learning frameworks course, even among the least strategic learners in this sample, and 3) parental education level was associated with actual level of strategic learning for some factors at the beginning of the semester, but by the end of the semester, it was no longer a significant predictor. The relationship between the accuracy of student’s self assessments and selected personal demographic factors (income and ethnicity) and their theory of intelligence were mixed.Item Increasing a community college governing board's engagement In accountability for student success : what are the principal influences?(2010-05) Welsh, Linda Susan Anderson, 1954-; Roueche, John E.; Bumphus, Walter G.; Immroth, Barbara; McClenney, Byron N.; Northcutt, Norvel W.Understanding the factors that influence a community college governing board to increase its engagement in accountability for student success was the purpose of this grounded theory case study. A further aim was to develop a model that described how these factors interact. A highly engaged community college governing board, as defined by a focus, perspective, infrastructure, and behavior that identified student success as a priority, was selected and studied to learn what were the principle influences on their engagement in student success. Eight factors were identified initially that influenced the governing board’s interest in student success: Board Characteristics, Changing External Context, Achieving the Dream, Board Roles and Responsibilities, Board Culture, College Role and Purpose, Changing Internal Context, and Student Success. Another factor, Administrative Leadership, also influenced the governing board’s engagement and was added to the final model. Two models emerged from the data: a six factor model that describes how a board becomes engaged in student success and a model incorporating all eight influences that describes governing with a student success agenda already in place. Key findings included the importance of an external emphasis on improving student outcomes at the state and national level; the need for board education on their fiduciary responsibility for ensuring academic quality; and the value of an outside change agent. In this case study, Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count, served as the catalyst for change in the governing board’s engagement in student success. The Achieving the Dream Board of Trustees Institute, which educated board members about their roles and responsibilities related to student success, shifted board members’ perspectives and understanding and began the board’s interest in governing with student success as a priority.Item The influence of a new student orientation program : first semester student success in a suburban community college(2011-08) Lewis, Ted Adam; Educational Administration; Roueche, John E.; Albrecht, Christal M.; Bumphus, Walter G.; Campa, Earl E.; Harrison, Louis; Northcutt, Norvell W.Despite a long history of providing open-door access to students who might not otherwise have an opportunity to attend college, community colleges have not been as effective in fostering student success. To counter this trend, early intervention programs have been developed to facilitate academic and social integration for first semester students to improve student success. However, there is much that is not known about the influence of orientation programs at community colleges as an intervention strategy. Therefore, this study examines the influence of one new student orientation on first semester student success. Grounded in frameworks developed by Astin (1984, 1993, 1999), Tinto (1975, 1993), and Bean and Metzner (1985), this study examines the ability of a new student orientation to academically and socially integrate students into the culture of the institution. The following research questions are posed: • Does new student orientation influence student retention; • Does new student orientation influence student success; • Does new student orientation influence student persistence; • Does new student orientation facilitate a student’s social integration into the institution? • Does new student orientation facilitate a student’s academic integration into the institution? The focus of this case study is a publicly supported, two-year, comprehensive community college that is part of a multiple college district located in a suburban area outside of a major city in Texas. Participants are students who attended a new student orientation session. Employing a mixed methods research approach, data is gathered on student success, retention, persistence, and through interviews. Findings demonstrate that there was no significant difference in first semester retention for students who participated in a new student orientation and for those who did not. However, students who participated in orientation were more likely to be successful in their first semester in college and much more likely to re-enroll for their second semester at the institution. New student orientation also facilitated students’ social and academic integration into the institution. This study concludes with recommendations for program improvement, recommendations for further research, and a discussion of implications for community college policy and practice in developing new student orientation programs.Item An institutional focus on student learning and attainment : a case study of Tallahassee Community College(2009-05) Hellyer, Brenda Lang; Roueche, John E.The overarching goals of this study were twofold: first, to learn how community colleges are preparing students to flourish and contribute to a changing and global economy, and second, how they address those students that do not make it through the community college. Within this context, the researcher elected to perform a case study of Tallahassee Community College (TCC), a college identified as focused on improving student success and empowering students to reach their goals; and, committed to sharing data and information across and throughout the institution. To achieve its ultimate goals, this study had four specific purposes. First, it provided an in-depth account of the development and implementation of the organizational vision and student success (learning and attainment) focus at TCC. Second, the study examined how the use of data provided transparency and redirected the focus of TCC. Third, it examined how TCC’s student learning portal is used by students, faculty, staff, administrators, and the board of trustees. Finally, it considered how the findings may inform policy makers, institutional leaders, and researchers about key factors impacting a student success focus. Taken in concert, the study was designed to provide a contextual framework for implementing an organizational vision focused on improving student success. The study is a qualitative research designed case study informed by quantitative data. The study included TCC serving as the unit of analysis for the entire case, and the student learning portal serving as the unit of analysis for an embedded case study. Qualitative methods employed included documents, archival records, interviews, focus groups, and direct observations. Multiple approaches were used to present the case study including a chronology of key historical events and a categorical or topical format based on an inductive analysis of data. Eight themes emerged as contributing to the work of the student success agenda: 1) leadership style of the president and the board relationship, 2) the vision for student success, 3) transparency and open communications, 4) strategic plan, 5) budget, 6) data and information technology, 7) people and development, and 8) sustainability of the shared vision.Item A look at engagement strategies that promote persistence and retention of entering students at the Community College of Qatar(2011-08) Tamimi, Abdulnassir; Cantú, Norma V., 1954-; Bumphus, Walter G.; Roueche, John E.; Tyler, Arthur Q.; Silva, RitoAccording to Tinto (2000a), institutions have fewer retention and persistence problems when their students are not only academically prepared, but are also engaged on campus as well as satisfied with the resources and support provided by the college. A student that has a positive first semester experience is more likely to achieve academic success and re-enroll the following term. The purpose of this study was to explore the differences in experiences, perceptions, expectations, and engagement levels of entering male versus female students and returning male versus returning female students at the gender-segregated Community College of Qatar during the first three to six weeks at the college. The study also attempted to determine if any student support services such as advising, tutoring, counseling, new student orientation program, and participation in student activities were useful and had any influence in promoting student engagement. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. For entering male and female students survey responses were classified using questions from five Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE) benchmarks: (1) Engaged Learning (2) Early Connections (3) Clear Academic Plan and Pathway (4) Academic and Social Support Network and (5) Effective Track to College Readiness. While questions from four Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) benchmarks: (1) Active and Collaborative Learning (2) Student Effort (3) Support for Learners (4) Student-Faculty Interaction were used for returning male and female students. One-Sample t-tests were run to determine if significant differences in engagement levels existed between the four independent groups for each of the benchmark categories. Cohen’s d calculations were used to measure the effect size and the standardized differences between the means of the variables. For the purpose of this study, Cohen’s d effect size of 0.35 or higher was used as the criteria for interpreting statistically significance. The results of this study revealed entering and returning female students reported statistically higher engagement levels than entering and returning male students in most of the variables indicating that they are more likely to utilize student support services at higher frequencies and have a more positive first semester experience than their counterparts.Item Perceived experiences that positively contribute to high-achieving African American male student success at a large urban community college(2017-09-28) Grays, Shantay Renee; Cantu, Norma V., 1954-; Saenz, Victor B; Ovando, Martha N; Reddick, Richard JPerceived Experiences That Positively Contribute to High-Achieving African American Male Student Success at a Large Urban Community College Shantay R. Grays, Ed.D. The University of Texas at Austin, 2017 Supervisor: Norma V. Cantu Over the past two decades there have been increasing concerns about the steady decline in higher education attainment levels of African American males. There is extant literature that on African American male academic achievement and success in four-year institutions from a deficit model perspective. There is little research on high-achieving African American male students, specifically in community colleges. This study examined the lived experiences of six high-achieving African American male students enrolled in a large urban community college. The research study brings to light the perspectives of academically successful young men as well as their interpretations and understandings of how their lived experiences contributed to their academic development and success. This qualitative study responded to the following research questions: (1) What secondary school experiences do high-achieving African American males perceived as contributing to their academic success? (2) What personal experiences do high-achieving African American males perceive as contributing to their academic success in a large urban community college? (3) What institutional programs or services do high-achieving African American males perceive as contributing to their academic success in a large urban community college? The participants were 6 high-achieving African American and Black males attending a large urban community college located in in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the data yielded ten major themes (1) College Preparation, (2) High School Peer Influence, (3) Extracurricular Activity Participation, (4) Self-Motivation, (5) Family Interactions, (6) Adjustment to College, (7) Engagement, (8) Participation in Student Organizations, (9) Leadership Development Programs, and (10) Academic Support Services. The information gleaned from this study may contribute to the scarce body of knowledge that examined factors that contribute to the academic success for high-achieving African American men in a community college.Item Productivity and efficiency in community colleges : the use of cost-effectiveness analysis to increase student success(2019-11-26) Stewart, Judith Lynn; Saenz, Victor B.; Sharpe, Edwin Reese; Reddick, Richard J; Waiwaiole, Evelyn NThis two-part qualitative study explored the use of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in community colleges. CEA is a cost analysis tool that compares alternative programs, designed for the same outcome, in terms of both costs and effects, ranking programs by cost-effectiveness and providing more information to decision makers than cost data or effectiveness data alone. CEA indicates which program provides the greatest benefit at the lowest cost, or the greatest return in student outcomes for a fixed investment. The purpose of the study was to determine if CEA methodology could be used by individual colleges and how CEA might fit into their decision-making process. The literature review revealed few CEA studies of community college programs; the only published studies were conducted by external researchers, and no studies identified how CEA methodology could be adapted for institutional use. Part One investigated what is required for CEA to be implemented by individual colleges, challenges that might arise, and potential solutions. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven participants who had expertise in CEA, institutional research, and data analytics. Results of Part One revealed that CEA can be adapted for institutional use, and identified the requisite competencies and resources. Part Two used a grounded theory approach to explore how college leaders work to increase student success. Findings from twenty-six unstructured interviews with community college executive leaders facilitated proposal of a substantive grounded theory describing how leaders align campus culture, programs, and processes to a student success mission. Findings also suggested leadership interest in CEA, and a niche for CEA within the theory. CEA is seldom utilized in higher education. Community colleges focus on the use of program effectiveness data to improve student outcomes, overlooking the strategic use of program cost data to increase student success. The findings of this study indicate that CEA methodology can be adapted for use by individual community colleges, and identify a role for CEA in decision making. This study also provides an introductory guide for colleges interested in using CEA.Item Retention and student success : a case study of the factors influencing student retention in a rural community college vocational education program(2010-05) Corum, John David; Bumphus, Walter G.; Roueche, John E.; Ely, Eileen E.; Cantu, Norma; Yamamura, EricaCommunity colleges across the nation have struggled with retention issues for decades. Questions of why students drop out and what factors influence the decision to remain or leave college prior to completion persist. Research has uncovered some of the influences on student persistence in higher education; however, community colleges, and to an even lesser degree, vocational programs, have received little attention. This case study examined the influences on student retention in a rural community college vocational education program which has a record of high retention and persistence to graduation rates. The qualitative research methodology employed examined the perceptions of seven current program students, nine program graduates, the sole program faculty member, and nine program advisory committee members. The results of the study yielded the following themes as factors which influence retention in this particular setting: program design, faculty, cohort, social aspects, the instructional environment, institutional support/programs, industry-sponsored events, and industry contributions. The findings suggest that community college student retention in vocational settings is a multi-dimensional phenomenon affected by a host of factors which collectively influence a student’s ability to persist to graduation. Future research regarding this topic may be able to utilize the results of this study to further advance the knowledge of student retention strategies in community college vocational settings.Item The roles of Texas community college trustees : an evolution to accountability measures in the boardroom(2011-08) Rogers, Robin Anne, 1970-; Roueche, John E.This treatise is a historical policy study, empirical in nature, evaluating how Texas community college governance boards' roles have changed over the last 4 decades. Texas was chosen because trustees are elected; as the second largest state in the nation, demographic shifts are rapidly changing and trustees represent a very different constituency from 40 years ago; and, Austin Community College District was the case study evaluated. Community college trustees are lay members of boards who oversee governance of 50 districts in Texas. The long time consensus has been that boards are "rubber stamps" of a CEO's directional design, and trustees have been historically White, wealthy, businessmen, who have little educational knowledge regarding community colleges or the students served. Success for community colleges in Texas, and funding, has always been based on enrollment, never before on student achievement or graduations. Research questions addressed how trustees roles have changed in 40 years and if student success initiatives had impacted those responsibilities. The answers are interesting. Trustees duties, as prescribed by the Texas Education Code have not changed at all, but trustees are spending more time in only a few of those duties on a regular basis. Demographic attributes have also changed very little in 40 years. Yet, trustees of the 21st century have become more attuned to the financial deficits that exist and will escalate if student success is not made a priority. Utilizing research from the Texas Education Code, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, The Texas Association of Community Colleges, the Community College Association of Texas Trustees, and researchers who have documented trustees' roles and responsibilities since the early 1970s, and including a case study that evaluated one college's minutes from board meetings over a 40 year span to determine how trustees utilize their time, this study shows that boards are evolving, but need additional and continual training. Because some trustees still micromanage, what results from this study as a benefit to society is a final guide that addresses the humanistic roles that trustees should have that intertwine with the legal duties defined by the State.Item The Texas experiment on the border : analysis of student access and success of Borderland top 10% students at Borderland and top tier public universities(2009-05) Rodríguez, Cristóbal; Reyes, Pedro, 1954-This study analyzed trends in access and success of students admitted through the Top 10% admissions policy. The study employs a comparative analysis between public universities from the Borderland region and the two top-tier public universities in Texas. This Texas admissions policy provides students in the top 10% of their graduating high school class admission to any state 4-year public university. Therefore, this policy implies that being a top 10% student equates to being college ready for any public university in Texas, regardless of selectivity or top tier status. Research on the Texas Top 10% policy has focused on its success in improving diversity and student performance at the two top-tier public universities in Texas, The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University. However, enrollment disparity continues at these elite institutions between Whites, Latina/os and Blacks. Additionally, the Texas Borderland region is an intersection of large Latina/o demographics; distance from top-tier institutions; and great disparities in economic development, health, and education. Combining the aforementioned conditions, we know little about the access and success of Borderland top 10% students, particularly in comparing the two public top tier universities in Texas to the alternative choice of their local Borderland university. This study used mixed methods to compare the trends in access and success of Borderland students admitted under the Top 10% admissions policy at Borderland universities and at top-tier public universities, and additionally controlled for student characteristics in explaining student persistence and graduation. The quantitative analysis used student-level descriptive and inferential statistics with data facilitated by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The qualitative section of this dissertation used focus-group interviews with 36 students at 5 Borderland universities and 1 top-tier university to explain their success. This study applies Bourdieu's theoretical framework of social and cultural capitals and habitus to interpret the findings. Results indicated student differentiation between institutions in access, success, and explanations. Ethnicity, gender, family income, and college generation status influence differences in enrollment between institutions, in which all together influenced differences in graduation and persistence. On the other hand, the interviews revealed that personal effort and institutional resources also explained differences in student success. This study provides implications for further research and policy considerations.