Learning Resources

Abstract: As the importance of college increases, our collective understanding of what college is, exactly, has begun to expand. This article contributes to this emerging understanding by describing the multifunctional nature of the community college. To this end, the community college movement is framed in three ways—as a launching pad, as a (re)launching pad, and as a local commitment. The article concludes with a brief discussion of the need to support the community college movement moving forward.

Abstract: Member colleges of the Georgia Independent College Association sought to ease the burdens frequently associated with transferring among institutions by partnering with the technical college sector to create a single articulation agreement. The articulation agreement addresses students who may have only taken a few courses or received an associate’s degree at a Georgia technical college. The articulation agreement was created in response to Governor Deal’s request to focus on improving college completion rates without sacrificing educational quality. This unique partnership among private, not-for-profit institutions and the state’s technical colleges can serve as a model for other states.

Abstract: In the continuing environment of accountability, we have created false distinctions between reducing costs and improving productivity as opposed to examining the quality of the product produced and the work completed. The policy discussion has focused on completion and graduation, with little emphasis on the quality of learning. New assessments move quality to the center of the conversation. Accreditation is making evidence of student learning quality a priority.

Abstract: College campuses across the United States are increasingly challenged to educate psychologically distressed students and to recognize that college student mental health is not only a counseling center issue, but also a campus issue. As such, many colleges and universities are moving toward campuswide prevention efforts designed to help identify and support students who need to manage their distress. Prior research has highlighted these issues and described ways to involve campus units in initiating campuswide prevention efforts. This article focuses on the key elements necessary to successfully foster prevention efforts and includes practical suggestions to improve prevention protocols on campus.

Abstract: To provide access to and retain both students of color and low-income students, community colleges must change to create environments in which all students can succeed. Change strategies must focus on the core mission of the institution and rely on data regarding the experiences of students at the institution. When student data are used to inform the planning and decision-making processes at a college, a "culture of evidence" is fostered. This article explores how colleges in the "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," a funded national initiative, use the Community College Inventory of: Persistence, Learning, and Attainment, to develop a culture of evidence.

Abstract: Retaining students is a critical topic in higher education. Methodologies abound to gather attrition data as well as key variables important to retention. Using the theories of total quality management and focus groups, this case study gathers and reports data from current college students. Key results, suggestions for replication, and areas for future research are included.

Abstract: This case study analyzes the impact of Indiana’s Twenty-First Century Scholars college tuition discount program on the academic self-efficacy of high-risk, low-income students. The program is designed to increase the number of high-risk individuals attending college. The self-efficacy “training” of the program helps instill and reinforce the idea that success or failure coincides with internal effort and not external factors. Surveys were completed by 55 program participants and 42 institutional representatives at different colleges in Indiana. The program increased students’ understanding of the feasibility of attaining a college degree, heightened students’ academic confidence, and improved their overall self-esteem. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of this program for academic planners developing programs to help high-risk students succeed in college.

Abstract: This article uses the results of a national study to propose several multidimensional planning models for institutional planners and researchers. It focuses on developing, supporting, and using a number of dimensions within six domains that the research study identified as important factors for inclusion in planning models. The domains are external influences on student assessment, institutional context (type, control, and size), institutional approach to student assessment, institution-wide support for student assessment, assessment management policies and practices, and uses and impacts of student assessment.