Download or read book The Undergraduate Experience written by Peter Felten and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-05-16 with total page 277 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A clear, practical framework for getting higher education back on track The Undergraduate Experience is a guide for significantly improving student learning and institutional performance in the rapidly changing world of higher education. Written by recognized experts in undergraduate education, this book encourages college and university leaders to rethink current practices that fragment the student experience, and to focus on creating powerful, integrated undergraduate learning for all students. Drawing from their own deep experience and the latest research, the authors reveal key principles that enable institutional change and enhance student outcomes in any higher education setting. Coverage includes high-impact practices for engagement, the importance of strategic leadership, the necessity of setting and maintaining high expectations, and insight on fostering excellence through systematic planning. Through its core themes and action principles, this book can be a valuable resource for faculty, staff, administrators, and governing boards at all types of postsecondary institutions. The book provides a practical framework for achieving excellence in undergraduate education by focusing on: Learning Relationships Expectations Alignment Improvement Leadership The value of an undergraduate education is under greater scrutiny than ever before, and campus leaders must be able to convey the value of their institutions to students, boards, donors, and legislators. Is a college or university degree worth the increasing cost? Are today's students academically adrift? What's the difference between a degree and an education? Responding to these questions requires focused action by individuals and institutions. The Undergraduate Experience offers practical guidance for creating and sustaining excellence in the face of disruption and change in higher education.

Download or read book Community Colleges and Their Students written by J. Levin and published by Springer. This book was released on 2009-11-23 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book employs a socio-cultural approach to study the organizational dynamics and experiences of self-formation that shape community college life. The authors use case studies to analyze both the symbolic dimension and practices that enable the production of educational experiences in seven community colleges across the U.S. Levin and Montero-Hernandez explain the construction of organizational identity and student development as a result of the connection between institutional forces and individual agency. This work emphasizes the forms and conditions of interaction among college personnel, students, and external groups that were enacted to respond to the demands and opportunities in both participants local and larger contexts. The authors acknowledge both the collective and individual efforts of community college personnel to create caring community colleges that support nontraditional students.

Download or read book Graduate Students Research about Community Colleges written by Deborah L. Floyd and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-05-13 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book brings together a collection of chapters with different research designs that explore the research, practice, and policies of community colleges. The chapters in this book are the result of the graduate students and their faculty mentor’s scholarly work, and a rigorous special issue’s peer review process. Furthermore, this book offers recommendations on how to mentor graduate students, in the absence of research and mentorship on how to publish for graduate students and practitioner-scholars, as well as recognizing that graduate programs and professional associations are important on the socialization of practitioner-scholars. Each book chapter addresses the implications for practice and future research, policy for community colleges, and recommendation for change indicated by the research results. Five broad research themes, higher education policy, leadership practices and roles, network community, student success, and technology, emerged from the empirical articles and critical reviews. A final chapter shares advice and lessons learned from the 30 authors and mentors. With the exception of Chapter 14, the chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of the Community College Journal of Research and Practice.

Download or read book Understanding the Working College Student written by Laura W. Perna and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-07-14 with total page 311 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How appropriate for today and for the future are the policies and practices of higher education that largely assume a norm of traditional-age students with minimal on-campus, or no, work commitments?Despite the fact that work is a fundamental part of life for nearly half of all undergraduate students – with a substantial number of “traditional” dependent undergraduates in employment, and working independent undergraduates averaging 34.5 hours per week – little attention has been given to how working influences the integration and engagement experiences of students who work, especially those who work full-time, or how the benefits and costs of working differ between traditional age-students and adult students.The high, and increasing, prevalence and intensity of working among both dependent and independent students raises a number of important questions for public policymakers, college administrators, faculty, academic advisors, student services and financial aid staff, and institutional and educational researchers, including: Why do so many college students work so many hours? What are the characteristics of undergraduates who work? What are the implications of working for students’ educational experiences and outcomes? And, how can public and institutional policymakers promote the educational success of undergraduate students who work? This book offers the most complete and comprehensive conceptualization of the “working college student” available. It provides a multi-faceted picture of the characteristics, experiences, and challenges of working college students and a more complete understanding of the heterogeneity underlying the label “undergraduates who work” and the implications of working for undergraduate students’ educational experiences and outcomes. The volume stresses the importance of recognizing the value and contribution of adult learners to higher education, and takes issue with the appropriateness of the term “non-traditional” itself, both because of the prevalence of this group, and because it allows higher education institutions to avoid considering changes that will meet the needs of this population, including changes in course offerings, course scheduling, financial aid, and pedagogy.

Download or read book Understanding Community Colleges written by John S. Levin and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2018-03-21 with total page 541 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Understanding Community Colleges provides a critical examination of contemporary issues and practices and policy of community colleges. This contributed volume brings together highly respected scholars as well as new scholars for a comprehensive analysis of the community college landscape, including management and governance, finance, student demographics and development, teaching and learning, policy, faculty, and workforce development. At the end of each chapter, the "Questions for Discussion" section helps to bridge the gap between research and practice. Written for students enrolled in higher education and community college graduate programs, as well as social sciences scholars, this provocative new edition covers the latest developments in the field, including trends in enrollment, developmental education, student services, funding, and shared governance.

Download or read book Nontraditional Students and Community Colleges written by J. Levin and published by Springer. This book was released on 2007-09-03 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Focusing on non-traditional students in higher education institutions, this new book from renowned scholar John Levin examines the extent to which community college students receive justice both within their institution and as an outcome of their education.

Download or read book Quality in the Undergraduate Experience written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2016-06-16 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Students, parents, and government agencies need as much information as possible about the outcomes of the higher education experience and the extent to which they can expect a fair return on their investment in higher education.In order to better understand the concept of quality - enabling students to acquire knowledge in a variety of disciplines and deep knowledge in at least one discipline, as well as to develop a range of skills and habits of mind that prepare them for career success, engaged citizenship, intercultural competence, social responsibility, and continued intellectual growth - an ad hoc planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Board on Higher Education and Workforce, with funding from the Lumina Foundation, organized a workshop in Washington, D.C., on December 14-15, 2015.This report summarizes the presentations and discussion of that event.

Download or read book SAGE Secondary Data Analysis written by John Goodwin and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2012-07-23 with total page 1409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One central and enduring image of the social science researcher is of an individual who commits a great deal of time to collecting original, primary data from a field of enquiry. This approach is often underpinned by a sincerely held belief that key research questions can only be explored by the collection of ever new, and ever greater amounts of data, or that already existing data are insufficient for researchers to test their ideas. Yet such an approach to social science research can be problematic not least because the collection of primary data can be an expensive, time-consuming, and even wasteful approach to social enquiry. Secondary analysis can serve many purposes, as well as being a valid approach in its own right. However, despite its widespread application, secondary analysis is often undervalued or perceived to be the preserve of only those interested in the re-use of large-scale survey data. Highlighting both the theory and practice of secondary analysis and the use of secondary sources, this collection considers the nature of secondary analysis as a research tool; reflects on the definitional debates surrounding terms such as secondary analysis, data re-use and restudies; illustrates how secondary analysis is used in social science research; and finally reviews the practical, methodological and ethical aspects of secondary analysis. Volume One: Using Secondary Sources and Secondary Analysis Volume Two: Quantitative Approaches to Secondary Analysis Volume Three: Qualitative Data and Research in Secondary Analysis Volume Four: Ethical, Methodological and Practical Issues in Secondary Analysis

Download or read book Defending the Community College Equity Agenda written by Thomas Bailey and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2006-12-26 with total page 322 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winner of the 2007 Outstanding Publication Award given by the American Educational Research Association Division J. Community colleges enroll almost half of all undergraduates in the United States. These two-year colleges manifest the American commitment to accessible and affordable higher education. With about 1,200 institutions nationwide, community colleges have made significant progress over the past decade in opening access and have become the critical entry point to higher education for many Americans who traditionally have been left out of educational and economic opportunity. Yet economic, political, and social developments have increased the challenges community colleges face in pursuing an “equity agenda.” Some of these include falling state budgets combined with growing enrollments, a greater emphasis on outcome-based accountability, competition from for-profit institutions, and growing immigrant student populations. These trials come at a time when community colleges confront crucial economic and workforce development pressures that may impact their mission. How can community colleges continue to maintain their open-door policies, support underprepared students, and struggle to help enrolled students complete degrees and certificates that prepare them for success in the workplace? Building on case studies of colleges in six states—New York, Texas, Florida, California, Washington, and Illinois—this volume offers a fresh examination of the issues currently facing American community colleges. Drawing on their fieldwork supplemented by national data, the authors analyze how these challenges impact the community college mission of educational opportunity—especially for low-income students, students of color, and other underserved groups—and how colleges are responding to a drastically different environment. They then propose a set of strategies to strengthen the role of community colleges in providing both access and opportunities for achievement for all students.

Download or read book Student Success in College written by George D. Kuh and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-01-07 with total page 422 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Student Success in College describes policies, programs, and practices that a diverse set of institutions have used to enhance student achievement. This book clearly shows the benefits of student learning and educational effectiveness that can be realized when these conditions are present. Based on the Documenting Effective Educational Practice (DEEP) project from the Center for Postsecondary Research at Indiana University, this book provides concrete examples from twenty institutions that other colleges and universities can learn from and adapt to help create a success-oriented campus culture and learning environment.

Download or read book College Student Retention written by Alan Seidman and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2024-08-09 with total page 359 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: College student retention continues to be a top priority among colleges, universities, educators, federal and state legislatures, parents and students. While access to higher education is virtually universally available, many students who start in a higher education program do not complete the program or achieve their academic and personal goals. In spite of the programs and services colleges and universities have devoted to this issue, student retention and graduation rates have not improved considerably over time. College Student Retention: Formula for Student Success, Third Edition offers a solution to this vexing problem. It provides background information about college student retention issues and offers the educational community pertinent information to help all types of students succeed. The book lays out the financial implications and trends of retention. Current theories of retention, retention of online students, and retention in community colleges are also thoroughly discussed. Completely new to this edition are chapters that examine retention of minority and international students. Additionally, a formula for student success is provided which if colleges and universities implement student academic and personal goals may be attained.

Download or read book Redesigning America s Community Colleges written by Thomas R. Bailey and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2015-04-09 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the United States, 1,200 community colleges enroll over ten million students each year—nearly half of the nation’s undergraduates. Yet fewer than 40 percent of entrants complete an undergraduate degree within six years. This fact has put pressure on community colleges to improve academic outcomes for their students. Redesigning America’s Community Colleges is a concise, evidence-based guide for educational leaders whose institutions typically receive short shrift in academic and policy discussions. It makes a compelling case that two-year colleges can substantially increase their rates of student success, if they are willing to rethink the ways in which they organize programs of study, support services, and instruction. Community colleges were originally designed to expand college enrollments at low cost, not to maximize completion of high-quality programs of study. The result was a cafeteria-style model in which students pick courses from a bewildering array of choices, with little guidance. The authors urge administrators and faculty to reject this traditional model in favor of “guided pathways”—clearer, more educationally coherent programs of study that simplify students’ choices without limiting their options and that enable them to complete credentials and advance to further education and the labor market more quickly and at less cost. Distilling a wealth of data amassed from the Community College Research Center (Teachers College, Columbia University), Redesigning America’s Community Colleges offers a fundamental redesign of the way two-year colleges operate, stressing the integration of services and instruction into more clearly structured programs of study that support every student’s goals.

Download or read book The State of College Access and Completion written by Laura W. Perna and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-07-18 with total page 253 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Despite decades of substantial investments by the federal government, state governments, colleges and universities, and private foundations, students from low-income families as well as racial and ethnic minority groups continue to have substantially lower levels of postsecondary educational attainment than individuals from other groups. The State of College Access and Completion draws together leading researchers nationwide to summarize the state of college access and success and to provide recommendations for how institutional leaders and policymakers can effectively improve the entire spectrum of college access and completion. Springboarding from a seminar series organized by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance, chapter authors explore what is known and not known from existing research about how to improve student success. This much-needed book calls explicit attention to the state of college access and success not only for traditional college-age students, but also for the substantial and growing number of "nontraditional" students. Describing trends in various outcomes along the pathway from college access to completion, this volume documents persisting gaps in outcomes based on students’ demographic characteristics and offers recommendations for strategies to raise student attainment. Graduate students, scholars, and researchers in higher education will find The State of College Access and Completion to be an important and timely resource.

Download or read book Teachin It written by Felicia Darling and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2019-06-28 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Teachin’ It! is a hands-on guide to cutting-edge research and classroom strategies that redress the graduation gap in community and open-access colleges. Drawing from the author’s 30 years in the education field as a math and college skills instructor, teacher educator, and researcher, this book describes an asset-based model that bolsters the success of all students, especially those underrepresented with 4-year degrees. This community includes students of color, first-generation college students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities. Readers will discover new strategies to create equitable, engaging, interactive classroom environments where students from all backgrounds are motivated to take risks, make mistakes, share their unique approaches and perspectives, and develop their own identities as powerful lifelong learners. Topics include inquiry-based learning, implicit bias, growth mindset, stereotype threat, scaffolding, college and career skills, and a community of learners. “Teachin’ It! is a wonderful guide for community college instructors. It is a must-read for faculty who strive to become better teachers.” —Frank Chong, president/superintendent, Santa Rosa Junior College “This book is a must-read for any college instructor. It communicates important research and ideas that can transform classroom environments and empower students to succeed.” —Jo Boaler, professor, Stanford Graduate School of Education “This is a bold and challenging vision for educators at all levels.” —Claude Goldenberg, professor emeritus, Stanford University

Download or read book Remaking College written by Mitchell Stevens and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2015-01-07 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1945 and 1990 the United States built the largest and most productive higher education system in world history. Over the last two decades, however, dramatic budget cuts to public academic services and skyrocketing tuition have made college completion more difficult for many. Nevertheless, the democratic promise of education and the global competition for educated workers mean ever growing demand. Remaking College considers this changing context, arguing that a growing accountability revolution, the push for greater efficiency and productivity, and the explosion of online learning are changing the character of higher education. Writing from a range of disciplines and professional backgrounds, the contributors each bring a unique perspective to the fate and future of U.S. higher education. By directing their focus to schools doing the lion's share of undergraduate instruction—community colleges, comprehensive public universities, and for-profit institutions—they imagine a future unencumbered by dominant notions of "traditional" students, linear models of achievement, and college as a four-year residential experience. The result is a collection rich with new tools for helping people make more informed decisions about college—for themselves, for their children, and for American society as a whole.

Download or read book The American Community College written by Arthur M. Cohen and published by Jossey-Bass. This book was released on 1989-09-25 with total page 496 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This monograph provides a comprehensive overview of community college education in the United States, emphasizing trends affecting two-year colleges within the past decade. Chapter 1 identifies the social forces that contributed to the development and expansion of community colleges and the continuing changes in institutional purposes. Chapter 2 examines the shifting patterns of student characteristics and goals, the reasons for the predominance of part-time attendance, participation and achievement among minority students, attrition issues, and recent moves toward student assessment. Chapter 3 draws on national data to illustrate the differences between full- and part-time faculty and discusses issues related to tenure, salary, workload, faculty evaluation, moonlighting, burnout, and job satisfaction. Chapter 4 reviews the changes that have taken place in college management as a result of changes in institutional size, the advent of collective bargaining, reductions in available funds, and changes in governance and control. Chapter 5 describes various funding patterns and their relationship to organizational shifts. Chapter 6 discusses the rise of learning resource centers and the maintenance of stability in instructional forms in spite of the introduction of a host of reproducible instructional media. Chapter 7 considers student personnel functions, including counseling, guidance, recruitment, retention, orientation, and extracurricular activities. Chapter 8 traces the rise of occupational education, as it has moved from a peripheral to a central position in the curriculum. Chapter 9 focuses on remedial and developmental programs and addresses the controversies surrounding student assessment and placement. Chapter 10 deals with adult and continuing education, lifelong learning, and community services. Chapters 11 and 12 examine curricular trends in the liberal arts and general education, highlighting problems and proposing solutions. Chapter 13 addresses the philosophical and practical questions that have been raised about the transfer function and the community college's role in enhancing student progress toward higher degrees. Finally, chapter 14 offers projections based on current trends in student and faculty demographics, college organization, curriculum, instruction, and student services. (JMC)

Download or read book Teaching Adolescents to Become Learners written by Camille A. Famington and published by . This book was released on 2012-06-11 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: