The imminent teacher shortage in the United States has caused educators, policy makers, parents and concerned citizens to focus on teacher preparation not only at the university level, but also at the community college level. As a result, many community colleges are developing teacher education programs and focusing on real life classroom…

High rates of faculty turnover can be costly to the reputation of an institution and to the quality of instruction. Community colleges may expect high rates of faculty turnover as an aging workforce retires. Other sources of attrition, however, can be attributed to organizational characteristics and the structural properties of faculty work. This…

Tech Prep is a federal education initiative funded by the Carl D. Perkins Vocational and Technical Education Act initially authorized in 1990 then reauthorized in 1998. Texas HB 2401 subsequently established the parameters for the operation of Tech Prep in Texas. Texas has 26 regional consortia that coordinate the delivery of services between…

Community college administrators frequently need to deal with program enrollment shifts resulting from economic and demographic shifts. Reallocating resources between areas of the college to adjust to those enrollment shifts can become a difficult process if there isn't a careful monitoring of enrollment patterns and program costs. The authors…

Proper grammar is crucial for effective communication. Two surveys of students in an introductory writing course sought to identify predictors of grammar ability. Students demonstrated a limited grasp of the language, struggling with such issues as the distinction between "it's" and "its." Women performed better than men at the beginning of the…

The process of mentorship in relationship to the community college professor and the potential to improve and enhance the teaching and learning process is explored in this article. This article suggests that not all community college professors are psychological or intellectually disposed to being or becoming a good mentor. It is put forth that…

This article reports the results of a factorial experiment that investigated the reactions of male and female students to a hypothetical English course offered at the community college level. The participants (N=136) consisted of students enrolled in English 101 courses at four community colleges in a southeastern state. The independent variables…

Between 1965 and 1975, over 500 community colleges opened across the United States. Thirty-five years later, the founding faculty has begun to retire. This study was designed to reveal the experiences of veteran community college faculty as they left their teaching role. The study examined the role exit experience of faculty, comparing the…

This study explored white students' levels of racial/ethnic identity development and whether pre-college characteristics and patterns of participation in curricular and co-curricular activities influenced identity development. Students in the study attended a predominantly Hispanic two-year institution in southern California (referred to as…

The study reported in this paper examined the influence of certain factors on the perception of organizational change in 12 community colleges within a single state community college system. The sample consisted of 510 professional staff who completed an original 71-item survey instrument. Results suggest that the primary areas where change is…

Orientation and retention programs are common in institutions of higher education. The potential association between orientation programs and student retention, particularly within the community college sector, has long been neglected. This study presents an institutional view of a potential associative relationship between an orientation course…

A qualitative case study in 15 community colleges across the country found that learning assistance centers and specialized skills labs are an important means of increasing students' academic preparedness for postsecondary study. Since these facilities provide instruction or support in reading, writing, and math skills, it appears that they play a…

Dual enrollment programs allow high school students to enroll in community college courses while still attending high school. These programs are appealing to students since they can earn high school and college credits simultaneously and become accustomed to college-level coursework. The structure of dual enrollment programs varies by state and…

Beginning community college faculties have many responsibilities associated with teaching. Technology can alter and enhance some of the traditional expectations for teaching and learning. New professionals will benefit by becoming familiar with existing and new technology and by recognizing the college mechanisms and support systems available to…

The imminent teacher shortage in the United States has caused educators, policy makers, parents and concerned citizens to focus on teacher preparation not only at the university level, but also at the community college level. As a result, many community colleges are developing teacher education programs and focusing on real life classroom…