Community colleges are Black males' primary pathway to higher education. Less than a third of Black males, however, are likely to attain a certificate or degree within 6 years. Although no single intervention can formally improve their academic trajectory, interventions absent of culturally and gender-specific approaches and institutional…

This dissertation examined the relationship between participation in an academic coaching program and retention for community college students enrolled in developmental education courses. With low retention and completion rates for students beginning in developmental courses, support programs to improve student success are needed. This…

A local community college was experiencing poor retention rates among African American students, an issue that has challenged community colleges across the United States. To improve this group's retention, college administrators instituted a mentoring program; however, they later indicated a need to better understand which mentoring strategies…

California community colleges have a completion crisis problem, with over 70% of students failing to graduate. This study was conducted to identify effective support services in the Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOPS) program, which serves marginalized community college students. This EOPS program study surveyed almost 2,000 EOPS…

Purpose: This study explores the challenges facing FGCSs and seeks to provide strategies, opportunities, and novel and actionable insights for increasing retention and graduation rates among FGCSs in community colleges during and post the COVID-19 pandemic period. The study further identifies whether and how the COVID-19 pandemic magnified these…

This study analyzed the impacts of participation in short-term study abroad programs at Oklahoma community colleges through a quantitative research design. Student retention and degree completion are concerns for all types of higher education institutions, but U.S. community colleges experience an even greater struggle to retain students from…

Short term study abroad use by community colleges has been on the rise. This study looks at the effectiveness of short term study abroad programs at a community college. The study examines the use of these programs in promoting student retention, completion, and growth in intercultural competence. By looking at student retention and completion…

The purpose of this study was to determine if retention of first-year college students was influenced by specific variables and programs at one Midwest community college. The study was focused on responses from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) (Center for Community College Student Engagement, 2013) and peer mentoring…

The problem of practice addressed in this mixed-methods research study is assessing whether participating in professional development workshops helped community college instructors improve their pedagogical practices, leading to improved student success and achievement rates. In this study, I explore the effects of an intervention I designed to…

College student retention literature has traditionally focused on the residential university setting. Likewise, research on student service programs and intervention designed to increase persistence and completion have also focused on the four-year residential university. Limited research has been focused on students who are pursuing career…

The problem addressed in this study was the current low retention and graduation rates of Black males at community colleges nationwide. The purpose of this causal-comparative quantitative study was to determine the effect of the Black Male Initiative (BMI) on Black males' academic self-efficacy and academic achievement scores. Academic…

Black male community college students have the lowest retention and completion rates among any racial group (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2017). During this dissertation, I examined the root causes of Black male community college students' low graduation rates through a systematic literature review, and then identified mentoring…

In the higher education landscape, community colleges have served to help many under-resourced populations gain access to post-secondary education and a chance to pursue their dreams (Bailey, Jaggers, & Jenkins, 2015; Schudde & Goldrick-Rab, 2015). As with many under-resourced populations of students, the stakes are high for incarcerated…

Retention of first year college students has been problematic in many U.S. colleges, and different mentoring frameworks have been explored to help resolve the issue. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to examine how the mentoring program at Brown Community College (BCC; pseudonym) positively increased retention of first year…

The purpose of this study was to analyze whether relationships between Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) participation and community college student academic performance exist. Information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) was used to determine which students may otherwise qualify for SNAP benefits. The…