Brent D. Cejda

THE EFFECT OF ACADEMIC FACTORS ON TRANSFER STUDENT PERSISTENCE AND GRADUATION: A COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE CASE STUDY

Critics contend that enrollment in a community college lessens the likelihood that a student will complete a bachelors degree (S. Brint & J. Karabel, 1989). A number of studies have examined personal, demographic, and environmental characteristics that influence the academic performance of community college transfer students. This research has included characteristics that are not readily available to admissions representatives at four‐year institutions, and studies have not considered the private, liberal arts college as the senior institution. The purpose of this study was to identify easily ascertainable characteristics that occur prior to transfer and to assess the relationship of these characteristics to persistence and baccalaureate attainment at a private, liberal arts college. Two academic factors related to persistence and graduation were included in the methodology: completion of the associate (AA) degree and community college grade point average (GPA) The subjects for the study were 200 studen...

SPIRITUAL INTEGRATION AS A PREDICTOR OF PERSISTENCE AT A CHRISTIAN INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

The research reported in this paper tested three core constructs in Tinto’s (1993) Model of Student Departure within the context of Christian higher education. In addition, the research added a spiritual integration variable to Tinto’s model that could potentially help to better explain retention and attrition at Christian institutions of higher education. The findings related to the spiritual integration variable are reported here. The sample for this study consisted of the students who completed the Student Information Form, the Institutional Integration Scales, and the spiritual integration measure. These students were tracked for one year, from their initial enrollment in the fall semester of 2000 through the fall semester of 2001. Students were then placed into one of two groups. One group consisted of persisters, students who reenrolled for the fall semester of 2001. The second group consisted of withdrawers, students who did not return for the fall 2001 semester. Survey research and quantitative data analysis were utilized to gather information and answer four research questions. The surveys used in this study include the Student Information Form (2000), the Institutional Integration Scales (Pascarella and Terenzini 1980), and a spiritual integration measure (Schreiner 2000). The integration surveys were distributed in the spring 2001 semester, during the twelfth week of classes, to first-year students enrolled in a required Bible course. This study found that the construct of spiritual integration was a significant predictor of student persistence.

The Role of the Community College in Baccalaureate Attainment at a Private Liberal Arts College

Degree audits on 1,188 graduates of a private liberal arts college revealed that 49% had earned credit hours toward completing the baccalaureate at a community college. After defining the different roles that community colleges play in baccalaureate attainment (traditional, occasional needs, returning, traditional/continuing needs, other), the author presents data on the 577 graduates in this study who used a community college by roles defined and number of credit hours completed. The findings support the contention that aggregate data mask institutional variations on community college contributions to baccalaureate education.

PROFILING THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICERS OF CHRISTIAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY

This study focused on the chief academic officer (CAO) of higher education institutions that belong to the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Developing a profile of the individuals who hold the office was a primary purpose of the study. Data about CAOs at CCCU institutions were then compared to similar data regarding CAOs at nonmember institutions. Similarities and differences between the two groups are presented. In as much as CAO is the most common position title prior to assuming the presidency, the potential for demographic changes in future presidents of CCCU institutions are also discussed.

DEFINING AND ARTICULATING COMMUNITY: EXAMPLES FROM SELECTED INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL OF CHRISTIAN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Community has been identified as a defining characteristic of Christian colleges and universities (M. Schwehn, 2000). This study focuses on how community is articulated in the catalogs of 10 Christian institutions with membership in the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). The examination considered how institutions define community, the context in which they define community, and common dimensions of community. The CCCU institutions share several distinct traits in terms of how community is expressed in their catalogs. These commonalties include behavioral expectations for students, the role of interpersonal relationships, and the fusion of intellectual and religious life.