Jason L. Taylor

An Examination of Campus Climate for LGBTQ Community College Students

This study examines campus climate for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) undergraduate students at community colleges. Data for the study originates from Rankin, Blumenfeld, Weber, and Frazer’s (2010) State of Higher Education for LGBT People. We analyzed both quantitative data generated from closed-ended survey questions and qualitative data gleaned from open-ended survey questions. Results suggest that classroom climate plays a large role in determining students’ perceptions of campus climate. Findings also indicate that first-generation LGBTQ students experience a more hostile campus climate. Based on the findings, we offer recommendations for future research and potential best practices for working with LGBTQ community college students.

Accelerating Pathways to College: The (In)Equitable Effects of Community College Dual Credit.

Objective: The proportion of high school students taking college courses (e.g., dual credit) is increasing and state and local policies are expanding, yet little is known about the effect of dual credit policies on key educational outcomes, including the effects for low-income students and students of color. The purpose of this study was to examine how dual credit policies differentially influence college access and completion. Method: This study used propensity score matching to examine the impact of community college dual credit policy in Illinois using a large sample of students (n = 41,727) who completed high school in spring 2003. Drawing from Perna and Thomas’ Conceptual Model of Student Success and Rawls’ notion of justice as fairness, the study examined effect heterogeneity to determine differential effects for low-income students and students of color on two educational outcomes: college enrollment and college completion. Results: The analyses showed that dual credit policies positively affect all students, but smaller effect sizes were detected for low-income students and students of color compared with average estimates suggesting that existing dual credit policies are inequitable. Contributions: Policy implications and recommendations include assessing state policies and integrating non-cognitive and psychosocial supports into dual credit programs to support underserved students.

Toward College and Career Readiness: How Different Models Produce Similar Short-Term Outcomes

In 2007, the Illinois General Assembly passed the College and Career Readiness Pilot Act that supported the initial implementation of college readiness programming by community colleges and their high school partners. This study uses mixed-methods research to examine program implementation and student outcomes associated with two of seven college and career readiness (CCR) partnerships in Illinois. Our analysis of the local models is guided by Conley’s four dimensions of CCR, and the results shed light on how different programmatic approaches contribute to short-term student outcomes in mathematics and English. This study has implications for Illinois’ efforts to move CCR forward, including for the state’s new Race to the Top (RttT) grant that is attempting to scale up CCR programming associated with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education.

Reverse Credit Transfer Policies and Programs: Policy Rationales, Implementation, and Implications

ABSTRACT In the past several years, reverse credit transfer programs expanded dramatically at the state and regional levels. Policymakers and institutional leaders recognize the potential of reverse credit transfer to contribute to college completion goals and increase the proportion of adults with a postsecondary credential. More importantly, reverse credit transfer programs confer associate’s degrees to transfer students who rightly earned them, giving students credit when it’s due. In this article, I examine the policy rationales for reverse credit transfer, summarize implementation research from the Credit When Its Due (CWID) initiative to update the field, and discuss emerging and enduring issues related to reverse credit transfer.

Decoding the Digital Campus Climate for Prospective LGBTQ+ Community Colleges Students

ABSTRACT LGBTQ+ students are increasingly visible on community college campuses, and a safe and welcoming campus climate is critical to LGBTQ+ students’ academic success and well-being. Campus climate is difficult to assess for prospective LGBTQ+ community college students, and institutional websites may be a source of information about campus climate. This study used content analysis to document and analyze the digital campus climate for prospective LGBTQ+ students in the community colleges context by examining institutional websites. Using a mixed methods approach, website content of nine community colleges was analyzed, and both the quantity and nature of the content were used to make sense of colleges’ digital campus climate for prospective LGBTQ+ students. With the exception of a couple colleges, we found that the digital campus climate was not welcoming to prospective LGBTQ+ students. The results suggest that community colleges need to enhance their website in several ways and expand their overall programming (academic and non-academic) to ensure prospective LGBTQ+ students feel welcomed and safe on community college campuses.

Designing the Promise: The Salt Lake Community College Promise Program

ABSTRACT The price of college is increasingly out of reach for many Americans. Although community colleges are affordable compared to other institutional sectors, many community college students have unmet need. Free college and promise programs are emerging around the country as a solution to make college more affordable. This article examines the Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) Promise program that launched in fall 2016. The article describes the purpose of the program and the critical role of student affairs in the design and implementation of SLCC Promise. The article ends with a descriptive analysis of the outcomes of the first year of implementation of SLCC Promise, and it identifies ways that student affairs and student services can support fair and equitable free college programs.

The Multiple Dimensions of Transfer: Examining the Transfer Function in American Higher Education:

Purpose: This article examines the literature on the transfer function in American higher education, and it reviews three primary dimensions of transfer: (a) the transfer function and pathways, (b) transfer access and experiences, and (c) state transfer policy. Argument: This literature review engages core transfer concepts and we argue that the literature is dominated by the vertical transfer pathway, despite multiple transfer pathways and definitions. The research also suggests that students’ transfer experiences and outcomes are not equal, institutional cultures and policies are not designed to support diverse students, and the inadequate transfer structures and policies need to be reformed to improve transfer outcomes for students of color, low-income students, and first-generation students. Finally, we argue that the nature and distribution of state transfer policies is uneven and the impact of state transfer policies on student outcomes is mixed, so we know little about their efficacy. Conclusion: We conclude the article with a set of priorities for future transfer research that address gaps and limitations of the existing literature.