ACOMPARATIVEANALYSISOFTHEPERCEPTIONSOFCOMMUNITY COLLEGECHIEFBUSINESSOFFICERSANDCHIEFACADEMIC OFFICERSREGARDINGINSTITUTIONALFACTORSTHATCONTRIBUTE TOEXTENDINGCOMMUNITYCOLLEGESTUDENTTIMETO COMPLETION By JAMESR COOPER ADISSERTATIONPRESENTEDTOTHEGRADUATESCHOOLOFTHE UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDAINPARTIALFULFILLMENTOFTHE REQUIREMENTSFORTHEDEGREEOFDOCTOROFEDUCATION UNIVERSITYOFFLORIDA 1998 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Igratefullyextendmythanksandappreciationtomycommitteechair. Dr.DaleF.Campbell,andtomycochair.Dr.DavidS.Honeyman,fortheir assistanceduringthecourseofthisstudy. IwouldalsoliketothankDr.James DoudandDr.DavidMillerfortheirwillingnesstoserveonmycommitteeand fortheirthoughtfulcomments,advice,andwordsofencouragement. Finally,I wishtoacknowledgemywife,Kathy,forherpatience,hertypingskills,andher absolutesupportofmyeducationalendeavors. 11 TABLEOFCONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii LISTOFTABLES vi ABSTRACT vii CHAPTERS INTRODUCTION 1 1 Background 1 StatementoftheProblem 3 SignificanceoftheStudy 6 StatementofPurposeandResearchQuestions 7 DefinitionofTerms 11 ResearchLimitations 13 2 REVIEWOFTHELITERATURE 14 Introduction 14 PerceivedProblems 15 InstitutionalFactorsInfluencingtheCommunity CollegeStudent 36 CommunityCollegeandtheNon-TraditionalStudent 44 Summary 49 3 RESEARCHMETHODOLOGY 50 Introduction 50 ResearchPurposeandQuestionsStudied 51 ResearchPremiseandDesign 52 ListofVariablesStudied 54 RespondentSampleSelection 58 DataCollection 59 ResearchSurveyInstrument 59 StudyLimitations 64 iii gage 4 ANALYSISOFDATAANDFINDINGS 66 Introduction 66 DataCollection 66 DescriptionoftheRespondents 67 AnalysesofSurveyResponses 68 AnalysisofIndividualVariableResponsesforAllCommunity CollegesSurveyed 68 ResultsofHypothesesTesting 82 SummaryoftheFindings 85 5 CONCLUSIONS,IMPLICATIONS,ANDSUGGESTIONS FORFURTHERRESEARCH 93 Introduction 93 Conclusions 93 Implications 98 RecommendationsforImprovement 100 SuggestionsforFutureResearch 102 APPENDICES A SURVEYINSTRUMENT 104 B FIRSTCOVERLETTERFORSURVEY 110 C SECONDCOVERLETTERFORSURVEY Ill D THIRDCOVERLETTERFORSURVEY 112 REFERENCES 133 BIOGRAPHICALSKETCH 147 IV LISTOFTABLES Table page 1. ComparativeDescriptiveStatisticsFortheAdministrative AndLogisticsRelatedVariables(ChiefAcademicOfficers, ChiefBusinessOfficers,andTotals) 69 2. ComparativeDescriptiveStatisticsForCurricularand ProgramRelatedVariables(ChiefAcademicOfficers, ChiefBusinessOfficers,andTotals) 71 3. ComparativeDescriptiveStatisticsForFacultyEffortAndQuality RelatedVariables(ChiefAcademicOfficers,ChiefBusiness Officers,andTotals) 73 4. ComparativeDescriptiveStatisticsForResource AllocationRelatedVariables(ChiefAcademicOfficers, ChiefBusinessOfficers,andTotals) 75 5. ComparativeDescriptiveStatisticsForStudentServicesandSupport RelatedVariables(ChiefAcademicOfficers,ChiefBusiness Officers,andTotals) 78 6. DescriptiveStatisticsForDependentVariableCategorical Sub-scalesbyRespondentCategoryForAll46PairedGroupsof Respondents 79 7. InternalConsistencyCoefficients(AlphaReliability)FortheTwo RespondentGroupsbytheFiveDependentVariable Sub-scales 80 8. PairedSamplet-TestResultsContrastingtheTwoRespondent GroupsOvertheFiveDependentVariableSubscalesThat CorrespondWiththeFiveHypotheses 83 9 RespondentComments(DV0i) 89 v AbstractofDissertationPresentedtotheGraduateSchoolof theUniversityofFloridainPartialFulfillmentofthe RequirementsfortheDegreeofDoctorofEducation ACOMPARATIVEANALYSISOFTHEPERCEPTIONSOFCOMMUNITY COLLEGECHIEFBUSINESSOFFICERSANDCHIEFACADEMIC OFFICERSREGARDINGINSTITUTIONALFACTORSTHATCONTRIBUTE TOEXTENDINGCOMMUNITYCOLLEGESTUDENTTIMETO COMPLETION By JamesR.Cooper May1998 Chair: Dr.DaleF.Campbell Cochair: Dr.DavidS.Honeyman MajorDepartment: EducationalLeadership Thepurposeofthisstudywastoexaminethebeliefs,attitudes,and perceptionsofcommunitycollegechiefbusinessofficersandchiefacademic officersastowhich,ifany,institutionalfactorscontributetoextending communitycollegestudenttimetograduation. Asecondarypurposewasto determineifanyoftheresultingstatisticallysignificantfactorshadsignificant differenceswhencomparingtheresponsesofthetwogroupssurveyed. Chiefbusinessofficersandchiefacademicofficersatmembercolleges oftheCommunityCollegeBusinessOfficers(CCBO),anaffiliateofthe AmericanAssociationofCommunityColleges(AACC),weresurveyed. There wereatotalof250membercollegessurveyed. Atotalof159collegesreturned completedsurveys,renderinga63.6%responserate. Amongthe159community VI collegesreturningcompletedsurveys,therewere144chiefacademicofficersand 152chiefbusinessofficersthatparticipated. Ofthe159collegesresponding therewereatotalof46collegeswherethechiefacademicofficersandthechief businessofficerscouldbepairedbycollege. Thedatawereanalyzedtoidentify individualandgroupinstitutionalfactorsthatarebelievedtocontributeto extendingtimetograduation. Therewerefivecategoriesofinstitutionalfactors studied. Thecategoriesinvestigatedwereresourceallocationrelatedissues, curricularandprogramrelatedissues,studentservicesandsupportrelatedissues, administrativeandlogisticsrelatedissues,andfacultyeffortandqualityrelated issues. Inordertoaddresstheresearchquestions,avarietyofdescriptiveand statisticalanalyseswereusedtosummarizetheresults. Theseanalysesrevealedthatcurricularandprogramrelatedissuesare perceivedtobethestrongestcontributorstoextendingstudenttimeto graduation. Incomparativestatisticalanalysesusingdependentsamplet-tests, therewerenosignificantdifferencesbetweenthetwogroupsofrespondentsat theprobabilitya=0.05. Therewere19individualinstitutionalvariableswithinthefive dependentvariablesubscalesthatwereidentifiedbybothrespondentgroupsas beinggreaterthanmoderatecontributorstoextendingstudenttimetograduation. Threeofthefivedependentvariablesubscales(administrativeandlogistical, curricularandprogram,andstudentservicesandsupport)wereidentifiedbyboth respondentgroupsasmakingagreaterthanmoderatecontributiontoextending communitycollegestudenttimetocompletion. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Background Withalltheconcerninthepublicsectorregardingcurriculum,timeto completion,funding,efficiency,andotherrelatedcommunitycollegeissues, therearestillquestionsthatremain. Dotheoutcomesjustifythecontinued publicsupportandthedollarstheyconsume? Arecommunitycollegesworth whattheycost9 Isittimetoreassessthebasiccommunitycollegecommon missionanditsresultingoutcome(Bensimon, 1994)? Althoughthesequestions andotherslikethemhavebeenaskednumeroustimessincetheoriginalconcept ofthecommunitycollegewasdevelopedaroundtheturnofthecentury,they haverarelybeenexaminedinthecontextofwhatcanthecommunitycollegedo asaninstitutionalentitytocreateamoreefficientwayofdoingbusiness. These questionshavelargelygoneunansweredformostofthehistoryofthe communitycollegemainlybecausethecommunitycollegehasgoneunnoticed andignoredbywritersabouthighereducation(Adelman, 1994;Cohen& Brawer, 1996). Intheearlyyearsofthecommunitycollegerevolutionthere werestrictstandardsthatwererequiredofstudentsandtheinstitutionsalike, suchasstandardsregardingentrancecriteria,prerequisiteandsequentialcourse progression,continualprogresstowardapredeterminedgoal,andprobationor 1 2 suspensionforthosestudentswhodidnotmeetminimumgradeorprogress standards(Middleton, 1981). Foranumberofreasonsmanyoftheoldstandards werephasedoutoverthelast20-25years,andtheresulthasbeenconfusionin someareasofthecommunitycollegesystem. Inanefforttobeeverythingto everyone,somecommunitycollegesmayhavegivenupcontrolofsomevery basicstudentrequirementswhichhasledtoadramaticdeclineinstudent progresswithinsomecommunitycollegesystems(Blanco, 1994). Itis, therefore,thegoalofthisstudytoassistinidentifyingareasofconcernwith regardtoinstitutionalfactorsthathavecontributedtothebelieforperceptionof adeclineinstudentprogresswhichmayhave,ineffect,createdanextendedtime tograduationforcommunitycollegestudents. Oncetheareasofconcernwere identified,theirrelativeimportancebasedontheperceptionsofcommunity collegechiefbusinessofficersandchiefacademicofficerswasdetermined. The subjectsofthesurveywerechosenbecauseoftheirhighlevelleadership positionswithinthecommunitycollegehierarchy. Theirpositionsprovidethem withuniqueknowledgeandbeliefsrelativetocommunitycollegeissues. Inrecentyears,educationalinstitutionsatalllevels,especiallyhigher educationinstitutions,havebeenstrugglingtomeetgovernmentallymandatedas wellaspublicdemandsforaccountability. Communitycollegesareno exception. Therearenumerouseffortsunderwaytoproduceevidenceof institutionaleffectivenessinpromotingtheeducationalprogressoftheir students. Thedrivingforceofmanyoftheseeffortswasaperceptionofdecline inthecommunitycollegeprimarymissionofgraduatingstudentswiththetools 3 requiredtofunctionintoday’smarketplaceortopreparethemtotransferintoa four-yearinstitutionwiththeultimategoalofattainingabaccalaureatedegree. Inthebroadestsense,theissueofinstitutionaleffectivenessrevolvesaroundthe questionedabilityofthecommunitycollegetomaintainitsgoalsofproviding accessaswellasequitywithoutsacrificingquality,allofwhichmustbe providedwithinthemandatedcredithourlimitations. Themandatedcredithour limitations,whilenotuniversal,arebecomingmoreprevalentandsomustbe addressed. Communitycolleges,bytheirverynature,offeracomplexandbroad spectrumofeducationalopportunitiesforthegeneralpublic,whichinclude vocational,remedial,continuing,andtransfereducation,allofwhichisprovided atareasonablecostandwithveryfewrestrictions. Theneedtounderstandbettertheproblemsrelatedtopersistenceto graduationwithinareasonabletimespanisofparticularimportancetoboth universitiesandcommunitycollegesastheystrugglewiththeneedtobalance quality,access,andreasonablecost. StatementoftheProblem ThefinancialproblemsrelatedtotheUnitedStateseducationalsystem arenotnew. Thereisincreasingpressurefromstategoverningbodiestotrim budgetswithinallareasofeducation. Nowhereisthatpressuremorestrongly feltthanwithinthecommunitycollegesystemsoftheUnitedStates. Sincetheir inception,communitycollegeshavebeenexpectedtodomorewithless(Blanco, 1994). Consideringthefinancialhandicapunderwhichcommunitycolleges