Date of Award
2004
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Fischler Graduate School of Education and Human Services
Advisor
Anne Mulder
Committee Member
John A Morgan
Committee Member
Barbara Packer
Keywords
academic failure, attrition, college moderators, community colleges, data collection, Department of Student Services, dislocated workers, displaced workers, evaluation, evaluation instruments, full-time equivalent students, implementation, implementation plans, North Carolina, North Carolina Community College System, orientation seminars, pilot projects, potential dropouts, project development, project evaluation, public community colleges, reentry workers, research questions, retraining, special needs, student withdrawal, students, two-year colleges, valid components, workforce reentry programs
Abstract
Central Carolina Community College at Lillington, North Carolina is a 2-year public community college. The problem is that Central Carolina Community College has had dislocated workers attending classes. Academic failure has resulted in 59% of these students withdrawing. High attrition has led to a loss of full-time equivalent students because the college is unable to meet their special needs.
In response, an orientation seminar was developed with a plan for implementation and evaluation. The primary methodology was development and secondary was evaluation.
In this project, 4 research questions prompted procedures that were needed. These research questions for this project required (a) data collection to support its purpose; (b) attainment of the appropriate and valid components; (c) appropriate and valid components be chosen, what plan would be utilized, and its implementation; (d) criteria for the evaluation of the project.
Recommendations included (a) implementation of the project by the colleges’ Department of Student Services, (b) recommendations included a pilot seminar, (c) evaluation, (d) implementation, (e) project submission to the North Carolina Community College System president for consideration, and (f) a college appointed moderator to ensure the project is implemented and evaluated regularly for reentry workers.
As anticipated, results of the dissertation study assisted displaced workers if only utilized on a one-to-one basis to help reduce academic failure in pursuit of retraining. The orientation seminar, evaluation instrument, and implementation plan has been developed.