How female community college students deal with academic challenges

Community College Enterprise, The, Spring 2004 by Steinmann, Thomas D, Miller, Michael T, Pope, Myron L

Until very recently, female college students outnumbered men in every category of degree attainment except doctoral degree completion (Smallwood, 2003). In community college associate degree programs, women comprise 60% of the total enrollment, and approximately 58% of overall community college enrollment Nevertheless, little has been done to explore how and why female students are successful in community colleges.Tne current study looks at three general variables related to female students in community colleges: the challenges they face, the strategies they use to be successful, and the types of study skills they employ. Women indicated they were challenged most by academic achievement and identified primary coping techniques.

Introduction

Community colleges have been viewed as one of the greatest successes in American higher education, primarily because they allow all citizens greater access to higher education and its subsequent rewards. Community colleges have been particularly successful at increasing the opportunities for female students. The campuses are seen as lower-stress, less-competitive environments which are accessible, affordable, and convenient (Wolgemuth, Kees, & Safarik, 2003). Female students now comprise approximately 58% of all students enrolled in community colleges and make up 60% of those graduating with associate degrees (Evangelauf, 2003). Additionally, community colleges have expanded occupational choices for women and allowed for greater entry into traditionally male-dominated vocational and occupational programs. Despite such successes, female community college students have been the subject of little direct research and even fewer critical analyses to understand how best to serve them.

The current study examines the study skills female students use, the challenges they face, and how they cope with the challenges they identify. Such findings are important not only for community college scholars who are providing much of the data analysis on community college students, but also to practitioners who are frequently looking for new ways to address problems on their own campuses and new ways to help students succeed.

Public two-year colleges operate in all 50 states and now number over 1,600, not including over 600 specialized training institutions. The associate degree attainment level of the adult U.S. population has increased to 8% from 6% in 1993, and community colleges are anticipating a 20% student enrollment increase within the next 15 years (Evangelauf, 2003).

As community colleges have grown and taken on responsibilities for economic development, workforce development, adult literacy, community self-efficacy, and general education for student transfer preparation, they have expanded offerings in many instances without examining the internal structures that have helped them succeed. Particularly in student services, most community colleges continue to commit relatively few resources, with less attention focused on retention and immersion activities and more attention focused on career placement, remediation, and the technical aspects of student life.

As the largest student body in the history of the community college prepares to enroll, it is imperative that institutions critically examine their roles, responsibilities and capabilities to further student success. The public conversation is now moving beyond simple access and increasingly toward student success.

Community college student success has been linked to a number of variables, with the general conclusion that the benefit of student involvement is similar to that of students at four-year universities and the degree of involvement has a strong influence on how students perform academically (Horn & Ethington, 2002). Community college students do, however, dropout (or stop-out) more frequently than four-year college students, and there is some evidence that students who begin at a community college are less likely to complete a bachelor's degree (Dougherty, 1992).

Although community colleges maintain a strong commitment to occupational, remedial, community and adult education, three-fourths of those who enter a community college report they intend ultimately to earn a bachelor's degree (Adams, 1999). The high percentage of students who self-report that they will transfer demonstrates that community colleges often provide the first exposure to higher education without the immersion or commitment of attending a fouryear institution. Both Dougherty (1992) and Adams (1999) report transfers are increasingly less likely to earn an associate's degree. Cejda and Kaylor (2001) reinforce the finding and have found that personal variables such as family commitment and finance will strongly influence transfer behaviors, especially the timing of the transfer. Little research suggests a differentiation between male and female students' intent to transfer, although Dougherty (1992) implied that community colleges intentionally encourage students to go into traditional occupational programs rather than into transfer-based programs. That trend may be changing as more states develop uniform transfer guidelines.