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Arthur M. Cohen and his colleagues at the Center for the Study of Community Colleges have made significant and broad contributions to the scholarly literature and empirical research about community colleges. Although Cohen’s interests are comprehensive and his writings touch on multiple issues associated with community colleges, his empirical work is particularly important in three areas: curriculum, transfer, and faculty. This article provides an overview of the work Cohen and his colleagues have conducted in these areas.

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Community colleges enroll nearly half of the students enrolled in public undergraduate programs and a disproportionate number of first-generation, low-income, underprepared and minority students. The new national completion agenda has brought both visibility and pressure to these open-access institutions, which have completion rates of less than 25 per cent for first-time full-time students and even lower rates for part-time students. While interventions to improve success tend to be focused on the first year, a surprisingly large number of students successfully complete more than one year of college credits yet leave without completing a credential or transferring. This study focuses on these 'nearbies', successful students close to completion who leave higher education. Results indicate students have varied reasons for departing, demonstrate behaviors at odds with their espoused value of earning a certificate or degree, and need support and encouragement throughout their time at the college. Personal relationships are particularly important in fostering a sense of connection.

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With the number of transfer students increasing and graduation still an elusive goal, the researchers conducted four focus groups and four individual interviews with transfer students attending universities in the Chicago and Dallas-Fort Worth area to better understand and explore the factors that influenced their college choice decisions at their first and subsequent institutions. The specific research questions were: (a) When, why, and how do transfer students select their postsecondary institutions? (b) How do students who have transferred more than once describe their decision-making process and has it changed from their initial college choice decision? The study found many students did not pursue planned, linear pathways to transfer. Rather, they often made spontaneous decisions affected by a range of personal as well as academic issues. The article includes implications for student affairs professionals and high school counselors to facilitate the college choice process.

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'New directions for community colleges', published quarterly, is part of the Jossey-Bass Higher and Adult Education series. This issue, entitled 'Next steps for the community college', has two purposes: to review recent research on topics of importance; and to identify some critical challenges community colleges face and present practical options for meeting them. The articles in this issue are: Literature on community colleges: an overview / Trudy H. Bers, Harriott D. Calhoun (p. 5-12); Transfer rates: a problematic criterion for measuring the community college / Barbara K. Townsend (p. 13-24); Contemporary vocational models and programs: what the research tells us / Debra D. Bragg (p. 25-34) [indexed at TD/TNC 81.516]; Remediation at the community college: pressing issues, uncertain solutions / Betsy Oudenhoven (p. 35-44); English as a second language at the community college: an exploration of context and concerns / Amy J. Blumenthal (p. 45-54); Assessing student learning outcomes / Jeffrey A. Seybert (p. 55-66) [indexed at TD/TNC 81.517]; Challenges in supporting student learning and success through student services / Terry E. Williams (p. 67-76); Community college faculty and professional staff: the human resource challenge / Kim Gibson-Harman, Sandria Rodriguez, Jennifer Grant Haworth (p. 77-90); State governance patterns for community colleges / Cheryl D. Lovell, Catherine Trouth (p. 91-100); Key literature (p. 101-108). Show less

The open access mission of community colleges demands working with individuals with widely varying academic skill levels and diverse educational backgrounds. As a result, learning outcomes assessment in community colleges presents an array of opportunities and challenges distinctive to these institutions and the students that they serve. This paper analyzes the findings from two recent surveys, one of institutional researchers and one of chief academic officers from community colleges, to better understand the state of student learning outcomes assessment in this increasingly important sector. In the context of these findings, the authors discuss the multiple demands for accountability and transparency that characterize the environment within which community colleges operate. They describe assessment approaches used by community colleges and review how institutions can and do use the results. They also provide some examples of good practices in assessment, and suggest some guidelines and cautions for community colleges that are seeking to advance the assessment agenda. The authors encourage community colleges to honestly and openly assess student learning and to use information obtained through the assessment process to improve retention, progression and academic success of students on community college campuses.

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