Community College Journal of Research and ...

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Policy-Relevant Research within the Community Colleges: An IHE Focus for the Future a

Dennis A. Kramer, II & Dale F. Campbell

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School of Human Development & Organization Studies in Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA b

College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Published online: 09 Jul 2015.

Click for updates To cite this article: Dennis A. Kramer, II & Dale F. Campbell (2015) Policy-Relevant Research within the Community Colleges: An IHE Focus for the Future, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 39:10, 943-949, DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2015.1033793 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2015.1033793

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Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 39: 943–949, 2015 Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC ISSN: 1066-8926 print/1521-0413 online DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2015.1033793

Policy-Relevant Research within the Community Colleges: An IHE Focus for the Future Dennis A. Kramer, II


School of Human Development & Organization Studies in Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA

Dale F. Campbell College of Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA Grounded in policy-relevant research, the Institute of Higher Education at the University of Florida is focused on supporting local, state, and national postsecondary policy development as well as training the next generation of institutional leaders. IHE conducts rigorous scholarship focused on postsecondary policy analysis and supporting the evaluation needs of local colleges/universities within the state of Florida. Given the current economic and political climate surrounding community colleges, two data points emerge as defining for the two-year sector. Specifically, data surrounding the financial support of community colleges as well as the number of community college students transferring between the two- and four-year sectors are crucial for future success. Both variables are especially important given the federal proposal for free community colleges and the growing focus on baccalaureate degree production.

Founded in 1955, the Higher Education Administration Program at the University of Florida continues to be nationally recognized for graduate education leading to the PhD or EdD. The Higher Education Administration Program is one of the remaining Kellogg Foundation Community College Leadership Programs in the nation. The program builds upon a rich tradition of excellence benchmarked to meet the needs of higher education and its leaders. The curriculum links research and practice to prepare professionals for careers and advancement as leaders within higher education. Embedded within the College of Education at the University of Florida, and led by Dr. Dale Campbell, the Institute of Higher Education (IHE) exemplifies the blending of the University of Florida’s Association of American Universities (AAU) and land-grant missions by conducting rigorous scholarship focused on postsecondary policy analysis and supporting the evaluation needs of local colleges/universities within the state of Florida. The IHE also supports doctoral student development by providing access to leading scholars and practitioners in the field of higher education and collaborating on policy-relevant research and best-practice programming. Address correspondence to Dennis A. Kramer, II, Assistant Professor, University of Florida, School of Human Development & Organization Studies in Education, Norman Hall 200-E, Gainesville, FL 32611-7046. E-mail: dkramer @coe.ufl.edu

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D. A. KRAMER, II AND D. F. CAMPBELL

Annually in the spring, the IHE sponsors the Community College Futures Assembly in Orlando, Florida. The assembly promotes effective postsecondary programs for replication at higher education institutions across the nation and actively positions colleges to pursue various funding opportunities. The assembly also provides a platform for its members to collaborate on potential joint ventures while gaining access to educational thought leaders.


IHE RESEARCH: AN ECONOMIC AND POLICY FOCUS Since its inception, IHE has maintained an active and meaningful research agenda that connects policy-relevant research to decision-making at local, state, and national levels. This focus on policy is a common theme amongst IHE’s doctoral students and graduates. The following provide samples of on-going or recently completed research projects led by IHE doctoral students. Impact of Year-Round Pell on Summer Course Completion (Bannister & Kramer, 2015) Legislators established the year-round Pell Grant provision under the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEA), which went into effect on July 1, 2009. The program allowed students to receive up to two Pell Grant scheduled awards in one award year, with the goal of assisting students in accelerating their time to degree by offering them access to Pell Grant funds for summer or other nonstandard terms. According to the United States Department of Education, approximately 9%, or 800,000, of all Pell Grant recipients benefited from the yearround Pell provision during its first year (Burd et al., 2013; Mullin, 2011). However, this legislation lasted for only two years prior to its repeal. A project spearheaded by University of Florida doctoral student Kayla Bannister, and supported by Assistant Professor Dennis Kramer, examined the impact of the year-round Pell program on summer semester credit completion at Hillsborough Community College (Bannister & Kramer, 2015). The results indicate that year-round Pell increases summer credit hours for students with an increased sensitivity to year-round funding for minority and traditional age associatedegree-seeking students. Using student-level administrative data, Bannister and Kramer (2015) employed quasiexperimental methods—propensity score and difference-in-difference estimations —to generate causal estimates of the year-round Pell program. Figure 1 shows the changes in fall and summer enrollment between 2007 and 2013 at Hillsborough Community College (the yearround Pell program was available only during the 2010 and 2011 summer semesters). Summer full-time equivalent (FTE) enrollment increased by 13.4% in the summer of 2010 when year-round Pell was first available. This increased by another 2.1% in the second year of year-round Pell availability. However, summer enrollment was already on the rise, increasing 14% in the summer of 2008 and another 8.6% in the summer of 2009, the year before legislators implemented yearround Pell. Increases in fall term enrollment were also seen over this period to varying levels, and enrollment began to decrease annually after the summer of 2011. The analysis produced consistent results. On average, year-round Pell access significantly increased the number of summer credit hours completed (by 1.55 credits). The data also showed that minority and underrepresented students were more sensitive to the year-round Pell program, increasing their summer credits completed by 1.85—an almost 20% increase in


IHE: POLICY-RELEVANT RESEARCH

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FIGURE 1 Hillsborough Community College (HCC) changes in FTE: Summer and fall terms 2007 to 2013.

production. Despite significant increases post adoption (1.28 credits), traditional age students —those between 18 and 25 years—appeared to be less sensitive to the year-round Pell program. Bannister and Kramer’s (2015) estimates support the findings of Chen and Desjardins (2008), who also observed that minority students tended to be more sensitive to Pell awards. The results are also consistent with the recent study on community colleges that found that expanded Pell benefits, including summer grants that made courses more affordable, helped to boost enrollment at 205 surveyed community colleges by 15% (Katsinas, Hagedorn, & Friedel, 2011). With the potential for reauthorization of federal higher education legislation, this work adds to the growing literature advocating for year-round financial aid support for students. Expanding Access through Community College Baccalaureate Degrees (Neuhard, 2013) The past two decades have seen an increase in the number of community colleges offering baccalaureate degrees (Levin, 2004). This growth in programs has created discourse surrounding the mission of two-year institutions (Levin, 2004). Oftentimes, the narrative is one of competition between two- and four-year institutions that may vie for the same degree-seeking students. Researchers and doctoral students within the IHE have been on the cutting edge of estimating the impact of community college baccalaureate programs—both related to student achievement outcomes and interorganizational competition. Recent graduate Ian Neuhard’s (2013) dissertation focused on enrollment shifts within Florida public state universities geographically close to community colleges that adopted duplicate baccalaureate degree programs. Additionally, he made demographic comparisons in community college baccalaureate programs relative to upper-division students attending Florida’s state universities. Using an interrupted time-series analysis to estimate changes in undergraduate enrollment, Neuhard (2013) found that the adoption of community college baccalaureate programs within Florida has allowed for the fulfillment of the stated policy goal of increasing access for nontraditional student populations without negatively impacting enrollment at State University System (SUS) institutions or the SUS in Florida as a whole.

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Student Loans and Community College Success (Hu, Wilson, & Kramer, 2015) Over the last decade the number of total credentials issued by community colleges has increased by 127% (Mullin, 2011). With a continual increase of community college enrollment (65% from 1990 to 2010) and more than 600,000 associate degrees granted in 2010 (Snyder & Dillow, 2011), community colleges have become a vital provider of education and training for postsecondary students. A key contributor to the increase in the number of associate degrees awarded is the extensive research illustrating the economic and personal benefits of community college degree completion (Belfield, 2013; Carnevale, Rose, & Cheah, 2011). In particular, in North Carolina, Belfield (2013) found that students who earned an associate degree before transferring to a four-yeardegree granting institution were more likely to finish a bachelor degree or receive any credential. The emerging work of IHE affiliates Hu et al. (2015) examines the role of student loan decisions on community college associate degree attainment. Using data from the nationally represented Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, these researchers estimated the impact of accepting a federal loan and cumulative loan debt on associate degree attainment. They specifically looked at differences between male and female students. Results from the propensity score estimation demonstrate that female students’ associate degree attainment is significantly influenced by federal loan borrowing (χ2(16) = 27.272, p = .039), while that of male students is not (χ2(16) = 12.678, p = .696). Moreover, for each additional $1,000 in federal subsidized loans borrowed, female students’ associate degree production probabilities decreased by a factor of 1.385. Results highlight a gender difference in that female students who took federal loans are more sensitive to its positive impact on associate degree attainment as compared to their male counterparts. As community colleges aim to expand student access, all stakeholders must understand the impact of federal student loans and their relationship with one of the most important college outcomes—the credential. This work provides the disaggregated impacts of loan borrowing on associate degree attainment. Conclusions expand the conversation on rising costs and student debt to the community college sector.

DATA POINTS Given the current economic and political climate surrounding community colleges, two data points emerge as defining for the two-year sector. Specifically, data surrounding the financial support of community colleges as well as the number of community college students transferring between the two- and four-year sectors are crucial for future success. Both variables are especially important given the federal proposal for free community colleges and the growing focus on baccalaureate degree production. State Support of Two-Year Institutions The President’s recent proposal, America’s College Promise (The White House, 2015), aims to make two years of community college education free to all students. Beyond the potential access to community college, this proposal delivered a statement about the importance of two-year colleges within higher education. The proposal calls for not only increases in program quality



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FIGURE 2 Average state appropriations per FTE student, FY 2001–FY 2011 (in 2011 dollars). Source: Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) Analytics: Delta Cost Project Database 1987–2010, IPEDS Fall Enrollment 2010 and FY2011 surveys (11-year matched set).

and student enrollment, but also increased state investments in community colleges. The call for additional financial support stands in direct contradiction to recent trends. Figure 2 provides an 11-year trend for state appropriations to public institutions by institutional type. Except for a brief period between 2007 and 2010, community colleges (two-year institutions) received the lowest appropriations per FTE. In 2011 constant dollars, support for community college decreased from $7,320 in 2001 to $5,638 in 2011—a 23% reduction in support. While each sector experienced similar reduction, state support of community college open access mission remains a critical need to ensure an educated citizenry. According to Carnevale et al. (2011), by 2020, nearly 30% of jobs will require an associate’s degree—or some form of postsecondary certification. With greater than 40% of America’s college students enrolled in community colleges, this sector will play an important role in stimulating economic growth. Maintaining the open access mission of community colleges is linked to strong and sustainable state support. Ensuring the potential success of America’s College Promise (The White House, 2015) and the continuation of the access mission within community colleges entails growing state support. Continuing to monitor state support is important for both institutional administrators and scholars. Bachelor-Degree Attainment for Community College Transfers As competition for entrance into four-year colleges and universities increases, community colleges are becoming a more common access point for students. With a national focus on degree completion, Shapiro et al. (2013) found that the eight-year bachelor degree completion

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rate for two-year starter transfer students was 71%, as compared to 65% for four-year starters. This illustrates the need to continue to highlight the positive impact of two- to-four-year transfer on completion. While a number of scholars have discussed the focus on transfer and ultimate degree completion, only recently have policy makers and academics examined credential completion prior to transfer. Shapiro et al. (2013) found that despite increases in four-year degree completion, only one-third of students transferred with an associate degree or other credential. Continual monitoring of both successful transfer to four-year institutions and transfer with earned associate’s degrees and/or credentials will incentivize institutional administrators to ensure articulation between two- and four-year institutions.

FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS As two-year community colleges continue to gain prominence both within political and academic circles, it is important to scholars and practitioners to continue to monitor policies and practices while engaging in rigorous policy-relevant research. Particularly, we feel that continued focus should be placed on the role of the community college baccalaureate and its facilitation of access to a broader degree-seeking population of students. Contemporary Community Colleges and Baccalaureate Degrees Over the past decade, the growing popularity of the community college baccalaureate has regularly challenged the long-standing practice of upper-division instruction at four-year institutions. The growth in these degree programs, often offering workforce-centered degrees, has been exponential. In 2004, 11 states—comprising only 21 community colleges—provided baccalaureate degree granting authority to community colleges (Russell, 2010). Presently, the number of states doing so has doubled to 22, with California becoming the latest to approve a 15-district pilot study in September 2014. Florida alone currently offers 175 baccalaureate degree programs among 24 (of its 28) community colleges, now referred to as state colleges. Given the relative prevalence of Florida’s investment in community college baccalaureate degrees, faculty members and doctoral students within the IHE will continue to investigate the role of community college baccalaureate degrees in facilitating an increased knowledge economy. This includes the long-term cost-benefit analyses of obtaining a baccalaureate degree at a community college, the impact of degree program adoption on the access mission of community colleges, and the interinstitutional competition between two- and four-year institutions. REFERENCES Bannister, K., & Kramer, D. A, II. (2015, February). The impact of the year-round Pell Grant on summer credit hour completion: A quasi-experimental case study at Hillsborough Community College. Paper presented at the 2015 The Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP) Annual Conference, Washington, DC. Belfield, C. R. (2013). Student loans and repayment rates: The role of for-profit colleges. Research in Higher Education, 54(1), 1–29.



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Burd, S., Carey, K., Delisle, J., Fishman, R., Holt, A., Latinen, A., & McCann, C. (2013, January). Rebalancing resources and incentives in Federal Student Aid. Washington, DC: New America Foundation. Carnevale, A. P., Rose, S. J., & Cheah, B. (2011). The college payoff: Education, occupations, lifetime earnings: Executive summary. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. Chen, R., & DesJardins, S. L. (2008). Exploring the effects of financial aid on the gap in student dropout risks by income level. Research in Higher Education, 49(1), 1–18. Hu, X., Wilson, T. J., & Kramer, D. A. (2015, April). The impact of student loans on associate degree attainment: A gender perspective. Paper presented at the 57th Council for the Study of Community College, Ft. Worth, TX. Katsinas, S. G., Hagedorn, R. F., & Friedel, J. N. (2011). The growing impact of new Pell grants funding: A profile of 205 community colleges in 25 states. Tuscaloosa, AL: The Education Policy Center, The University of Alabama. Retrieved from http://uaedpolicy.weebly.com/uploads/6/1/7/1/6171842/pell_grants_impact_at_205_community_colleges_4-8-2011.pdf Levin, J. S. (2004). The community college as a baccalaureate-granting institution. Review of Higher Education, 28(1), 1–22. Mullin, C. M. (2011, October). The road ahead: A look at trends in the educational attainment of community college students (Policy Brief 2011-04PBL). Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges. Neuhard, I. P. (2013). Evaluating Florida’s policy of expanding access through community college baccalaureate degrees: An analysis of enrollment trends, demographic characteristics, and systemic change (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). University of Florida, Gainesville. Russell, A. (2010). Update on the community college baccalaureate: Evolving trends and issues. Washington, DC: American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Ziskin, M., Chiang, Y., Chen, J., Torres, V., & Harrell, A. (2013, August). Baccalaureate attainment: A national view of the postsecondary outcomes of students who transfer from two-year to four-year institutions (Signature Report No. 5). Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Snyder, T. D., & Dillow, S. A. (2011). Digest of education statistics: 2010. Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, Institute for Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. The White House. (2015) White House unveils America’s College Promise proposal: Tuition-free community college for responsible students [Press release]. Washington, DC: Office of the Press Secretary. Retrieved from http://www. whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposaltuitio