Overcoming Barriers to Admission in a Community College

173 Pages·2015·1.24 MB·English

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Dissertations Graduate School
Fall 2015
Overcoming Barriers to Admission in a
Community College
Nicole Cobb
Western Kentucky University, [email protected]
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Cobb, Nicole, "Overcoming Barriers to Admission in a Community College" (2015).Dissertations.Paper 96.
http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/diss/96
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OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO ADMISSION IN A
COMMUNITY COLLEGE

A Dissertation
Presented to
The Faculty of the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree of
Doctor of Education

By
Nicole R. Cobb

December 2015

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The completion of this dissertation represents the contributions of many who have
supported me, both professionally and personally, through this process. I am especially
indebted to my chair, Dr. Barbara Burch, for her commitment as a mentor, as well as her
guidance throughout this process. I also would like to thank my other committee
members, Dr. Kristin Wilson and Dr. Joseph Cangemi, for their comments, suggestions,
and expertise. Many others assisted in this study who I would like to thank, especially
my fellow cohort who provided assistance and support for whatever I needed, all of you
were so generous: Gaye Pearl, Doctoral Program Office Coordinator for answering my
never ending barrage of questions, and my director, MaryAnn Hyland-Murr, for ongoing
support throughout the years. To my parents and sister, thank you for your support.
Your belief in me and in my education was the foundation for my commitment to life-
long learning. I would like to especially acknowledge my husband, Jason, for his
unending support and unwavering faith in my abilities and constant support of my
endeavors. Also, many thanks to my children, Olivia and Emily, for their patience,
support, and cheerleading.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF TABLES ......................................................................................................... viii
ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER I: STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM .......................................................1
Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................2
Background ..........................................................................................................................4
Lean..........................................................................................................................7
Community College Challenges/Student Persistence ............................................10
Barriers ...................................................................................................................14
Research Questions ............................................................................................................17
Population ..........................................................................................................................18
Methodology ......................................................................................................................19
Limitations .........................................................................................................................20
Delimitations ......................................................................................................................21
Definition of Terms............................................................................................................21
Summary ............................................................................................................................22
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .....................................................24
Introduction ........................................................................................................................24
Historical Perspective ........................................................................................................25
History of Continuous Improvement .....................................................................25
Deming ...................................................................................................................28
Total Quality Management ....................................................................................31
iv
Lean........................................................................................................................32
Six Sigma ...............................................................................................................36
Barriers to Persistence............................................................................................40
Continuous Improvement in Higher Education .....................................................48
Empirical Studies ...............................................................................................................51
Summary ............................................................................................................................62
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ...............................................................................64
Introduction ........................................................................................................................64
Research Design.................................................................................................................65
Types of Qualitative Research ...........................................................................................67
The Role of the Researcher ................................................................................................68
Population and Sample ......................................................................................................69
Research Questions ............................................................................................................71
Procedures ..........................................................................................................................71
Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................73
Trustworthiness and Validity Considerations ....................................................................75
Anonymity and Confidentiality .........................................................................................77
Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................77
Summary ............................................................................................................................77
CHAPTER IV: RESULTS ..............................................................................................79
Overview of the Study .......................................................................................................79
Research Design.................................................................................................................80
The Findings ......................................................................................................................82
v
Lack of Cross Training ..........................................................................................82
Convenience Barriers .............................................................................................83
Lack of Standardized Work ...................................................................................83
Territorial Behaviors ..............................................................................................83
Customer Service Barriers .....................................................................................84
Research Question 1 ..........................................................................................................84
Admissions .............................................................................................................85
Advising .................................................................................................................93
Financial Aid ..........................................................................................................98
Additional Institutional Barriers ..........................................................................102
Research Question 2 ........................................................................................................104
Positive Impacts ...................................................................................................104
Negative Impacts .................................................................................................108
Research Question 3 ........................................................................................................112
Challenging ..........................................................................................................112
Confusing .............................................................................................................115
Summary ..........................................................................................................................116
CHAPTER V: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS ...............................................117
The Study in Brief ............................................................................................................117
Discussion ........................................................................................................................120
Overview of the Findings.....................................................................................120
Discussion of the Findings ...................................................................................125
Researcher’s Themes ...........................................................................................136
vi
Recommendations ............................................................................................................138
Policy and Practice Recommendations ................................................................138
Future Research Recommendations .....................................................................142
Summary ..........................................................................................................................143
REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................146
APPENDIX A: Consent Letter .......................................................................................156
APPENDIX B: Letter of Notification of Nonparticipants ..............................................158
APPENDIX C: Interview Guide.....................................................................................159
APPENDIX D: Screenshot of Application .....................................................................161
APPENDIX E: Screenshot of Application Residency Questions ..................................162

vii
LIST OF TABLES

Table 1. Kentucky Community & Technical College Completion Rates .........................16

viii
OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO ADMISSION IN A COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Nicole Cobb December 2015 162 pages

Directed by: Barbara Burch, Kristin Wilson, and Joseph Cangemi

Educational Leadership Doctoral Program Western Kentucky University
Higher education institutions currently face a climate that can best be described as
tumultuous. Funding cuts and increased external pressure and accountability are forcing
institutions to evaluate the way in which they do business. Process improvement
methodologies such as lean and Six Sigma have been successfully implemented in
industry; colleges and universities are evaluating how these methodologies will fit into
higher education. The central research question was: “What are the internal institutional
barriers to persistence?” Lean principles served as the theoretical framework for this
study. Lean principles rely on subject matter experts to evaluate the processes in which
they are involved; these experts make and implement recommendations for continuous
improvement. The purpose of this research was to better understand the situation,
variation, and complexity of processes in community college admissions, financial aid,
and advising departments and their impact on student persistence from the perspective of
those who work closely in those environments. This study utilized subject matter experts
to identify institutional barriers.
The study involved frontline community and technical college staff working in
admissions, financial aid, and advising. A purposeful sampling grid was used to select
participants from colleges in the comprehensive community and technical college system.
Responses from the semi-structured interviews were recorded and transcribed. Data from
the 10 participants were entered and coded. Interviews were synthesized and analyzed
for patterns and themes.
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