A National Analysis of Noncredit Community College Education: Enrollment, Funding, Accountability, and Contextual Issues. Issue 4 (3rd April 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: D'Amico, Mark M.; Morgan, Grant B.; Katsinas, Stephen G.; Adair, J. Lucas; Miller, Michael T.
• Is Part Of: Community college journal of research and practice. Volume 41:Issue 4/5(2017)
• Page Start: 288
• Page End: 302
• Publication Date: 2017-04-03
• Subjects: Community colleges -- United States -- Periodicals; 378.15430973
• DOI: 10.1080/10668926.2016.1251349
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1066-8926

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Noncredit community college enrollment accounts for approximately 40% of all enrollment in the two-year sector, or five million students (American Association of Community Colleges, 2016). Yet, this population is seldom discussed in the higher education literature due to inconsistent definitions, funding, and data reporting at the state level. Many of the structural elements (e.g., funding, enrollment) have not been documented recently or completely. This study used data from the 2015 Survey of Access and Finance Issues, administered annually to the National Council of State Directors of Community Colleges. The authors calculated noncredit enrollment by function and frequencies on funding mechanisms, funding by function, noncredit data reporting, and the measures captured at the state level. The study also employed polychoric and polyserial correlations examining the relationships among structural, contextual, and perspective-based items. This was done to capture the national landscape on this important community college function through the lens of state-level community college leaders.