Date of Award

2-1-2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dr. Kathy Grover

Second Advisor

Dr. Tara Benson

Third Advisor

Dr. Cliff Davis

Abstract

Success Centers are a component of community colleges that prepare students who need additional foundational coursework to proceed to college-level credit classes (Housel, 2020). In this study, the perceptions of Success Center Directors concerning their programs were explored through the lens of adult learning theory as advanced by Knowles and Lindeman (Merriam, 2018) using an online survey. Five research questions were investigated, which dealt with the services provided by Success Centers at community colleges, services that directors wanted to add, the credentials of those working in Success Centers, the impact of Success Centers on their stakeholders, and contingency plans used during unforeseen events such as the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This study was conducted in a two-state region of the Midwest United States, and the response rate was limited. An analysis of observations from the summation of survey responses indicated that directors do not perceive that their students have much success in completing college-level coursework to obtain a certificate or an associate’s degree and, in many cases, to successfully complete remedial programs. Traditional classrooms and tutoring were the preferred course delivery methods, and Success Centers were often located in or near the community college library or within the English Department. Lack of student improvement was perceived to be due to a lack of effort by the student or life circumstances. Further study of the perceptions of Success Center Directors is recommended.

Rights

Copyright 2022, Melvin Steele.

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