Date of Award
Summer 7-16-2019
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctorate of Education, Ed.D.
College
College of Education
Department
Education
First Advisor
David L. Kluth, Ed.D.
Second Advisor
Gerald Kiel, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Okema Branch, Ed.D.
Abstract
Nontraditional students comprise 75% of the higher education student population (Complete College America, 2011). These students maintain employment and care for their families while juggling the demands of college courses. Two-year colleges face challenges retaining nontraditional learners and more than 50% of nontraditional African American students fail to complete their associate degree (National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2019). The purpose of this phenomenological research study was to identify factors affecting the degree completion of nontraditional African American students in a community college setting and to offer institutional recommendations to retain this population of students to graduation. The researcher utilized a phenomenological research study with a survey component to collect and to analyze data on factors affecting the degree completion of nontraditional African American students in community college. This research study investigated factors impacting the persistence, retention, and graduation of nontraditional African American students in community college. Five areas, poor faculty-student relationships, ineffective student services and academic counseling programs, the need for additional financial aid to complete programs, the lack of student engagement activities to connect the nontraditional African American student to their learning experience, and the absence of family support, influence the retention and graduation rate of nontraditional African American students in the community college.