ED G O Even BA R ONE EM Semester Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 2 0 1 7 NATIONAL REPORT ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Making the Most of the Full-Time Edge 1 The Full-Time Edge & Student Engagement 8 The Full-Time Edge & Completion and Other Outcomes 13 The Full-Time Edge: Questions for Colleges 15 In 1901, J. Stanley Brown, superintendent of Joliet Township High School, and William Rainey Harper, president of the University of Chicago, created Joliet Junior College (JJC), the nation’s first public college to accommodate students who wanted to remain within the community yet still pursue a college education. With only six students in the beginning, I assume all attended full-time. ED CONTENTS G O Here we are now, 116 years after the birth of JJC. Community colleges are still serving their communities, yet now a large majority of students attend part-time. The lives of today’s students are complex. They work, have families, and care for parents—all while taking classes. EM BA R This report is dedicated to all the students who desire to be full-time but, because of competing demands in their lives, attend part-time. The report is also dedicated to the colleges that recognize the complexity of their students’ lives and are making strides to help more part-time students attend full-time—or have an experience that is comparable to that of their full-time peers. Published by the Center for Community College Student Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin © 2017 Permission granted for unlimited copying with appropriate citation. Please cite this report as follows: Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2017). Even one semester: Full-time enrollment and student success. Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, College of Education, Department of Educational Administration, Program in Higher Education Leadership. This report would not have been possible without transcript data provided by 28 community colleges. We would also like to thank Front Range Community College in Colorado for allowing the Center for Community College Student Engagement (the Center) to conduct focus groups on attendance patterns. Evelyn N. Waiwaiole Executive Director Center for Community College Student Engagement Making the THE Most of BA R G O ED FULL-TIME EDGE Student engagement and transcript data from the Center for Community College Student Engagement demonstrate the benefits of attending college full-time. Students who attend fulltime for even one semester have an edge—the full-time edge—that is reflected in their higher rates of engagement, completion of gateway courses, persistence, and credential attainment. EM Given these findings, colleges should consider asking every student one straightforward question: “Is there any way you could attend college full-time, even for one semester?” A Fresh View of Attendance Patterns Our national dialogue about higher education continues to focus on college completion, and it does so for good reason. If our country has an under-educated workforce, we collectively lose our edge in global competitiveness. Equally important are the individual costs. Students who do not attain their educational goals cannot take advantage of all that a college degree brings, including better jobs, higher incomes, and the many benefits that accompany them. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. Community colleges have long known that full-time students are more likely to complete college than are their part-time peers. In fact, a number of new completion efforts focus on full-time attendance throughout college (see page 5). However, current Center findings show that students benefit from even one semester of full-time attendance. Many in the field of higher education tend to regard parttime and full-time as fixed classifications. But the reality is that attendance patterns are fluid for many students. Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 1 Some begin college as either part-time or full-time students and then switch. Others move between the two categories multiple times throughout their college experience. While the higher education field tends to think of part-time and full-time as fixed classifications, many students switch their enrollment status over time. Throughout this report, the Center refers to three types of enrollment status: Because of this fluidity, colleges may not realize how prevalent the part-time student experience is on their campuses. In fact, 2016 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) data show that more than 80% of third-term students report being part-time for at least some of their college experience—a figure that is considerably higher than the widely accepted binary classification (roughly two-thirds of students attend college part-time, and one-third attend full-time).1 Always-part-time. Students who have attended college part-time in every term they have enrolled and never attended full-time. ■■ Fluid attendance pattern. Students who have attended college part-time in some semesters and full-time in others. Some students change their status once; others move back and forth between part-time and full-time enrollment. Always-full-time. Students who have attended college full-time in every term they have enrolled and never attended part-time. Data in this report confirm the benefits of full-time attendance: Survey data show that always-full-time students have consistently higher levels of engagement than always-part-time students. Transcript data show that always-full-time students are more likely to complete gateway courses, persist, and earn credentials than their always-part-time peers. These data points, however, do not tell the full story. G ■■ Even One Semester Creates the Full-Time Edge O ■■ ED Redefining Attendance Patterns Most Students Have Fluid Attendance Patterns 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Students with fluid attendance patterns frequently fall between the two extremes—and they often look more like always-full-time students than like always-part-time students. These findings indicate that any experience as a full-time student provides a benefit. BA R Among students who have attended their college for three terms (N=18,887) 54% 29% 18% Always-part-time students Students with fluid attendance patterns Always-full-time students Given the demonstrable value of the full-time edge— and the fact that the vast majority of community college students attend part-time at least some of the time—how can colleges help students do better regardless of their EM Percentages do not total 100% due to rounding. Students Who Start Full-Time Do Not Necessarily Stay Full-Time 35 18 % First-term students who attend full-time (N=22,450) % Third-term students who attend full-time (N=18,887) Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents 2 Even One Semester I went full-time when I first got out of high school. [But] as you get older, life changes and you just only have so much time for school. I wish I could go full-time to finish quicker, but I just don’t have time. — STUDENT ED I think, maybe, not ‘easier’ is the word, but easier to stay focused on school when you were going full-time. G O — STUDENT What Is Behind the Full-Time Edge? BA R enrollment status? One approach is to encourage more students to attend full-time. However, because full-time attendance will not be realistic for many students, colleges also can work to help more part-time students have an educational experience—particularly in terms of how they interact with faculty and staff—that more closely mirrors that of full-time students. Students who attend college full-time have better outcomes. These factors may contribute to their success: ■■ Many colleges have different requirements for full-time and part-time students, such as mandating orientation for only first-time, full-time students. Orientation introduces students to a range of services and supports, all of which lead to a more engaging experience for students who use them. Because it is more likely to be mandatory only for fulltime students, part-time students are less likely to attend and become familiar with these services. ■■ Full-time students spend more time on campus so they are more likely to be engaged with campus activities and to use support services. They also are more likely to be on campus during the day, when more services and more faculty are available. ■■ Full-time students have more opportunities to build relationships with other students, collaborate on projects, or study in groups. ■■ Full-time students are more likely to be exposed to full-time faculty, opening more possibilities for building connections with faculty outside of class. Preparing Students With Information One factor that is essential for student success is making sure students have the information they need to act in their own best interests. EM Since the Center began its work in 2001, survey data and focus group responses have consistently indicated that community college students do not always know how to be successful in college and, more important, many do not know how to access the resources that will improve their educational experience and outcomes. Often they do not even know what questions to ask. Colleges can help students better understand what it takes to succeed in college—and improve their odds of doing so—by asking every student the question noted earlier: “Is there any way you could attend college full-time, even for one semester?” Asking this question invites students to better calibrate their expectations for succeeding in college. It opens a FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 3 Students who attend full-time early in their college experience might form habits that lead to greater engagement—and stick with those habits throughout the remainder of their college career, even during terms of part-time enrollment. Colleges also can engage students in conversations about what they think it takes to succeed as a part-time student. Center focus groups indicate that full-time students identify primarily as college students and develop habits that promote engagement, such as spending time on campus, taking advantage of student supports, and making coursework a top priority. A student who always considers him or herself a part-time student might identify as a worker who goes to school and is likely to see college as one of multiple competing demands. Additional research is needed to further assess the extent of the benefit of attending full-time for even one semester as well as how helpful each additional full-time term may be. In the meantime, colleges that engage students in conversations about enrollment status can explore ways to help students who cannot attend full-time adopt the behaviors of full-time students. O ED conversation about a range of critical issues, such as the number of credits needed to earn a degree, the school and life demands on the student’s time, and the types of engaging experiences that can improve the student’s likelihood of success. G Time to Degree: Expectations and Reality two years from the time they started college. That figure is 38% for always-part-time students who have been enrolled three terms. This finding suggests that experience gives students more realistic expectations. Thus, having better information before beginning college likely would help new students better calibrate their expectations—and possibly their actions. BA R Center data show that students have unrealistic expectations about the time needed to earn a degree, with always-part-time students having the least realistic expectations. Moreover, the earlier students are in their college experience, the less practical they are about time to completion. EM For example, among always-part-time students who have been enrolled two terms, 47% expect to earn an associate degree one to 4 Even One Semester ED If someone wants to pay my bills, that would be great. I’ve really been working this semester on trying to do scholarships and trying to get more help financially, but that’s also time, so it’s the time/money balance. G O — STUDENT BA R Completion Initiatives That Encourage Full-Time Attendance ■■ Given the correlation between full-time attendance and completion, some new initiatives are designed to encourage full-time attendance. These include the following: Some states, such as Tennessee, have created last-dollar scholarship programs for certain populations of students. Through these programs, which require full-time attendance, the state pays any part of tuition and fees that is not covered by other grants and scholarships.5 ■■ The City University of New York (CUNY) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP) offers structured course enrollment and comprehensive student supports, but students must enroll full-time to participate. Students benefit from services such as high-touch advising; tutoring; and financial supports including tuition waivers, textbook vouchers, and monthly MetroCards to cover transportation costs. MDRC concluded that “ASAP’s impacts on graduation rates are unparalleled among experimental evaluations in higher education,” with the program graduating 40% of ASAP students, compared with 22% of students in a control group.6 EM When students do not complete college, they lose not only the benefits of a credential, but also the money they invested in their unfinished education—and they may still have student loans to repay. Former Secretary of Education John King was referring to this multi-layer setback when he said, “The most expensive degree remains the one you don’t get.”2 ■■ Complete College America has proposed that Congress create a new on-time status for Pell Grants. The on-time Pell would allow students 30 funded credits per year—completed with or without summer coursework—so students could earn an associate degree in two years. (Currently, the Pell Grant covers only 12 credits per term or 24 credits per year. Therefore, students who want to graduate on time must fund the remaining six credits per year without support from a Pell Grant.)3 ■■ Some states, such as West Virginia, have started to charge students a flat-rate tuition for full-time attendance, whether they take 12 or 15 credits. Thus, full-time students who can expand FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. their course load from 12 to 15 credits get the last three credits for free.4 Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 5 Methodology & Respondent and Institutional Characteristics Transcript data While overall survey respondents are, with few exceptions, representative at the college level, the subset of students who provide valid identifiers may not be. While the results presented here are valid for the sample of students included in the analyses, generalizability may be limited by the distribution of student respondents and an overrepresentation of large, urban, and suburban colleges in this data set. These results are meaningful for the students in this data set, but a larger and more representative data set may produce different results. G Data from the 2016 survey administration include 60,730 respondents in their second or third academic term from 253 colleges in 38 states and three U.S. territories; all of these respondents attended colleges where the parttimeness special-focus items were administered. Unless otherwise noted, all survey results presented in this report are based on this response set. ED Survey data and who completed CCSSE between 2005 and 2013 and provided a valid student identifier on the survey. These students were enrolled at their colleges for up to 20 terms. It is important to emphasize that these data are not for all students at these colleges but only those students who completed CCSSE and provided a valid student identifier on the survey. In addition, CCSSE is administered in the spring, which means that students who started in the fall but did not persist to the spring did not have the opportunity to complete the survey. O Data presented in this report are derived from two sources. The first source is the 2016 CCSSE administration. The second source is transcript data for students who completed CCSSE between 2005 and 2013. These data sources are briefly described below. Complete details are available in the full methodology documentation on the Center website, www.ccsse.org/nr2017. BA R The transcript data used in this report are from 28 colleges. These data include complete transcripts for 17,085 students whose first year of enrollment was between 2005 and 2011 Defining Full-Time According to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), 38% of community college students attend college full-time.7 However, colleges, students, and legislators may not always define full-time the same way: 12 credit hours per term is considered full-time in terms of financial aid; however, 12 credit hours per term (fall and spring) is not enough to earn an associate degree in two years. ■■ 15 credit hours per term is necessary for a student who wants to complete a typical associate degree in two years (without summer coursework). EM ■■ For this report, the Center is using two definitions of full-time: ■■ Students’ reports of their own enrollment status for 2016 CCSSE data ■■ 12 credit hours per term (the same as the definition for financial aid) for 2005–13 transcript data 6 Even One Semester I just became a part-time student for this semester. It’s the first semester I’m a part-time student, and this is also the first semester I’m working full-time. It’s a whole new experience. It’s really [hard] to want to go home after a full day of work and want to do homework, especially when it’s things like calculus or programming that require a lot of mental thought. — STUDENT Institutional Characteristics Alwaysfull-time Fluid attendance Alwayspattern part-time GENDER 43% 38% Male (45%) 45% 39% AGE Traditional-age (76%) Nontraditional-age (24%) 46% 36% RACE/ETHNICITY 46% Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander (8%) 37% 2016 CCSSE administration colleges 32,054 INSTITUTIONAL SIZE 16% 26,598 Small 29% 52% Medium 21% 20% 14% 26% 44,778 Large 36% 18% 13,821 Extra large 14% 10% Urban 21% 16% LOCATION 40% 14% 915 40% 43% 17% 4,725 Suburban 32% 23% Black or African American, Non-Hispanic (12%) 41% 41% 18% 7,099 Rural 46% 61% Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish (19%) 37% 43% 21% 10,770 White, Non-Hispanic (55%) 48% 36% 16% 32,029 Other (4%) 41% 42% 17% 2,516 BA R American Indian or other Native American (2%) 39% 28 transcript colleges 18% G Female (55%) N O 2016 Administration Survey Data ED Respondent Characteristics Due to rounding, percentages may not total 100%. Always-full-time students are overrepresented in survey data due to sampling bias. Transcript Data GENDER Alwaysfull-time Fluid attendance Alwayspattern part-time N 13% 69% 18% 10,038 Male (41%) 18% 66% 16% 6,984 Traditional-age (63%) 17% 70% 13% 10,732 Nontraditional-age (37%) 11% 64% 25% 6,229 American Indian or other Native American (<1%) 15% 75% 10% 80 Asian, Asian American, or Pacific Islander (4%) 14% 73% 13% 623 EM Female (59%) AGE RACE/ETHNICITY Black or African American, Non-Hispanic (10%) 12% 68% 19% 1,724 Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish (21%) 9% 74% 18% 3,453 White, Non-Hispanic (61%) 18% 65% 17% 10,248 Other (3%) 17% 64% 19% 583 I need a break because if I do classes all day, then by the time I get home, I’m just tired, and I don’t want to do homework. — STUDENT Due to rounding, percentages may not total 100%. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 7 FULL-TIME EDGE & Student Engagement The field typically treats enrollment categories as binary— part-time or full-time—but that is not the experience of 2016 CCSSE respondents. More than one-third of those enrolled two or three terms moved between the two enrollment categories. Transcript data findings, which represent students enrolled up to 20 terms, show that two-thirds of those students switched at least once. The Center’s findings, therefore, look at three types of enrollment: always-full-time students, always-part-time students, and students with fluid attendance patterns. ED THE Across all benchmarks and many items within the benchmarks, full-time students are more engaged than are part-time students. Students with fluid attendance patterns typically fall between their always-part-time and always-full-time peers. G O Moreover, students with fluid attendance patterns often look more like their always-full-time peers than their always-parttime peers, suggesting that having any experience as a full-time student improves student engagement. More Full-Time Attendance Leads to More Engagement BA R For every benchmark, always-full-time students are the most engaged, and always-part-time students are the least engaged. Students with fluid attendance patterns fall in between but are closer to always-full-time students. n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students Active and Collaborative Learning EM Student Effort Academic Challenge StudentFaculty Interaction Support for Learners 53 (N=25,926) 51 (N=23,031) 45 (N=10,216) 53 (N=25,925) 50 (N=23,031) 46 (N=10,216) 53 (N=25,923) 50 (N=23,024) 46 (N=10,214) 54 (N=25,920) 52 (N=23,021) 46 (N=10,213) 53 (N=25,874) 52 (N=22,983) 48 (N=10,177) Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents 8 Even One Semester Active and Collaborative Learning Below, survey items with statistically significant differences among enrollment categories are presented by benchmark. In most cases, the data focus on the percentage of students who reported that they never had certain engaging experiences. ED Engagement by Benchmark n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students 30% (N=16,659) 33% (N=20,834) 45% Students who report that they NEVER worked with classmates outside of class to prepare class assignments Students who report that they NEVER discussed ideas from their readings or classes with others outside of class (students, family members, co-workers, etc.) 0% 10% O 13% (N=16,682) 14% (N=20,879) 16% (N=18,777) (N=18,753) 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% G Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents Student Effort n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students BA R 14% (N=16,638) 16% (N=20,830) 22% (N=18,716) Students who report that they NEVER prepared two or more drafts of a paper or assignment before turning it in Students who report that they NEVER worked on a paper or project that required integrating ideas or information from various sources 5% (N=16,686) 7% (N=20,884) 12% (N=18,784) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents EM Academic Challenge n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students Students who report that they NEVER worked harder than they thought they could to meet an instructor’s standards or expectations FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. 7% (N=16,662) 8% (N=20,839) 11% (N=18,732) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 9 Student-Faculty Interaction n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students 7% (N=16,669) 8% (N=20,854) 10% (N=18,766) Students who report that they NEVER discussed grades or assignments with an instructor ED 19% (N=16,628) 22% (N=20,792) 30% (N=18,734) Students who report that they NEVER talked about career plans with an instructor or advisor 39% (N=16,662) 41% (N=20,755) 50% (N=18,673) Students who report that they NEVER discussed ideas from their readings or classes with instructors outside of class 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% O Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents Support for Learners G n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students 39% (N=13,505) 41% (N=16,780) Students who report that they use career counseling services sometimes or often BA R 34% Students who report that earning an associate degree is their number one goal AND who say they sometimes or often use career counseling services (N=14,194) 41% (N=5,908) 42% (N=7,672) 37% (N=6,420) 71% (N=15,608) 69% (N=19,292) Students who report that they use academic advising/planning services sometimes or often EM 0% [Being part-time] is not easy…. I was a lot better at my studying, and I was a lot better in my classes when I had the ability to just completely sit down and focus 100% on my classes. — STUDENT 10 Even One Semester 10% 20% 62% 30% 40% 50% 60% (N=16,676) 70% 80% Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents Faculty’s Part-Timeness Affects Interaction With Students Do you know if your instructors this academic term teach full-time or part-time at this college? In Contingent Commitments,8 the Center reported that part-time faculty are less likely to engage with students than are full-time faculty. Among other reasons, at many colleges, full-time faculty are more likely to have offices and spend more time on campus. 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% (N=16,524) (N=18,603) (N=20,676) 43% 38% ED Engaging with part-time faculty outside of class may be easier for students if they are aware of the faculty members’ schedules. However, many students do not know if their instructors teach fulltime or part-time—and always-part-time students are least likely to have this information. I do NOT know this about any of my instructors. 33% Always-full-time students Students with fluid attendance patterns Always-part-time students O Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents G STUDENTS’ AND FACULTY MEMBERS’ VIEWS A lot of students don’t know whether their instructors are full-time or part-time. [They] wander into our department looking for their part-time instructor’s office, expecting them to be there all day. They’re not aware that that instructor’s not here all the time. BA R I know that my biology teacher, she’s part-time because she doesn’t have an office of her own. She just uses a spare room in the science department. — FULL-TIME STUDENT EM e might tell them, ‘I’m full-time faculty,’ or ‘I’m a W part-time instructor,’ but they may not necessarily know what that means. Does that change the access that I have to you? Does that change the way I’m supposed to communicate with you? Does that change where I can find you, and when? I don’t know that students know the difference, the true difference between a full-time faculty member and a part-time instructor, in terms of access and how to get [in touch with] them. FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. — FACULTY MEMBER The full-time faculty, you definitely see them more around campus. Usually, the adjunct teachers—and I don’t think they mean it maliciously—but they’re like, ‘Oh, I have to run to this other school because I have to pick up another class.’ As far as content, I’ve never felt like they just don’t have time for me or they didn’t put enough time into their lecture. — PART-TIME STUDENT — FACULTY MEMBER Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 11 Additional Student Services and Experiences (Not benchmark items) n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students 38% (N=16,474) 34% (N=20,567) 28% (N=18,530) 12% (N=16,517) 11% (N=20,655) 8% (N=18,603) Students who report that they participated in an organized learning community 0% 10% 20% 30% 49% 49% 42% 20% 30% 40% G 10% BA R 0% Making it a point to actually be on campus is kind of hard. Utilizing anything like the writing center, the math lab, or anything like that is tough because I have two other jobs outside of this. So having only two classes here, it’s tough to force myself to be here any additional time than I need to. EM 50% O Students who report that transferring to a 4-year college or university is their number one goal AND who say they sometimes or often use transfer credit assistance services Even One Semester 40% 60% 70% 80% 70% 80% 44% (N=11,289) 43% (N=13,750) 39% (N=11,674) Students who report that they use transfer credit assistance services sometimes or often 12 ED Students who report that they attended a college orientation program or course — STUDENT (N=5,367) (N=6,217) (N=4,514) 50% 60% Source: 2016 CCSSE special-focus item respondents THE & Completion and Other Outcomes AN EDGE ON ED FULL-TIME EDGE Transcript data show that having any full-time enrollment improves student outcomes, including completion of gateway courses, persistence, and completion of a certificate or degree. Gateway Completion O Students who enroll full-time at least some of the time are more likely to complete gateway courses than those who are always-part-time. G n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students Percentage of students passing gateway English with a C or better* BA R Percentage of students passing gateway math with a C or better** 0% 10% 20% 30% 77% 50% (N=1,230) 85% (N=970) 81% (N=6,043) 66% 40% 87% (N=1,496) 89% (N=7,731) 60% (N=710) 70% 80% 90% 100% *Note: Students who never attempted a gateway English course are excluded from this analysis. **Note: Students who never attempted a gateway math course are excluded from this analysis. Source: 2005–13 CCSSE-matched transcript data AN EDGE ON Fall-to-Fall Persistence EM Students who enroll full-time in their first term are more likely to persist to the second fall term than those who enroll part-time in their first term. n Students who enrolled full-time in their first term n Students who enrolled part-time in their first term 77% Percentage of students who persisted from first fall to second fall FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 64% (N=5,075) 60% 70% (N=5,977) 80% 90% 100% Note: Includes only students who started at their college in a fall term. Source: 2005–13 CCSSE-matched transcript data Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 13 AN EDGE ON College Completion: First-Term, Full-Time Students who enroll full-time in their first term are more likely to complete college than those who enroll part-time in their first term. n Students who enrolled full-time in their first term n Students who enrolled part-time in their first term 38% 31% 0% 10% 20% (N=8,635) (N=8,449) 30% ED Percentage of students who graduated with an associate degree or certificate 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Source: 2005–13 CCSSE-matched transcript data AN EDGE ON College Completion: Full-Time, Any Time O Students who enroll full-time at least some of the time are more likely to complete college than those who are alwayspart-time. Recent findings from the National Student Clearinghouse show similar results.9 n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students 50% Percentage of students who graduated with an associate degree or certificate 23% 0% THE INTERSECTION OF 10% 20% (N=2,959) 30% BA R Full-Time Students and Full-Time Faculty (N=2,569) (N=11,556) G 34% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Source: 2005–13 CCSSE-matched transcript data Students who enroll full-time at least some of the time are more likely to be taught by full-time faculty. n Always-full-time students n Students with fluid attendance patterns n Always-part-time students Percentage of courses taught by full-time faculty EM 0% 10% 20% 30% 62% (N=2,376) 59% (N=10,806) 48% 40% (N=2,764) 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Source: 2005–13 CCSSE-matched transcript data I’m working just as hard as I was last semester, but now I’m working full-time on top of it. It’s really hard to find that balance and timing between everything. — STUDENT 14 Even One Semester THE FULL-TIME EDGE engage with faculty and other students? ■■ How can our college help more students attend full-time for at least one term? ▶▶ Can we make sure every student is informed about the benefits of attending college full-time, even for one semester? G Some colleges and programs encourage more students to attend full-time. However, without considerable financial support, that option is unrealistic for every student. Nevertheless, colleges may be able to better serve the majority of their students by designing a part-time experience that more closely mirrors the experience of fulltime students. ▶▶ Do part-time students have fewer opportunities to O Students gain advantages by attending college full-time for at least one semester—the full-time edge. How can colleges use this fact to improve student outcomes? ED Questions for Colleges ▶▶ Can our college begin advising students earlier— BA R Colleges can conduct focus groups to capture students’ and faculty members’ ideas on how best to improve the part-time student experience. To download focus group guides to use with your students and faculty, visit www.ccsse.org/nr2017. Colleges also can make sure students have the information they need to effectively plan for and approach their education. Below are questions colleges can use to spur internal conversations about how to dive into this work. Are there systematic processes built into our college that unintentionally encourage students to attend part-time? ■■ How is the part-time student experience qualitatively different from the full-time experience at our college— and what disparities do these differences create? EM ■■ ▶▶ What do we require full-time students to do (such as orientation) that we do not require part-time students to do? ▶▶ Do part-time students have the same advising experience as full-time students? perhaps when they enroll in the college rather than when they register for classes—so students have more time to explore the possibility of attending full-time? ▶▶ Can we work with community organizations to provide funds (scholarships) for one term of fulltime attendance? ▶▶ Can we provide more student jobs for students who are interested in attending full-time for one term? ■■ If more students at our college could attend full-time, what steps would we need to take to ensure that we are able to meet the increased demand? ■■ For students who cannot attend full-time (at all), what can our college do to help part-time students have an experience that is more like that of full-time students? ▶▶ How can we help students take the right sequence of courses so they are using their time wisely? ▶▶ Can we require students to take advantage of support services? ▶▶ Are we ensuring that support services are available when part-time students are on campus? ▶▶ Are we providing professional development to make sure all full-time and part-time faculty know how to direct students to support services? FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT WWW.CCCSE.ORG. Full-Time Enrollment and Student Success 15 PART-TIME STUDENTS’ ADVICE TO THEIR COLLEGES I think having more counselors. We have one for the whole campus. I know I’ve e-mailed the last one—apparently, she quit—with no response, so that’s definitely discouraging. ED I think that goes back to connecting to the advisors. If you’re a part-time student, you’re not going to be on campus. You might not be able to meet in person. I think being really good about communicating over e-mail or phone would be helpful to part-time students. BA R G O I f you could have one advisor and not just shuffle to whoever has time. If they could take the time to [say], ‘Oh, you want your associate of science. Let’s look at the next year and a half and see if this is feasible.’ I [wish] someone would’ve told me, ‘You’re going to be here for three years if you go at this rate.’ EM I found [orientation] useful, but at the same time, it was a little bit too much information to take in one day. A lso, I think a big part would also be the advisors, possibly, having longer hours, longer times where you can meet with them. A normal meet would be 15 minutes. That’s barely enough time for them to get you logged into the computer. Endnotes 1 American Association of Community Colleges. (2016, February). Fast facts. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Documents/ FastfactsR2.pdf 2 U.S. Department of the Treasury. (2016, February 4). Public meeting of the financial literacy and education commission [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.yorkcast.com/treasury/events/2016/02/04/flec 3 Johnson, J., & Zaback, K. (2016, June). On-time Pell: Maintain access, ensure completion. Retrieved from Complete College America website: http:// completecollege.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/PellBriefFinal.pdf 4 Complete College America. (2013). The Game Changers: Are states implementing the best reforms to get more college graduates? Retrieved from http://www.completecollege.org/pdfs/CCA%20Nat%20Report%20Oct18FINAL-singles.pdf 5 Hultin, S., & Weeden, D. (2016, April). Free community college. Retrieved from National Council of State Legislatures website: http://www.ncsl.org/research/ education/free-community-college.aspx 16 Even One Semester 6 Sommo, C., & Ratledge, A. (2016, September). Bringing CUNY accelerated study in associate programs (ASAP) to Ohio: Early findings from a demonstration in three community colleges. Retrieved from MDRC website: http://www.mdrc.org/ sites/default/files/ASAP_Ohio_final.pdf 7 American Association of Community Colleges. (2016, February). Fast facts. Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Documents/ FastfactsR2.pdf 8 Center for Community College Student Engagement. (2014). Contingent commitments: Bringing part-time faculty into focus (A special report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement). Austin, TX: The University of Texas at Austin, Program in Higher Education Leadership. 9 Shapiro, D., Dundar, A., Wakhungu, P.K., Yuan, X., Nathan, A., & Hwang, Y. (2015, November). Completing college: A national view of student attainment rates — fall 2009 cohort (Signature Report No. 10), 31. Herndon, VA: National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Audrey J. Jaeger Professor of Higher Education and Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor North Carolina State University Christopher Baldwin Senior Director Jobs for the Future Christine Johnson Chancellor Community Colleges of Spokane (WA) Karon Klipple Executive Director, Community College Pathways Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Cynthia Ferrell Executive Director, Texas Success Center Texas Association of Community Colleges William Law President St. Petersburg College (FL) Rufus Glasper President and CEO League for Innovation in the Community College Daniel J. Phelan President Jackson College (MI) Mary E. Rittling President Davidson County Community College (NC) Lynn Tincher-Ladner President and CEO Phi Theta Kappa Dale K. Nesbary President Muskegon Community College (MI) Vincent Tinto  Distinguished University Professor Emeritus Syracuse University Lawrence A. Nespoli President New Jersey Council of County Colleges Philip Uri Treisman Professor of Mathematics, Professor of Public Affairs, and Executive Director, The Charles A. Dana Center The University of Texas at Austin BA R Sunita V. Cooke Superintendent/President MiraCosta Community College District (CA) Steven L. Johnson President and CEO Sinclair Community College (OH) Alexander McCormick Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Director, National Survey of Student Engagement Indiana University Bloomington G Walter G. Bumphus President and CEO American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Ross E. Markle Senior Research & Assessment Director Educational Testing Service O Peter Ewell, Chair President Emeritus National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) ED Center National Advisory Board Annette Parker President South Central College (MN) CENTER STAFF For a list of CCSSE member colleges, visit www.cccse.org. For a list of Center staff, visit www.cccse.org. EM CCSSE MEMBER COLLEGES ED O G BA R EM Center for Community College Student Engagement Program in Higher Education Leadership Department of Educational Administration College of Education The University of Texas at Austin 3316 Grandview Street Austin, TX 78705 T: 512.471.6807 F: 512.471.4209 info@cccse.org www.cccse.org