Admit One, or Admit All? How Community Colleges Structure Access to Higher Education

• In Event: Research in Progress Roundtable Session 3
  In Invited Roundtable: Transnational Issues in Postsecondary Education: Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Admissions, and Instructor Disposition (Table 16)

Abstract

Higher ed admissions research focuses on selective schools, under the assumption that schools that admit nearly all their applicants do not impact access to higher education. However, this ignores other points in the enrollment process that shape access, such as recruitment, financial aid, and course placement. To address this gap, I explore how community college personnel design and carry out admissions-related processes. Using interviews with personnel, observations of enrollment practices, and content analysis of admissions materials, this project unpacks how ideology, structures, and routines at community colleges shape higher ed access. I expect that, in order to survive, community college enrollment personnel find innovative ways to manage the dual pressures of financial instability and accountability for student outcomes.

Author

• Karin Yndestad, Northwestern University