Community College and the Critical Social Ecology of Student Success

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 13
  In Roundtable Session: Examining the Possibiliites of Community Colleges

Abstract

Community colleges occupy center stage in a contemporary national debate concerning the link between higher education and social (im)mobility. The current study draws on surveys (N=383) and focus group interviews (N=47) conducted at three City University of New York (CUNY) community colleges to explore student perceptions of individual, social, and institutional factors that constrain and promote their success. Guided by theoretical perspectives rooted in developmental psychology and critical education studies, the study traces how the structural realignment of public higher education hemorrhages resilience-promoting possibilities of CUNY community colleges. Findings suggest changes in remedial education, college affordability, and faculty practices are needed to support the success of underrepresented students at open-access higher education institutions.

Authors

• Leigh McCallen, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

• Ashley Renaire Davis, CUNY