Community College Students' Decision Making Within a Stratified Postsecondary Education System: The Case of Cross-Enrollment

• In Event: The Exploration of Varied Pathways Into Postsecondary Education Institutions

Abstract

A significant portion of community college (CC) students do not achieve their transfer goals. Cross-enrollment, simultaneous enrollment in classes at a CC and a four-year university, is one policy that may increase transfer rates. Our study is motivated by the uniformly low California state-wide uptake of this opportunity. We conducted 12 semi-structured focus groups with an ethnically diverse sample at three California CCs to understand their cross-enrollment participation decision-making process. Three major themes emerged from our multi-site case study that overall illustrate how CC students are situated within the stratified postsecondary structure and how this influences their trajectories. Several recommendations, inspired by the students themselves, to reduce barriers to cross-enrollment and transfer pathways are discussed.

Authors

• Maritza Morales-Gracia, University of California - Irvine

• Joshua Dorman, University of California - Irvine

• Maricela Banuelos, University of California - Irvine

• Elizabeth Park, University of California Irvine

• Jennifer Cabrera, University of California - Irvine

• Rachel Baker, University of California - Irvine