Following the discussion with my focus group, I have engaged in further research and analysis with the goal of refining my topic area. I recognize that the conditions that may impact persistence and retention vary from one community college to the next as a result of underlying difference in structure, mission, faculty-student interaction, academic program and student population. I seek to focus on a specific area with the hope of gaining a greater understanding of the changing role of community colleges through time and practices that have yielded successful results with respect to transfer rates. I have selected to focus on the history of community colleges and its academic programs as a base for identifying conditions that work to increase persistence and retention within community colleges.
Furthermore, my group has also suggested that I refine my location but I feel that this may be difficult to do as the available data may be limited and I would like to develop a prescriptive report that can address the issues from a national standpoint rather than a localized position. Regardless, I have given these suggestions careful consideration and have found that CUNY colleges have implemented new initiatives, which include the College Discover Student Leadership Academy, a successful program that has bolstered transfer rates and has been converted into a full year program and the New Community College, the product of a concentrated effort on behalf of CUNY to bridge the education gap that resides and increase retention and transfer rates, where no-credit bearing remedial courses will be removed to be replaced with a curriculum that emphasis collaborative learning and advisement. I intend to study these programs further to evaluate to data that is available and if it would be possible to incorporate certain program from various regions that have worked further solidify the pathway to higher education.
