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AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED FACTORS RELATED TO
THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF STUDENTS AT

CHARLES STEWART MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE BALL 1984

BY

Anita Dacpano Dana

A DISSERTATION

Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY

Department of Educational Adniniatratim

1985

ABSTRACT
AN ANALYSIS OF SELECTED FACTORS RELATED TO

THE ACADEMIC SUCCESS OF STUDENTS AT
CHARLES STEWART WIT COMMUNITY COLLEGE FALL 1984

BY

Anita Dacpano Daus

Basically, this study is an attempt to investigate relationships
between selected factors (age, race, sex, credit load, type of
program, residence, financial aid) and academic success as measured by
grade point average and successful course completion.

Eleven thousand one hundred fifty-eight students who were
enrolled in courses for credit in the fall 1984 semester at Charles
Stewart Mott Comnunity College, Flint were included in the study.

Data collected were recoded and a computer program was developed
to match computer files. Finally, data were processed for computer
statistical analyses using a version of the Statistical Package for
Social Sciences (SPSSX).

Conclusions drawn from the findings concerning overall
relationships are as follows:

Race, age, credit load, financial aid, residence, sex and type of
program are statistically related with academic success based on
course completion. In other words, each of the above characteristics

is related to academic success but it does not show the strength of

Anita Dacpano Daus
the relationship. This conclusion is based on the Chi-square results
which took into account only one variable at a time and course
completion.

Age, race, credit load, financial aid, residence and sex,
arranged in order of the magnitude of their effects, are statistically
related to academic success based on grade point average. This
conclusion is based on the Stepwise Multiple Regression, a more
powerful tool, which tested for the effects of the variables on GPA
taking into account the effects of the other independent variables.
Considering the significant relationships between selected
characteristics and grade point average, the student who is more
likely to achieve academic success at C. S. Mott Carmunity College is
25 years old or older, white, full-time student, receiving financial
aid, resides outside the college district and is female.

Type of program is not significantly related to academic success
based on GPA: thus, it has no significant effect on GPA. In other
words, enrollment in vocational or non-vocational education at C. S.

Mott Community College does not significantly affect the GPA.

DEDICATION

TO MY HUSBAND

CAYETANO

Who provided me with love and understanding.

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is with great pleasure to express my gratitude to the members
of my Guidance Committee, Dr. Lawrence Alexander, Dr. Richard
Featherstone and Dr. Kenneth Harding for their constructive
suggestions. Grateful appreciation is extended to the Chairman of the
Guidance Committee, Dr. Eldon Nonnamaker, who generously extended his
support, time, interest and offered valuable suggestions.

Grateful acknowledgement is extended to Dr. Art Tabachneck whose
wisdom helped resolve numerous crises.

Deepest appreciation is given to Jaclyn Hoffman, colleague and
friend, who tactfully edited this work.

And finally» special recognition and gratitude are offered to my
family who provided encouragement, sacrifices, understanding, and

unfailing support throughout this memorable endeavor.

iii

I In. iv:].nr

Chapter

I.

II.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE PROBLEM. . . . . . . . . .
Background and Need . . .
The Purpose of the Study.
Significance of the Study
Methodology . . . . . . .
Assumptions of the Study.
Limitations of the Study.
Definition of Terms . . .
Overview of the Study . .
REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . .
Introduction. . . . . . .

Literature Related to the

Historical Background
the camun i ty C01 lege O O O O O O O O O O O O O

of

Literature Related to the General Characteristics
of the Community College Student . . . . . . .

Literature Related to Grade Point Average as a

Criterion of Academic Success. . . . . . . . .

Literature Related to Course Completion as a

Criterion of Academic Success. . . . . . . . .

Independent Variables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

iv

Page

11

11

ll

20

24

25
26

Chapter

Literature Related to Sex as a Predictor of

Academic Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Literature Related to Age as a Predictor of

Academic Success . . . . .

Literature Related to Credit Load as a Predictor
ofAcademicSuccess.............

Literature Related to Type of Programs as a
Predictor of Academic Success. . . . . . .

Literature Related to Race as a
Academic Success . . . . .

Literature Related to Financial

Predictor of

Aid as a

Predictor of Academic Success. . . . . . .

Literature Related to Residence
of Academic Success. . . .

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . .
III. DESIGN OF THE STUDY. . . . . . . . .
Introduction. . . . . . . . . .
Setting . . . . . . . . . . . .
Population. . . . . . . . . . .
Data Collection . . . . . . . .
Statement of Hypotheses . . . .
Statistical Analysis. . . . . .
Surrmary............
IV. ANALYSIS OF THE DATA . . . . . . . .
Introduction. . . . . . . . . .
Presentation of Data. . . . . .

8“.er O O O O O O O O O O O O

as a Predictor

Page

27

28

31

32

33

36

36

38

38

38

40

49

42

43

45

47

47

48

67

Chapter

V. SUMMARY: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: RECOMMENDATIONS
AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS. . . . . . . . . . .

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Discussion and Conclusions. . . . . . . . . . .
Recommendations and Educational Implications. .

APPENDIX A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Charles Stewart Mott Community College District . . . . .
BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Bibl iwrathO O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O I O O O O 0

vi

69

73

75

76

Table

2.

3.

10.

ll.

12.

l3.

14.

15.

16.

LIST OF TABLES

Enrollments in all Community, Technical, and
Junior Colleges 1962-1982 . . . . . . . . . .

Enrollments in all Two-Year Colleges by Sex,
mill-title and Part-tine Status. 0 o o o o o 0

Data on Sex and Course Completion . . . . . .
Data on Race and Course Completion. . . . . .
Data on Age and Course Completion . . . . . .
Data on Residence and Course Completion . . .
Data on Credit Load and Course Completion . .
Data on Type of Program and Course Completion
Date on Financial Aid and Course Completion .

Data on Incidence of Success and Non-Success
Using Course Completion and GPA . . . . . . .

B and Beta of Race and Age. . . . . . . . . .
B and Beta of Race, Age and Credit Load . . .

B and Beta of Race, Age, Credit Load
and FimnCial Aid. 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O O

B and Beta of Race, Age, Credit Load and
Financial Aid, and Residence. . . . . . . . .

B, Beta and Confidence Intervals of Race, Age, Credit
Load, Financial Aid, Residence, and Sex . . . . . . .

Summary of Independent

Variables, their Multiple R's, R Squares, F values,
and Levels of Significance. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

vii

Page

14

23
49
50
51
52

53

55

57
58

59

6O

61

LIST OF FIGURES

College-Age Population, By Age Group: 5% States
and D.C., as of July 1, 1969 to 199%. . . . . . .

Statistics on Successful Students Based on Course
empletion O O O O O O O I O O O O O O O O O O I 0

Profile of Students in Fall 1984 Semester Based
on GPA as Criterion of Academic Success . . . . .

Statistics on Students in Fall 1984 Semester. . .

viii

Page

19

56

63

QIAPTERI

THE PROBLEM

BACKGROUND AND NEED

Since the 1950's, the conlnunity college or junior college in the
United States has risen dramatically in its degree of prominence in
American higher education. "The rapid growth of the community college
is the best witness to the faith which people have in the ability of
the community college to maximize opportunities for higher education."
(Monroe, 1972:17) It now operates in every state and enrolls half the
students who begin college in America (Cohen, 1982). It is oriented
to the needs of the conmunity it serves. It adapts its offerings to
the needs of its own students. Its growing commitment to offer its
services to all persons is a major contribution of the community
college (Jones, 1979) to American society.

Conmunity colleges are identified as being extremely diverse in
size, organization, function, administration, support, curriculum,
faculty and student body (Medsker, 1960). They maintain open
admissions, design programs for all types of students and make it easy
for anyone to attend, thus they attract a cohort of people who might
not otherwise participate in education beyond high school (Cohen and
Brewer, 1982). Reynolds (1965) explained that the conmunity colleges'
close proximity to the homes of potential students and their non-

selection adnission policies result in a wide range of students.

The diversity of the community college students in their
backgrounds, their course options and their majors has prompted many
researchers to study students' characteristics in relation to their
academic success: however, the findings revealed mixed results.

Jones (1979) found that demographic variables such as sex,
marital status, race and age did not appear to discriminate among the
successful, unsuccessful, and withdrawal groups of students enrolled
in computer programing courses.

Age at Lehigh County Coumunity College, was studied by Federico
(1974) and found that the older the student the greater is the
likelihood that he/she will be academically successful. Frerichs
(1976) found this to be true, finding that students in the older age
range achieved grade point averages higher than the younger subjects.
Demas (1966) supported this when he demonstrated age to be of
significance.

Silver (1975) in his study at North Greenville College, reported
that students' academic success, as measured by persistence and higher
rate of graduation, to be positively correlated with the awarding of
financial aid. Astin (1975) and Russ (1973), defining persisters as
those still enrolled or having graduated, are in support that the
amount of grant support appeared to be a major factor in student
persistence.

The relationship of sex and academic success has been
investigated. Fitch (1966), Beagle (1970) and Bryant (1961) all found

that female students earned a higher point average than did males.

Grade point average appears to be a consistent variable that has
a positive correlation with student academic success. Pantages and
Creedon (1978), reported that a student's high school record is the
best predictor of college success and persistence. G.P.A.'s at the
last college attended appear to be a good predictor of later success
according to Holahan and Paul (1976). Keene (1968) found that persons
having a high school grade point average below 2.0 and a composite
A.C.T. score below 15 were poor risks.

Emmeluth (1979) in his article "An Assessment of Selected
Variables Affecting Success in Community College Introductory
Biology", Research in Education-ERIC, stated that individual research
investigators are interested in different variables, they ask
different questions in different ways, they sample different
populations, and they report their findings in a number of forms.
Morgan (1952) had the same concern when he found that many studies of
nonintellectual factors and achievement yielded inconsistent results:

The lack of consistent results may be due, in part, to
the variety of measuring instruments used and the
different populations which have been tested, and the
varying definitions used in establishing achiever and
non achiever groups (1952:292).

It becomes increasingly important that community colleges
continually search for improved methods of instructing a diversified
student population. However, most colleges, as indicated by Deutrow
and Houston (1981) and Astin (1975), know very little about their
students in terms of achievement and withdrawals.

Because the success of a college is most certainly reflected by

the academic success of its students, it becomes necessary, although

not sufficient, that quantifiable student characteristics be examined.
The results of these analyses will provide insights to discern the
complex dynamics of student academic success. It is within this
framework that the need for this study is undertaken.

In addition to college administrators' and faculty's preponderous
responsibilty for being knowledgeable about their students, enough
change has been witnessed in recent years to warrant a need to
reinvestigate factors influencing student academic success in
community colleges.

Declining enrollment trends in higher education is a very notable
change. Unlike the 1960's and 1970's when there was a phenomenal
enrollment growth in many colleges and universities, the 1980's face a
new perilous era of declining enrollment (Conmission on the Future of
Higher Education, 1984). Crossland (1980) projected more than 15
percent overall national decline in the 18 to 24 year old college age-
population between 1980 and 1990, with the greatest decline in this
age group in the Northeast and Midwest. The recent report to Governor
Blanchard by the State of Michigan Comnission on the Future of Higher
Education indicated that "the baby boom that had fueled the system's
successful expansion in the 1960's began to wane in the 1980's.” (vi)
The Comnission estimated that demographic trends alone would reduce
enrollments in the higher education system by at least'15 percent by
the mid-1990's. Thus, the system faces a future of declining
enrollment.

Along with a reduction of the 18-24 year old group, community

colleges are noting a changing clientele. Hill (1980) predicted a

composition of student bodies with more minorities, older students and
part-time students.

As coumunity colleges move toward the ’90s, a combination of
changing conditions will coalesce to reshape the institutional
mission, programs, academic policies, and the context of governance.
These changing conditions include rapid advances in knowledge and
technology, shifting job opportunities, demands for accountability
from taxpayers and legislators, competition for tax resources,
decreasing financial aid, and increased institutional regulatory
burdens (Alfred, 1984: Hill, 1980). These developments would provide
an altered institutional environment and a change in community college
student composition.

The consistency with which research reports reveal student
changes in certain characteristics, along with changing conditions in
higher education, further suggests the fruitfulness of undertaking new

studies to detemine which factors impact on student academic success.

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of this study is to investigate selected factors that
influence academic success as measured by grade point average and
successful completion of courses attempted among all students who
attended Charles Stewart Mott Community College (Flint, Michigan)

during the fall 1984 semester.

This study is designed to test the following null hypotheses:
1. There will be no significant relationships between key
independent variables (sex, race, age, credit load, type of program,
residence, financial aid) and grade point average.
2. There will be no significant relationships between key
independent variables (sex, race, age, credit load, type of program,

residence, financial aid) and course completion.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

No study aimed at providing a predictive device for student
success has been undertaken with respect to Charles Stewart Mott
Community College in the recent past. Thus, the significance of this
study is to:

1. provide useful information to administrators, staff and
faculty at Charles Stewart Mott Community College as they plan to meet
the challenges which face the future of the institution.

2. indicate success or lack of success so that the resources of
Charles Stewart Mott Community College can be more completely and

appropriately used to improve the student's potential for success.

METHODOLOGY

 

.All students enrolled at Charles Stewart Mott Community College
in courses for credit, as of the State Aid date (September 14, 1984),

were included in this study.

Data from the student data base were collected initially at the
time each student was admitted to the college along with additional
data collected at the time each student was registered.

Corresponding grade point average earned and courses attempted at
the end of the fall 1984 semester complete the data investigated.

Criticisms and suggestions for data analysis were requested from
a research consultant and appropriate revisions were made.

The data that were analyzed were processed by the Charles Stewart
Mott Conmunity College Prime 850 mini computer using a version of the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS).

Results were tabulated and analyzed.

ASSUMPTIONS OF THE STUDY

In investigating the hypotheses for the study, the following
assumptions were made. If these assumptions were violated the
findings of this study could be influenced.

l. The information that was provided by the student at the time
of admission to the college is honest, complete, accurate and current.

2. The student registered was indeed the same student who
attempted courses and who earned his or her grade point average at the

end of the fall 1984 semester.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
The study was limited to one conmunity college, Charles Stewart
Mott Colununity College. The college serves a divergent population,
which consists mostly of urban and suburban residents. The study was

further limited to only one semester.

The study was limited to an analysis of student academic success

based on successful course completion and on grade point average.

DEFINITION OF TERMS
The definitions of terms which follow are presented to aid in the
interpretation and clarification of this study and to facilitate any
future replications of this study that may be initiated.

ACADEMIC SUCCESS - Status of a student who successfully completes

 

all courses attempted or whose grade point average is more than or

equal to 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE - ”A two-year institution of higher education,

 

generally public, offering instruction adopted in content, level, and
schedule to the needs of the community in which it is located.
Offerings usually include a transfer curriculum, occupational
curriculums, general education and adult education. (Handbook of Data
and Definitions in Higher Education, 1972).

CREDIT LOAD - Number of credits attempted by student during the

 

semester.

FULL-TIME STUDENT - Refers to student who was enrolled in 12

 

semester hours or more of college course work.

51% - Refers to Grade Point Average. The grade point average
is determined by dividing the total grade points earned by the total
nun'ber of semester hours, whether passed or failed. The numerical
equivalents of letter grades for determining the G.P.A. are: A=4,
B=3, C=2, 0:1, and E=0. Grades of S, U, and N have no grade points.

M.C.C. - Refers to Charles Stewart Mott Conmunity College.

OCCUPATIONAL PROGRAM - Refers to vocational education program as

 

categorized by the Michigan State Department of Education.

PART-TIME STUDENT — Refers to student who was enrolled in less

 

than 12 semester hours of college course work.

RESIDENCE - Place where student lives at the time of admission.
It identifies whether the student resides within the college district
boundaries as defined by the State or outside the college district
boundaries.

SEMESTER - A 'semester' is, half of an academic year (Good 1945).
In this study it is 16 weeks.

SUCCESSFUL COURSE COMPLETION - Courses completed with a letter

 

grade if "A", "Bil," "C", DID!" "Sn, or "N”.

OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY

 

This study is divided into five chapters. Chapter I includes
background and need of the study, statement of purpose of the study,
significance of the study, methodology, assumptions of the study,
limitations of the study, definition of terms used in the study and
overview of the study.

The investigator presents a review of the pertinent literature
in Chapter II of this study.

Chapter III contains a detailed presentation of the methodology
used in this study. Included in this presentation is information
relating to: (1) setting, (2) student population, (3) collection of
data and (4) statistical methods used.

The in-depth analysis of the data is found in Chapter IV.

10

Chapter V contains a presentation of a summary of the study,

conclusions, educational implications and recommendations.

CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

 

As stated in Chapter I, the central purpose of this study is
to investigate selected factors that influence academic success of the
community college student. This chapter is intended to provide
additional background material that is pertinent to the particular
aspects of this study. That literature related to the historical
background of the community college is presented first: whereas,
literature related to the general characteristics of the conmunity
college student is contained in the following section. This section
is then followed by literature related to grade point average and
course completion as criteria of academic success. The last sections
(of this chapter are related to studies done on sex, age, race, credit
load, type of program, residence, and financial aid as predictors of

academic success.

LITERATURE RELATED TO THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE.

An historical background of the community college is
presented first to provide the reader with a better perspective of the

general setting upon which this study is done.

11

12

The evolution of the community college was traced by many
authors in various ways. Some based their history using the growth in
numbers of two—year institutions, others used the evolution of
institutional missions as reflected in the name changes from junior
college to community college or to junior-community college, while
some others used chronological developments and trends from early
beginnings to the present. A selected combination of the above ways
of tracing the evolution of the community college is included in this
chapter.

The community college is relatively young. It is uniquely
American because it has American origins. It had its roots slightly
more than a century ago. The first junior college reported was
established in the latter part of the nineteenth century. By 1900,
there were eight junior colleges, privately supported and operated,
with an enrollment of about 100 (American Council on Education, 1967).
The oldest publicly supported junior college, still in existence, was
established in 1901 at Joliet, Illinois. In the 1930's, there were
only 400 junior colleges. The growth initially was slow: however, the
community college grew by leaps and bounds in the 1960's and in the
1970's with over 4 million enrollment as shown in Table 1. However,

in the early 1980's, the number of colleges declined from a high of

13

1,235 in 1977 to 1,219 in 1982.

The course of development from an idea to the community
college we know today was succinctly described by Thornton (1972) in

four major stages:

The first and longest lasted from 1850 to 1920. During that
period the idea and the acceptable practice of the junior
college, a separate institution offering the first two years
of baccalaureate curriculums, were achieved. Next, the
concepts of terminal and semi-professional education in the
junior college gained widespread currency with the foundation
of the American Association of Junior Colleges in 1920. By the
end of World War II in 1945, the idea was an established part
of the junior college concept. The changes in post-high
school education brought by the war emphasized a third element
of responsibility, service to the adults of the community, and
so the period of 1945 has seen the development of the
operative definition of the community junior college. During
this period, the rapid growth in college enrollments
emphasized once more the transfer function of the junior
college and brought increasing recognition and importance of
the institution as a part of the total system of higher
education. Finally, the period since about 1965 has seen the
beginning of a movement toward the full realization of the
open-door concept, with the spread of colleges into the inner
city and their emphasis on seeking ways to provide for all the
educational needs of that community (1972:47).

14

TABLE 1
Enrollments in
All Community, Technical, and Junior Colleges

 

 

 

1962-1982

Percentage

Total Change from

Number of Opening Fall Previous

Year Colleges Enrollment Directory
1962 704 818,869 9.38
1963 694 927,534 13.27
1964 719 1,043,963 12.55
1965 771 1,292,573 23.81
1966 837 1,464,099 13.27
1967 912 1,671,440 14.16
1968 993 1,954,116 16.91
1969 1,038 2,186,272 11.88
1970 1,091 2,499,837 14.34
1971 1,111 2,680,762 7.24
1972 1,141 2,866,062 6.91
1973 1,165 3,144,643 9.72
1974 1,203 3,527,340 12.17
1975 1,230 4,069,279 15.36
1976 1,233 4,084,976 .39
1977 1,235 4,309,984 5.51
1978 1,234 4,304,058 -.14
1979 1,230 4,487,872 4.27
1980 1,231 4,825,931 7.53
1981 1,219 4,887,675 1.27
1982 1,219 4,964,379 1.57

 

Source: 1983 Community, Technical and Junior College Directory.

15

The birth of the public community college near the turn of the
last century was attributed to several innovative educators of that
period. Vaughn (1984) in his commentary as a result of his interviews
with six renowned pathfinders (C. Colvert, J. Cosand, E. Gleazer, B.
Johnson, S. Martorama and J. Wattenbearger) on the evolution of the

community college reported:

The six interviewees showed considerable agreement on which
forces and individuals shaped the community college during
its early years. They agreed that American democracy itself
made universal higher education possible, ...that William
Rainey Harper, as president of the University of Chicago,
deserved a great deal of credit for advocating and assisting
in the establishment of public junior colleges: and that the
California legislation of 1907 and 1917 authorizing public
junior colleges played a key role in shaping the community
college. All agreed that the founding of AACJC in 1920
provided the forum for the evolving mission of the junior
college. Finally, all agreed that Leonard V. Koos, and
Walter Crosby Bells, through their writings, teaching, and
work with AACJQ did much to shape the early mission of the
junior college, especially the public junior college.
(1984:25)

Other educators that helped germinate the idea of the junior
college according to Medsker (1960) were university presidents, such
as, Folwell of Minnesota and Tappan of Michigan.

The American junior college developed modestly with its early
mission of providing curricula designed to provide traditional lower
division offerings, a transfer function. It was not until 1920 that
occupational programs were first introduced in the junior college as a
result of the Smith-Hughes vocational education legislation passed
that year and as a reaction to the pressing economic needs growing out
of the Depression (Medsker and Tillery, 1971). The addition of

college-level occupational curriculums to the lower-division offerings

16

brought an entirely new complexion to the junior college. However,
this institution of post secondary education still had not achieved
its full stature as a community college until the further addition of
adult education and community services (Thornton, 1972).

Many articles were written in the 1930's that used the terms,
"junior college” and ”community college," interchangeably or in
combination to indicate the two year post secondary institution. It
was the Report of the President's Commission in tre 1940's that put
the phrase "community college" in the lead. Proposing the extension
of free public education two years beyond high school as part of the
American School system, the concept of the community college was fully
and favorably recognized. (The Commission on Higher Education, 1947).

Cohen and Brewer (1982) indicated that shifts in institutional
purpose have been dictated not by pronouncements of educational
philosophers but by some external forces, such as: the exigencies of
financing, the state-level coordination bodies, the availability of
new media and the new student group. The most profound external force
that had influenced the community college mission, however, was World
War II (Vaughn, 1884: Thornton, 1972). The end of World War II
influenced the expansion of the job market, particularly based in the
broad area of industrial technology which required new training
programs of varied intensity and scope. The GI Bill {of Rights was
passed which provided sums to eligible veterans to attend colleges of
their choice, and the global aspect of a war recently fought on many
fronts increased the interest for enlightened, comprehensive education

(Medsker and Tillery, 1971).

17

Monroe (1972) attributed the beginning of the expansion of the
public community college after 1945 to several favorable factors, such
as: the burgeoning number of high school graduates clamoring for a
college education: the existence of local communities which had both
sufficient taxable wealth and population willing to support a
community college: and, most important, a body of parents and citizens
who aspired to have their children enjoy the fulfillment of a dream
for a college education.

The infusion of massive amounts of federal dollars in the 1960's
as a result of the passage of the National Defense Act of 1958, the
Higher Education Act of 1963, the Vocational Education Act of 1965,
the Higher Education Act of 1965 and the Vocational Education Act of
1968, established firmly the place of the community college in the
U.S. higher education system. The Act that probably provided the most
significant recognition by the federal government, however, was the
Higher Education Act of 1968 which gave the President power to submit
to Congress proposals for making available post secondary education to
all who qualify and seek it (Monroe, 1972).

The Acts passed by the U.S. Congress combined with many pressures
upon the community college for change, the advent of the effects of
the birth rate boom and the ”open door ” policy of two-year
institutions are seen as major forces that resulted in the phenomenal
growth of the 1960's and the 1970's (Cross, 1973). Today, community
colleges are found in each of the fifty states. Cohen and Brewer
(1982:23) wrote in their book The American Community College: "Now

community colleges are everywhere. There are systems with branches in

18

inner cities and rural districts and with programs in prisons and on
military bases."

The open door policy provides equal educational opportunities tx>
all persons. Higher education is no longer reserved for the elite es
in the early part of the twentieth century. Today, equaliterianism and
egalitarianism characterize the community college.

The upward growth of community colleges has been accompanied by
an increase in the number of student enrollments (Table 1). As
indicated earlier, there is a decline in the number of two-year
institutions in the 1980's. It is expected that the 18 to 24-year-old
population will decrease by 15 %, while the enrollment of students
less than 25 years old is also expected to drop 15 percent. The
resulting drop would be 1.1 million by 1990 (Frankel, 1982). However,
this decrease is projected to be offset by the enrollment of students
25 years old and over (Figure 1). Cohen and Brewer (1982) reported
that in fall 1980, community college enrollments were up by 7.7
percent, compared with 3.6 percent increase for the senior
institutions. The report further went on to show that in 1981, a year
when four-year colleges and universities barely held their own,
community college enrollments increased by 3.2 percent. It is
projected that the age distribution of college students in 1990 will
be markedly different from the 1970's (Frankel, 1982). There appears

to be a shifting trend in enrollment toward a changing student body.

19

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

so,ooa_
I I
| I Projected
I | Age group
4o,ooo_| | j..- —--— —- -~-——25-34
I [I I’
| ' . 35-44
I "
3o,m_
18-24
2o,m_
10,000_
I l
I
o_ __ __ |_
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1996
Figure 1

College-Age Population, By Age Group: 50 States and D.C.,
As of July 1, 1960 to 1990

Source: Projections of Education Statistics to 1990—1991.

In the 1980's the community college has secure roots and has
become a well established part of American higher education. It has
remained a two-year institution found nationally to be serving the
educational needs of diversified clientele. The community college is

here to stay.

20

LITERATURE RELATED TO THE GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMMUNITY
COLLEGE STUDENT.

Who are the students? What are they like? What do some
researchers say? Gleezer (1973) described community college students
as "as different as night and day". Students comprise a broad
spectrum of differences, he says, with striations of many kinds:
motivations, age, culture, interests, academic achievement,
objectives, race, socioeconomic backgrounds, eptitudes and
intelligence. Lendrith (1971) reports a wide age range from as young
as 16 to as old as 70 years. Medsker (1960) citing Wise in her book
The Junior College: Progess and Prospect, adds support to the
community college students' diversity:

College students today range from young to old, able to
mediocre, idealistic to practical, naive to sophisticated,
rich to poor: they are of all races, of all faiths-and of
no faith. They are both full-time students and part-time
students: they are both self-supporting and still dependent
on their families. All these go to college, each for his
own purpose. As the numbers of students continue to

increase, so does the range of their individual differences
(1960:30).

The open-door admission policy in two-year colleges is the most
common reason given by authors (Thornton, 1972: Lendrith, 1971: Borow
and Hendrix, 1974) for this diversity. Cross (1973) states that the
relatively unrestricted opportunity for entry results in a broad
spectrum of academic abilities in the student pepulation. Elaborating
on the community college student diversity, Cross cited by Thornton
(1972) had this to say:

The array of talents and goals is great. There is the
average student who is not quite sure he can make it at the

university: there is the bright one who can't afford to
leave home and a job to go away to college: there is the

21

poor student who lacks even the basic learning skills but
who recognizes the importance of preparing for a career: and
there is the student from a minority group who sees the
community college as a bridge to equal opportunities. There
is the housewife who seeks cultural enrichment and the
technologically obsolete family man who wants job retraining
(1972:149).

Among other characteristics, the academic ability of the
community college student has been an area studied by several
researchers. Their findings showed varied results. Thornton (1972)
showed that the average academic ability of the two—year college
student is lower than that for the four-year college student. Medsker
(1960) is in agreement. He states that only the less able students
attend junior college and that it is a college of last resort for the
student who cannot be admitted elsewhere.

Another investigator had a different finding. Cross (1970)
reported that community colleges attract more students from the middle
ranges of ability and fewer from the very low-or very high-ability
students. This report seems to be a result of her observation that
low-ability high school graduates do not continue their education and
high ability graduates are more likely to enter four-year colleges.
Lendrith (1971) had another view. He found that in the junior college
student body there are not only recent honor graduates who have
qualifications for admission to a number of institutions but also
recent graduates whose academic records are so poor they are
considered high academic risks. In addition, he found that junior
colleges enroll adults who were high school graduates and those who

were high school drop-outs.

22

It appears that the average academic aptitude level of students
entering two-year colleges is somewhat below that of those who enter
four-year colleges. It seems more pragmatic to say that there is a
wide range of abilities among two-year college students, and that many
of them are superior in ability to many students in four-year
institutions (Medsker, 1960).

This finding is supported by a study done by Leonard Koss as
reported by Zwerling (1976). The results showed two overlapping bell
curves that represent the distribution of scores of freshmen on the
Thorndike College Aptitude Test administered at four junior colleges
and three senior colleges. The curves reveal a lower mean score for
the junior college student (61.2 as compared to 75.8 for the four-year
college students). The overlap indicates that although the ”average”
two-year college student is not as bright as the ”average" four-year
student, many junior-college students are just as accomplished as many
senior-college students.

Along with the historical metamorphoses of the community college
is also a change in the character of the community college student.
Just two decades ago, several investigators have noted that the
national junior college male-female ratio was approximately 3:2
(Darley, 1959: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1962: Thurston, 1962:
Blocker et a_l., 1965). As shown in Table 2, female students now
outnumber men. Full-time men students continue to show the greatest
decrease: while female students, both full- and part-time, indicate
continued growth. For both men and women students, part-time students

outnumber full-time students (Table 2). It is projected (Frankel,

23

1982) that there will be more older students enrolled in college. If
the current trend continues, it is expected that the number of older
students will increase by 1.1 million in 1990 and that they will
constitute 47 percent of all college enrollment, compared with the 28
percent in 1970. This corresponds to the aging of the baby boom
generation. The projection, however, shows that younger students will
continue to outnumber older students. Frankel (1982) further reported
that although the decline of younger students (less than 24 years old)
would be compensated for in part by the increasing proportion of
adults (24 years and older), it does not appear that adult

undergraduates would make up the deficit completely.

Table 2

Enrollments in All Two-Year Colleges By Sex,
Full-time and Part-time Status.

 

 

Male Female
Full-time Part-time Full-time Part-time
1976 954,762 1,154,843 800,961 1,174,409
1977 889,141 1,240,504 837,012 1,343,339
1978 806,833 1,197,260 801,266 1,337,153
1979 801,720 1,267,580 826,916 1,473,433

 

Source: 1980 Community, JuniSE and Technical College Directory.

24

LITERATURE RELATED TO GRADE POINT AVERAGE AS A CRITERION OF ACADEMIC
SUCCESS.

In this study, GPA is used as one of the criteria of academic
success. A review of literature revealed that GPA is widely used both
as a predictor (Frerichs, 1976: Edwards, 1977: Parsons, 1977: Silver,
1978: Yess, 1979: Clagett, 1982) and as a criterion of academic
success (Chansky, 1964: Tathem, 1976: Martinko, 1978: Frerichs, 1981).

It would seem appropriate to include some of the studies which
have used GPA as the criterion of academic success. Schroeder and
Sledge (1966) found that the overall first term or first year grade
point averages were used by the majority of approximately 60 of the
more recent studies they reviewed first hand and of the more than 1000
studies they reviewed second hand. Reiter (1964) in his study of
students enrolled in an introductory course also used the grade point
average as the criterion of academic success.

Tte grade point average is a well establist measure of academic
success (Astin, 1971). It is a familiar dependent variable used in
studies of academic achievement (Chansky, 1964). However, there is
considerable disagreement about the specific factors being reflected
in grades: about the comparability from one teacher within a
discipline to another. Chansky (1964) in an article "A Note On the
Grade Point Average in Research" for the Educational and Psychological
Measurement Journal expressed the GPA's shortcomings: ”The grade, the
essential ingredient in GPA, has no stable meaning...Some inflate the
value of the mark, others deflate it." (1964:95-99) Levin (1965)

points out that it is practically impossible to make comparisons from

25

teacher to teacher. They used different criteria in their grading
systems. Additionally, he says, there are differences in curricular

areas - some types of majors may be more difficult than others.

Although there are variations in grades or GPA, it appears that GPA is
still of considerable value as an index of academic success. Astin
(1971) states that GPA is the best indicator for academic achievement.
It provides a single measure which summarizes all grade levels.
There is ease in obtaining the date. Despite GPA's seeming lack of
reliability, their measurement in quantifiable terms has gained their

common acceptance as a criterion of academic success (Bryan, 1977).

LITERATURE RELATED TO COURSE COMPLETION AS A CRITERION OF ACADEMIC
SUCCESS.

Successful course completion is the other criterion used in this
study as a measure of academic success. Three studies that used
course completion or program completion as a dependent variable of
academic success are cited here.

Clagett (1980) used course completion or pass rate as an
indicator of student success in his study of students at Prince George
Community College, Maryland. He defined pass rate as successful
completion with grades of A,B,C,D,TP,P and Audit. Students who either
failed or withdrew were categorized as "not succeeding" (l980:3).

In 1974, Borow and Hendrix used occupational program completion
as their indicator for student occupational achievement in their study

of 24 colleges. In like manner, Tatham (1976) used program completion

26

as one of the criteria of academic success in her study of nursing and
dental hygiene students at Johnson Community College, Kansas.

No controversial studies were found related to the reliability of
course completion as an indicator of academic success.

The definition of academic success as proposed by the researcher
throughout this paper is admittedly a very narrow definition. Hackman
and Taber (1979) state this opinion about the concept of success in
college:

The meaning of "successful college performance" is elusive.
Although students seek to achieve it and colleges profess to
foster it, there is neither clarity nor agreement about what
college success is. We began the present research with the
premise that there are many different ways to succeed or fail
in college, and that student performance is more complex than
is implied by traditional admissions procedures and measures
of student performance (1979:117).

In spite of the complexity of defining student academic success,

the researcher has opted to use GPA or successful course completion as

a measures of academic success.

INDEPENDENT VARIABLES .

 

Early research focused primarily on intellective and ability
factors as predictors of academic success. Recently there have been
important shifts in emphasis and in the conceptualization of the
problem due to the gradual recognition that some students perform
better and some perform worse than predicted by ability tests. The
search for causes of this variation in academic performance led first
to the consideration of "nonintellective" characteristics. Among the

variables used as nonintellective predictors are sociological

27

determinants such as sex, age, race, financial aid, credit load,

residence and program majors which are used as predictors in this

study.

LITERATURE RELATED ‘IO SEX AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

Levin (1965) wrote in her book The Prediction of Academic

 

Performance that sociological studies found ecological demographic

 

characteristics to have an effect upon academic performance. He
indicated: ”The studies that assess the relation between sex and
academic performance show that females have higher academic
performance than males." (1965:129) In another study at San Joaquin
City College, California, Reyes (1979) using sex as predictor to
determine academic success found that the mean GPA of females is
higher than the mean GPA of males. A related study conducted by
Beagle (1970) on students enrolled in Ontario University also show a
similar result - that the academic achievement of female adult
students was significantly higher (p < .01) than that of the male
adult students. Fitch, 1966: Spurlin, 1968: and Schroeder and Sledge,
1966) supported the same findings that women were superior to men in
academic achievement.

Other researchers claim that there is no significant relationship
between sex and academic success. In a study on the relationship
between sex and academic success of freshmen enrolled in biology,
Jenkins (1966) found no significant relationship. Sex is not a
discriminant variable of academic success was reported by Frerichs

(1981) in a paper he presented at the Annual Meeting of the American

28

Educational Research Association in Los Angeles, California. His
conclusion was based on the result that sex did not produce an F value
> 1. Jones (1979) gave the same conclusion that sex did not appear to
discriminate among the successful, unsuccessful and withdrawal groups
of programming students at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College,
Richmond, Virginia.

The literature reviewed appears to have inconsistent results in

regard to sex as a predictor of academic success.

LITERATURE RELATED '10 ACE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

Age has received increased attention as a possible discriminator
between academic success and academic failure. The literature
reviewed revealed that there were more researchers who found that
older students were more academically successful than were younger
students.

Frerichs (1976) in her study of 712 younger and 723 older
community college nursing students found that students in the older
age range achieved GPA's approximately one GPA higher than the younger
subjects (less than 23 years old). This was significant at p < .01
level. Sensor (1964) had a similar finding in her study of mature
women during the Spring semester 1964 at Riverside City College,
California. Her result showed that mature women, 25 years old or
older, had a GPA 0.5 higher than that of the total student body.
Kimes (1973) reported age as one of the variables that siginficantly
differentiated successful and unsuccessful students enrolled in

developmental mathematics at Eestfield College, Texas. Reyes (1979)

29

in his study to determine academic success using selected
characteristics of 1972 and 1974 Associate of Arts graduates of San
Jose City College, California used GPA as the criterion variable of
academic success. As part of his findings he reported: "The
quantitative variable found to be significantly related to grade point
average was age. The mean age of successful graduates was twenty-
seven." (1979:5)

In a paper Greer (1980) presented at the twentieth Annual Forum
of the Association of Institutional Research in Atlanta, Georgia in
1980, she reported that her study was to determine the relative
influence of selected student characteristics, one of which was age,
on persistence and academic success: and to determine differences
between non-traditional (25 years old and older) and traditional age
entering students at Clayton Junior College, Georgia. Her conclusion
included: "The older students who entered the regular academic
program in the Fall 1976 were more successful academically than their
younger counterparts.

Successful course completion was used as a dependent variable in
a study done by Frerichs and Eldersveld (1981). Their purpose was to
identify variables which could be used to discriminate between
successful and unsuccessful students in developmental mathematics
courses in eight Illinois community colleges. Subjects were
successful if they earned a passing grade (A,B,C,D,S,P) within one and
one-half terms of registration of the course. All others were
classified as unsuccessful. Their sample included 513 subjects. Age

was one of the potential discriminators. In using a discriminant

30

analysis, their results showed in part that the successful students,
as a group, were nearly two years older than their unsuccessful
counterparts. The mean age in the successful group was 23.57 and
21.39 was the mean age in the unsuccessful group with an F value of
7.52127.

At Middlesex County College, New Jersey, Capoor (1982) in her
study of 540 stuudents who entered the nursing education program
between 1979 and 1981 found that age had moderate though not
consistent relationship with program performance. She reported:

Overall, older students tended to perform better than
younger students. For example, about 15% of those under 20
years old completed on an average less than 26% of the
cumulative credits attempted by them, while this percentage
for those between 21 and 24 years old was about 8% and for
those older than 24 it was 4% only. (l982:4)

Two trends can be identified that may have advanced the average
age of college students. One is the return of veterans from the
Vietnam War. The second relates to the growing tendency for mature
people who have missed all or part of college to matriculate later in
life (Borow and Hendrix, 1974).

The literature reflects disagreement with respect to age as a
predictor of academic success. Jones (1979) found that age did not
discriminate among the successful, unsuccessful, and withdrawal groups
of programming students at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College,
Virginia. Kray (1974) in his review of literature quoted Davis'
(1962) finding that the older student had the lower completion rates,
particularly if there were children. Schroeder and Sledge (1966) in

their review of literature found that many studies using GPA as a

31

criterion of success revealed age to be negatively related. They
speculated that the older student brings with him different, if not
more, problems than the younger student. Parsons (1977) observed that
the pressures of early adulthood have replaced those of late
adolescence. Or, as Sheehy (1976) describes it, the student is

"getting started” instead of "breaking away”.

LITERATURE RELATED TO CREDIT LOAD AS A PREDIC‘IOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
Recent literature is almost lacking on the relationship between
credit load and academic success. However, there are related studies

cited rere. Levin reported:

Five studies find that academic load (number of courses
carried) has little or no effect upon school performance.
For low ability students, however, academic load is
inversely related to grades. (1965:133)

In 1970, Beagle's result on her study of 172 undergraduate
students showed that attendance as a part—time or full-time student
appears to have no significant influence on academic performance.
Among 142 male and female students who mere registered for 16 or more
credits at Minneapolis Community College in fall quarter 1979, Stein
(1980) found that half of students completed essentially all the
credits for which they were registered. (Stein defined completion as
"A", "B", "C", "D", "P” grades). The literature also revealed two
studies related to credit load: however, these were tied in with
number of hours of employment. The study of Bryant (1961) at the

Junior College of Kansas City, Missouri included 76 students working

from 20 to 48 hours per week and carrying class loads in excess of ten

32

hours for the first semester 1960-61. He reported that the study gave
inconclusive results. The Deal (1973) study cited by Parsons (1977)
showed that students carrying 12-15 credit hours and working forty or
more hours per week did better than those carrying the same load but
working only 29-39 hours per week. Statistical significance was not
included. Parsons' (1977) own result from his study of the
relationship between the success of associate degree students, as
measured by their grade point average, and their employment status,
found no significant difference in the grade point average of full-
time students working a designated number of hours per week attempting
12-15 credit hours and full-time students working a designated number

of hours per veek attempting 16 or more credit hours.

LITERATURE RELATED TO TYPE OF PROGRAMS AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC
SUCCESS.

Hardly any studies were found in the literature that dealt with
the relationship between type of programs and academic success. A
closely related study done by Reyes (1979), mentioned earlier,
showed that the general transfer graduate students outnumbered the
vocational-technical students and achieved a slightly higher but not
significantly greater GPA.

Another study was done by Schroeder and Sledge (1966). Their
longitudinal study investigated the relationship between selected
background factors and academic success of 181 male high school
graduates of 1957 from five Wisconsin counties who attended college

for a minimum of one year. Part of their findings showed that high

33

school GPA's in language, pure science, mathematics, social science
and in all other courses correlated significantly and positively with
college language, pure science, and overall grade point average, but
not with college technical and agricultural grade points. Two high
school academic factors (GPA's in pure science and social sciences)
correlated significantly and positively with college technical
average.

The scarcity of studies published in the literature in this area
could perhaps be explained with the observation of Borow and Hendrix
(1974):

Dependable data on the choice-of-curriculum variable are not
commonly available in the junior colleges. One problem is
that many institutions categorize all students into either
the occupational or transfer curriculum group, making no
allowance in the classification for those students who are
undecided. Moreover, the superficiality of these categories
(occupational vs. transfer) makes them suspect, since the
final decision as to the the transferability of school
subjects rests with the institution which must finally
accept and evaluate the course credits.

LITERATURE RELATED TO RACE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.

In the literature reviewed, studies that used race as a criterion
of academic success have inconsistent results.

A study that revealed race as a discriminator of academic success
is found in the study of Clagett in 1980. His data revealed that
Blacks have 63% pass rate, Asian/Hispanics/Native Americans 71% pass
rate whereas Whites have 75% pass rates. These data show that
minority students have lower pass rates than the nonminority students.

However, in the article ”Community College Retention Research” Clagett

wrote in 1982, his review of literature showed that ethnicity had no

34

significant relationship when academic background was controlled for.
Jones (1979) and Reyes (1979) have similar findings that race did not
appear to discriminate between the successful and unsuccessful

students.

LITERATURE RELATED TO FINANCIAL AID AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC
SUCCESS.

The review of literature indicated considerable dichotomy in the
findings concerning the impact of financial aid on a student's
academic success. In a comparative study of certain factors in 100
students with and 100 students without financial aid at Austin
College, Texas done by Winder (1972) revealed that there was no
advantage in receiving financial aid as far as grade point averages
were concerned. Over the question of academic success as measured by
course completion, Silver (1975) citing Wenc pointed out that the
wisdom of giving greater amounts of aid to students did not appear to
be the answer since over half of all freshmen receiving financial aid
dropped out of education entirely. Nelson (1976) has another view.
He said that fewer junior college students would drop out or fall
short of their educational objectives if their financial needs were
carefully assessed and met.

Several investigators maintained that financial aid is an
affirmative determinant in the achievement of academic success. Gold
(1970) in his study of financial aid recipients at Los Angeles City
College indicated that his aid-receiving subjects were generally above

the all-college average on measures of academic success, which he

I
1|

35

defined as less students on academic probation and higher grade point
leverage. In a review of Dissertation Abstracts International, Parker
(1975), although his subjects were at an urban public university,
reflects agreement of the forementioned finding. In studying the
effect of financial assistance and counseling on the educational
progress of minority students, he found that minority students at
Chicago University, Illinois received higher GPA's.

Silver's (1975) study substantiates the consistency with which
financial aid evidently affects the academic success of students. The
purpose of his study was to determine the relationship between varying
amounts of state and federal aid to a select group of students at
North Greenville College, South Carolina between August, 1975 and May,
1977 and their academic success as measured by GPA's and their chances
of earning an associate degree in four semesters. A minimum of 2.0
GPA was required for graduation. His findings include 77.9 percent of
the students who graduated at the end of three or four semesters had
received some aid as compared to 22.1 percent of the graduating
students who received no aid., The report goes on to say that there
appeared to be a positive correlation between the awarding of
financial aid to his subjects and their academic success. The most
effective aid recipients were those receiving between $1000 to $1999.
Awards of more than $4000, however, did not positively affect GPA's or

graduation rates.

36

LITERATURE RELATED TO RESIDENCE AS A PREDICTOR OF ACADEMIC SUCCESS.
No recent published literature was found that used residence as a

predictor of academic success.

SUMMARY.

The two-year collegiate institution was initially'called the
junior college and for many years thereafter was known by that name.
It is widely known today as community or community junior college
reflecting its mission to serve the educational needs of the community
where it is located.

The community junior college is a practical result of many’
interacting factors. To many Americans, it has become the means to
equal opportunity. It has become the answer to many Americans to the
concept of equal opportunity. It is an accepted part of the American
higher education system. The growth was initially slow but phenomenal
growth was seen in the 1960's and 1970's. In the 1980's, we see a
period of decline or stabilization.

The enrollment trend shows a contraction of the traditional
college-age student. The decline, however, is beginning to be offset
by the older student: although, it does not appear that the adult
undergraduate would make up the deficit completely. In the 1980's
there are slightly more women than men students, more part-time than
full-time students. There is certainly a shift toward a changing

clientele.

37

The community college students have varied and diverse
backgrounds. The open door admissions policy seems to be the major
factor that resulted in the student body diversity.

Several researchers have studied the community college student.
In many of these studies, grade point average or course completion was
used as a measure of student academic success.

The literature further revealed studies that used nonintellective
factors, such as: sex, age, race, credit load, type of program,
financial aid as predictors of academic success. The findings showed
that the predictability of academic success of students was not

uniform in the different colleges studied.

CHAPTER III

DESIGN OF THE STUDY

INTRODUCTION
This chapter includes a description of the setting for the study,
a description of the population, a description of the data collection
process, a restatement of the hypothesis, a statement of the

statistical analysis employed and summary.

SETTING

Charles Stewart Mott Community College, serving the Flint-Genesee
County community, is located in the heart of downtown Flint. It
opened its doors in 1923 to 114 students in the single curriculum it
offered, classical liberal arts. Each year since 1975, it serves more
than 10,000 students with transfer curriculums and with more than 80
different occupational and technical programs. A majority of courses
for credit are offered on campus and some are offered at a number of
extension centers located in secondary schools throughout the area the
college serves. Additionally, the college offers continuing programs
on vocational, avocational and recreational classes on a non-credit
basis at many convenient locations within the college district
(Appendix A). In the past academic year, 15,000 individuals were
enrolled in continuing programs making a total of more than 25,000

persons directly served by Mott Community College.

38

39

MCC has evolved throughout its more than 60 years' history.
Initially it was called Flint Junior College and was changed to Flint
Community Junior College in 1960 in keeping with its changing mission.
In 1969, it was renamed Genesee Community College to reflect the
expansion of the college district. In 1973 the present name was
adopted following the death of Charles Stewart Mott, a nationally
known industrialist-philantropist and a three term mayor of Flint.

MCC is a public institution governed by an elected seven member
Board of Trustees since July 1, 1970. Before this date, the
governance was provided for by the Flint Board of Education.

In April 1983, the Board of Trustees officially approved the
mission of tie college. The mission reflects the college's obligation
to meet the educational needs of the community it serves:

The purpose of Mott Community College is to provide a
variety of learning opportunities for adults, regardless of
age or background, in Genesee County and the surrounding
areas. Serving all who desire to identify and develop their
abilities and interests, the college seeks to eliminate
barriers to education and to enhance both individual growth
and community development.

Mott Community College accomplishes this purpose, both on
campus and in the community, by providing college transfer
courses, other general education courses, technical and
vocational training, developmental education, continuing
education and diverse community services, as well as those
vital support services such as guidance and counseling,
library and other learning resources, financial aid, job
placement, and others which augment the educational
offerings. (Self-Study Report: 1985)

C. S. Mott Community College, like other community colleges, is
an "open door” institution. It must admit any high school graduate

and any other person over nineteen years of age who is capable of

profiting from the instruction offered. In effect, the college is

40

expected to admit all applicants without regard to ability or any

other aspect of background.

POPULATION

 

The population used for analyses included all Charles Stewart
Mott Community College students who were registered, as of the State
Aid date (September 14, 1984), in courses for credit during the fall
1984 semester. Students who withdrew before the State Aid date were
not included in this study because records of the courses they were
enrolled in were not kept. This population was chosen for the
following reasons:

1. Admission data, registration data, and financial aid
data were readily available for this population or can

be readily obtained when necessary.

2. The grade point average and courses attempted were
readily available for each student.

3. The population is large enough to provide a
statistically reliable data base.

4. The population is the most recent population that could
be used for this study.

DATA COLLECT ION PROCESS

 

The demographic data were collected in the Admission's Office,
Mott Community College at the time student was admitted. These data
included name, social security number (used as studentnumber), home
address, birth date, sex, race, and type of programs. Credit load
information was collected at the Registrar's Office at the time of '
registration. Financial Aid information was collected at the Financial

Aid Office. Class standing was determined when the credit load for

41

the fall semester was added to the existing credit load earned by the
student. All data were entered into the computer at the respective
offices.

The Registrar's Office collected final grades submitted on “mark
sense” grade forms and were read with the use of an optical scanner.
Data were saved in computer files.

A computer program was developed so that appropriate computer
analyses could be accomplished. Independent variables mere given

value labels in the following manner:

Sex

1 Male

0 Female
Race

1 White

0 Nonwhite
Age

1 < 25 years

0 => 25 years
Credit load

1 => 12 credits

0 < 12 credits
Program

1 Vocational

0 Non-vocational
Residence

1 In district
0 Out of district

Financial Aid

1 Recipients of financial aid
0 Non-recipients of financial aid

42

Data were sorted by student numbers and computer files from the
Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office and Registrar's Office were
matched. Finally, the data were processed for statistical analyses by
the MCC Prime 850 mini computer using a version of the Statistical

Package for Social Sciences (SPSSX).

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESES
In order to examine whether selected variables have any
statistically significant relationship on academic success, as
measured by grade point average and course completion, the following
null hypotheses were tested in this study.

Hypothesis 1:

 

There is no significant relationship between key independent variables
and course completion.

Hypothesis 1 A:

 

There is no significant relationship between sex and course
completion.

Hypothesis 1 B:

 

There is no significant relationship between race and course
completion.

Hypothesis 1 C:

There is no significant relationship between age and course
completion.

Hypothesis 1 D:

There is no significant relationship between credit load and

course completion.

43

Hypothesis 1 E:
There is no significant relationship between type of program and
course completion.
Hypothesis 1 F:
There is no significant relationship between residence and course
completion.
Hypothesis 1 G:
There is no significant relationship between financial aid and
course completion.
Hypothesis 2:
There are no significant relationships between key independent
variables (sex, race, age, credit load, type of program, residence,

financial aid) and grade point average.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

Hypothesis 1 and subhypotheses, which dealt with selected
independent variables and course completion were tested using the Chi-
square test for independence. (All variables are discrete variables.)
This test is used to determine if there is a relationship between
discrete dependent and independent variables. This test, however,
does not tell the strength of the relationship.

Hypothesis 2 which dealt with selected independent variables and
grade point average were tested using the Stepwise Multiple
Regression, a variation of Multiple Regression, to determine a

combination of independent variables which gives the highest possible

44

measure of association with grade point average. (GPA is a continuous
variable).

Stepwise Multiple Regression is an efficient statistical
procedure which provides the researcher with a powerful tool for
choosing independent variables that will determine an equation for the
best possible prediction of the dependent variable with the least
number of independent variables.

The procedure was concisely described by Cerullo (1982: 74) in

the following manner :

The independent variable is found which explains the most
variance in the dependent variable. In other words, the
best predictor variable is found. The second variable is
added to the equation by choosing the best predictor given
that first variable is already in the equation. Variables
are added in this manner, step by step, until the desired
number of variables are entered into the equation, or until
no additional variables are significant in explaining the
variance in the dependent variable (i.e. they do not add to
the equation's ability to predict the value of the dependent
variable). At each step the optimum variable is selected,
given the other variables already selected. Before a
variable is added to the regression equation, the size of
the normalized coefficient is tested to determine if it will
make a significant contribution to the equation. If it will
not contribute significantly, it is not added to the
equation. Since all other variables not yet added will
contribute even less, the process is terminated at this
point.

The output of the SPSS Stepwise Multiple Regression includes a
statistical summary of the total prediction equation. This includes
multiple R, R square, B and Beta. In this study Multiple R measures
the correlation between actual grade point average of students and the
grade point average which are predicted on the basis of the
independent variables. In this sense, R is a measure of the overall

adequacy of the independent variables in accounting for the outcome.

45

R square measures the proportion of variation in GPA which is
explained by knowing all the independent variables in the equation.
To put it another way, it is the fraction of the variable in the
dependent variable explained by the regression equation. B is the
actual effect of each independent variable on GPA knowing the other
independent variables in the equation. Beta is the standardized
effect of each independent variable on GPA knowing the other
independent variables in the equation.

SUMMARY

The setting of this study was at C.S. Mott Community College
located in the heart of downtown Flint. It is a public institution
with a mission to meet the educational needs of the community it
serves.

The population was composed of students enrolled for credit
courses in fall 1984 semester. This population was selected because
data about the population were current and readily accessible.
Additionally, the size was large enough to provide statistically
reliable results.

The data which were entered in computer files were collected from
three areas of the college - Admission's Office, Registrar's Office
and Financial Aid Office. The computer files were then recoded and
matched so that the data could be processed through the MCC Prime 850
mini computer with the use of a version of SPSSX.

The null hypotheses were restated and subhypotheses were

developed which deal with the relationships between selected variables

46

and academic success based on course completion and grade point
average.

The Chi-square test was employed with discrete independent and
dependent variables and a Stepwise Multiple Regression was used to
test for discrete independent variables and a continuous dependent

variable.

These statistical procedures were determined with the aid of the

Office of Research Consultation at Michigan State University.

CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS OF THE DATA

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study was to investigate selected factors
that influence academic success as measured by grade point average and
successful completion of courses attempted. The population included
all students who were registered, as of the State Aid date, in courses
for credit during the fall 1984 semester at Charles Stewart Mott
Community College. The student data base needed for this study was
obtained from the Admissions Office. Registrar's Office and Financial
Aid Office.

Two main hypotheses were formulated: (1) to determine the
relationship, if any, between key independent variables (sex, race,
age, credit load, type of program, residence, financial aid) and
course completion and (2) to determine the relationship, if any,
between the above independent variables and grade point average.

The Chi-square test for independence was used for the first
hypothesis and Stepwise Multiple Regression was used for the second
hypothesis.

The data were processed for statistical analysis by the C. S.
Mott Community College Prime 850 mini computer using a version of the
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSSX).

This chapter is concerned with the analysis of data studied.

47

48

PRESENTATION OF DATA

 

The study produced a number of significant findings. The null
hypotheses and the results of the hypotheses tests are presented
below.

Hypothesis 1 A:

 

There is no significant relationship between sex and course
completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 59.6 per cent were
women and 40.4 per cent were men. Of the 6,649 woten, 79.26 per cent
were successful and of the 4,509 men 77.64 per cent were successful.
Although the percentage difference between successful men and women is
small, it is statistically significant because of the large size of
the sample. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom was 4.073 and was
significant at P < 0.05. The null hypothesis, therefore, was rejected

(see Table 3).

49

Table 3. Data on Sex and Course Completion

 

 

 

Sex

Count Female Male Row
Total

Not 1,379 1,008 2,387

Course Successful 21.4

Completion

Successful 5,270 3,501 8,771

78.6
Column Total 6,649 4,509 11,158
59.6 40.4 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 4.07360, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0436

Hypothesis 1 B:

There is no significant relationship between race and course
completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered 21.1 per cent were
nonwhite students and 78.9 per cent were white students. Of the 2,350
nonwhites, 71.19 per cent were successful and of the 7,098 whites
80.58 per cent were successful. The percentage difference between
successful nonwhites and whites is quite large which is almost 10 per
cent and is statistically significant. The Chi-square at 1 degree
freedom was 96.798 and was significant at P < 0.01 level. The null

hypothesis was, therefore, rejected (see Table 4).

50

Table 4. Data on Race and Course Completion

 

 

 

 

Race
Count NonWfiite White Row
Total
NOt 677 1:71@ 2:387
Course Successful 21.4
Completion
Successful 1,673 7,098 8,771
Column Total 2,350 8,808 11,158
21.1 78.9 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 96.79815, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0000

Hypothesis 1 C:

There is no significant relationship between age and course
completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered 50.7 per cent were 25
years or older and 49.3 per cent were less than 25 years old. (Df the
5,662 students who were 25 years old or older, 83.96 per cent were
successful and of the 5,496 students who were less than 25 years old
73.08 per cent were successful. The percentage difference between the
two age groups is large which is almost 11 per cent and is
statistically significant. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom was
195.44 and was significant at P < 0.01 level. The null hypothesis

was, therefore, rejected (see Table 5).

51

Table 5. Data on Age and Course Completion

 

 

 

Age
Count >=25 years < 25 years Row
Total
Not 908 1,479 2,387
Course Successful 21.4
Completion

Successful 4,754 4,017 8,771
78.6
Column Total 5,662 5,496 11,158
50.7 49.3 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 195.44581, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0000

Hypothesis 1 D:

There is no significant relationship between residence and course
completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 10.2 per cent were
residing outside the college district and 89.8 per cent were residing
within the college district. Of the 1,228 students residing outside
the college district, 79.15 per cent were successful and of the 10,030
students residing within the college district 77.75 per cent were
successful. The percentage difference between the successful out of
district residents and in—district residents is very small, however,
it is statistically significant because of the large size of the
sample. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom was 33.827 and was
significant.at P < 0.01 level. The null hypothesis was rejected (see

Table 6) .

52

Table 6. Data on Residence and Course Completion

 

 

 

Residence
Out of In Row

Count District District Total
Not 156 2,231 2,387
Course Successful 21.4

Completion

Successful 972 7,799 8,771
78.6
Column Total 1 I 228 1% I 030 11 I 158
10.2 89.8 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 33.82700, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0000

Hypothesis 1 E:

 

There is no significant relationship between credit load
attempted and course completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 82.2 per cent were
part time students and 17.8 per cent were full-time students. Of the
9,177 part-time students, 81.36 per cent were successful and of the
1,981 full-time students 65.82 per cent were successful. The
percentage difference between the successful part-time and full-time
students is very large and is statistically significant. The
difference is almost 16 per cent. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom
was 243.379 and was significant at P < 0.01 level. The null

hypothesis was rejected (see Table 7).

53

Table 7. Data on Credit Load and Course Completion

 

 

 

Credit Load
Count Part-time Full-time Row
Total
N01: 1 I 710 677 2: 387
Course Successful 21.4
Completion

Successful 7,467 1,304 8,771
78.6
Column Total 9,177 1,981 11,158
82.2 17.8 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 243.37928, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0000

Hypothesis 1 F:

There is no significant relationship between type of program and
course completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 37.7 per cent were in
non-vocational programs and 62.3 per cent were in vocational programs.
Of the 4,204 students enrolled in non-vocational education, 76.56 per
cent were successful and of the 6,954 students enrolled in vocational
education 79.83 per cent were successful. The percentage difference
between the two successful groups of students is only 3 per cent which
is very small, however, it is statistically significant because of the
large sample size. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom was 16.456 and
was significant at P < 0.0001 level. The null hypothesis was

rejected (see table 8).

54

Table 8. Data on Type of Program and Course Completion

 

 

 

 

Program
Non-Voc- Voc-ed Row

Count ed Total
Course Not Successful 985 1,402 2, 387
21.4
Completion Successful 3 , 219 5 , 552 8 , 771
Column Total 4, 204 6,954 11, 158
37.7 62.3 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 16.45617, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0001

Hypothesis 1 G:

There is no significant relationship between financial aid and
course completion.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 64.9 per cent were
non-recipients of financial aid and 35.1 per cent were recipients of
financial aid. Of the 7,237 non-recipients of financial aid, 79.38
per cent were successful and of the 3,921 recipients of financial aid
77.17 per cent mere successful. The percentage difference between the
successful non-recipients and recipients of financial aid is only
about 2 per cent, however, it is statistically significant because of
the large size of the sample. The Chi-square at 1 degree freedom was
55.279 and was significant at P < 0.00 level. The null hypothesis was

rejected (see Table 9).

55

Table 9. Data on Financial and Course Completion

 

Financial Aid

 

 

Non- Row
Count Recipients Recipients Total
Not 1,492 895 2,387
Successful 21.4

Course

Completion Successful 5,745 3,026 8,771
78.6
Column Total 7,237 3,921 11,158
64.9 35.1 100.0

 

Chi-Square = 55.27981, D. F. = 1, Significance = 0.0000
A summary of statistics on academic success based on course

completion is shown in Figure 2.

COMPARISON BETWEEN INCIDENCE OF SUCCESS AND NON-SUCCESS USING COURSE
COMPLETION AND GPA.

Although the data on Table 10 is not part of the statistical
analysis essential to this study, the information is included here Ix)
serve as a point of interest to the reader.

Of the 11,158 students who were registered, 78.6 per cent were
successful and 21.4 per cent were unsuccessful when course completion
was used as the dependent variable. There were 68.4 per cent
successful students and 31.6 per cent unsuccessful students when grade

point average was used as the dependent variable (see Table 10).

56

 

‘TStatistics on the successful students based on course completion at
IC. S. Mott Community College in fall 1984 semester were:

 

 

10.

ll.

12.

l3.

14.

79.26% females (Total number of females = 6,649).

—------—---m

77.64% males (Total number of males = 4,509).
71.19% non-whites (Total number of non-whites = 2,350).
80.58% whites (Total number of whites = 7,098).

83.96% 25 years old or older (Total number of 25 year old or
older = 5,662).

73.08% less than 25 years old (Total no of < 25 years
= 51496).

79.15% residents outside the college district (Total number
of residents outside the college district = 1,228).

77.75% residents within the college district (Total number of
residents within the college district = 10,030). |

81.36% part-time students (Total number of part-time
= 91177).

65.82% full-time students (Total number of full-time
= 1,981).

 

76.56% enrolled in Non-Vocational education (Total number in I
Non-Voc ed = 4,204). |

79.83% enrolled in Vocational ed (Total number in Voc
ed = 61594).

79.38% non-recipients of financial aid (Total number of
recipients = 7,237).

77.17% recipients of financial aid (Total number of
recipients = 3,921.

 

 

Figure 2. Statistics on Successful Students Based on Course

Completion.

57

Table 10. Data on Incidence of Success and Non-Success Using Course

 

 

Completion and GPA

 

 

 

Course GPA
Completion
Not Successful 2,387 3,529
(21.4) (31.6)
Successful 8,771 7,629
(78.6) (68.4)
Column Total 11,158 11,158

Hypothesis 2:

There is no significant relationships between key independent
variables (sex, race, age, credit load, type of program, residence,
financial aid) and grade point average.

The first independent variable entered on step one by the
computer program was race. The following were the results: Multiple
R 0.15116, R Square 0.02285, 8 0.52766, Beta 0.015116. The F value
was 259.916 and significant at alpha at 0.00 level.

As was explained in Chapter III, in this study Multiple R
measures the correlation between actual grade point average of
students and the grade point average which are predicted on the basis
of the independent variables. In this sense, R is a measure of the
overall adequacy of the independent variables accounting for the
outcome - GPA. R square measures the proportion of variation in GPA
which is explained by knowing all the independent variables in the

equation. It is the fraction of the independent variable in the

58

dependent variable explained by the regression equation. B is the
actual effect of each independent variable on GPA knowing the other
independent variables in the equation. Beta is the standardized
effect of each independent variable on GPA knowing the other
independent variables in the equation.

(The reader is cautioned to disregard the negative signs of the
numbers: these are absolute values.)

Age was the next independent variable selected by the computer
program for step two. The following were the results. Multiple R
0.21221, R Square .04503, B -.41565, B -.l4894. The F value was
262.061 and significant at alpha 0.00 level. The B and Beta of race
have changed (see Table 11). The B or the actual effect of race on

GPA when age was introduced in the equation was reduced from 52.7% to

51.8%.

Table 11. B and Beta of Race and Age

 

 

 

B Beta
Race .51835 . 15136

 

()1 step three, credit load was the independent variable entered
by the computer program with the following results: Multiple R
0.22495, R Square 0.05060, 8 0.27745, Beta 0.07604. The F value

was 197.449 and significant at alpha 0.00 level. The B and Beta of

59

race and age have changed (see Table 12). With the introduction of
credit load in the equation, the actual effect of race and age on GPA

were increased from the actual effects in Step 2.

Table 12. B and Beta of Race, Age and Credit Load

 

 

 

B Beta
Race .52132 .15237
Age -.45624 «.16349
Credit Load .27745 .07604

 

The fourth independent variable entered on step four by the
computer was financial aid. The following were the results: Multiple
R 0.23828, R Square 0.05678, B -.24858, Beta 0.09414. The F value
was 167.235 and significant at alpha 0.00 level. (See Table 13 for
changed B and Beta of race, age and credit load). Financial aid, when
introduced in the equation reduced the B of race, but increased the B

of age and credit when the values are compared with values in Step 3.

60

Table 13. B and Beta of Race, Age, Credit Load and Financial Aid

 

 

 

B Beta
Race .47373 .13833
Age ‘048557 "0 17400
Credit Load .34351 .09414
Financial Aid -.24858 -.08213

 

Residence was the next independent variable added by the computer
program for the fifth step. The following were the results: Multiple
R .24201, R Square 0.05857, 8 -.l9738, Beta -.08219. The F value
was 138.262 and significant at alpha 0.00 level. The B and Beta of
race, age, credit load and financial aid have changed (see Table 14).
The actual effects of race, age, and credit load on GPA were further
reduced with the introduction of residence in the equation.

Table 14. B and Beta of Race, Age, Credit Load, Financial Aid, and

 

 

 

W
a Beta
Race .45814 .13373
Age -.47e73 -.l7156
Credit Load .34272 .29393
Financial Aid -.24876 -.08219

 

61

On step six, sex was the independent variable added by the
computer. Results shown are the following: Multiple R 0.24566, R
Square 0.06034, B -.12165 and Beta -.04278. The F value was
118.930 and was significant at alpha 0.00 level. (See Table 15 for
changed B and Beta of race, age, credit load, financial aid and
residence). Step six was the last step in the procedure: thus, the B
and Beta of the independent variables are the final actual effects of
these variables on GPA. As shown in Table 15 age with 46.8% had the
most actual effect on GPA, followed by race with 45.7% effect, then
credit load with 34.5% effect, financial aid with 26.7% effect and
followed by residence and sex with each contributing less than 20% of

the effect on GPA.

Table 15. B Beta and Confidence Intervals of Race, Age, Credit Load,

 

 

Financial Aid, Residence, and Sex

 

 

 

 

B 95% Intervals Beta

Confidence of B
Race .45706 .39399 .52013 .13346’
Age -.46897 -.52091 -.4l703 -.16805
Credit Load .34570 .27698 .41442 .09474
Financial Aid —.26718 -.32474 -.20962 -.08828
Residence -.l9879 -.28283 -.ll475 -.04295

Sex -. 12165 -.l7366 -.06964 -.04278

 

62

The computer program did not add the seventh independent
variable, type of program, because it did not contribute significantly
to the equation. The null hypothesis, therefore, is rejected except
for the variable, type of program.

As shown in Table 15, the variable that has the most significant
actual effect on GPA is age. It has a negative sign for B. Since the
recode option of REGRESSION made 1 = < 25 years old and 0 = 25 years
or older, the coefficient is interpreted to mean that, in general, the
students who are 25 years or older did better than students who are
less than 25 years old. The next variable that has the most
significant actual effect on GPA is race. The values were coded l =
whites and 0 = nonwhites. The positive sign indicates that whites did
generally better than nonwhites. Values for the third variable credit
load were 1 = full-time students (12 credits or more) and 0 = part-
time students (< 12 credits). The positive sign shows that full-time
students did generally better than part-time students. The fourth
variable financial aid were coded l = recipients of financial aid and
0 = non-recipients of financial aid. The negative sign of the
coefficient illustrates that non-recipients of financial aid did
generally better than recipients of financial aid. Residence was the
fifth variable added to the equation and was coded l = residents
within the college district and 0 = residents outside the college
district. Tl'e negative sign indicates that the residents outside the
college district have generally a higher GPA than those students

residing within the college district. The last variable added to the

63

equation was sex and was coded l = males and 0 = females. The
negative sign shows that female students did generally better than
male students. (See Figure 3 for profile of students based on GPA as

criterion of academic success.)

 

|Profile of students enrolled at C. S. Mott Community College in I
Ifall 1984 semester (N = 11,158) based on GPA as criterion of I

Iacademic success. I

I1. In general, students who were 25 years old or older did I
I better than students who were younger than 25 years old. I
I2. In general, white students did better than nonwhite students. I
I3. In general, full-time (12 credits or more) students did I
I better than part-time (<12 credits) students. I
I4. In general, non-recipients of financial aid did better than I
I recipients of financial aid. I
IS. In general, residents outside the college district did better I
| than residents within the college district. I

I6. In general, females did better than males. I

Figure 3. Profile of Students in Fall 1984 Semester Based on GPA as

Criterion of Academic Success.

64

Table 16 presents a summary of independent variables, their
multiple R's, R squares and F values from Step 1 through Step 6.
Multiple R measured only about 25% of the correlation between the
actual GPA of students and the GPA which are predicted on the basis of
the independent variables race, age, credit load, financial aid,
residence and sex. In other words, R measured about 25% of the
overall adequacy of the above independent variables in accounting for
GPA. In looking at the R square, only 6 per cent variation in the
criterion variable GPA is explained by the six independent variables
taken together in this model. Although this variation is small, the
test is statistically significant because of the large size of the

sample .

Table 16. Summary of Independent Variables, their Multiple R's, R

 

Squares, F Values and Levels of S_ignificance

 

 

variable Step Multiple R R Square F SigF
Race 1 .1512 .0228 259.917 .000
Age 2 .2122 .0450 262.062 .000
Credit Load 3 .2249 .0506 197.450 .000
Fin. Aid 4 .2383 .0568 167.236 .000
Residence 5 .2420 .0586 138.263 .000

Sex 6 . 2457 .0603 118 .930 .000

 

65

Using the Stepwise Multiple Regression, six out of the seven
variables tested that seem to contribute the most to the prediction of
grade point average for students enrolled at C. S. Mott Community
College in fall 1984 semester, in order of their importance, are as
follows:

Age
Race
Credit load
Financial aid
Residence
Sex
The confidence intervals of B are shown in Table 15. With 95

percent confidence 8 is not equal to 0. In other words, Ho was

rejected because the lower and upper limits of the confidence
intervals of B of each of the variables—race, age, credit load,
financial aid, residence, and sex did not include 0 at alpha = 0.05.
Additional statistics about the MCC student in fall 1984 semester
are shown in Figure 4. This information may be of interest to the

reader .

66

 

IThe statistics on the students enrolled at C. S. Mott Community I
ICcllege in fall 1984 semester (N = 11,158) were: I
l |
I 1. 59.6% were female, 40.4% were male. I
I 2. 78.9% were white, 21.1% were minority. I
I 3. 50.7% were 25 years old or older, 49.3% were less than 25 I
I years old. I
I 4. 80.8% were residing within the college district, 10.2% were I
I residing outside the college district. . I
I 5. 37.7% were enrolled in non-vocational programs, 62.3% were I
I enrolled in vocational programs. I
I 6. 82.2% were part-time, were 17.8% full-time. I
I 7. 64.9% were non-recipients of financial aid, 35.1% were I
I recipients of financial aid. I
I 8. 78.6% were successful, 21.4% were unsuccessful based on I
I satisfactory course completion. I
I 9. 68.4% were successful, 31.6% were not successful based on I
| GPA. l
I10. Mean GPA was 2.2421. I

Figure 4. Statistics on Students in Fall 1984 Semester.

67

SUMMARY
This chapter provided an in depth analysis of the data used in
this study. Each hypothesis was presented followed by pertinent data.
After each discussion a table relating to the data discussed, was
presented. Each table summarized the key points of the data.
Hypotheses that were rejected or not rejected were indicated.

Statistics on academically successful students based on course

completion and grade point average mere presented in Figures 2 and 3.

CHAPTER V
SUMMARY: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: RECOMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL

IMPLICATIONS

INTRODUCTION

 

Chapter V is divided into three main sections: summary:

<3iscussion and conclusions: and recommendations and educational

implications.

W

This study investigated seven selected characteristics that
influence academic success as separately measured by course completion
and grade point average.

The population included all students enrolled at C.S. Mott
Community College in the fall 1984 semester in courses for credit as
of the State Aid date (September 14, 1984).

The date were collected and entered in the computer at the
Admission's Office for demographic data, at the Registrar's Office for
courses attempted and earned and at the Financial Aid Office for
financial aid data.

Hypothesis 1 and subhypotheses which involved the relationships
between seven key independent variables and course completion were
tested using the Chi-square test for independence. Hypothesis 2 which

involved the relationships between the same seven independent

68

69

variables used in hypothesis 1 and grade point average was tested
using the Stepwise Multiple Regression.

The literature reviewed contained articles mostly from refereed
journals and from highly technical books pertinent to this study and
post secondary education. The section included historical background
of the community college, general characteristics of the community
college student, and literature related to the dependent and
independent variables used in this study.

Analysis of the data revealed that there is a significant
relationship between sex, age, race, credit load, type of program,
residence, financial aid and course completion. The data further
revealed that six out of the seven variables tested in order of their
importance: age, race, credit load, financial aid, residence and sex
contributed significantly to the prediction of grade point average.
Type of program was found not to be significantly related to academic

success as measured by GPA.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
It seems logical to assume that the subjects involved in this
study (11,158) were quite representative of most students who would be
attending C.S. Mott Community College. This assumption seems
particularly justified since the population in Flint and surrounding
areas from which the college draws its students has begun to
stabilize. TI'e researcher believes, therefore, that the following

conclusions drawn from the findings of this study can be generally

70

(applied to future students of C.S. Mott Community College, if similar
definitions are assumed.

Conclusions drawn from the findings concerning overall
relationships are as follows:

Race, age, credit load, financial aid, residence, sex and type of
program are statistically related with academic success based on
course completion. In other words, each of tte above characteristics
is related to academic success but it does not show the strength of
the relationships. This conclusion is based on the Chi-square results
which took into account only one variable at a time and course
completion—criterion of academic success.

Age, race, credit load, financial aid, residence and sex,
arranged in order of the magnitude of their effects, are statistically
related to academic success based on grade point average. This
conclusion is based on the Stepwise Multiple Regression, a more
powerful tool, which tested for the effects of the variables on GPA
taking into account the effects of the other independent variables.
Considering the significant relationships between selected
characteristics and grade point average, the student who is most
likely to achieve academic success at C.S. Mott Community College is
25 years old or older, white, full-time student, not receiving
financial aid, resides outside the college district and is female.

The student who is at least 25 years old is more likely to have a
higher GPA than the younger student. This perhaps could be explained
by the fact that older students are more highly motivated (Medsker and

Tillery, 1971) and more certain in tfeir educational goals than the

71

traditional age students (Greer, 1980). Additionally, the older
student has had more time to plan his/her education within the
framework of his/her responsibilities.

The white student is more likely to have a higher GPA than the
non-white. There may be some other variables not included in this
study that contributes to the academic success of the white student
such as higher socioeconomic background, better educated parents or
have attended a better high school than the non-white student.

The full-time student is more likely to have a higher GPA than
the part-time student. The full-time student may be more organized
and more committed to his/her educational goals than the part-time
student, who, as suggested by Knoell (1976) only has partial
commitment to college and readily withdraws when employment or some
other activity proves more attractive.

The non-recipient of financial aid is more likely to have a
higher GPA than the recipient of financial aid. Again, there may be
some confounding variables that may have contributed to the finding.
It may be that the financially disadvantaged student may also be
disadvantaged in some other ways. This is 291.3 to say that financial
aid has a negative effect on academic success.

The student who resides outside the college district is more
likely to have a higher GPA than the student who resides within the
college district. The explanation that could be given is that
generally, the student who resides outside the college district

travels further distances and because of this and that he/she pays

72

higher tuition, he/sIe may be more motivated than the student residing
within the boundaries of the college district.

The female student is more likely to have a higher GPA than the
male student. The surprising thing about this conclusion is that,
among the other independent variables, it had contributed the least
effect in the statistical significance on GPA since most of the
studies reviewed shown that females are more significantly
academically better than males. The female student may have become
the head of a single-parent family who seeks and needs new skills
through education to improve her socioeconomic status and thus, is
more motivated than the male student.

Type of program is not significantly related to academic success
based on GPA, thus, it has no significant effect on GPA. In other
words, enrollment in vocational or non-vocational education at C.S.
Mott Community College does not significantly affect the GPA.

Since only 6 per cent variation is explained by age, race, credit
load, financial aid, residence and sex on GPA, this indicates that
although the variation is significant, the variation is small. It may
be that the students are more alike or more homogeneous. It is likely
that they have the same or similar backgrounds. It is difficult to
ascertain the reason(s) as pre-measurement data on intellectual
factors such as ACT or SAT are not a requirement for admission. As
indicated earlier, MCC, like other public institutions, has an open

door admission pol icy.

73

RECDMMENDATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS

On the basis of the conclusions drawn, the researcher feels it

reasonable to make the following educational implications and

recommendations:

1.

2.

3.

Further explorations should be made into the non-
intellectual domain such as socioeconomic background:
marital status: interest and motivation: attitudes, beliefs
and values: and family size and structure of students in
order to discover factors which might improve prediction of
academic success.

Additional research should be conducted to determine why
male, non-white, less than 25 years old, part-time student,
recipient of financial aid and who resides within the
college district is the student least likely to achieve
academic success based on successful course completion.
Further investigations should be conducted in an effort to
ascertain why females did better than males, whites better
than non-whites, 25 year old or older students better than
those who are less than 25 years old, non-recipients of
financial aid better than recipients, full—time students
better than part-time, and students residing outside the
college district better than students residing within the
college district.

Type of program enrolled in should not be used as a

predictor of academic success based on grade point average.

74

5. A study complementing this investigation should be conducted
to determine academic success of students in each academic
division for an entire academic year.

6. A valuable related study might investigate the role of the
guidance and counseling division with respect to the final
academic outcome of MCC students.

7. Intellective factors such as rank in high school, ACT and
SAT should be gathered by MCC, not as an Admission's
requirement, but as part of student data base to be used for
research to improve the likelihood of predicting which
variables promote academic success.

These studies, if conducted, would build a framework for future

decisions by administrators and faculty at C.S. Mott Community'

College, Flint, Michigan.

APPENDIX A

75

CHARLES STEWART MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT

 

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76

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