Publication Date
2022
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Hu, Xiaodan
Second Advisor
Mac, Jacqueline
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Legacy Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Abstract
The present study sought to answer the research question, to what extent is the staff racial demographic profile, as a numeric representation of staff diversity, related to the diversity of graduating cohorts from public community colleges in Illinois? The exploratory quantitative study used five years of Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey data for both the staff and graduate populations. The years connected to staff represented the years the graduating cohorts entered college, and the years connected to graduates represent 150% of the normal time to their degree following the year of entry (cohort year). The sample was comprised of five years of data from each of the 48 community colleges in Illinois, which generated 240 observations in the data set. The study used Pearson’s Product Moment (r) to test for relationships between the ratios of each demographic group (as defined by IPEDS) in the staff and graduate populations. Several statistically significant findings were discovered, which can be grouped into general themes: a) The ratio of staff in a particular racial category was positively correlated with the ratio of graduates in the same racial category, b) The ratio of staff in any racially marginalized category was positively correlated with the ratio of graduates in any racially marginalized category, c) the ratio of White staff was negatively correlated with all the ratio of graduates in all racially minoritized categories, and d) the ratio of racially minoritized staff was negatively correlated with the ratio of White graduates. Additional study is needed to determine the cause of these relationships, as well as to determine the best ways to support racially minoritized staff and students to improve equity in the higher education workforce and student outcomes.
Recommended Citation
Boldman, Rachel, "The Relationship Between the Diversity of Illinois Community College Staff and Graduates: An Exploratory Quantitative Study" (2022). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 6875.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/6875
Extent
117 pages
Language
eng
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
