Date of Degree
2025
Degree Name
Ed.D. (Doctor of Education)
Department
Department of Counseling and Higher Education (CAHE)
Director
Mac, Jacqueline
Committee Members
Hutchings, Quortne; Wesener Michael, Kelly
Keywords
Mental Health, Mental Health Services, Community College Students
Abstract
Mental health concerns have gained attention over the years especially with college students. As mental health concerns grow, mental health services have been increasing made available to students in community colleges in many areas of the United States. In Illinois, the Mental Health Early Action on Campus Act was implemented in 2020 to ensure services are available to students.
With more community college students utilizing mental health services, what influence do those services have on students’ personal higher education journeys, specifically the goals that they have regarding their own success? How do these goals align with community college indicators of success? This narrative inquiry explores the stories of six community college students who utilize mental health services and how these services support and allow opportunities to explore what personal goals look like, and how community colleges may be able to expand their own measurements of success.
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses and dissertations 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, unless otherwise indicated.
Recommended Citation
Wester, Leslie, "“No Regrets, Just Adjustments”: The Role of Mental Health Services in Redefining Community College Student Success" (2025). Dissertations of Practice. 88.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-disspractice/88
