Author: Collins-Navarrete

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages: 430

ISBN-13:

This study of community college Hispanic dropouts in a southeastern community college provides insights about personal or institutional factors that may lead up to dropping out or persisting at the community college. Two research questions were explored in this study: the first question asks what individuals and institutional factors pressured Hispanic students to drop out from a community college in the southeastern quadrant of New Mexico?; the second, asks what individual and institutional factors encouraged / motivated Hispanic students to stay in a community college in the southeastern quadrant of New Mexico? The conclusions indicated Hispanics left the community college for a variety of institutional and person reasons. These reasons ranged from financial reasons to instructional methods to personal responsibilities to character attributes. While dropping out was a personal decision, it can be implied there was an absence of academic and personal "validating experiences" (Rendon, 2002). Recommendations to address the dropout rates included implementing a mandatory "financial seminar" during the students freshman year; promoting the services to make sure students are aware of their existence and benefits; and requiring mandatory training for administrators, counselors, faculty, and staff of reaching out to Hispanic students. Recommendations for future research included a qualitative study involving Hispanics that successfully completed a certificate or associate's degree identifying factors that helped them succeed; a quantitative study that would compare enrollment rates and dropout rates of Hispanic students in New Mexico community colleges to identify successful strategies; and a mixed-methods study of NMJC county high school and junior high teachers using surveys and focus groups to gain insight to the Hispanic dropout issue.