While research suggests distance is an important factor in students’ college-going decisions for underrepresented and students with low income, the degree of influence remain unknown. Further, while California is home to 116 CCs, the concentration of universities in any given region has yet to be mapped to determine where university education deserts (UEDs) exist and whether they are more prevalent in areas with higher concentrations of Latinx students, thus compounding the issues of placeboundedness.
The proposed project will explore the role of UEDs as a barrier for transfer-motivated community college students, notably for Latinx students and students from low-income backgrounds.
The core questions driving the research are:
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What is the demographic makeup of transfer-motivated community college students living in UEDs (having no public university within 25 miles of home that has an 80%+ acceptance rate?)? How does this differ from the demographic makeup of transfer-motivated community college students in regions of similar population size that do have accessible university options?
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What relationship, if any, is there between living in a UED (having no public university within 25 miles of home that has an 80%+ acceptance rate) and the likelihood of transfer to a baccalaureate-granting institution among transfer-motivated students? Does this relationship vary as a function of student ethnicity and/or income status? Do other factors (e.g., community college level factors) mediate this relationship?
Lead
Darla Cooper, Daisy Segovia
Team Members
Katie Brohawn, Alyssa Nguyen
Advisory Members
The RP Group and ECMC Foundation Announce Partnership to Advance Groundbreaking Research on Rural Learners
December 4, 2024 | PR Newswire |
The RP Group is proud to announce an important new project in collaboration with the ECMC Foundation. As part of ECMC’s inaugural Rural Impact Initiative, the RP Group has been awarded a grant to support a research project, Uncovering the Programs, Policies, and Practices That Disrupt Disparities in Transfer from Community College to University Among Rural Learners. Out of over 100 proposals submitted to ECMC’s call for projects under this initiative, fewer than ten were accepted, highlighting the significance and potential impact of this work.
Oct 18, 2024
Exploring Geographic Barriers to Transfer for California Community College Students
Webinar that explores the under-researched issue of "university education deserts" (UEDs) - areas with limited access to universities - and how they impact transfer rates, particularly for underrepresented and low-income students. The webinar features a panel discussion with practitioners and a student from colleges in UEDs.