Prices they pay: Academic achievement and progress to graduation barriers experienced by community college students due to the cost of course materials

Affordability is considered a key predictor of college enrollment and academic success, yet higher education costs continue to rise. Over the past three decades, textbooks and course materials alone have increased almost three times the rate of inflation (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2016). To identify the extent to which course material costs create barriers for community college students, and whether these costs foster inequities for students in traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations, a cross-sectional survey research study was conducted fall 2019 amongst students enrolled in community colleges across the Tennessee Board of Regents system (N = 88,946, n = 1,912). The survey covered course material purchase behaviors, decisions, and experiences related to academic achievement and progress to graduation. Results showed nearly two-thirds of students (68.6%) have delayed purchasing a textbook due to cost. Almost half (41.3%) reported not purchasing required materials, 15.8% reported earning poor grades, and 3.3% reported having failed a course because they could not afford the materials. Logistic regressions were employed to determine whether these extents were disproportionately experienced by non-White, low income, and/or Adult Learners over age 25. Statistically significant differences in academic achievement barriers were found for low-income students, alongside significant progress to graduation barriers for non-Adult Learners, suggesting younger learners are more susceptible to consequences from course material costs. These findings inform policy efforts by helping educational leaders better understand the impacts of course material costs on the ability of community college students to achieve in coursework and progress to graduation

A Ten-Year Study of Individual Outcomes From a Fraternity Central Office Leadership Program

Fraternities promote leadership development as a benefit of membership. Researchers examined fraternal commitment and engagement of participants attending a leadership program offered by a fraternity central office. This study was designed as an outcomes assessment and included 2,065 cases, the total number of fraternity men attending in the ten-year span from 1999-2008. The following data were examined: attendance, undergraduate leadership, alumni/volunteer involvement, and donor rosters, as well as post-program survey evaluations. Descriptive statistics and significance tests revealed that (a) 63% of participants took a formal undergraduate leadership role, (b) 8% of participants took a volunteer advisory role, (c) 8% became donors, and (d) some years were more developmental for participants than others

Fraternity as “Enabling Environment:” Does Membership Lead to Gambling Problems?

Researchers have suggested that fraternity membership is the most reliable predictor of gambling and gambling problems on campus. The purpose of this study was to determine if problematic gambling could be linked to specific aspects of fraternity membership. Though the null hypothesis (no enabling environment) failed to be rejected, descriptive analysis confirms that moderate rates of problem gambling are exhibited by subsets of fraternity members (officers, younger members, those who live with other members). Further, predictive analysis revealed that gambling online and betting on skill games, such as golf or pool, increased the likelihood of problem gambling among fraternity members. Recommendations included a discussion of initiatives at another campus, as well as action steps for developing education and awareness programs