Download Report: AMPLIFYING STUDENT VOICES: THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE LIBRARIES AND ACADEMIC SUPPORT FOR STUDENT SUCCESS PROJECT
Executive summary of findings
The Community College Libraries & Academic Support for Student Success (CCLASSS) project examines student goals, challenges, and needs from the student perspective. Through this project, we aim to provide community colleges and their libraries with strategic intelligence on how to adapt their services to most effectively meet student needs.
In spring 2018, we conducted semi-structured interviews with students at seven partner community colleges on student objectives and goals, definitions of success, challenges faced, and coursework practices.
Key findings
Across institutions, we found that students:
- View community college as an accessible option – in terms of location, transportation options, and cost – that fits their complex lives and needs.
- Have complex definitions of success that focus on both their career and educational achievement as well as their personal development.
- Face significant challenges related to balancing work and school, finances, childcare arrangements, language barriers, transportation to and from the college, and navigating resources and services at their college.
- Complete their coursework in a variety of places depending on their individual needs and resources available, but generally want to avoid distractions and noise while working.
- Do not find it difficult to locate the information they need for their coursework and have a particular affinity for using Google when doing so. They tend to rely heavily on their professors for providing guidance on resources to use when completing assignments.
