Goal consensus in selected community colleges

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this study was to identify the priority goal rankings at four selected community colleges in the North Central Accreditation Region by 42 administrators, 185 full-time faculty, and 548 full-time students. The colleges were similar in governance pattern, publically financed, comprehensive in program, similar in student enrollment, and co-educational with similar perceived mission;Research questions included (1) What is the rank order of perceived (is) and preferred (should be) goals of all of the participants, of administrators, of full-time faculty, of full-time students, and of each college in the study? (2) Do significant differences exist between the perceived (is) and preferred (should be) perceptions of each goal by each group? (3) Do significant differences exist in the rank order of perceived (is) goals and preferred (should be) goals?;The Community College Goals Inventory, the survey instrument, required that respondents utilize a five-point rating scale, (1) of no importance, or not applicable, (2) of low importance, (3) of medium importance, (4) of high importance, and recorded two judgments: how important the goal "is" presently at the campus and how important the goal "should be.";Data analysis yielded goals as summaries rank ordered by "is" and "should be" means for all administrators, faculty and students as well as by each college. Paired t-tests compared the "is" and "should be" responses for each goal for administrators, faculty, students, and for each college. Kendall's W analysis of rank-difference correlation of goals of administrators, faculty, and students and colleges was reported. An SPSSX program for statistical analysis was used;In the paired t-test, statistical differences between perceived and preferred responses exist at the .01 level in every goal area at each college. Goal analysis of colleges and groups using Kendall's W shows close agreement on all goal rankings;The findings of this study are similar to those of the Cross study using the CCGI.</p>