Date of Award

2026-05-11

Degree Name

PhD Leadership Studies

Dissertation Committee

Cheryl Getz, EdD, Chair; Fred J. Galloway, EdD, Member; Devon Carbado, JD, Member

Keywords

California Community College, Critical Policy Analysis, Comprehensive Education Plans, Critical Quantitative Analysis, Strategic Enrollment Management, Title 5 Regulations, Higher Education Leadership

Abstract

California Code of Regulations, Title 5, is the policy and regulatory guide of the California Community Colleges. Sections of Title 5 policy govern the implementation of programs and services at these colleges. It provides protection for colleges and specifies student entitlements under the law. The mission of the California Community Colleges is to serve as an open-access point, providing students with services and instruction. Access barriers to services like counseling can delay goal attainment, increase cost of attendance and time to completion, and result in lower successful retention or persistence rates. Additionally, resource allocation, Title 5 Section 59200 regulations (the 50% law), and categorical funding pose challenges to scaling Title 5 as equity-focused efforts.

Critical race theory frames the study, using quantitative critical analysis to guide the economic evaluation of Title 5 policy 51018, Counseling Programs, with a focus on service delivery for the Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP). Regression analysis in SPSS 30 was conducted from a dataset from an urban post-secondary institution. 20,485 student cases were stratified into three cohorts across four primary terms from fall 2023 to spring 2025. The evaluation concludes with a cost-effectiveness analysis determining the incremental costs per additional unit of outcome achieved.

Quantitative critical research practices, the impact of hierarchical structures within higher education on Black students, legal doctrine that undermined Brown v. Board of Education, higher education resource allocation, and strategic enrollment management strategies are synthesized. A total of 18 regression models were created, including retention and persistence as dependent variables. CEP as a dependent variable was modeled for CEP access results.

EOPS-only and Black-only models were created to test model robustness and to examine CEP effects on Black student populations. Black student-only models showed a significant increase in retention rates, modeling CEP effects. Results demonstrate that the CEP significantly improved student persistence and retention across all three student cohorts. Institutions seeking to improve student persistence and retention may benefit from prioritizing CEP delivery within existing counseling capacity. Scaling CEP delivery to all eligible students could yield meaningful gains in student outcomes without requiring proportional increases in resources.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Leadership Studies

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