Promoting Access and Equity for Underrepresented Racial Minorities? An Examination of Policies and Practices in Community College Baccalaureate Programs

Objective/Research Question: The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which programs offering community college baccalaureates (CCBs) address access and equity for underrepresented racial minorities (URMs). The study first aimed to understand how administrators described the purpose of CCBs with regard to advancing equity for URMs. Next, the study explored how CCB programs incorporate policies and practices advancing access and success of URM students. Method: The study employed a multiple-case study design by focusing on three states offering bachelor’s degrees at several community colleges. Interviews with administrators were conducted at two colleges offering CCB programs in each state. Colleges differed in demographic composition and in the number and type of CCB programs offered. Results: Administrators described how CCBs advanced socioeconomic mobility, which promoted equity, particularly for low-income students. Findings suggested that only some attention was placed on providing access to URMs, which was largely contingent on the representation of URMs in the surrounding community and feeder programs. Few outreach efforts and support services specifically targeted URMs. Conclusion/Contributions: Given that URMs are largely concentrated at community colleges and significant gaps exist between URMs and non-URMs in college completion, CCBs might serve as an educational policy to reduce those gaps. As CCBs are primarily framed as essential to meeting workforce needs, increased opportunities for URMs may be limited without intentional efforts to outreach and support URMs.