Dr. Carol Morman shared research at Community College Baccalaureate Association Conference

Dr. Carol Morman, Program Chair for the Land Surveying bachelor’s degree at Cincinnati State, delivered a presentation at the 2021 National Community College Baccalaureate Association Conference on Mar. 23. The conference took place in virtual format.

Carol received her Doctor of Education degree from Northern Kentucky University in December 2020.

Carol’s conference presentation, “Transitioning to a Community College Applied Baccalaureate Degree: Expectations for Change and Perceptions of Quality, Academic Rigor, and Purpose,” presented the results of her doctoral research.

The goal of the research was to examine industry attitudes toward graduates of a bachelor of applied science program offered by a community college, and determine if these graduates would attain the same pay and career opportunities as graduates from a comparable university program.

Carol surveyed 143 potential employers of Land Surveying graduates, giving them opportunities to view the curriculum for Cincinnati State’s Land Surveying bachelor’s degree and then answer questions about attitudes and expectations.

• Over 90% of respondents said that with all other qualifications equivalent, the graduate of the community college applied bachelor’s program should earn the same starting compensation and have the same opportunities for career advancement as a graduate of a university program in the same major.
   
• Over 80% said the community college graduate would be comparably qualified for a starting position and nearly 95% said they expected the performance levels of the community college bachelor’s degree graduates to be the same or stronger than a university graduate’s levels.
   
• About 65% said they felt the community college graduate would be academically comparable to the university graduate, and over 70% said they perceived the community college program as equal to or more rigorous than a university program in the same major.

Carol said her review of previously-published literature showed uncertainty in industry support for community college bachelor’s degree graduates, but her own research study demonstrated strong industry support for the Land Surveying bachelor of applied science degree at Cincinnati State.

She concluded, “Based on the results of this study, there is a real possibility to change higher education in the United States with the adoption and acceptance of the community college applied baccalaureate degree by academia and politicians.”

“This would open doors for place-bound students, provide equity in higher education attainment, and meet unmet workforce needs,” Carol added.