October 29, 2020
New publication on community college baccalaureate student experience
We are excited to publish Data Note 10 in the New Baccalaureate series, titled Washington State Community College Baccalaureate Students: How Life Experiences Shape Baccalaureate Education, Employment and Economic Security and authored by Lia Wetzstein, Elizabeth Apple Meza and Debra Bragg. It presents results from qualitative interviews with community college baccalaureate (CCB) students in Washington state. We use in-depth, longitudinal interview data to describe three CCB students’ experiences prior to CCB-program enrollment and through their programs to graduation and employment. The three students we profile credit community colleges by giving them an option to complete a baccalaureate degree that was previously unavailable to them. They perceive that their CCB degrees contribute to improved employment and career opportunities that then lead to greater economic and personal stability. This reality is particularly relevant as many workers face long-term unemployment and financial insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.