A Longitudinal Analysis of Racialized and Gendered Community College Access: The Role of Institutional Contexts and Labor Market Conditions in Shaping First-Time Enrollment

This study investigates the associations between institutional and labor market contexts and first-time community college enrollment patterns across racial and gender lines from 2017 to 2021. The findings demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing racial and gendered disparities in community college access, particularly affecting students of color and intensifying challenges faced by minority-serving community colleges. Guided by the principles of the Quantitative Critical Race Methodology, the discussion of the findings contextualizes access to community colleges within various institutional settings and labor market conditions, exploring themes such as marginalization, affordability, and economic susceptibility among students of color. The findings highlight the resilience and strategic importance of Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving, Predominantly Black, and Hispanic Serving community colleges. Finally, the study reveals policy considerations for enhancing support for community colleges and addresses the broader implications of its findings for higher education policy and practice, particularly in terms of financial needs, infrastructural support, and workforce transition. Taken together, this dissertation stresses how important community colleges are for promoting fairness and resilience during crises, calling for a more nuanced approach to policymaking that takes into account multiple forms of exclusion and complicated enrollment dynamics. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]