Formative study of non-credit students at Kingsborough Community College, City University of New York

Abstract

The study examined students’ needs and satisfaction at the Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY. Purposive sampling method was used to examine the needs and satisfaction of the allied healthcare programme and the English as a Second Language programme students. Results of the focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with students and faculty members demonstrate that there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to assist non-credit students to complete their programmes. By learning the perceptions of the non-credit students, the college can make necessary changes for improvements, which ultimately will bring a higher return on investments and engagement of the non-credit student population. The needs and satisfactions of this population have to be taken seriously; whereby providing students by access to credit programmes, generating meaningful outcomes for a range of their needs, and facilitating the long-term pursuit of degree in connection to the academic departments.