Titled Predictors of sense of belonging among Latino men in community college, Vasquez’s dissertation was selected as the 2015 first runner-up by the Council’s Dissertation of the Year Selection Committee.
“[We] were very impressed with by the quality of [her] research and the dissertation that documents it,” said Dr. David Hardy, chairman of the Selection Committee.
Though a majority of Latino men enroll in two-year enrollment programs at community colleges, a significant proportion of them do not end up attaining their goal of a college degree. This particular study focuses on supporting Latino men on their journey toward degree completion and transfer.
Findings from the analysis revealed background, environmental, academic, social, and institutional factors that positively and negatively predicted sense of belonging among Latino men in community college.
Vasquez’s recognition comes at the recommendation of the Selection Committee, which at its discretion can select a runner-up dissertation to be recognized for its outstanding research. This happens quite infrequently according to Hardy, who stated that the committee voted unanimously to present Vasquez with her research citation.
Vasquez was formally presented with the citation at the 2015 CSCC Annual Conference in Fort Worth and was invited to submit a manuscript based upon her dissertation to the Community College Review.