UCLA

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

Key Influences and Obstacles in Guided Pathways Implementation

in Community Colleges in a Multi-College District

According to Community College Leaders

by

Holly Elizabeth Bailey-Hofmann

Doctor of Education

University of California, Los Angeles, 2019

Professor Robert Teranishi, Chair

This qualitative study investigated how key constituents (three college presidents and three academic senate presidents) on community college campuses in the Los Angeles Community College District describe the key factors and challenges that influenced the implementation of Guided Pathways reform at their colleges, as well as strategies they used to overcome those challenges and anticipated challenges. The themes I uncovered using semi-structured interviews and document review point to several recommendations for multi-college community college districts and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Key factors influencing Pathways implementation at community colleges were financial support from state, faculty leadership, use of the regional network, and influence of the district academic senate; challenges encountered in implementation included bureaucratic challenges such as timing and communication gaps from the state Chancellor’s Office, district logistical hurdles, and pockets of faculty resistance; and strategies colleges used to overcome challenges in initial implementation included use of regional networks, flexibility/adaptability and relationships. The many anticipated challenges for remaining phases of implementation varied but include difficulties related to mapping metamajors.

Of the three key influential factors and challenges to Pathways implementation my study uncovered, the two most significant are the influence of the district academic senate and the impact of bureaucratic barriers. My findings yield insight on some concrete steps which can streamline implementation of current and future reform in multi-college districts in order to benefit students and contribute to the literature on educational reform implementation in community colleges, as well as the role of the district academic senate in multi-college districts.