Assessment of the Academic Needs of Students Enrolled by the Bowling Green Community College & the Development of a Learning Assistance Model Which Will Maximize Their Probability of Success

With the increase in college admission standards and the large number of under prepared students entering college, learning assistance is becoming a growing need among institutions of higher education. The researcher’s study surveys the need for the development of a model learning assistance center for Bowling Green Community College, based on students’ indication of academic needs and potential use of various services. The second part of the project addresses the development of a model learning assistance center based on the outcomes of a student needs survey. A self-composed survey was administered to 171 students in four category groupings. Students were randomly selected from the following four groups a) students who were admitted to Bowling Green Community College but had not yet attended, b) students who had previously attended but dropped out or did not return, c) students that were currently enrolled and attending classes at Bowling Green Community College, and d) students who had successfully completed their academic requirements at the Bowling Green Community College. Data for use in the study were obtained through the distribution of a needs survey in which the following components were considered: age, gender, race, degree plans, high school preparation, parent education, household income, financial aid status, work plans, enrollment status, housing status, amount of time spent at school, pre-college preparation, areas in which assistance would be desired as well as times and specific services, and degree of computer literacy. Frequency distributions were employed in order to determine important variables in the development of a learning assistance center. Chi-square analyses were utilized to determine if the four groups demonstrated significant differences in their responses. Based on the results of the survey, respondents indicated a need for the development of a learning assistance center. The analysis revealed that various factors influenced this need. It was recommended that a center be developed for the students of Bowling Green Community College in order to assist them in meeting their academic goals