UPDATE: As a scholar and leader in the community college arena, how do you define collaboration? Who are the key players in the collaborative movement?

Jalomo: My definition of collaboration would include "a partnership of diverse views, skills, and experiences that values and employs a collective approach to examine a social situation." I have, at different times, found myself part of a team of senior and junior scholars, quantitative and qualitative experts, and researchers who examine large scale data sets, disseminate and analyze national surveys, employ case-based field projects, and research community colleges or four-year college settings. I have learned that differing views and philosophies must be respected, that all parties invited to "collaborate" on the team should be treated as equals, and that each team member (when necessary) should at least try to "step out of the box" where they feel comfortable (paradigmatically, methodologically) and respect how alternative views and explanations might help to develop a deeper understanding of the situation.

Overall, I believe those doctoral programs that focus on community college education tend to do a good job of promoting collaboration. Research findings written by colleagues affiliated with four-year college programs and community college representatives (often their doctoral students who work in nearby community colleges) are common. Universities noted for their community college graduate programs continue to engage in ongoing collaborative research efforts with in-state community colleges.

UPDATE: What challenges do researchers at four-year institutions face when collaborating with community colleges in research activities?

Jalomo: Although collaborative projects involving researchers from two-year and four-year colleges can prove beneficial and rewarding, most are usually directed at research involving some aspect of community college education. The benefits of such projects have been documented in the Community College Review, Research in Higher Education, The Review of Higher Education, and the like. However, I seldom read about studies, in the transfer area for instance, that involve a collaborative team of researchers investigating a four-year college concern. A follow-up study of student experiences after transfer to a four-year college might be a good candidate for such a project. My opinion is that the collaborative team could be enhanced with the expertise and views of two-year college researchers who may be able to provide valuable data and insights into how students prepared for transfer.

A challenge for collaborative teams engaged in investigating community college education issues is gaining access to data and people. I cannot overstate the importance for researchers to state their research aims openly, honestly, and explicitly in their letter of invitation to community college representatives, and from the President to members of an Internal Review Board. Since my research directly relates to student experiences in college, I have found that many faculty, counselors, and administrative staff have a concern for the general welfare of their students. They are not easily persuaded into believing that my research findings could prove more useful in identifying potential areas of concern or processes that facilitate retention than their past practices, experiences, or institutional reports. This approach suggests that we, as four-year college researchers, can possibly do a better job of revealing elements that can help or hinder student retention than those practitioners and institutional researchers who have been employed in community colleges for years. Collaboration can help to alleviate suspicion and doubt among some community college faculty, staff, and researchers about our work on their campuses.

UPDATE: Describe how your research process is influenced by the collaborative process.

Jalomo: Because much of my research to date has been case-based, it is vital that my research team derive a more holistic view of a campus. In my current research project, I have invited the Director of Counseling in a nearby community college to join our research team. He has conducted his own research projects in the past and has helped us by providing his insights and expertise into the issue of first-year student experiences on campus. In order to study students, we need not only collect data from them and about them, but also about the context where learning takes place: the campus.

To obtain a "snap shot" of campus life, I must meet with a cross section of members who form the campus community, including presidents, vice-presidents, deans, department chairs, faculty, administrative staff, and institutional researchers in order to request reports on various aspects of student life and outcomes. Gaining cooperation from community college educators is fundamental to the success of my research projects.

I try to enter each project by asking questions and establishing an open line of communication with campus agents, most notably institutional researchers. I realize that, as a researcher representing a four-year institution, I can sometimes be viewed as an "outsider." I must earn the respect and trust of those who work on a daily basis to provide information to decision makers in community colleges. From this vantage point, I feel that two-year college researchers and I have similar research aims.

UPDATE: What advice would you give to graduate students who are interested in conducting research on community college issues in terms of research collaboration?

Jalomo: I believe collaborative research among graduate students and representatives from community colleges can prove valuable to both parties. Students can conduct meaningful exploratory or dissertation projects, while community colleges can obtain information about some aspect of their campus environment or students. The support and cooperation of researchers, faculty, and administrators at community colleges can greatly improve the research design, data collection, analysis, and findings for graduate student research and dissertation projects. However, it is imperative that a "feedback loop" be developed among three key agents: the graduate student, a community college representative(s), and a faculty advisor at the four-year institution. Together this team approach should ensure that a manageable research project is developed and conducted with continuous feedback to all stakeholders.

UPDATE: How important is the collaboration movement for community colleges and why?

Jalomo: I am an advocate of collaboration, both in terms of conducting research projects and disseminating research findings. I believe the "voices" of community college researchers need to be heard at many of the national research and policy conferences beyond American Association of Community Colleges or Council for the Study of Community Colleges. Too often, few community college researchers beyond those who have dual responsibilities as doctoral students and community college employees attend other national research and policy conferences. Thus, research findings disseminated about community colleges (including important student outcomes) are sometimes skewed by opinions of four-year college researchers who may not have employed more holistic designs or ignored the all-important "insider" view provided by community college representatives.

Community college researchers can help the greater higher education community better understand aspects of these complex organizations by sharing their expertise and knowledge in collaborative efforts. However, I would urge community college researchers to insist that they are treated as equal partners in the design, implementation, and dissemination of any research project that involves collaboration with four-year college researchers. Only then can a "partnership of diverse views, skills, and experiences that values and employs a collective approach" be achieved.