This study found that research into institutional peer group establishment and institutional peer group stability is relatively new in community colleges. The literature review documented existence of an increasing level of interest in community college peer group research at the local, state and national levels. Purely objective methods used in other segments of postsecondary education for establishing institutional peer groups and for assessing institutional peer group stability were found to be appropriate for application to community colleges. Research in this study confirmed classification of community colleges into three clusters when using the outcome variable set developed by Phipps, Shedd and Merisotis (2001).
Regarding institutional peer group stability over selected periods of time, this study found an absence of stability from 1989-1993, 1993-1997 and 1989-1997. The study suggested that stability determination might be too sensitive to changes in the enrollment variables such as 12-month unduplicated headcount and part-time headcount enrollment. Recommendations were made to replicate this research using 12-month unduplicated headcount as a pre-selection variable to determine if there are other variable sets that will lead to measures of institutional peer group stability over time.
Canonical correlation analysis produced two canonical variates in each study year. The second canonical variate effectively identified variables that contributed in different weights than those observed for the first canonical variate. Along with documenting the domination of the enrollment variables, this study found that percent first-time full-time enrollment, percent part-time faculty, percent of education and general expenditures for instruction and degrees awarded, especially certificates and allied health awards were key contributors to a possible dimensions that might separate clusters of public community colleges.
This study recommended that methods used for establishing institutional peer groups and for determining institutional peer group stability, which had been applied primarily to four-year colleges and universities, are suitable for selecting peer institutions for community colleges. Because smaller community colleges may not have the necessary resources to undertake sophisticated statistical research, this study recommended that they pursue support through arrangements such as forming local college partnerships, participating in state agency programs, and becoming active members of institutional research associations.
