The Influence of the Completion Agenda on Decision Making by Community College Career and Technical Education Program Deans

This study sought to understand the Community College Career and Technical Educational (CTE) deans’ perceptions of the internal and external forces they perceive as influencing their decision making; what evidence exists to demonstrate the influence of the completion agenda on CTE deans’ decision making; and if there is a perception that there is a conflict between providing immediate career opportunities for students versus meeting the needs of the completion agenda. Four themes emerged: limited control, dependency, indifference, and cognitive dissonance.