Craft and develop an academic argument using a thesis statement, effective topic
sentences, developed paragraphs, credible evidence, and knowledgeable and persuasive discussion.
The Prompt
Your essay needs to take a position on the following prompt:
According to their 2015 book, Redesigning America’s Community Colleges, Bailey, Jaggars, and Jenkins found that, “Fewer than 40% of community college student earn a degree or certificate within six years of enrollment” (as qtd. in Levesque). What is the most challenging structural and/or motivational barrier preventing college and university students from successfully completing their courses/degrees/certificates? In other words, when a PSCC student drops out mid-semester or does not return from one semester to the next, what do you believe (and what can you successfully argue) is the leading reason for that student not continuing in his/her studies?
