Abstract
This qualitative case study at a two-year community college investigated the reasons behind a persistent gap in the college students' engagement level in several key areas such as active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction as demonstrated in the longitudinal Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE) results. Using the maximal variation purposeful sampling method, 63 students participated in the study. Results suggested that students' own perception and behaviors, faculty's expectations and characteristics, the course characteristics, and institutional level support all played an important role in engaging students. There was a disparity between students' high perception of the importance of engagement and low level of effort and a disparity between faculty's perception of student engagement and students' own perception of engagement. Community college students welcomed high expectations and high standards from their faculty and also desired more challenging courses despite all the obstacles in their lives. Discussions and recommendations for strategies to close the gap in the two disparities and, thus, improve student engagement level are provided.