Digital Commons Network^™

Student Retention, Coping, And Communication: A Study Of Student Responses To A Common Read At A Small Liberal Arts College, Debbie Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

College student retention has been researched for over half a century. Much of the research about student retention has examined easily quantifiable factors, such as demographic variables, or presumably objective measures of student readiness, such as SAT scores. The results of these types of studies demonstrate the complexities of retention and attrition and underscore the importance of examining retention within the local contexts of institutions.

This study adopts a communication perspective to examine the intersection of three critical constructs: student retention, student writing, and identity. By observing the ways in which students constitute their identities in essays submitted as part …

Racial Considerations In The Language Used Around Mass Shootings Are Vital, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Gun Violence Archive has logged 385 mass shootings across the U.S. as of Dec. 1, 2019. Just ��ve days later, on the morning of Dec. 6, another shooting was added to that list, when three were fatally shot and eight injured in the shooting at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida.

Fish Passage And Hydropower: Investigating Resource Agency Decision-Making During The Ferc Hydropower Relicensing Process, Sarah Vogel

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Hydropower dams represent a significant challenge for the successful migration of sea-run fish, many species of which are in decline. Most hydropower dams in the United States are regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), an independent federal agency responsible for granting 30 to 50-year licenses to projects for their continued operation. Licenses typically include conditions for the conservation of sea-run fish such as fish passage construction, operational changes, monitoring of effectiveness, and other mitigative conditions. While FERC remains the primary authority in licensing, the current regulatory framework stipulates input from other federal and state resource and regulatory agencies, …

Participatory Modeling Of Tidal Circulation On Maine Mudflats To Improve Water Quality Management Of Shellfish Areas, Gabrielle V. Hillyer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Over the past decade, researchers have become increasingly aware of the vital role stakeholder knowledge plays in understanding complex social and environmental problems. Incorporating stakeholder knowledge into understanding complex problems allows for greater awareness and identification of community needs and can help build partnerships to support the development of applied research. In this thesis, I demonstrate the value of stakeholder knowledge and research partnerships by focusing on the soft-shell clamming industry in Maine and how a complex collaboration between clammers, municipal officials, representatives from state agencies, researchers, and other partners relied on and build adaptive capacity to address complex water …

Landings, Vol. 27, No. 12, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

Getting Over The Dam: Overcoming Institutional Barriers To The Recovery Of Atlantic Salmon By Navigating The Social-Science/Policy Interface, Melissa E. Flye

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The term governance has undergone somewhat of an evolution since its inception, originally describing the act of governing, it has come to represent a more collaborative form of governing which is distinct from hierarchical control models (Marin and Mayntz, 1991). Collaborative governance refers to the systems associated with public policy decision making and resource management which span the jurisdictional boundaries of public agencies, levels of government, and/or public and private spheres in order to pursue a public policy goal or outcome (Emerson et al., 2012). Environmental management is often considered an inherently collaborative effort, as ecological systems and species rarely …

"I Feel Like I'Ve Had A Bag Over My Head:" New Teachers Explore Issues Of Diversity, Power And Justice, Rebecca Buchanan

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Over 80 percent of teachers in the U.S. are white, despite an increasingly diverse PK-12 student population (Barnum, 2018). This demographicimperative has prompted teacher education to respond in two diverging ways. The ��rst is to diversify the teaching workforce by increasing the number of teachers of color (Neal, Sleeter, & Kumashiro, 2015). The second is to better prepare a mostly white teaching workforce to work with aracially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse student population (Zeichner, 2009).

Linking Rural And Urban Circular Economies Through Reuse And Repair, Brieanne Berry, Cindy Isenhour

Anthropology Student Scholarship

Increasing resource scarcity and what has been called “the end of cheap nature” are prompting policymakers and scholars to foster more circular economies to reduce waste and lengthen the lifespan of material goods. Our essay critically examines the political and economic relationships between urban and rural geographies in the context of secondhand economies. Practices of bartering, swapping, selling, and repairing used goods have long been important to rural people and places, but the increasing commodification of discards risks upending rural livelihoods and ways of being as goods move toward urban centers. We explore the relationship between rural and urban reuse …

Umaine's Wgs Program Hosts A Lecture On Gender-Based Violence, Leela Stockley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2019, the University of Maine Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGS) Program hosted Professor Ruth Lewis of Northumbria University in Newcastle, England, for a lecture and discussion on the “New Manifestations and Conceptualizations of Gender-based Violence” brought by technological advancements. The lecture, which was held in the Norman Smith Center, shared Lewis’ extensive research on the subject, which included references to media stories and scholarship, as well as her personal views on how a positive and lasting change could be achieved.

Fragmentation, Frustrated Revolt, And Off-Shore Opportunity: A Comparative Examination Of Jihadi Mobilization In Central Asia And The South Caucasus, William B. Farrell

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research presents analysis for identifying common risk and resilience factors that contributed to or hindered Salafi jihadi mobilization of citizens of Central Asia and the South Caucasus and examines the extent to which these factors had differing internal and external outcomes on Salafi jihadi mobilization. Three levels of analysis provide examination of regime characteristics, behavior of jihadi organizations that mobilized individuals from the region, and case studies through interviews in communities affected by jihadi mobilization in Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.

This research reveals that early distinctions in Islamist subnational struggles had oriented violence towards governments within Central Asia, while neighboring …

The Realities Of Fieldwork: Embedding Professional Practice - A Case Study From Palaeoanthropology, Kris Kovarovic

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Programs in palaeoanthropology (the study of human evolution) do not often provide professional fieldwork training. Palaeoanthropology students are thus at risk of being unaware of the professional practices and responsibilities that come with a career in this subject area. Here I describe palaeoanthropology in the context of aligned field sciences, and make the case for requiring pre-fieldwork preparation through the implementation and evaluation of a seminar focusing on professional practice in palaeoanthropological fieldwork. The seminar was delivered to a small cohort of Masters of Science students at Durham University, UK. I qualitatively evaluate the seminar via semi-structured interviews, exploring how …

The Maine Campus Article On 'End Racism Protest' Held On Umaine Mall, Maine Campus, Charles Cramer

University of Maine Racial Justice Collection

This article from the Maine Campus, University of Maine's student newspaper, titled "'End Racism Protest' is held in the UMaine Mall" from November 4, 2019 includes a description and the purpose behind the protest.

Editorial: Black Bear Pride Means Protecting Students From Hate Speech, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

On Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2019, Rep. Lawrence Lockman arrived at the University of Maine campus to give a keynote presentation at the “Crisis at the Border; A Citizen’s Guide to Resisting Racist Immigration Policies in Maine” event, organized by the UMaine College Republicans. It did not take long for many UMaine students and alumni to condemn this visit, citing evidence of violent, discriminatory and hateful statements made by Lockman in the past. The controversy stirred up by Rep. Lockman’s visit is a perfect example for how UMaine, its students and its administration need to take a moment to reassess how …

End Racism Protest Is Held On The Umaine Mall, Charles Cramer

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Students, faculty and community members from across the Orono area gathered on Monday to protest online comments made three weeks earlier about Columbus Day and Indigenous American peoples by members of the University of Maine College Republicans (UMCR). The comments in question were initially uploaded to the UMCR’s Facebook page on Oct. 5 and were addressed in an email on Oct. 7 by both UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Robert Dana. The email from Ferrini-Mundy and Dana denied that the posts were representative of UMaine’s values, but chose to maintain their …

End Racism Protest Is Held On The Umaine Mall, Charles Cramer

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Students, faculty and community members from across the Orono area gathered on Monday to protest online comments made three weeks earlier about Columbus Day and Indigenous American peoples by members of the University of Maine College Republicans (UMCR). The comments in question were initially uploaded to the UMCR’s Facebook page on Oct. 5 and were addressed in an email on Oct. 7 by both UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Robert Dana. The email from Ferrini-Mundy and Dana denied that the posts were representative of UMaine’s values, but chose to maintain their …

End Racism Protest' Is Held On The Umaine Mall, Charles Cramer

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Students, faculty and community members from across the Orono area gathered on Monday to protest online comments made three weeks earlier about Columbus Day and Indigenous American peoples by members of the University of Maine College Republicans (UMCR). The comments in question were initially uploaded to the UMCR’s Facebook page on Oct. 5 and were addressed in an email on Oct. 7 by both UMaine President Joan Ferrini-Mundy and Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Robert Dana. The email from Ferrini-Mundy and Dana denied that the posts were representative of UMaine’s values, but chose to maintain their …

Universal Basic Income Roundtable, Daniel S. Soucier, Michael W. Howard, Dave Canarie, Philip Harvey, Georg Arndt, Karl Widerquist, Luisa S. Deprez, Almaz Zelleke

Maine Policy Perspectives

The Margaret Chase Smith Policy Center invited local, regional, and international experts on universal basic income (UBI) to participate in a new feature: Maine Policy Perspectives. In total, the perspectives of seven individuals are included in this roundtable regarding UBI.

Women's Initiative Newsletter Vol. 3, No. 9 (September 2019), Women's Initiative Staff

Maine Women's Publications - All

No abstract provided.

Partnership Of Nh-Me Lend And New Mainers Public Health Initiative To Offer Training Experiences With Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Populations, Susan Russell, Betsy Humphreys

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades, the geographic area served by the NH-ME LEND Program has experienced rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations, as has the U.S. in general. While the NH-ME LEND clinical and leadership placements provide opportunities for frequent contact with underserved populations, Maine trainees, in particular, have had few opportunities for training or fieldwork with culturally and linguistically diverse populations. With funding support from a 2018 Focused Assistance to Support Training Project (FAST) grant, the NH-ME LEND partnered with New Mainers Public Health Initiative (NMPHI) in Lewiston, Maine, to build the LEND’s capacity to offer …

Collaboration With Parent-Run Organization, A Support Agency And Adults With Developmental Disabilities To Improve The Quality Of Life, Alan Kurtz, Janet May

Poster Presentations

CCIDS staff worked with a parent organization to develop a plan for evaluation of a residential alternative for their adult children that included pre-post quantitative and qualitative measures of resident quality of life and a review of planning documents. A quality of life survey was administered separately to residents and parents shortly before their move into the new residence and about one year after their move. CCIDS also provided training for agency staff, parents, and residents on authentic person-centered planning and facilitating community connections.

Collaborating For Change: Nh-Me Lend/New Mainers Public Health Initiative (Nmphi) – An Interagency Parent Advocacy And Information Project, Marnie Morneault, Hibo Omer

Poster Presentations

Over the past two decades, Maine has experienced rapid growth of racially, ethnically and linguistically diverse populations, as has the US generally. Although Maine’s population is largely White (95%), children in Maine are disproportionately from minority populations; currently 9% of children in Maine are from a race other than White. With funding support from a Focused Assistance to Support Training Project (FAST) grant, the NH-ME LEND Program partnered with New Mainers Public Health Initiative (NMPHI) to develop and deliver parent advocacy training modules for Somali parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). NMPHI is a public health and …

Landings, Vol. 27, No. 11, Maine Lobstermen’S Community Alliance

Landings: News & Views from Maine's Lobstering Community

Landings content emphasizes science, history, resource sustainability, economic development, and human interest stories related to

Maine’s lobster industry. The newsletter emphasizes lobstering as a traditional, majority-European American lifeway with an economic and social heritage unique to the coast of Maine. The publication focuses how ongoing research to engage in sustainable, non-harmful, and non-wasteful commercial fishing practices benefit both the fishery and Maine's coastal legacy.

Maine Lobstermen’s Community Alliance (MLCA) started publication of Landings, a 24-page newsletter in January 2013 as the successor of the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) Newsletter. As of 2022, the MLCA published over 6,500 copies of …

A Little Controversy: Clarence Little In Our History And On Our Campus, Sierra Semmel

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Clarence Cook Little, or C.C. Little, was the sixth president of the University of Maine, serving from 1922 to 1925. Just prior to his stint as president of UMaine, he served as the president of the University of Michigan for a short period of time. He started the Jackson Lab in Bar Harbor and was a scientist, an academic and a researcher. He was also a eugenicist.

The Controversy Series: Discussing Literary Aspects Of Contemporary Black Poetics, Brielle Hardy

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Associate English Professor Carla Billitterri delivered her presentation, “Satire, Negation, and Conditional Futurity in Black Poetics” on Thursday, Oct. 24. The talk was part of the Fall 2019 Socialist and Marxist Studies Lecture Controversy Series that is taking place Thursday afternoons in the Bangor Room of the Memorial Union.

Local Student Activist Participates In Portland Ice Protests, Leela Stockley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

In mid-October, it was announced by the city of Portland, Maine that the city would be opening an office to house United States Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The new office will be located on the fourth floor of One City Center, and officials say that the office will be actively focusing on crimes related to human trafficking, child exploitation, transnational drug trafficking and transnational terrorism rather than illegal immigration and deportation efforts.

The Need For Discipline-Based Education Research In Archaeology, Carol E. Colaninno

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Over the last few decades, scholars have recognized the importance of discipline-based education research (DBER). As outlined by the National Research Council of the National Academies, DBER aims to 1) understand how students learn discipline concepts, practices, and ways of thinking; 2) understand how students develop expertise; 3) identify and measure learning objectives and forms of instruction that advance students towards those objectives; 4) contribute knowledge that can transform instruction; and 5) identify approaches to make education broad and inclusive. Physicists, chemists, engineers, biologists, astronomers, and geoscientists have been among the first to adopt DBER. Given research that demonstrates the …

University President Statement On Social Media Posts By Umaine College Republicans, Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Robert Q. Dana

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

We are writing to provide the University of Maine position on recent Facebook posts by the UMaine College Republicans on their private Facebook page.

Editorial: Why Do We Still Need To Defend Indigenous Peoples Day?, Liz Theriault

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

Indigenous Peoples Day is approaching, yet we are still discussing the man who committed mass genocide who is incorrectly credited for discovering America. There were already millions of people living in North America when the Europeans crossed the ocean in 1492, and common logic could argue that replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day is a way to recognize history. However, since Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law on April 26 replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day. With the holiday rapidly approaching controversy surrounding it has been ignited once more.

Women's Resource Center To Undergo Name Change, Leela Stockley

Social Justice: Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, a subsidiary office within the Division of Student Life, expects to soon change the name and administrative structure of its Women’s Resource Center (WRC). These changes are anticipated to come through a process of organizational restructuring in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion, which has just this year acquired administrative control over the formerly unaffiliated WRC.

Going Beyond Cookie Cutter Outreach: A Climate Change Film Series And Dialogue, Jennifer Bonnet, Cindy Isenhour

Library Staff Publications

In the fall of 2013, the University of Maine approved a new major, the Human Dimensions of Climate Change. Coursework aimed to address critical interdisciplinary concerns about human impacts on the environment. To provide a cocurricular opportunity for students to explore this topic, which was also relevant to larger community interests and campus research agendas, an anthropology professor and her liaison librarian partnered to create the Human Dimensions of Climate Change Film Series + Dialogue. This series is now in its sixth iteration.