Digital Commons Network^™

Commencement Exercises-12:00pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Commencement Exercises-9:00am, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Commencement Excercises - 3:00pm, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session December 14, 2007, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Living Wage Policy
• Gift Report
• Personnel Report
• M.U.S.I.C. (Michigan Universities Self-Insurance Corporation)

25 Year Club: 26th Annual Gala, Western Michigan University

25 Year Club

25 Year Club

26th Annual Gala

December 4, 2007

• New Inductees
• Members
• Retirees

Moment Of Encounter: A Critical Exploration Of Parent-School Communication, Gary Samuel Marx

Masters Theses

Relationships among parents and schools are situated in a complex hegemony. Communication is central to the identification and construction of power in schools. Schools employ a model of communication that locates power predominately with their representatives and values parents for conformity to organizational expectations. Shared power relationships challenge actors to encounter one another and co-contribute to the development of children. The goal of this study is to uncover various meanings and understandings from what parents recall from Moments of Encounter with school personnel. Such an examination is designed to reveal power at the microlevel, in the encounter itself, as well …

A Narrative Inquiry Of Teachers’ Perceptions Regarding Their Professional Development Experiences, Theresa Andrea Nugent

Dissertations

The purpose of this narrative inquiry study was to explore teachers' perceptions of their professional development experiences. Qualitative studies are needed to truly understand through "thick rich" descriptions (Lincoln & Guba, 1985) what is happening (or not) from the viewpoint of the classroom teacher in reference to their professional development experiences and related impact on student outcomes. In an era of accountability, teachers' voices are essential for understanding potential connections between teacher learning, via professional development experiences, and improved student outcomes.

This research project involved a purposeful sample of 8 1st-grade and 2nd-grade teachers, identified by their principals as "committed" …

Systematic Study Of The Validity Of Clinical Performance Assessments In Entry-Level Athletic Training Education, Gayle A. Thompson

Dissertations

PPerformance assessment (PA) is essential to determining the competency of clinical skills in allied health education, yet little research has been conducted to determine what validity evidence supports the interpretations made from PA currently utilized in athletic training clinical education. This study examined current PA practice and associated effectiveness of PA used by athletic training clinical practicum course instructors. Current research suggests the most predominant method of PA utilized in athletic training follows a behavioral approach that emphasizes observation of specific skills in standardized ways, as exemplified by the 'check-list' method. An alternative to the behavioral approach is the holistic …

Vygotsky’S Theory Of The Creative Imagination: A Study Of The Influences On Preservice Teachers’ Creative Thinking Capacities, Stephen J. Worst

Dissertations

This study investigated the effect of formal instruction in the use of creative thinking skills on preservice teachers' capacities for increased creative activity. It emerged from Vygotsky's theory of the creative imagination. Emphasizing the impact of formal schooling on the growth of creative activity, he implied that individuals who are continually adding to accumulation of knowledge develop an abundant imagination from which creativity flows.

This quantitative study used a quasi-experimental design and attempted to test Vygotsky's assumptions within a sample population of 113 preservice teachers. Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking served as the pre- and post-tests that measured the creative …

Early Childhood Program Director Leadership Characteristics And Program Quality, Barbara J. June

Dissertations

This phenomenological research study was conducted to explore and describe how the characteristics, traits, and styles of directors, as described and perceived by the teachers, reflect the factors that are currently addressed in the indicators forming the basis for evaluating program quality. Teacher participants from six sites participated in a survey, questionnaire, and interview to determine director and program profiles. The Program Quality Assessment score was used as a standardized data source.

The data were collected, coded, and analyzed to determine the director and program profiles for each of the sites. The director and program data for each site were …

Intensive Professional Development In Early Literacy Instruction For Preschool Teachers, Rebecca Brinks

Dissertations

This study assesses the efficacy of using an intensive professional development program to improve preschool teachers' practices related to early literacy. A mixed methods approach was employed to review secondary data from a federally-funded Early Reading First Grant. The population studied consisted of thirty-one preschool teachers at four diverse programs serving low income children located in the mid-western urban community of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The intensive professional development used in this study resulted in significant improvements in the mean scores for all areas of the Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) when comparing baseline to the final scores in …

Attitudes Toward And Knowledge Of Affirmative Action In Higher Education, Erika Ann Carr

Dissertations

Affirmative action has become an increasingly important topic in higher education because colleges and universities are key battlegrounds regarding how affirmative action policies are enacted. Senior-level higher education administrators have historically taken the lead in shaping affirmative action policies in higher education, and knowing their own community's standpoints on the policies could assist them in deciding how to proceed in defending affirmative action in the face of increasing opposition.

This study measures individuals' attitudes toward and knowledge of affirmative action within one university in the state of Michigan, where affirmative action was banned through a state-wide election in November 2006. …

What Allows Teachers To Extend Student Thinking During Whole-Group Discussions, Nesrin Cengiz

Dissertations

Research indicates that extending students' mathematical thinking during whole-group discussions is challenging, even for the most experienced teachers. That is, it is challenging for teachers to help students move beyond their initial mathematical observations and solutions during whole-group discussions. To better understand this phenomena, the teaching of six experienced elementary school teachers, who had been teaching aStandards-based curriculum for several years and had participated in a multi-year professional development project focused on that curriculum, is explored in this study. In particular, two issues are addressed: what it looks like to extend student thinking during whole-group discussions and how …

Retaining Exploring Students: A Comparison Study Of Decided And Undecided College Students, Betty D. Dennis

Dissertations

U.S. four-year institutions graduate fewer than 50% of its first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students within six years Today, improving college student retention and graduation rates is a primary focus of higher education nationwide. Scholars have found that students who enter college undecided and are still exploring majors need a great deal of support to be retained. Research has also demonstrated that between 20% and 50% of entering freshmen have not selected a major course of study and that colleges and universities are concerned these students are at a higher risk of leaving the institution. What is unclear is whether selecting a …

Michigan Elementary School Facility Quality And Its Impact On Student Achievement, Brett A. Geier

Dissertations

Studies on school facility quality and its impact on student achievement have been conducted throughout the nation with varying results. Some studies conclude a significant relationship exists between facility condition and student achievement, while others refute this potential phenomenon. Much of the research concludes that not enough analyses have been conducted to make appropriate generalizations. This research study focused on the condition ofelementary schools in Michigan and utilized the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (M.E.A.P.) examinations in reading and mathematics at the third, fourth and fifth grade levels as the dependent variable to assess the relationship between building condition and student …

Leadership-Influenced Practices That Impact Classroom Instruction Related To Writing: A Case Study Of A Successful Elementary School, Barb Johnson

Dissertations

This research studied the practices of educators at an ethnically diverse suburban elementary school which had demonstrated success in the area of student writing, even among at-risk students. The overall research goal was to examine to what extent and how leadership-related practices impacted classroom instruction in a manner that helped produce successful writing scores. A case study approach was used to explore four key leadership-related practices (supervision, curriculum, professional development, and knowledgeable leaders) and their impact on classroom literacy-based instructional strategies.

The study participants included two leaders and fourteen teachers from a single elementary school located in a metropolitan Michigan …

Exposing Star Teachers Of Children In Poverty, Bobbi Morehead

Dissertations

Public schools have control over whom they choose to hire to serve as teachers. When quality teachers are hired, all students have a better chance at achieving academic success. It is the responsibility of every public school principal to truly understand common patterns, which can assist teachers to become outstanding teachers, defined in this study as Star Teachers. It is also the principals' responsibility to make sure the work conditions of such Star Teachers are conducive to personal and professional renewal.

The passion to educate all children drives the following research questions: (1) How do Star Teachers describe the significant …

Gender Disparity In Nigerian Education: Women’S Experience Of Barriers To Equal Educational Opportunity, Eugene Okoli

Dissertations

Discrepancies between males and females in access to schooling, school completion rates, and participation in employment opportunities are still more the norm in some regions of the world than others. Limited access to education plagues women in Nigeria as well as in Sub-Saharan Africa. Disparity in access to educational opportunity is a pressing gender equity issue in Nigeria (World Bank, 2003).

Relatively few studies have focused on obtaining the viewpoints of women who experience this phenomenon. To hear the voices of these women regarding how they gained or were denied access to education in the Nigerian context, a cross-section of …

Perceptions And Intervention Practices Of Speech-Language Pathologists Serving Students With Emotional/Behavioral Disorders, Laura A. Getty

Dissertations

A relationship between emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD) and language deficits has been validated by researchers in special education (Cantwell & Baker, 1991; Beichman, Cantwell, Forness, Kavale, & Kaufmann, 1998; Cohen, Barwick, Horodezky, Vallance, & Im, 1998) as well as researchers in speech-language pathology (Hyter, 2003; Hyter, Rogers-Adkinson, Self, Simmons, Jantz, 2001; Ruhl, Hughes, & Camarata, 1992; Gallagher, 1999; Fujiki, Brinton, Morgan, & Hart, 1999). The exact prevalence rate between E/BD and language deficits was not definitive as it varies between 35% and 97% depending on the study reviewed (Benner, Nelson, & Epstein, 2002). While it has been documented that a relationship …

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session November 16, 2007, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Acceptance of the Agenda Approval of the Minutes
• Remarks by the Chair
• Remarks by the President
• Remarks by the WSA and GSAC Chair
• Naming of Street - BTR
• Dedication of Public Street
• Gift Report
• Grant Report
• Graduate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems
• Personnel Report
• Biosciences Research and Commercialization Center (BRCC)
• Luderer Audit Report - Plante and Moran

New Student Open House Comments, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Geosciences Newsletter- 2007, Department Of Geosciences

Geological and Environmental Sciences News

Vol. 2, No. 3

• Dear Friends and Alumni
• Faculty News
• Publications
• Grants
• Michigan Geological Repository for Research and Education
• Department Updates
• Graduate Student News
• Internships
• Awards and Graduations
• Alumni News
• Donations

Wmu International News November 2007, Haenicke Institute For Global Education

WMU International News

In this issue:

Two decades of twinning success celebrated in Malaysia

Tailgate party and parade an international celebration at WMU's Homecoming

WMU professors perform in prestigious Russian festival, foster student exchanges

Japanese interests compels a major switch to global and international studies

WMU and Hispanic American Council collaborate to expand community ESL classes

WMU’s Japan liaison officer finds many parallels between life in Kalamazoo and Tokyo

Summer study abroad is a short-term affair

Prism #26, November 2007, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Prism #24, September 2007, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

State Of The University, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session October 12, 2007, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Naming of Building
• Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA) Labor Agreement
• State Capital Outlay Priority List
• General Revenue Obligation
• Gift Report
• Grant Report
• Personnel Report
• Branding/Marketing Update Public Comments

Insider Vol. 9 No. 1 Fall 2007, College Of Arts & Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

A Publication for Friends of the College of Arts and Sciences

Prism #25, October 2007, Office Of The Provost

Prism: Western Michigan University's Newsletter for Academic Affairs

No abstract provided.

Wmu Board Of Trustees Formal Session September 14, 2007, Wmu Board Of Trustees

WMU Board of Trustees Meetings

• Lease Agreement - Clearwire, US LCC
• Lease Agreement - Campus Kitchen
• Sanitary Sewer Easement-Vanderberg Properties, LLC
• Gift Report
• Grant Report
• Personnel Report
• Revised Amendments - Faculty Senate Constitution
• Change of B.S.E. in Industrial Engineering to B.S.E. in Industrial and Entrepreneurial Engineering
• Establishment of New Concentration - Stage Management, B.A. in Theatre Major
• Modified Criteria - The Anna Bekken Blind Rehabilitation Scholarship Fund