Digital Commons Network^™

Pci: A Reflective Evaluation Framework For Systems Change, Beverly A. Parsons, Huilan Krenn

The Foundation Review

Systemic change involves deep shifts in social norms, beliefs, power, and privilege — and seldom, if ever, follows a straightforward, predictable path. Such change also requires incremental, long-term action and evaluation. To better support systemic change, how might a foundation reframe its approach to evaluation?

This article explores the interconnected dimensions of the PCI Reflective Evaluation Framework, an approach now in prototype form which is grounded in practical thinking about working within complex social systems. This article focuses on its use in advancing racial equity, describing possible applications to integrate a racial equity lens in unpacking and addressing the complexity …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 93, No. 35, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles:

• Ziege, Nicole. Student Government Association Tension Causes Longer Deliberation, Uncertainty
• Smith, Camryn. Sexual Assault Awareness Month Kicks Off
• Collins, Emma. Fourth Dean Plans to Step Down from WKU – Jeffrey Katz
• Eiler, Olivia. Interfraternity Council Passes New Academic Bylaws
• Aud, Shawna. Tast the Rainbow, Not Just the Skittles
• Vogler, Emily. Editorial Cartoon re: Entertainment
• Leonard, Nicole. Breaking the Glass: Entertainment Needs to Show Real American Experience
• Hormell, David. Donald Trump Demonstrates the Art of Pivot
• Walker, Silas. Colors of Culture – Holi Festival
• Sisler, Julie. …

Sylvan Dell Nature Park & Farm: An Innovative Approach To Recreation, Conservation, And Education, Brian Auman

Sponsored Events -- List

The Sylvan Dell Nature Park and Farm implements a comprehensive strategy for conservation, recreation, and education, while connecting residents with Williamsport's, and the region's, bountiful natural resources. The Sylvan Dell project encourages smart growth and asset-based development in its land-use ordinances and by connecting existing natural areas with a network of public access trails and parks. The park makes the most cost effective use of limited resources by achieving many ‘stacked benefits’, including high-quality recreation, innovative stormwater management, and accessible environmental education.

Unlikely Pioneers: Creative Climate Policymaking In Smaller U.S. Cities, George C. Homsy

Public Administration Faculty Scholarship

With the U.S. federal government stepping away from climate change, a number of cities have indicated that they will continue efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Broad statistical analysis and case studies of larger and often progressive cities have provided some insight into what drives local governments to act on climate change mitigation. However, the vast majority of U.S. municipalities, most of them small, do nothing. Understanding what might drive smaller, poorer, and less progressive places is important if local governments are expected to take the lead on this global commons issue. In this exploratory study, I examine a group …

Improving Impact: Collaborative Multi-Party, Multi-Sector Engagement (2011), Marcy Murninghan

New England Journal of Public Policy

Most people do not realize the full implications of the fact that we live now in an era marked more by networks than hierarchies. Nowadays, power is distributed across boundaries and borders, rather than concentrated in one place—be it a physical setting, demographic group, industrial sector, or professional discipline. Thanks to systems thinking and the ubiquity of digital tools and platforms, there are many more opportunities for lawmakers, policymakers, and economic institutions to collaborate with concerned citizens on critical public issues, thereby breaking the grip of lobbyists, third-party intermediaries, and the power elite. On top of that are recent breakthroughs …

Introduction, Marcy Murninghan

New England Journal of Public Policy

America faces a reckoning, a crucible of what Reinhold Niebuhr observed more than eighty years ago. Our democratic principles and traditions are imperiled by the power of financial oligarchs and unfettered money flows, which have contributed to massive inequality that, in turn, has given rise to political unrest and a sense of cultural unmooring.

The articles presented here are both descriptive and normative, setting forth a complex social problem with seemingly bottomless proportions and then offering a design or set of remedial actions to alleviate them. Drawing on my professional experience going back to the mid-1970s, I wrote these pieces …

Policing The Riverfront: Urban Revanchism As Sustainability, Jared J. Austin

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

An unnoticed shift is underway in the revanchist model of accumulation by dispossession (Harvey, 2005) that is rebranding the neoliberal reorganization of space and economic growth. I call this shift “Urban Revanchism as Sustainability,” following Mike Davis and Daniel Monk (2007). In this study, I describe how Tampa elites, led by Democratic Mayor Bob Buckhorn, use politically popular discourses of ‘sustainability’, ‘walkability’, ‘bike-ability’, among others, to coopt the rhetoric and symbols of social and environmental justice as cover for urban capital accumulation. I describe how in the wake of 2008 which devastated Tampa, and in the context of the subsequent …

Sustainable Communities For The 21st Century Lar 350, Michael Vocino

Library Impact Statements

No abstract provided.

Agribusiness, Food Insecurity, And Chronic Diet-Related Ailments In Worcester, Ma: Toward A Nuanced Narrative, Adam Wriggins

Sustainability and Social Justice

The following research paper begins with an acknowledgement of the global food crisis and, more specifically, the agribusiness model of food production and distribution in the United States. It then zeroes in on the fundamental issues with many of the United States food movements. It then outlines a narrative with the frame that food security is a human right by elucidating concepts of food justice and food sovereignty. Once this foundation has been laid, the paper examines chronic food-related ailments (diabetes and coronary heart disease) in Worcester, Massachusetts, and how these ailments are related to racial/ethnic minorities (Black and Hispanic/Latino …

Worcester Community Clean Energy Project: A Preliminary Assessment Of Project Aims And Potential, Gabe J. Epstein

Sustainability and Social Justice

E4TheFuture is orchestrating two pilot Community Clean Energy Projects (CCEP) in the state of Massachusetts. This paper is a preliminary analysis of the Worcester CCEP and is commissioned by E4TheFuture. The CCEP incorporates multiple types of renewable energies and a cooperative energy approach to provide clean energy access to any community member regardless of income level or homeowner status. The paper examines the CCEP’s mission statement and project estimates, using data provided by E4TheFuture and academic literature. The analysis seeks to determine the feasibility of the Worcester CCEP, its potential impact on underserved communities, and the potential for project replication.

Lnk Market Community Conversations, Lisa M. Pytlikzillig, Usda Value Added Producer Grant Steering Committee

Lisa PytlikZillig Publications

This report details the procedures and results from two public engagements conducted around the possibility of a year-round public market that might be situated in or near Lincoln’s downtown area. The purpose of these engagements was to uncover and explore the range of responses, hopes, concerns, and perceived benefits, barriers, and facilitators of a year-round Lincoln market.

A multi-pronged approach was used in which recruitment survey responses from about 135 persons was combined with pre-post surveys and in-depth conversations with 60 persons as shown in Figure 1.1.

The final report includes all three strands of information: from the recruitment surveys, …

Library Publishing Curriculum Content Module: Working With Multimodal Content (Unit 6), Instructor's Guide, Peter Berkery, Meredith Babb, Jasmine Mulliken, Friederike Sundaram, Dennis Lloyd, Mary Rose Muccie, Brenna Mclaughlin

Library Publishing Curriculum

Sometimes a text-based format will not serve an author’s need –time for a more unique presentation! When does material and research require a multi-modal product? How do you help the author create the final product, be it a database, a video, an interactive work, a website, or an online course? What kinds of files can you accept, publish, and preserve? What material requires any kind of review, and how is that review validated? Who will maintain the site and who gets credit for the creation? Do you have access to a digital humanities center or humanities librarian, and if so …

Temporary Places : The Balkan Refugee Route, Eric Martin

Sponsored Events -- List

Disasters, terrorist activities, wars, and other factors trigger large streams of people fleeing crisis and seeking refuge. These flows reached record levels in Europe from 2015 to 2017, when many refugees took "the Balkan route," through Greece, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia, to reach north-western Europe. A massive response, one of the largest humanitarian actions in Europe since the Balkan Wars in the 1990s, included volunteers and organizations from the public and nonprofit-sector. Due to complexities and national variations in policy making, this crisis response consisted of five different, though somewhat overlapping phases, in which the "place" …

Reading The History Of Place-Making Through Maps, Claire Campbell

Sponsored Events -- List

Environmental History explores the relationships between people(s) and nature in the past. So “place- making” – ways in which people have transformed nature to construct habitats of their choosing – is a major theme in the field. Using historical maps and landscape art, Professor Campbell explores some of the historical processes (many of which are still at work) by which settler society has made places in North America. These include practices of colonization, property, public memory, and, potentially, reclamation. We can see the implications for sustainability, and what may need to change.

Lanthorn, Vol. 52, No. 37, January 25, 2018, Grand Valley State University

Volume 52, July 10, 2017 - April 23, 2018

Lanthorn is Grand Valley State's student newspaper, published from 1968 to the present.

Water Supply In Developing Countries, Jason K. Hawes, Ernest R. Blatchley Iii, Audrey Caprio, Andrew T. Kanach

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Etcetera

Sociology Between the Gaps: Forgotten and Neglected Topics

This section contains items whose aim is to supplement the articles and other work published in this volume of Sociology between the Gaps. We hope you enjoy reading them.

Energy Resources And Its Present Use In India, S. Manjula

International Review of Business and Economics

Energy is an essential ingredient for human life on earth. It is used in all activities of society, for preparing meals, making cloth, building house, industries and other activities. Human beings require energy at an increasing rate for their sustenance and well-being. The present study is an attempt to understand the details with types of energy use in India. The largest energy source is coal, followed by petroleum and traditional biomass. According to the 2011 Census, the household-level data indicates that only 55.3 per cent of rural homes used electricity as the primary source for lighting. Energy access, with about …

Intensive Archaeological Survey Of The Proposed Casa Bella Estates Land Development Project And Data Recovery At Site 41bx2131, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Mary Jo Galindo, Katie Hill, Jacob I. Sullivan

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

At the request of Matiraan, Ltd., Pape‐Dawson conducted an intensive archaeological survey with shovel testing and backhoe trenching of the proposed 37‐acre (15‐hectare [ha]) Casa Bella Estates residential development in compliance with the Historic Preservation and Design Section (Article 6 35‐360 to 35‐ 634) of the City of San Antonio (COSA) Unified Development Code (UDC). Based on the results of those investigations, the COSA Office of Historic Preservation (SA‐OHP) requested further work to mitigate the effects of the proposed development on a potentially significant archaeological site (41BX2131). Subsequently, data recovery investigations were accomplished at site 41BX2131. This report documents all …

Intensive Archaeological Survey Of The Proposed Foster Road Project, San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas, Virgina Moore

Index of Texas Archaeology: Open Access Gray Literature from the Lone Star State

On behalf of the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (Alamo RMA), Pape-Dawson conducted an intensive archaeological survey of a 2.53-kilometer (km) (1.57-mile) segment of North Foster Road in San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas. The proposed project will extend along North Foster Road from Interstate 10 (IH 10) to East Houston Street (Farm-to-Market [FM] Road 1346), and will include expanding the existing twolane road to a four-lane road, consisting of two 3.7-meter (m) (12-foot [ft]) travel lanes, with a 1.8-m (6- ft) shoulder in each direction. The Area of Potential Effects (APE) is defined as the footprint of the existing right-of-way (ROW), …

Is There A Gps For Lost In Translation?, Carole Garrison

The Chautauqua Journal

Building human community is a greater task today as we reach a billion more people on our planet than just 12 years ago; then the earth was home to 6 billion people, according to the United Nations, and back in the 1960s, the earth’s population measured only half that number—3 billion. The concept, community, is over-broad and thus problematic. It covers both groups and individuals bound by similar and dissimilar interests. It can contain ideas across a broad array of cultural entities in life. A “Community” is a construct, an abstraction. Even as a member, we cannot see a whole …

Sustaining Suburbia Through New Urbanism: Toward Growing, Green, And Just Suburbs?, Dan Trudeau

Faculty Publications

This article examines the governance dynamics surrounding the development of sustainable neighborhoods in United States metropolitan contexts characterized as suburban sprawl. Drawing on original case study research of three distinct applications of New Urbanism design principles, the article argues for understanding the relative power of municipal authorities to incorporate social justice imperatives into the practice of sustainable development in suburban contexts. Moreover, key to prioritizing social imperatives is the way in which development processes respond to the “suburban ideal”, which is a view of suburbs as an exclusive bourgeois utopia that constrains the ability to connect so-called sustainable development with …

The Achievement Gap: Federal, State, Provincial And Nonprofit Websites That Publish Research Reports About The Achievement Gap In Pnla States And Provinces, Kellian Clink

Library Services Publications

The achievement gap “refers to a difference between the academic achievement of linguistic and ethnic minority students, students with disabilities, students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds, and female students, and either the mainstream student population in general or the white student population more specifically” (Odekon, 2015, p. 7). There are as many causative factors as there are rocks on a beach in Alaska. While books and articles may refer to these and act as a finding aid, I find it valuable to have a certain familiarity with federal, state, and nonprofit organizations that publish timely and authoritative research reports. These …

Rowan University Libraries' Head-Counting Study, Susan J. Breakenridge

Libraries Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Conflicts Over Extractivist Policy And The Forest Frontier In Central America, Anthony J. Bebbington, Laura Aileen Sauls, Herman Rosa, Benjamin Fash, Denise Bebbington

Geography

Central America is characterized by an asymmetric forest transition in which net deforestation is a product of both forest loss and patches of forest resurgence. Forest loss is also associated with rights violations. We explore the extent to which extractive industry and infrastructure investments create pressure on forest resources, community rights and livelihoods. Drivers of this investment are identified, in particular: constitutional, legislative and regulatory reforms; energy policies; new financial flows; and ideas of development emphasizing the centrality of infrastructure in combining geographical integration and economic growth. We discuss forms of contentious action that have emerged in response to these …

Preparing For A Northwest Passage: A Workshop On The Role Of New England In Navigating The New Arctic, Katharine A. Duderstadt, Catherine M. Ashcraft, Jennifer F. Brewer, Elizabeth Burakowski, Jaed M. Coffin, Jack E. Dibb, Lawrence C. Hamilton, Nancy E. Kinner, Larry A. Mayer, Jennifer L. Miksis-Olds, Joseph Salisbury, Kerri D. Seger, Ruth K. Varner, Cameron P. Wake

All Materials

Preparing for a Northwest Passage: A Workshop on the Role of New England in Navigating the New Arctic (March 25 - 27, 2018 -- The University of New Hampshire) paired two of NSF's 10 Big Ideas: Navigating the New Arctic and Growing Convergence Research at NSF. During this event, participants assessed economic, environmental, and social impacts of Arctic change on New England and established convergence research initiatives to prepare for, adapt to, and respond to these effects. Shipping routes through an ice-free Northwest Passage in combination with modifications to ocean circulation and regional climate patterns linked to Arctic ice melt …

Emancipatory Learning, Open Educational Resources, Open Education, And Digital Critical Participatory Action Research, Jason Leggett, Jay Wen, Anthony Chatman

Publications and Research

Given that we must prepare students for the future workforce today how can we use the power of Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Digital Social Science research to improve student learning and help students develop technical skills needed for the high-tech workforce? In this article, we use transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 1978) and Digital + Critical Participatory Action Research (D+CPAR) to analyze the effectiveness of integrating OERs into a course and reflect on how we used OERs to support student learning and make civic engagement more equitable at an urban community college. In a criminal justice course analyzing the legal …

The Impact Of Data Sovereignty On American Indian Self-Determination: A Framework Proof Of Concept Using Data Science, Joseph Carver Robertson

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The Data Sovereignty Initiative is a collection of ideas that was designed to create SMART solutions for tribal communities. This concept was to develop a horizontal governance framework to create a strategic act of sovereignty using data science. The core concept of this idea was to present data sovereignty as a way for tribal communities to take ownership of data in order to affect policy and strategic decisions that are data driven in nature. The case studies in this manuscript were developed around statistical theories of spatial statistics, exploratory data analysis, and machine learning. And although these case studies are …

River Stewards Informational Brochure, University Of Dayton. Fitz Center For Leadership In Community

Rivers Institute Publications

The River Stewards Program is a threeyear, interdisciplinary program designed to engage undergraduate students in experiential and community-engaged learning centered around the Great Miami River Watershed. Each student gains practical experience and leadership skills while working closely with faculty, staff, and community partners to help protect, promote, and preserve the region's rivers and water resources. The River Stewards Program consists of three cohorts totaling around 50 undergraduate students. Together, they represent over 25 different majors from all academic units at the University of Dayton.

First-year students can apply to become River Stewards during their second semester. Applications for the next …

Community-Based Participatory Research At Jacksonville, Florida Superfund Ash Site: Toxicology Training To Improve The Knowledge Of The Lay Community, Alan Becker, Sandra Suther, Cynthia Harris, Grazyna Pawlowicz, Gale Disney-Tucker, Matthew Dutton, Fran Close, Aaron Hilliard, Richard Gragg

Florida Public Health Review

Until the late 1960’s, Jacksonville, Florida incinerated its solid waste with the resultant ash deposited in landfills or used to fill flood-prone areas. These filled areas were later developed into parks, school sites and residential areas. Lead in soil at these sites was the major toxicant of concern and driver of clean-up actions. During the period of assessment of lead-levels in soil, there were no established lines of communication between the City and residents of affected neighborhoods resulting in mistrust in the community. To address communication issues, a community-based, culturally sensitive Community Environmental Toxicology Curriculum (CETC) and a short video …