Digital Commons Network^™

Pedagogical Failures: Reshaping Policies And Practices For Positive Student Well-Being, Teresa Runge

Feminist Pedagogy

Mental health issues in college students are on the rise. In this critical commentary, I analyze traditional pedagogical practices that fail to acknowledge and meet the evolving mental health needs of our students, and I offer suggestions for reshaping policies and instruction to align with feminist pedagogy. By weaving feminist pedagogy principles and practices into our teaching, we can guide and influence the positive outcomes of our learning environments, creating safe places for student well-being.

Using “Slow” To Reframe Failure: Fusing Wisdom From The Slow Movement With Self-Compassion Principles To Transform Communication Failures, Christine E. Crouse-Dick

Feminist Pedagogy

This pedagogical approach invites students to critically examine conventional conceptions of failure. Informed by principles of the Slow Movement and self-compassion, this teaching activity prompts recurring reflection on who has power to define failure and how our responses to perceived failures shape our identities, relationships, and trajectories. Through reflective writing, speaking, and listening exercises, students are encouraged to reframe evaluations of communication failures with a lens that prioritizes contemplation, holistic context, self-companionship, and openness. By challenging masculinized notions of failure that lack self-compassion, this approach cultivates a growth mindset and helps students find more equitable, collectively compassionate interpretations of perceived …

As-977-24 Resolution On Excused Absence Policy Pertaining To Student Illness And Injury, Executive Committee

Academic Senate Resolutions

Adopts the attached Class Attendance Policy revisions; and it further resolves that the academic senate discourage faculty members from requesting a note or other verification of illness; and it further resolves that faculty who feel compelled to require a note or other verification of illness or injury should not limit that verification to a note from a “physician,” but from a “health care professional,” inclusive of telehealth services; and it further resolves that the appropriate Academic Senate committee collaborate with the Center for Teaching, Learning, and Technology to develop both syllabus language and messaging to faculty about appropriate and inclusive …

As-974-24 Resolution On Consolidation Of Ge Area C Subject Guidelines And Modification Of Ge Area C2: Humanities Prerequisites, General Education Governance Board

Academic Senate Resolutions

Approves the attached GE Area C Subject Guidelines which includes removing GE Areas A1 and A3 from the prerequisites of GE Area C2 in the Template for General Education; and it further resolves that the GE Area C Subject Guidelines be used for the review and implementation of pre-existing and proposed General Education courses from Area C2 starting in the Fall 2026 academic term.

Academic Senate - Agenda, 6/4/2024, Academic Senate

Academic Senate Agendas

No abstract provided.

Development Of An Advanced Step Counting Algorithm With Integrated Activity Detection For Free Living Environments, Paige M. Dolan

Master's Theses

Physical activity plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of various chronic diseases. Step counting has emerged as a popular method for assessing physical activity levels, given its simplicity and ease of use. However, accurately measuring step counts in free-living environments presents significant challenges, with most activity trackers exhibiting a percent error above 20%. This study aims to address these challenges by creating a machine learning algorithm that leverages activity labels to improve step count accuracy in real-world conditions. Two approaches to balancing data were used: one employed a simpler oversampling technique, while the other …

A Screening Life Cycle Analysis Of One-Way And Reusable Crate Designs – Estimating Environmental Impacts Via Lca Software, Nicolas R. Corona

Master's Theses

A comparison analysis conducted via COMPASS life cycle analysis software has indicated that a one-way crate design, rather than a reusable crate design, is in fact the more environmentally friendly packaging system. These results can be interpreted differently, however, as the manufacturer of said crate designs must confirm what impact indicators they would like to reference as environmental goalposts. The conducted analysis provides insight into what the environmental impacts of each packaging system look like as packaging at all three system levels has been identified as a means of reducing environmental impacts globally. As such, the manufacturer of said crate …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Hydraulic Pumping As A Remediation Method Of A Subsurface Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid Spill In Arroyo Grande, California, James M. Raney

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

The efficacy of hydraulic pumping as a remediation method of a petroleum, or Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) spill in Arroyo Grande, California will be assessed by determining aquifer properties, assessing the chemical properties of the contaminant, recovering the contaminant from the subsurface, and proposing alternative remediation techniques. Soil, groundwater and contaminant characteristics, cumulative volume of LNAPL skimming test data, pumping rates, and LNAPL thicknesses in wells installed within the contaminant plume were collected. Sediments around the LNAPL source are contaminated with hydrocarbons in the gas and diesel range. Pumping efficacy is expected to continue to decrease at the site, …

Thermal Preconditioning Effects On Perforation Propensity Of Transvenous Implantable Cardiac Leads Used For Pacing And Defibrillation, Diane Muff

Master's Theses

Thermal preconditioning to simulate shipping, handling and storage conditions did not affect distal tip stiffness values for permanently implantable cardiac leads used for pacing and defibrillation. Leads that were subjected to extreme temperatures and temperature cycling did not show changes in buckle force values compared with control specimens which were maintained at ambient room conditions. Absolute differences between all measurements were small, generally under 0.05 N and were attributable to measurement variability.

Buckle force values are used to assess the propensity of leads to perforate the heart, a rare but potentially serious complication of implantable pacing and defibrillation systems. Since …

Office Building, Grant Iwamoto

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

The purpose of this report is to conduct a prescriptive and performance-based fire and life safety analysis of a building. The chosen building is a five-story building with a basement and uses construction type IB, primarily with steel framing with concrete fill over metal deck. The use of the building is manufacturing, assembly area, open concept office space, and storage, and the total area is approximately 104,000 square feet.

The prescriptive analysis covers the building and fire code requirements such as allowable height, stories, and area and all the fire protection systems in the building including the fire sprinkler system, …

Community Multipurpose Center, Cristian Cohen

Fire Protection Engineering: Culminating Experience Project Reports

This report is an analysis of fire protection and life safety features required for a Community Multipurpose Center (CMC).

Governing the construction of the building was the International Building Code (IBC). Throughout this report there are justifications for a call to redesign the CMC conceptual drawing.

The fire and life safety features were organized into five areas, otherwise known as the FPE core areas.

The first four core areas consist of (1) Structural Fire Protection, (2) Water-Based Fire Control and Suppression Systems, (3) Detection, Alarm and Notification Systems, and (4) Means of Egress System. These come straight out of codes …

Cal Poly Masters Program Projects, Caslyn M. Weidenbener

Agricultural Education: Graduate Internship Reports

Through participating in an agricultural education master's program and competing on the university rodeo team, I gained valuable leadership experience that will benefit me in my future career. I learned how to motivate and engage students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles in the classroom setting. I was also responsible for producing projects that required facilitating, researching, and reaching out to different groups from Cal Poly.

The agricultural education master's program and rodeo team provided a fertile training ground for leadership growth. The skills I cultivated in communication, organization, emotional intelligence, and responsibility to self and others will allow me …

Investigating The Relationship Between Single And Multiple Sersic Models Of Active Galaxies Using Galfit, Ellie H. Johnson

Physics

Supermassive Black Holes (SMBHs) can be found in the center of almost every galaxy, and in some cases, can form Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). AGNs are some of the brightest objects in our observable Universe and are distinguished from quiescent galaxies by accretion onto the central SMBH, which forms a disk where the luminosity is produced. Reverberation mapping (RM) of broad-line AGNs determines the mass of the SMBH by resolving the gravitational sphere of influence of the BH ``in time". In this study, GALFIT is used to fit 2D analytic functions to existing Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images for 23 …

Identifying Ion-Scale Waves In Parker Solar Probe Sub-Alfvénic Intervals, Nicholas Henry Androski, Kristoff Paulson

Physics

Identification of coherent quasi-parallel ion-scale (1-32 Hz) wave activity in sub-Alfvénic regions of the solar wind observed by NASA's Parker Solar Probe during perihelion encounters 8 to 16. Wave activity is filtered computationally by coherency, circular polarization and propagation angle with respect to the mean magnetic field. Initial statistical results are presented with suggestions for future improvements and studies. A general overview of the heliosphere and the context of ion-cyclotron waves (an ion-scale wave) in the coronal heating problem. Along the way to identify ion-scale wave activity, tables of sub-Alfvénic intervals and current sheet crossings for encounters 8 to 16 …

Light Based Wireless Communication, Nick Ghaffarian, Gibson Puckett

Electrical Engineering

The demand for high-speed, secure wireless communication is escalating, particularly in high-density environments like urban areas, and critical sectors such as healthcare and defense. Traditional Wi-Fi struggles with issues like signal congestion, electromagnetic interference, and security vulnerabilities, compromising connectivity quality. LiFi is much more suitable for areas like hospitals which contain equipment highly sensitive to electromagnetic interference, has a high bandwidth far away from standard radio waves which enables strong communication in highly congested areas.

We developed a small scale, low-cost LiFi system to demonstrate a proof of concept of LiFi that grants the user full access to the internet. …

Modeling A Hydropower Plant Powerhouse Based On Hebgen Dam, James Savella, Paul De La Cruz

Electrical Engineering

The United States Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) invited California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) to participate in the 2024 Hydropower Collegiate Competition (HCC) to research and design ways to convert non-powered dams (NPDs) to hydropower plants to contribute to a clean energy future. The Cal Poly HCC Electrical Engineering team used information gathered for the competition to create a simulated hydropower plant model of Hebgen Dam, in Montana, using a salient pole synchronous generator and a PID governor for an Electrical Engineering Senior Project. The simulated hydropower plant model allows a user to control the …

Solid State Thermoelectric Generator For Remote Applications, Patrick Jackson, Drew Thomas, Bennett Pearce

Electrical Engineering

This paper proposes a device that utilizes thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for energy generation from solid biomass combustion, with a focus on addressing the low power electricity needs of off-grid dwellings and remote cabins in Alaska. The feasibility of a device utilizing TEG technology to convert waste heat from wood stoves into electrical power is explored, with the goal of offering a continuous and weather-independent energy source. Potential customers and stakeholders were consulted to build requirements for the system, including power output, size, ease of use, safety features, and cost considerations. The design utilizes passive water cooling to provide a temperature …

Digital Audio Synthesizer, Philip A. Schremp, Alexander J. Elliott

Electrical Engineering

With more and more of the modern music production and live performance workflow becoming digitized synthesizers are the perfect middle ground between the traditional instrument layout and the progressive electronic sound. Despite the fact that synthesizers have made their place in the modern music pipeline they have one significant drawback. Synthesizers are expensive. Whether they are analog or digital, many of the synthesizers produced today are not affordable for the average musician or synth hobbyist. We will be designing a cost effective digital audio synthesizer that will still have enough versatility and a high enough quality to be useful in …

Connected Palo Alto: Proposed Cycle Track For Enhanced Connectivity Between The San Antonio Corridor And Greater Palo Alto, Ca, Scott C. Richards

City and Regional Planning

The City of Palo Alto is located within Santa Clara County, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Palo Alto borders the city of Mountain View, the city of Los Altos, and the campus of Stanford University. Palo Alto is considered to be one of the most bike-able cities in California and is a Gold-Level Bicycle Friendly City which was designated by the League of American Bicyclists (https://www.cityofpaloalto.org/Departments/Transportation/Bicycling-Walking#:~:text=The%20City%20of%20Palo%20Alto,the%20League%20of%20American%20Bicyclists.). One program that Palo Alto is leading the charge on is theSafe Routes to School program, a local community partnership between the City of Palo Alto, Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD), and …

Innovative Housing Solutions: A Toolkit To Utilizing Recycled Spaces As Transition Shelters For The Unhoused, Kristel Jened Alianza Mallari

City and Regional Planning

Increasingly, the challenges of homelessness in urban areas have necessitated innovative solutions that leverage existing infrastructure. This project explores how repurposing underutilized spaces, such as vacant offices and hotels, into transitional shelters can provide immediate relief and long-term support for unhoused individuals. By focusing on inclusive design and strategic planning, this toolkit offers a comprehensive approach to addressing homelessness through adaptive reuse of existing buildings.

Urban areas in the United States face a persistent homelessness crisis exacerbated by economic instability, lack of affordable housing, and systemic barriers. Traditional shelters often fail to provide the necessary support for long-term stability, highlighting …

Coastal Collective: A Cannery Row Concept Plan, Margo Ezcurra

City and Regional Planning

This concept plan proposes preliminary design and implementation measures to redevelop an area which holds potential to serve as an activated southern entrance to Cannery Row. This project provides an analysis of the existing conditions and subsequently offers a strategy to transform this site into the Coastal Collective, a community-oriented mixed-use development that showcases the area’s history, natural environment, and local residents and businesses. This strategy consists of preliminary design ideas supported by implementation goals, policies, and programs that establish a framework for future redevelopment of this significant, historic waterfront area.

Exploring The Effect Of Interactivity On Zoom Fatigue And Student Learning, Kendall N. Baebler

Communication Studies

The present study aims to address the immensely popular alternative to face-to-face classrooms in higher education that has emerged in videoconferencing, and the various challenges that it creates for students in comfort, enjoyment, and learning. While many cross-sectional studies have explored the evidence of and causes for this so-called “Zoom fatigue” (e.g., Aroaz et al., 2023; Castro & Tumibay, 2021; Fauville et al., 2021a; 2021b; Reidl, 2022), experiments testing potential alleviating factors to this fatigue are limited. The study used experimental design to evaluate the effect of interactivity in Zoom class sessions on the students’ perceived learning, Zoom fatigue, and …

Cheap Clothes And Costly Consequences: A Study On College Students’ Shopping Habits Surrounding Fast Fashion And The Theory Of Reasoned Action And Planned Behavior, Stella Rose Chamness

Communication Studies

This study investigates the impact of perceived attitudes and behaviors with regards to fast fashion and consumerism amongst Cal Poly students. Drawing on the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behavior, the research measures student’s perceived facilitation, beliefs, and the influence of subjective norms towards consumption of fast fashion. The literature review establishes the theoretical framework, highlighting the importance of the Theory of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviors. The study’s method involves a 17 item questionnaire administered to 108 participants. Half of the participants, 53, were randomly assigned to either a persuasive message or no message at all. The group …

Shadows Of Virtue: ‘The Abolition Of Man’ In Modern Context, Luke Thomas Soule

Communication Studies

C.S. Lewis's The Abolition of Man stands as a remarkable examination of the mid-19th century shift towards moral subjectivism. With a detailed study of this text, this essay will utilize ideological and Postmodern criticism to reveal how Lewis builds his defense of objective morality, or what he calls the "Tao," against the educational spread of relativism. The heart of the analysis is the examination of Lewis's use of ideographs. Terms such as "the Tao," "Men without Chests," and "the Abolition of Man'' not only criticize the philosophical trends of the time but also tap into a deep cultural current of …

Spring Rate Measurement Of A Pneumatic Mountain Bike Tire, Joseph D. Balderama, Alexandre Kachlakev, Duncan Wyke, Luki Rosen

Mechanical Engineering

The Final Design Review (FDR) presents a comprehensive overview of the spring rate measurement project for a pneumatic mountain bike tire. This report details the project's design, its implementation, and how it met all specified requirements. It also includes a discussion of the project's findings and recommendations for future work, assuming continuation of the project. The primary goal is to develop a device that allows professional race teams or experienced mountain bike riders to parameterize tires based on their spring rate in addition to internal pressure.

Since the Critical Design Review (CDR), the design has undergone significant changes due to …

Rapid Composter, Cate Seay, Clarisbet De Jesus, Lesley Milena Estrada, Reese Dennett

Mechanical Engineering

This Final Design Review documents the efforts of a team of mechanical engineering students from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as they work towards completing their assigned senior design project. This team was tasked with designing and developing an onsite rapid composter for the Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast. The selected design concept that will be explained focuses on creating a composter that is child-safe, portable, weatherproof, solar-powered, and requires minimal manual user input. This report will not only provide a detailed description of the chosen design but will also supply an extensive design justification. This mainly …

Cal Poly Bsae Brake Caliper, Carter Henry Foye, Benjamin Leistiko, Nathan Berger, Colin Williams

Mechanical Engineering

In the past, the Cal Poly Racing Baja SAE team has used off-the-shelf brake calipers for their vehicle. Off the-shelf calipers have been either oversized, resulting in a heavy and hard to package system, or undersized, resulting in an unreliable system that does not provide adequate braking power. The goal of this project was to provide a caliper that meets the requirements of Cal Poly’s Baja SAE team. Our final design consisted of a two piece CNC machined caliper that uses the complex piston seal geometry from an existing mountain bike brake caliper. Using an existing caliper as a reference …

Controls And Autonomy Research Testbed (C.A.R.T.), Sydney S. Ulvick, Joseph Micheal Sleeman, Mason Snyder, Lucas Grizzle, Aidan Schwing

Mechanical Engineering

Our team, Controls and Autonomy Research Testbed (CART) team modified and built upon the work of the Battery-Powered Autonomous Cart conversiON (BACON) senior project. BACON was the project before ours, with the goal of developing an autonomous vehicle platform for use as a test platform by the Mechanical Engineering department at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly). The project's scope included a redesign of the braking and steering systems, a ground-up design of the e-stop and acceleration systems, and integration with an embedded controller. This project was proposed by Professor Birdsong, who desires a platform for autonomous vehicle control system …

Improved Combustion Liner Seal​, Christopher J. Ng, Max Case, Mason Jones, Jacob Matties

Mechanical Engineering

The project's objective was to develop a mechanical seal to seal the gap between the combustion liner and the stage one nozzle of a Solar Turbines turbine. A metal axial E-seal was selected as the sealing mechanism. Hand calculations and finite element analysis were conducted to confirm the designs compatibility with existing turbine components and the operational environment. A small-scale test rig was built to confirm the remaining design specifications. Results from this test rig indicated the design met all specifications except leak rate. Causes for this low performance were identified as manufacturing issues and some were addressed, resulting in …

Quarter Car Suspension Model, Jack Miller, Alexander Eckhardt, Jonathan Lam, Max Gardenswartz

Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Porumamilla, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Cal Poly, needs a way to demonstrate the concept of base excitation to the mechanical engineering students in the Mechanical Vibrations (ME 318) Lab. A mass-spring-damper model represented by a quarter-car suspension has been selected to represent this concept. A team of four students was assigned to design such a model as a senior design project. This document will explain the testing procedures, how were the results, and if they achieved our requirements. Furthermore, the document will explain how we assemble our product and manufacturing steps. Additionally, Critical Design Report (CDR) design changes …