Digital Commons Network^™

Eiu Web Design Awards, Eastern Illinois University

Criterion 5 Documents

No abstract provided.

Committing To Quality: Guidelines For Assessment And Accountability In Higher Education, New Leadership Alliance For Student Learning And Accountability

Criterion 4 Documents

No abstract provided.

Predicting Potential Respondents’ Decision To Participate In Web Surveys, Chao Wen, Jiaming Fang

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

Web-based surveys have received increasing attention given the potential benefits of convenience, low cost, and time saving compared with other survey modes. However, the use of the internet to collect data is restrained by the lack of willingness of people to respond. The objective of this research is to expose the determinants of intention to participate in a web survey. Based on the theory of reasoned action, this research proposes a model encompassing attitude toward a web survey, social norm, moral obligation, trust in the sponsor of a survey, topic involvement, topic sensitivity, and reputation of the sponsor to predict …

The Role Of National Culture On Relationships Between Customers’ Perception Of Quality, Values, Satisfaction, And Behavioral Intentions, Chao Wen, Hong Qin, Victor R. Prybutok, Charles Blankson

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of individualistic cultures (such as the American culture) and collectivistic cultures (such as the Chinese culture) on the interrelationship among service quality, food quality, perceived value, customer satisfaction, and behavioral intentions in the fast-food industry. First, the authors provide empirical evidence of the robust relationships among the constructs across diverse cultures. Second, they investigate how moderator variables such as customer age, gender, and national culture affect customer behavioral intentions. Moreover, they examine how national culture, as a moderator, affects the magnitude of the relationships among these constructs. Using survey data …

Book Review: Body By Weimar: Athletes, Gender, And German Modernity. By Erik N. Jensen., Sace E. Elder

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

No abstract provided.

Identifying Cyberbullying, Connecting With Students: The Promising Possibilities Of Teacher-Student Social Networking, Mark Schmitz, Molly Sigler Hoffman, John H. Bickford

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Cyberbullying, an emergent problem that most students face but few report, negatively affects students’ academic and personal development, disrupts the school environment, and usually peaks around middle school. The Association of Middle Level Education (AMLE) suggests that successful middle schools should, among other things, ensure every student has an adult advocate to guide academic and personal development in an inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive school environment. The Olweus Anti-Bullying Program denotes educators’ proactive intervention must first follow recognition of students’ misbehaviors and both identification and supervision of problematic school contexts. Without such recognition, identification, and supervision, educators’ proactive interventions are …

Building Memories, Booth Library

Booth Library Programs

A photo gallery of the opening ceremony can be found on the BUILDING MEMORIES exhibit page.

Exhibit Dates

This exhibit was displayed at Booth Library April 12 - August 26, 2012

Contesting Neoliberalism Through Critical Pedagogy, Intersectional Reflexivity, And Personal Narrative: Queer Tales Of Academia, Richard G. Jones, Bernadette Marie Calafell

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

In this essay, we use personal narrative to explore allies and alliance building between marginalized people working in and through higher education, with an eye toward interrogating the ways in which ideologies of neoliberalism work to maintain hierarchy through the legitimation of Othering. Inspired by Conquergood (1985), who calls scholars to engage in intimate conversation rather than distanced observation, we offer our embodied experiences as a way to use the personal to reflect upon the cultural, social and political. Our narratives often recount being out of place, moments of incongruence, or our marked Otherness. Through the sharing of these narratives, …

Addressing Corporate Ties To Slavery: Corporate Apologia In A Discourse Of Reconciliation, Claudia Irene Janssen

Faculty Research and Creative Activity

Pressured by activists to take responsibility, American corporations recently found themselves in the spotlight for their past ties to slavery. Responding to the issue, they stepped into a complex discourse of reconciliation. Taking a rhetorical approach, this article analyzes the response of Aetna Inc. It explores how corporate rhetoric functions within present discourses about historical injustices and illustrates that Aetna's response informed by common strategies of corporate apologia inhibited meaningful reconciliation. The article thus furthers criticisms of (corporate) apologia in the context of historical injustice and raises questions about the potentialities and limitations of corporate rhetoric for reconciliation.

Lab Roster 2012, Booth Library

Rosters

No abstract provided.

Athletics Panels, Historical Administration

Building Memories - Docs

No abstract provided.

Building Memories - Exhibit Booklet, Historical Administration

Building Memories - Docs

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Vegetarian Options In Campus Dining: Acceptability Of Vegetarian Burgers, James D. Roche

Masters Theses

Although there are many healthy varieties of meats and sustainable methods of raising livestock, there are still environmental and health concerns regarding meat production and consumption. This study examines the acceptability of garden burgers as a replacement for beef burgers in a university dining center by comparing appearance, taste and overall acceptability of these two products. The study also looked to determine whether there were any differences in sensory ratings for the vegetarian burgers between different genders and participants with varying levels of exposure to vegetarian burgers.

Does Menu Labeling Effect [Sic] Consumer Choices?, Ashley R. Waters

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if patrons purchase fewer calories when calorie information was posted on fast food menus. Researchers also sought to explore how the factors of price, taste, and caloric content influenced purchase decisions. Additionally, to determine if certain groups utilize calorie labels more than others, researchers explored demographic factors like gender, age, and education level and other factors like frequency of fast food consumption and knowledge of daily caloric intake.

Relationships Among Growth, Poverty And Inequality In Developing Countries, Mahlet Getachew Gezahegn

Masters Theses

The relationship among growth, poverty and inequality has been and remains one of the most controversial topics in development economics. Development literature suggests that they are likely to evolve in an interrelated fashion in most countries although their exact path will depend on country circumstances.

The primary objective is to explore relationships among growth, poverty and inequality. The investigation largely follows the approach taken by Lundberg and Squire (2003) who however, examine evolution of only growth and inequality. Suitable modifications to their model are made to achieve a greater understanding of the evolutionary process of the three major variables of …

2012 Warbler, Eastern Illinois University

The Warbler

The 2012 Warbler, yearbook of Eastern Illinois University

Using Visual Phonics To Supplement Articulation Intervention, Mara A. Hampton

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an augmentation of traditional articulation intervention on the acquisition of speech sounds. The study examined the effect of Van Riper's traditional articulation intervention (Van Riper & Erickson, 1996) integrated with See the Sound/Visual Phonics (visual phonics) hand cues, in contrast to Van Riper's traditional articulation intervention alone. One child identified with a phonological disorder participated in a single subject multiple baseline across behaviors study. The subject was a bright, hard working two year-ten month old child who enjoyed all therapy sessions. During the first baseline/treatment phase, the child received …

Executive Functions In Preschool Children With Typical And Disordered Language, Kathleen Trainor

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in executive functions of typically developing, at-risk, and language impaired preschoolers. It also evaluated the relationship between preschool children's language skills and daily functional use of executive function skills as rated by parents.

Subjects included 45 children who attended central Illinois preschool programs. Executive functions were measured with the Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Functions -Preschool edition (BRIEF-P), oral language skills were measured with the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) and the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals -Preschool Edition (CELF-P), and oral narrative skills were measured using the Renfrew Bus Story. …

A Plaguing Militainment: Ideology, Metaphor, And Interpellation In Thq's "Homefront", Brendan G.A. Hughes

Masters Theses

Roger Stahl's book Militainment, Inc. has set the standard for studying the convergence of military culture and popular entertainment-otherwise known as militainment. This concept is easily discernible for rhetorical critics studying discursive texts in the late twentieth century, particularly after the start of the war on terror. This project examines a militainment text, the first-person shooter videogame Homefront. Produced by design company THQ and developed by Kaos studios, this game foreshadows the future of the United States should Kim Jong-Il's son succeed in unifying the divided peninsula and the American superpower crumble. After reviewing relevant literature and outlining three important …

The Grass Isn't Always Greener: A Qualitative Study Of Indian International Students Attending A Comprehensive University, Alison R. Adams

Masters Theses

The purpose of this present study was to explore the problems that Indian subcontinent students who participated in international study programs encountered in their travel abroad. Using a qualitative research methodology, four graduate-level Indian students were interviewed via a semi-structured interview protocol. Participants were asked to share problems they were currently facing or had faced while studying at a midsized, comprehensive institution in the Midwest.

Using cross-comparative analysis, verbal interview data were analyzed for common codes and categories and were then grouped into themes. Five themes were apparent: Homesickness, Culture Shock, Discrimination, Language Barriers and Educational Differences, and Other Issues. …

Transitions From High School To College: A Study Of Pre-College And College Influences On Retention, Britteny Lynn Alspach

Masters Theses

The transition from high school to college was examined through the voices of twelve participants' perspectives. The male and female focus group participants were divided into two groups; freshmen and sophomores, respectively. A series of 13 questions were posed inquiring about what Eastern Illinois University (EIU) has done to facilitate their transition into the collegiate atmosphere. The findings consist of a comparison section along with a section dedicated to pointing out any areas of differences with regards to their responses. Participants expressed that frequent interactions with folks that either were enrolled at EIU or were a current member of the …

The Value Of Student Services And Activities At A Large, Rural, Two-Year College In The Midwest, Andrea E. Bright

Masters Theses

In order to assist in the development and growth of students to reach their maximum potential research into what services and activities students perceive as valuable was conducted. The purpose was to explore student's relations between the perceived value of student services/activities and the knowledge, use, and value of student services and activities. The literature expresses that many factors affect a student's experience at college. Student involvement occurs through many facets, academics, socialization, and environment. Student satisfaction with these factors impact student success or failure. The research demonstrates that students need interactions with the college community in order to facilitate …

Upper Level Administrators: Communication With Students Via Social Media, David Adam Arnold

Masters Theses

The present qualitative study was executed by interviewing five upper level administrators at a four-year public institution in the Midwest in order to explain their current understanding of social media technologies, and in what ways they were currently using social media to connect with millennial students. Previous research has been done on millennials' use of technology and social media in the university setting; however, little research has focused on way non-millennial upper level administrators are using social media in order to purposefully engage students in a meaningful way. Themes from categories identified during one-on-one interviews indicate that upper level administrators …

Bridging The Gap: How Students And Academic Advising Professionals View Academic Advising, Levi Kosta-Mikel

Masters Theses

The purpose of the current study was to examine disparities between students and academic advising professionals with the importance placed on and the satisfaction with 12 research based functions of academic advising in order to promote the formation of higher quality mentoring relationships between students and advisors. The current study was a modified replication of research conducted by Smith and Allen (2006) and Allen and Smith (2008). Past research has shown that high quality relationships between students and their advisors promote higher retention and graduation rates among students (Campbell & Nutt, 2008; McArthur, 2005; Pizzolato, 2008; Sayles & Shelton, 2005; …

The Relationship Between Professional Preparation Of Student Affairs Professionals And Community College Completion Rates, Jennifer D. Elliott

Masters Theses

This study was conducted to gather data and investigate what type of degree or degrees student affairs professionals hold at community colleges in Illinois, and how earned a degree in College Student Affairs or an equivalent degree. Then, to compare this data with existing graduation and retention data to see what, if any, correlation there might be. A survey was distributed to student affairs officers at each of the 48 Illinois community colleges, with the request the survey be forwarded to their student services professional staff. This data was then compared to recent graduation and retention rates at each school. …

African American Students' Perceptions Of Undergraduate Experiences: Matriculation, Retention, Attrition, And Graduation, Christina L. Rainer

Masters Theses

This study was designed to examine the recruitment, matriculation, attrition, and retention behaviors of African American students attending the university. Data collected for this study were obtained from surveys completed by African American undergraduate students enrolled at the university either part-time or full-time at the time of the survey. Frequencies, percentages, and summaries were utilized in data analysis. There were also opportunities for participants to explain their responses.

The participants in this study completed a 25-item survey. This survey requested that participants rate (1) their level of involvement in co-curricular activities on campus; (2) their relationships with faculty and staff; …

Interactions Between Class Attendance And Students' Alcohol Consumption, Brittany Meding

Masters Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is an interaction between class attendance and students' alcohol consumption. Several issues are associated with the relationship between alcohol consumption and class attendance. From the results, there was no statistical significance between a students' self reported alcohol consumption and a students' self reported class attendance.

My B.A.C. Is Higher Than My G.P.A.: Alcohol Expectancies And College Student Consumption, Erica Nicole Roa

Masters Theses

Students state that they drink for a variety of reasons and these reasons appear to change throughout the course of their time at the university. In this research thesis the researcher set out to find if there was link between the expectancies for alcohol consumption and the number of drinks that a student would drink based off of certain characteristics (i.e. class standing, gender, negative consequences). Literature is presented that highlights studies used in exploring alcohol expectancies as well as factors that affect alcohol knowledge/behavior. Molar Behavior Theory and Schlossberg's Transitional Theory were used which created the foundation for the …

Non-Completion In Thesis Required Master's Degree Programs, Emily Ritter

Masters Theses

This study examined phenomena associated with non-completers enrolled in a master's level graduate program with a thesis requirement at medium-sized mid-western comprehensive university. Both program coordinators and program-identified noncompleters were interviewed based on five research questions in order to discover themes emerging from thesis non-completion. Ten themes emerged, including peer and academic support, assistantship factors, influencing factors, choice, and perceived thesis value. Although previous research of master's degree thesis non-completion is not extensive, a review of literature is included. The researcher found that while there were similarities in many themes among the program coordinators and students, areas in which there …

Effects Of Test Preparatory Program For Illinois Basic Skills Test, Jennifer R. Rose

Masters Theses

The Basic Skills Test is required for admissions into all teacher certification programs in the state of Illinois. The aim of the study was to determine if the 6-week, test preparatory program had an impact on participants Basic Skills Test. The hypothesis of this study was that the test preparatory program would increase participants' post-test scores (i.e. actual Basic Skills test). Participants included 25 undergraduate students from a midwestern university (males = 6, females = 19) who committed to approximately 60 hours of workshops, tutoring and educational software alongside 90 minute group support sessions, once a week for a total …