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Faculty Senate Monthly Packet November 2010, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The November 2010 Monthly packet includes the November agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held October 2010

A Look Into The Future Of Wireless Mobile Communication Technologies, Jisun Kim, Tugrul Unsal Daim, Timothy R. Anderson

Engineering and Technology Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

The number of wireless mobile communication service subscribers has reached 4.6 billion worldwide in 2009, and mobile revenues are expected to be over $1 trillion around 2012 according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) (ITU, 2010). A significant number of studies have been done to forecast the growing market and evaluate the new generation technology, the Beyond 3 Generation (B3G). However, there is no study forecasting when any of these new technologies will be commercialized. This paper presents a technical framework for forecasting the commercialization timeline of B3G technologies and provides insight on technology trajectories from 1G to 4G. The …

X, Emily Ford

Library Faculty and Staff Publications and Presentations

The author focuses on the issue of undisclosed publications, by which she means works published under pseudonyms or anonymously. The author comments on the proliferation of anonymity in the era of the Internet, saying that technology allows people to be not accountable for their actions and to break social contracts in the scholarly world. The author uses the example of the library field and discusses peer review and professional discourse.

Interdisciplinary: Feminist Teaching, Research And Activism, Jamie P. Ross

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Feminists' interdisciplinary work is a critical response to claims that disciplinary expertise provides real knowledge. Interdisciplinary teaching, research, and activism emerge in opposition to claims that only certain kinds of ideas are valuable. This paper will briefly delineate those concepts that have created an intellectual tradition that does not recognize the political and strategic elements entailed by all knowledge formation. Feminist activism is a reaction to the narrowly defined boundaries of what counts as a good idea. The distinction between passive and active knowledge acquisition allows us to view feminist teaching, research, and activism as active, ongoing engagements that emerge …

Neural Coding And Decoding, Alexander Dimitrov

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Methods based on Rate Distortion theory have been successfully used to cluster stimuli and neural responses in order to study neural codes at a level of detail supported by the amount of available data. They approximate the joint stimulus-response distribution by quantizing paired stimulus-response observations into smaller reproductions of the stimulus and response spaces. An optimal quantization is found by maximizing an information-theoretic cost function subject to both equality and inequality constraints, in hundreds to thousands of dimensions. This analytical approach has several advantages over other current approaches:

• it yields the most informative approximation of the encoding scheme given the …

A City Club Report On Ballot Measure 26-108, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

Understanding, Modeling And Valuing Ecosystem Services, Robert Costanza

Systems Science Friday Noon Seminar Series

Ecosystem services (ES) are the direct and indirect contributions of ecosystems (in combination with other inputs) to human well-being. An ES-based approach can assess the trade-offs inherent in managing humans embedded in ecological systems. Evaluating trade-offs requires both an understanding of the biophysical magnitudes of ES changes that result from human actions, as well as an understanding of their impact on human well-being, broadly conceived. This talk discusses the state of the art of ES assessment, valuation, and modeling, including the potential of integrated ecological economic modeling. Valuation is about assessing trade-offs – not necessarily about trades (exchanges) in markets …

From Korea To Vietnam: The Origins And Mindset Of Postwar U.S. Interventionism　朝鮮からヴェトナムへ−−戦後米国の軍事干渉の起源と考え方, Mel Gurtov

Political Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

The wars in Korea and Vietnam were of a piece, directly related by virtue of U.S. global strategy and China’s security concerns. This paper, focusing mainly on the U.S. side in these wars, argues that three characteristics of American policy had enduring meaning for the rest of the Cold War and even beyond: the official mindsets that led to U.S. involvement, the centrality of the China threat in American decision making, and the common legacy of intervention against nationalism and in support of authoritarian regimes. It is part of a continuing Asia-Pacific Journal series on the Korean War on the …

The Portland Spectator, October 2010, Portland State University. Student Publications Board

Portland Spectator

Editor: Jonathan Miles

Articles in this issue include: Deporting the American dream : How one prospective Portland State student was sent to live in Mexico City even though he doesn’t know anyone there, or even speak the language; Residents in good hands at PSU: Campus security increases along with arrest rates in dorms; Legalize it, don't criticize it: Will Oregon become the next pot dispensary mecca?; War is over: Erica Charves explores what the end of war in Iraq means to PSU. veterans.

A City Club Report On Ballot Measure 74, City Club Of Portland (Portland, Or.)

City Club of Portland

No abstract provided.

"And Then I Wrote Queerly Ever After...": A Performance, Madhu Narayan

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

Closets come in all shapes and sizes, and coming out takes many different forms.

Up In The Air: The Case Against Happy Endings, Michelle Yvonne Burke

Harlot: A Revealing Look at the Arts of Persuasion

In real life, not all romances are comedies. And occasionally, filmmakers get that.

Teaching Matters: Developing As A Teacher/Librarian [Column]: Rules Of Engagement: Best Practices For Connecting With Students, Janelle M. Zauha

Communications in Information Literacy

This column focuses on the conceptual and practical aspects of teaching information literacy. Column co-editor Patrick Ragains and I write about trends and issues that have come to our attention, but we also solicit contributions to this space. Readers with ideas for Teaching Matters may contact Patrick Ragains at [email protected], or the editors of Communications in Information Literacy at [email protected].

Faculty Senate Monthly Packet October 2010, Portland State University Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate Monthly Packets

The October 2010 Monthly packet includes the October agenda and appendices and the Faculty Senate minutes and attachments from the meeting held June 2010

Best Practices For Online Video Tutorials: A Study Of Student Preferences And Understanding, Melissa Bowles-Terry, Merinda Hensley, Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe

Communications in Information Literacy

In order to develop best practices for online video library tutorials, this research study used an interview-based research method to investigate usability, findability, and instructional effectiveness. The findings document student learner preferences and are the basis for guidelines for future tutorial development.

Who's In Charge Here? Authority, Authoritativeness, And The Undergraduate Researcher, Marybeth Meszaros

Communications in Information Literacy

No abstract provided.

Unlearn What You Have Learned: Digital Disorganization And Information Literacy Instruction, Maryann Hight

Communications in Information Literacy

Traditional organizational schemes utilized for class design and for the organization of research materials means little to students comfortable with the disorganized internet environment. This article examines how constructivist principles and the disorganization of the internet was utilized to design a unique online information literacy course.

User Education And Information Literacy In Agricultural Universities Of India, Neena Singh

Communications in Information Literacy

Twenty-six of the agricultural universities in India teach user education and information literacy (IL). This article evaluates these courses and investigates if and how the course curriculum blends research and technical writing skills effectively. Unfortunately, the courses lack uniformity in teaching IL and technical writing skills. Since the universities are under state government control, they are unable to provide uniform curricula throughout India. There is also a need for a credited course on IL, integrating ICT and computer skills, and another course for research and technical writing.

Research For Design: Exploring Student And Instructor Attitudes Toward Accessing Library Resources And Services From Course Management Systems (Cms), Merinda Mclure, Karen Munro

Communications in Information Literacy

The authors report a study concerning student and instructor attitudes toward accessing library resources and services from within course management systems (CMS). In spring 2008, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with a small population of students and instructors at the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) and at Colorado State University (CSU). They asked participants to respond to examples of library integrations in course management systems at other institutions and to report their local experiences with both the campus CMS and library services. Participant responses frequently challenged and complicated the authors' assumptions about best practices in integrating a library presence and …

Aiming For Assessment: Notes From The Start Of An Information Literacy Course Assessment, Peter Larsen, Amanda Izenstark, Joanna Burkhardt

Communications in Information Literacy

To provide systematic assessment of a 3-credit, full-semester information literacy course at the University of Rhode Island, the library instruction faculty adapted the Bay Area Community College Information Competency Proficiency Exam to determine how well the students learned the material taught in the course and how well that material reflected the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education.

Instruction 2.0 - What Are We Actually Doing?, Greg Bobish

Communications in Information Literacy

This survey looks at ARL Libraries' instruction websites and tries to identify publicly available Library 2.0 tools focused on user education. The reasons for each tool's presence or absence are discussed and an overall assessment of the current state of the use of these tools in the field is offered.

Raps Sheet, October 2010, Retirement Association Of Portland State

RAPS Sheet: Monthly Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Tabor To The River: An Evaluation Of Outreach Efforts And Opportunities For Engaging Residents In Stormwater Management, Vivek Shandas, Anne Nelson, Carine Arendes, Cathy Cibor

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This report summarizes the key findings from a neighborhood survey that focused on household perceptions of sustainable stormwater systems. The survey was conducted in collaboration with the City of Portland?s Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and Portland State University?s Center for Urban Studies.

Biological Computation, Melanie Mitchell

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this article, the term biological computation refers to the proposal that living organisms themselves perform computations, and, more specifically, that the abstract ideas of information and computation may be key to understanding biology in a more unified manner. It is important to point out that the study of biological computation is typically not the focus of the field of computational biology, which applies computing tools to the solution of specific biological problems. Likewise, biological computation is distinct from the field of biologically-inspired computing, which borrows ideas from biological systems such as the brain, insect colonies, and the immune system …

Making Ecodistricts Concepts And Methods For Advancing Sustainability In Neighborhoods, Ethan Seltzer, Timothy W. Smith, Joseph Cortright, Ellen M. Bassett, Vivek Shandas

Institute for Sustainable Solutions Publications and Presentations

This report is about how developing "EcoDistricts" in Portland can result in more sustainable neighborhoods and a more sustainable city. With generous funding from the Bullitt Foundation in Seattle, we have been able to take a deeper look into core concepts underlying the notion of pursuing citywide sustainability through neighborhood-scale action. The question becomes: What needs to be done to enable communities to self-manage their resource using behavior by creating community-inspired interventions that change relationships between people and between people and place? To answer these questions and to contribute to the emerging practice of EcoDistrict formation and development, what follows …

Community-Based Approaches To Reduce Toxins In Housing: Lessons Learned From Working With Diverse Communities, Erin Mcnally, Ian Blazina, Stephanie Farquhar

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article will review lessons learned from a community-based participatory research project with Latino and Somali residents in Portland, Oregon. The aim of the Healthy Futures Collaborative (HFC) project was to reduce in-home environmental health hazards associated with childhood respiratory illness and asthma through a process that strengthened social support and civic engagement. Using a community-based approach, the HFC trained community residents as community scientists to ensure local leadership and participation. Results suggest an increase in Somali and Latino residents' knowledge of environmental stressors and changes in behavior that may improve indoor environmental quality. Especially when working with historically marginalized …

Center For Academic Excellence: Annual Report 2009-2010, Patrice Hudson, Leslie G. Mcbride, Kevin Kecskes, Amy Spring, Janelle De Carrico Voegele, Michael Chamberlain, Vincent Schreck

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Admittedly, a certain amount of tedium is involved in assembling an annual report. Retrieving, verifying, and summarizing all the data generated from CAE’s programs and services during the year feels a lot like double-checking references in a manuscript before sending it off for review. It’s a necessary part of the larger project; sometimes we are surprised.

Somewhere in the midst of the process, we may suddenly see a project from an entirely diff erent perspective, identify a theme that ties together threads or themes we hadn’t realized previously were connected, or more clearly see why faculty members may (or may …

News Images, Race, And Attribution In The Wake Of Hurricane Katrina, Eran Ben-Porath, Lee Shaker

Communication Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study looks at the effect of news images and race on the attribution of responsibility for the consequences of Hurricane Katrina. Participants, Black and White, read the same news story about the hurricane and its aftermath, manipulated to include images of White victims, Black victims, or no images at all. Participants were then asked who they felt was responsible for the humanitarian disaster after the storm. White respondents expressed less sense of government responsibility when the story included victims' images. For Black respondents this effect did not occur. Images did not affect attribution of responsibility to New Orleans' residents …

Portland State Magazine, Portland State University. Office Of University Communications

Portland State Magazine

PSU’s alumni magazine, published 2-3 times a year. In this issue: Alumni of color tell what it is like to live and work in Multnomah County; professor Anna-Louise Reysenbach travels to extreme cold, hot and pressure-laden environments by submarine to gather microscopic life; is growing genetically engineered crops good for farmers and the nation?; applying the research from one environmental disaster to the next; and more

Technology And Communications Coursework: Facilitating The Progression Of Students With Learning Disabilities Through High School Science And Math Coursework, Dara Shifrer, Rebecca Callahan

Sociology Faculty Publications and Presentations

Students identified with learning disabilities experience markedly lower levels of science and mathematics achievement than students who are not identified with a learning disability. Seemingly compounding their disadvantage, students with learning disabilities also complete more credits in non-core coursework—traditionally considered nonacademic coursework—than students who are not identified with a learning disability. The Education Longitudinal Study of 2002, a large national dataset with both regular and special education high school students, is utilized to determine whether credit accumulation in certain types of non-core coursework, such as technology and communications courses, is associated with improved science and math course taking outcomes for …