Digital Commons Network^™

Update On University Travel, June 18, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

An announcement from June 18th updating the travel guidelines for university-sponsored travel, allowing for in-state travel and requiring pre-approval of travel within the United States. International travel is still prohibited at this point.

Rural High School Principals And The Challenge Of Standards-Based Grading, Tom Buckmiller, Matt Townsley, Robyn Cooper

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to better understand how principals in rural schools are thinking about assessment and grading practices and if they anticipate implementing policy changes in the near future that may require increased support. Principals of schools in rural areas often face challenges that are significantly different from those of their urban and suburban counterparts. The researchers used a mixed-method survey to better understand if progressive grading policies were a part of the vision for principals of rural high schools, if they possessed conceptual underpinnings of such practices, and if they believed they had the capacity within …

Returning To Campus This Fall, June 10, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

An announcement from President Mark Nook concerning changes to the Fall 2020 Semester schedule as well as other changes to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Important Notice Regarding Fall/Winter Study Abroad Programming, June 9, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

A memo announcing the cancellation of Study Abroad programming for Fall and Winter that had a departure date prior to January 10, 2021.

Students: Returning To Campus This Fall, June 3, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

A memo outlining preliminary information for students concerning the return to campus for the Fall 2020 semester

Faculty & Staff: Returning To Campus This Fall, June 3, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

A memo from President Mark Nook to faculty and staff concerning the reopening of campus for the Fall 2020 semester. It includes the information that all campus offices and departments will be open by August 3rd.

Uni Political Science Newsletter, V15n1, June 2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Political Science.

Political Science Newsletter

Contents:

--- From the Department Head
--- Poli Sci Adapts to COVID-19
--- Helping Iowans & the Nation Understand Politics
--- Weekly Coffee Hour
--- #PANTHERSCAUCUS & #PANTHERSVOTE
--- Model United Nations
--- Leading Campus-Wide Civic Engagement Efforts
--- Women's History Month
--- You're Next Women's Leadership Conference
--- Warby Leads Study Abroad to Uganda
--- Stratcom Conference
--- MPP Student Serves Public During Coronavirus Outbreak
--- Student Leadership Awards
--- Weston Essay Prize
--- Purple & Old Gold
--- MPP 2019 Cohort
--- Congratulations 2019-20 Graduates!
--- Alumni News
--- Faculty Updates
--- Faculty Awards
--- Retirement

Return To Uni Steering Committee Announcement, May 18, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

An announcement from President Mark Nook revealing the members of the Return to UNI Steering Committee and the subcommittee chairs that will assist the steering committee in its work.

Returning To On-Campus Work, May 11, 2020, University Of Northern Iowa

UNI Response to COVID-19

A memo updating the campus community on when a return to on-campus work might begin and extending the option to telework until June 15th.

Assessment: Looking For The Stories Behind The Numbers, Ellen Neuhaus

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Uni Grad Student News, V18n4, May 2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Graduate College.

UNI Grad Student News

Inside This Issue:
--Message from the Dean
--Tips for Successful Virtual Learning
--Graduate Student Chatter
--Faculty Profile
--Student Profile
--Alumni Profile
--Department of Social Work Award Winners
--Graduate Faculty and Student Award Winners
--UNLV Outstanding Teaching by Part-Time Faculty Award Recipient
--Graduate Assistant First Award Winners
--Congratulations Graduates!
--Research Resources
--Summer Activities

Library Connection, V7n2, Spring 2020, University Of Northern Iowa. Rod Library.

Library Connection

Contents:

--Theresa Westbrock Named New Dean of Library Services
--Responding to COVID-19 #unitogether
--Student Highlight: Sarah Fluegel

Frauds In K-12 School Districts, Cassandra Lorraine Zinnel

Honors Program Theses

When a child is dropped off at school, thinking a fraud could happen would be the farthest thing from one’s mind. This paper will be examining school frauds happening in five different states to see any trends within the data. The investigated trends included how the frauds were discovered, how the patterns of cases looked in the last 15 years, and which controls were defective that allowed the fraud to occur. The paper analyzes the state auditor reports from several states dealing with school frauds. This paper will demonstrate an understanding of why school frauds happen and why they happen …

Meet Your Audience Where They Are: The Dissemination And Reception Of Political Messaging Among Young Voters [Paper], Bailey Marie Caskey

Honors Program Theses

In an ever-changing media environment and growing influence of young voters, creating and disseminating messages that will reach this intended audience is a complicated and difficult task for political campaigns. Social and new media changes with each election cycle, so following standards of the most previous campaign is following an outdated strategy which may not break through in the newest media environment. With an increasing interest in strategies to reach young voters in the electorate, political campaigns and their candidates are disseminating messages online and on social media, where an increasingly large number of the voting bloc is getting their …

The Impact Of The Use Of Mobile Computing On Vocabulary Learning In The Language Classroom, Lorena Harger

Graduate Research Papers

Mobile computers offer accessibility anytime and anywhere, and they are being used more and more for teaching and learning. The purpose of this review is to explore the impact of using mobile applications and devices in vocabulary learning among language learners. The review also addresses the perceptions of students and teachers regarding the use of mobile computers in the classroom. In this paper, thirty peer-reviewed journal articles published in the last eleven years were critically analyzed. From the reviewed research, it was found that using mobile computers not only enhances vocabulary learning and retention but also contributes to students’ motivation …

Portrayal Of Immigration In Fiction For Grades 4-6, Melissa N. Marwedel

Graduate Research Papers

With an increasing awareness of immigrant students in American schools, this study sought to examine current upper elementary fiction portraying immigrant characters. The purpose of this research was to discover how immigrants are currently portrayed in upper elementary literature. Through engaging with high-quality literature, native-born students could gain a perspective on the experiences of their immigrant classmates and develop empathy for them. Nine upper elementary fiction books were examined and coded for initial and emerging themes. Four major themes emerged: Importance of Family, Language Conflict, Life After Immigration, and Identity Development. This research supports classroom teachers and teacher librarians in …

Characterizing Protagonists In Graphic Novels For Teens, Danielle Lahr

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to utilize qualitative content analysis to examine the main characters in teen graphic novels from 2018. This study is designed to analyze the main protagonist in graphic novels to find patterns to help secondary librarians and teachers choose graphic novels that will appeal to students in grades 9-12. Three questions this study asks are: 1)What traits make a compelling protagonist for high schoolers? 2)Are there any traits shared between protagonists in graphic novels? And 3)What roles do protagonists of graphic novels play in the storyline?

The Effects Of Intercalating Molecules On The Polymer Properties Of Dna, Joseph Tibbs

Honors Program Theses

This project used Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) imaging to examine the effects of different intercalation conditions upon the elastic properties of intrinsically straight DNA molecules. Three intercalating molecules (chloroquine, ethidium bromide, and acridine) were used to demonstrate the dependence of persistence length and mean polymer extension on the intercalator type. It was found that all three intercalators significantly increased persistence length, and that this effect was most pronounced for ethidium bromide. In addition, an analysis of the normal bending modes of the static molecules corroborated these results. The only intercalator which resulted in significant extension of the DNA polymers was …

Prompted Reflective Thinking And Implications For Mathematics Teacher Efficacy In An Elementary Mathematics Methods Course, Brooke Krejci

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Although student-centered mathematics instruction, rooted in constructivism (NCTM, 2014), enhances students’ deep understanding of mathematics, many teachers fail to implement this approach, continuing to use more traditional, procedural instruction (Paolucci, 2015). One reason for these difficulties may be related to their teaching selfefficacy, or a person’s beliefs about their ability to complete a task. Wyatt’s (2016) expanded teacher self-efficacy model incorporates the reflective cycle and emphasizes the importance of reflection in the development of teacher self-efficacy.

This study explored whether encouraging reflection in pre-service teachers may indirectly increase their use of student-centered methods in mathematics by increasing their self-efficacy. The …

The Impact Of Severe Mental Health On Peers In Supporting Roles: A Look At Secondary Trauma And College Students, Courtney Tripp-Stuck

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Evidence indicates directors of college counseling centers and those in student affairs roles have observed a steep increase in the number of severe mental health crises on their campuses, thereby also impacting student leaders and those in helping roles as counseling centers try to adapt to the influx of need (Kitzrow, 2003; CAS, 1999). Additionally, there is evidence to support students are more likely to turn to peers first when experiencing mental health crises than they are to seek out professional help (Drum, Brownson, Burton-Denmark, Smith, & Roberts, 2009; Gallagher, 2013). The goal of this study is to examine whether …

Hi God: An Autoethnography Of Loneliness In Graduate School, Grace Elisabeth Mertz

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

I may have started college too early. My fifteen-year-old homeschooled mind could not have predicted the identity shift that higher education would demand of me. I did not expect academia to be filled with people who shared my background and beliefs, but I was, in many ways, unprepared for the way my Christianity would be challenged in the classroom and in my professors’ offices. After seven years of education within the structures of academia, I certainly have not lost my faith, but the way I think about, talk about, and practice it has tangibly changed. The questions I ask of …

An Exploration In Ramsey Theory, Jake Weber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

We present several introductory results in the realm of Ramsey Theory, a subfield of Combinatorics and Graph Theory. The proofs in this thesis revolve around identifying substructure amidst chaos. After showing the existence of Ramsey numbers of two types, we exhibit how these two numbers are related. Shifting our focus to one of the Ramsey number types, we provide an argument that establishes the exact Ramsey number for h(k, 3) for k ≥ 3; this result is the highlight of this thesis. We conclude with facts that begin to establish lower bounds on these types of Ramsey …

Graduate Recital In Trombone, Obediah Bauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This recital partially fulfills the requirements for the Master of Music degree in Trombone Performance. Repertoire was chosen to demonstrate a variety of musical and technical facilities in different historical settings. The program features Launy Grøndahl’s Concert Pour Trombone et Piano ou Orchestre; three movements from Gustav Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (Songs of a Wayfarer); Enrique Crespo’s Improvisation Nr. 1 für Posaune Solo; Paul Craven’s Sonatina for Trombone and Piano; and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Drei Equale für vier Posaunen.

Pluralistic Ignorance Of Campus Norms, Evan Stilgenbauer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Changes on college campuses and movements such as #MeToo have highlighted problem behaviors such as sexual assault. Many problems and behaviors related to and including sexual assault can be attributed to misperceptions of norms and peer beliefs, which can lead individuals to act in ways they would not normally condone. It is unclear whether #MeToo or other changes over time may have affected perceptions of norms and their relation to problematic behaviors that perpetuate sexual assault.

There were three goals for the current study. My first goal was to assess the difference among perceived norms and actual norms in a …

Through Their Eyes: Exploring The Relationship Between College Females' Body Perceptions And Recreation Center Messaging, Sydney Leigh Ann Cindrich

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The study aimed to investigate the influence that recreation center promotional messaging had on college females’ body perceptions. Body perceptions among young adult females have been linked to mental health (McKay, 2013; Miner-Rubino, Twenge, & Fredrickson, 2002). Female participants 18 to 25 years of age (N = 137, Mage = 20.41) from a mid-sized, Midwestern university completed two separate body perception questionnaires. These questionnaires assessed body appreciation (functionality) and body shame (objectification). Participants were divided into three groups and shown a collage of recreation center messages that were portraying one of three conditions (a) body functionality, (b) self-objectification, or (c) …

Role Of Guns In Child Mortality, Alexandria Bibbs

Honors Program Theses

Gun ownership is a topic which sparks controversy, regardless of what side a person is on. It is something that tends to elicit strong emotion from the public and is a prominent part of American society. But, with freedoms come responsibilities and that leaves room for risk. High levels of gun access and availability have resulted in a high level of gun-related incidents in the United States above other countries around the globe. Unfortunately, young children are a population included in the victims of gun mortality. This thesis analyzes all recorded gun-related deaths of children ages 0 -11 years old …

The Impact Of School-Based Mindfulness Programs On The Externalizing Behavior Of Students, Madison Ruhlmann

Honors Program Theses

Interventions involving mindfulness in schools are becoming increasingly commonplace. Mindfulness is a way of directing attention towards the present moment without passing judgement, and has been adapted as a psychological treatment over the past forty years. The goal of this review is to summarize how schools have used interventions featuring mindfulness; and particularly the impact on externalizing behavior in the classroom. Online database search techniques were utilized in the collection and analysis of these studies. The findings of this review show that mindfulness interventions may be valuable in the reduction of externalizing behavior in the classroom, but the current research …

The Presentation Of Race At Mark Twain Historical Sites In Hannibal, Missouri, Anthony Wayne Birch

Graduate Research Papers

Hannibal, Missouri may not be among the top five or even the top three places to visit, but it is surely getting its share of tourist and revenue. Each year an estimated 350,000 tourists from across the United States and many from around the world visit Hannibal, Missouri to pay homage at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum Annex. The Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum is located on 206-208 Hill Street, and has been accessible to the public as a museum since 1912, and has been registered as a National Historic Landmark since December 29, 1962.¹ In …

Bleeding Cuts, Magical Spells, Sealed Hymens: A Study Of The Rite Of Tasfih In Algeria, Ahlam Laouar

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The Algerian society attributes great importance to female virginity and, as such, people go to great lengths in order to protect it. One of the methods used to protect female virginity is the practice of Tasfih. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the rite of Tasfih as practiced by Algerian women. This study includes discussions of how this practice came into existence and the ways in which it is done. It also examines the relationship between female sexuality and family honor.

Before interviewing women about the ritual, I explore the current literature on Tasfih, female sexuality, and family …

Graduate Recital In Violin, Bethany Washington

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Bethany Washington scheduled her graduate violin recital for March 27, 2020 at 6PM with pianist Dr. Vakhtang Kodanashvili. Due to COVID-19 quarantine regulations, she met the alternative requirements provided by her graduate committee instead of presenting a live recital. The repertoire selected for her recital included Sonata No. 2 in A Minor, BVW 1003 by Johann Sebastian Bach, Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom, Sonata No 5 in F Major by Ludwig van Beethoven, and Resurrection Prelude and Rondo by Denzel Washington. These works were selected not only because they cover a wide range of musical genres and styles, but …