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Average Budgeted Salaries Of Faculty Staff 2005-2006, University Of Northern Iowa

Institutional Effectiveness & Planning Documents

Gives the average salaries of faculty broken down by rank and college and the distribution of salaries of the professional and scientific category.

Science Instruction And English Language Learners, Dekey P. Lama

Graduate Research Papers

More students with limited English proficiency attending U.S. public schools merits a reassessment of science teaching approaches so such students can succeed in these areas. Federal and state governments have initiated steps which allow school districts to lead in the development of quality science education programs to assist English language learners in science learning. Successful science teachers develop courses employing research-based curricula with relevant content and recognition of students' cultures, and English language learning needs and styles. Students' interaction with content and materials in the classroom, especially those based on related local problems, encourages their success in comprehending the relevance …

Cns Connections, Winter 2005-06, University Of Northern Iowa. College Of Natural Sciences.

CNS Connections

Inside this issue:

-- Message from the Dean
-- At Last: An updated home for Physics
-- PSM degrees a coming attraction at UNI
-- CEEE celebrates 10 productive years
-- CNS inaugurates special Preview Day
-- Faculty and Student Research Highlights
-- Purple Pride
-- UNI offers many opportunities in the classroom and beyond
-- Update from the Centers
-- Two programs increase diversity in Math Department
-- College News
-- ChemWall provides passport to Chemistry at UNI
-- Industrial Tech students build renewable energy system at area park
-- Alumni News
-- CNS Advisory Board

Cognitive, Emotive, And Behavioral Techniques For Depressed Children And Adolescents, Brianna G. Wilcox

Graduate Research Papers

Cognitive, emotive, and behavioral techniques for treating depression in children and adolescents are outlined. The importance of prevention and early intervention is stressed, with an emphasis on application to the school setting. Cognitive contributors to depression, disputation strategies, and behavioral interventions are explicated within the framework of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). The efficacy of REBT is cited in reference to numerous research studies.

Adopting, Implementing, And Managing Biometric Entry Systems In Campus Recreation Centers, Ann Elizabeth Nellis

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this study was to examine the adoption, implementation, and management of biometric entry systems and produce information to assist to universities considering implementing a biometric entry system. Specifically, this study focused on the only seven campus recreation centers in the United States as of March 2005 to ever employ the biometric entry system. The study investigated the following research questions:

1. What were the decision-making factors for the adoption and implementation of the biometric entry system?

2. What obstacles were overcome during the implementation phase the of the biometric entry system?

3. What are the ongoing management …

A Case Study: The Thoughts On Pleasure Reading For Children Diagnosed With Adhd, Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Type; Adhd, Predominantly Inattentive Type; Or Adhd, Combined Type, Heather Whitman

Graduate Research Papers

Children diagnosed with attention difficulties may face increased reading difficulties and may choose not to read for pleasure. Research questions used to explore this issue focused on what difficulties these students face in learning to read and how these affect their attitudes on reading and school performance. A second set of questions asked whether these children enjoy reading and how watching television relates to their reading? The third set of questions asked about parents reactions to any difficulties their children had in learning to read and their thoughts involving their children and reading for p)easure? The fourth set of questions …

Why People Self-Injure And What School Counselors Can Do To Help, Emily M. Thole

Graduate Research Papers

Today school counselors are working more with students who choose self-injury. In order to do so effectively, it is important that counselors understand the nature of self-injury and effective ways to treat it. This paper looks at reasons behind self-injuring and explores the difference between self-injury and suicide attempts as well as the different classifications of self-injury. Knowing the risk factors such as loss, childhood illness, physical and sexual abuse, familial violence, familial self-injury, peer conflict, and impulse control problems will aid counselors in targeting at-risk students. Once risk factors were targeted, it was found that behavioral treatments that address …

Inventory Simulation And Optimization Using System Dynamics, Structural Modeling Equations And Genetic Algorithms In The Drivetrain Division Of An Automotive Manufacturer, Marco Sisfontes-Monge

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Strategic planning and control are among the most critical activities that modern enterprises require to succeed in the global economy. This research is an original study that investigated the combination of tools and methodologies in order to apply them to a midwestern tractor manufacturer. The current study identified the constraints applicable to a polishing line in the Drivetrain Division of a major tractor manufacturer interested in exploring alternative techniques to improve its worldwide manufacturing operations.

The specific questions that this project tried to respond are stated as follows:

1. What were the most important variables that affected inventory levels of an …

African American Breast Cancer Health Disparities, Theresa Lynn Gaul

Honors Program Theses

Health disparities are "the differences in the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of cancer and related adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the United States" (National Cancer Institute [NCI], 2002). Racial and ethnic minorities experience serious disparities in health access and outcomes. Disparities in the burden of death and illness experienced by African Americans in particular, as compared with our nation's population as a whole, are particularly striking. There are a variety of factors contributing to these inequalities. The purpose of this report is to examine these factors and the consequential effects on the African American's …

An Exploration Of Academic Advising Care Groups At An Iowa Private College, Kendra Williams-Perez

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Care Group advising, as it was institutionally developed, is an academic advising method intended to improve the first year experience of undergraduate college students. The purpose of this study was to explore student perceptions of their participation in Care Group advising, as well as faculty and administrative perceptions. The overarching research question was: "How are academic advising Care Groups perceived by students, faculty, and administrators?" From the perspectives of students, faculty, and administrators, the following sub-questions served to guide this study:

1. Are academic advising Care Groups serving their intended purpose?
2. What are the perceived benefits of academic advising Care Groups, …

Meeting The Leisure Needs Of The Forth-Coming Baby Boomers: Research And Programming Development, Heather Schantz

Graduate Research Papers

Perceptions and realities to provision of services for senior citizen have begun to emerge. In order for leisure service agencies to succeed with these new perceptions, management practices will have to be altered in order to meet the needs of these populations. The author presents past and present perceptions of senior citizens, leisure programming models and develops a leisure programming model in order to better serve the baby boom population. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate current lifespan models and leisure programming models and determine if community recreation service departments will meet the leisure needs of the …

A Critical Analysis Of No Child Left Behind, Kelli Brooke Dostal

Honors Program Theses

The purpose of this thesis is multifaceted. First, I will provide an overview of the main provisions of the NCLB Act. For each provision, I will review a range of criticisms of the new legislation expressed by prominent scholars in the field of education. These criticisms include problems with: underfunding, accountability of testing requirements, expanded parental options, local control and flexibility, the validity of evidence-based practices, and the assessment of teacher quality. Finally, I will examine how these concerns have been addressed by the legislators and offer some thoughts on the on the appropriateness of NCLB.

Administrative Strategies That Foster Self-Reflective Practice In Iowa Educators As Perceived By Middle Level Principals And Teachers, Jane Brandt Lindaman

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

With the onset of the Iowa Quality Teacher Legislation, the Iowa Teaching Standards are mandated for use by all school districts in Iowa. These standards call for administrators to assist teachers in becoming self-reflective practitioners. The purpose of this study was to investigate administrative strategies employed by principals to assist teachers in becoming self-reflective toward the Iowa Teaching Standards. A secondary purpose of the study was to investigate the extent to which teachers are currently utilizing self-reflection as a method of improving their instructional effectiveness, as perceived by middle level teachers and principals in Iowa.

Four research questions were examined …

Modeling And Simulation To Investigate Effects Of Static Mixer, Carrier Gas, Temperature And Pressure On The Mixing Ratio Of Carbon Nanotubes Growth Reactors, David Addie Noye

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The problem of this study was to investigate the effects of static mixer, carrier gas, carrier gas inlet pressures, and reactor operating temperatures on the mixing ratio of carbon nanotube synthesizing reactor. The methodology included design of static mixers, mathematical modeling, and computer modeling and simulation experiments.

The simulation experiment was performed based on single phase carrier gas modeling due to difficulty and time for three phase fluid modeling. First only nitrogen carrier gas in addition to the other three factors under constant inlet flow velocity and inlet temperature was simulated. Secondly, the same procedure was applied to argon carrier …

"Second-Class Families": Media Portrayal Of Adoption In America, Jennifer Ellen Struve

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Despite legal recognition of adoption as a legitimate family form, research suggests that adoptive families face a special set of circumstances revolving around the societal stigma involved with adoption. Additionally, adoptees admit to experiencing legal, social, and institutional discrimination because of their adoptive status. Although there have been many celebrations of adoption (such as Dave Thomas), there are cultural norms regarding the family that discipline us to see adoption negatively. Researchers acknowledge that the language surrounding adoption is negative, but do not pursue what that language is or where it appears. Thus, the purpose ofmy study was to determine how …

Namibia Principals' Knowledge And Attitudes Towards Hiv/Aids And Their Compliance With The Ministry's National Policy, Shamani-Jeffrey Shikwambi

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is infecting school-age children at an alarming rate. Effective education is the only prevention at this time. School principals can serve as a vital component in the prevention of HIV/AIDS in school-age children. The purpose of this study was to examine the knowledge and the attitudes of school principals in Namibia towards HIV/AIDS. The study also examined the extent of Namibian school principals' awareness level and implementation practices of the Namibian HIV/AIDS National Policy.

One hundred and forty-three school principals completed the HIV/AIDS Knowledge and Attitudes Scales for Teachers (Koch …

We're Not "Free-Loading Jocks" : The Presentation Of The Self In The Everyday Lives Of The Collegiate Level Student Athlete, Katie Leanne Sorrell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Student-athletes live complex lives because they are expected to maintain a number of master statuses. According to Goffman (1959), individuals perform in frontstage. However, other scholars, building from Goffman, state that this is more complex than this. The backstage also has performance elements in it. These regions for student-athletes can become complicated because they have to manage their impressions depending on their social situation. I conducted 18 in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore the presentation of self in the everyday lives of collegiate level student athletes. Myths abound surrounding college athletes, such that athletes are surrounded with limitless opportunities, or that …

Food Preferences Between Diverse Ethnic Groups In A College Population, Enrique Gallegos Covarrubias

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Obesity and its psychosocial and medical consequences are costing the United States billions of dollars per year. Many factors such as lack of physical activity, changing lifestyles, and unhealthy eating behaviors contribute to the increasing prevalence of obesity. In the present study, food preferences among college-aged students were measured from two different geographical locations (Texas and Iowa). Gender (men vs. women), ethnicity (Hispanic vs. Caucasian), and Body Mass Index scores (normal vs. overweight) were utilized as dependent variables to measure food preferences. Participants were required to rate four menus, which included important nutritional information. Ratings were obtained to measure how …

The Spring Break Effect: The Relationship Between Individual Self-Objectification And Physical Fitness Behavior, Brett Dobesh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Research findings focusing on the theoretical foundation for self-objectification suggests that women are more likely to have high levels of objectification for a variety of reasons. To extend this body of research the purpose of this investigation is two-fold: (1) to assess the influence that spring break attendance may have on levels of self-objectification for fraternity and sorority members, and (2) to observe the connections between SO levels and increased levels of physical fitness. This study consisted of (n = 153) college students actively involved in the Greek System at two Mid-west universities. The students were asked to complete three …

Monitoring Spatial And Temporal Water Quality Changes In Iowa Lakes Using Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery, Nathan Robert Green

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has identified more than 20,000 water bodies across America as polluted mainly due to agricultural non-point source pollution. Current techniques for monitoring and assessing the quality of waters in streams, reservoirs, lakes, and estuaries involve on site measurements and/or the collection of water samples for subsequent laboratory analyses. While this approach yields accurate measurements for a point in time and space, it is expensive, laborious, and cannot provide a temporal or spatial overview of water-quality trends. To overcome this liability, state and local agencies are seeking alternative and more cost effective methods. A …

Sticks, Stones, & Stigmas: A Social-Cognitive Account Of Stereotype Threat Mechanisms, Michael C. Philipp

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Stereotype threat effects have been a popular domain of much psychological inquiry over the past decade. A number of psychological dispositions (e.g., high levels of stigma consciousness, high levels of social dominance orientation, and high levels of domain identification), situational factors (e.g., out-group presence and task difficulty), and physiological characteristics ( e.g., levels of circulating testosterone) have been identified as factors that determine one's susceptibility to the performance debilitating effects of negative stereotype activation. Although each of these variables has been found to be important in eliciting underperformance under threat, no attempts have yet investigated the relationships between these variables. …

The Developmental Process Of Reflection In Youth Ministry, Laura Bowers

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The research of applied developmental practice of reflection is inconsistent and its theoretical framework changes depending on the disciplinary perspective. The variability is illustrative of reflection's complexity and its inconsistency as an ideal. This research attempts not only to define reflection within the context of the Prairie Lakes youth ministry program but also to highlight specific programmatic elements that are involved in the process. Through text analysis by the Minnesota Contextual and Content Analysis program and the theoretical guidance of Kohlberg, Mayer and Dewey insight into an applied reflective practice is formed.

A Descriptive Study Of The Frequency And Intensity Of Physical Activity Among Incoming First-Year Students At Luther College, Kristi Leonard

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Young adults are not as active as they should be in comparison to national standards. They are more overweight than is healthy. The purpose of this study was to describe the physical activity volume (frequency + intensity) of incoming first-year students at an Iowa liberal arts college. Did certain demographic characteristics, such as gender; projected major area of study; age; native language; religious preference; ethnic background; and past high school and projected college athletic, theater/drama, and music participation of these students make a difference in their volume of physical activity? This study focused on the examination of exercise behaviors of …

The Relationship Between Time Spent In Physical Activity During Daily Physical Education And Selected Physical Fitness Components Among Elementary And Secondary Students, Shelley Mccumber

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between the time spent in physical activity in the physical education classroom and the scores on the Fitness gram battery tests of the mile walk/run, sit-ups, flexed arm hang, trunk lift, and the sit and reach in elementary and secondary students. Two sub-problems were also investigated: (1) were there differences in the total amount of time spent in physical activity between elementary students and secondary students; and (2) were there differences in the percent of total class time spent in physical activity between elementary students and secondary …

Parental Marital Status Relationship With Adult Children’S Marital Status, Susan Barbara Frommelt Czerniak

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of this quantitative study is to examine the question does parental divorce during childhood influences the marital status of the child in adulthood? The data used in the present study come from a random representative national sample and was originally collected by Bumpass and Sweet (1988) for national use. The total sample size for the present study is 5027. It is hypothesized for this study that parental divorce will influence a child's martial status in adulthood. It is also expected that gender, race, and cohabitational history will interact with parental marital status and influence the marital status of …

The Implications Of Anger And School Violence, Ronda Hilbert

Graduate Research Papers

A series of highly publicized school shootings in the Untied States generated the misperception of an epidemic of school violence. Fears of school violence stimulated an ill-advised expansion of zero tolerance school discipline policies and the widespread distribution of profiles or warning signs of potentially dangerous students for use by school administrators. This paper presents that little is known about student threats of violence, although students in special education tend to commit disciplinary violations at a higher rate than regular education students according to some studies. Threats of violence pose a dilemma for educators, who must balance federal requirements, the …

Writing In Math And Distributive Learning In Math Problem Solving, Mary Jo Metz

Graduate Research Papers

Many teachers, parents and students have questions about single sex classrooms. Are there gender based strategies that can be used in single sex classrooms and coed classrooms?

The purpose of this study was to investigate a possible difference in the perceptions of boys and girls in their math problem solving ability, and to determine if writing in math and distribution of curriculum would be effective strategies in math problem solving. The researcher conducted a classroom study to determine the effects of writing in math and compare the impact on males and females. In addition, another study investigated the distribution of …

Agricultural Pollution Of Ground Water Near Gilbertville, Iowa, Paula Frost Even

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The transport of nutrients and contaminants from farm fields to the aquifer surrounding Gilbertville, Iowa, was monitored over a six-month period. The Gilbertville city water supply is obtained from the Silurian-Devonian aquifer, which has been determined to be highly susceptible to contamination because of the hydraulic characteristics of the aquifer and the overlying materials that allow contaminants to move to the aquifer fairly quickly. Monthly water samples were collected from April through September of 2004 from 26 private wells and 8 surface water sites within the source water protection area of the town's three wells. Each sample was tested for …

Using Learning Cycles To Introduce The Nature Of Science, Sally Coleman

Graduate Research Papers

This unit is designed to reach a portion of our student population that struggles with science. The course title is General Biology. It was designed to be an alternative to more difficult science classes. Students at our school are required to have three years of science to graduate. This class was added to our curriculum to be an alternative to students who probably will not be going to college and just need the science credits to graduate. Most of the students who take this class do not like science and they believe that they cannot "do" science.

Social Issues In Biology: A Course Template, Marcey J. Hand

Graduate Research Papers

Recent advances in biotechnology have raised difficult ethical questions and issues. There are many challenges associated with designing a curriculum that incorporates these issues into the context of the classroom. To begin with, an article collection or textbook is an impractical way to provide the primary information for a bioethics course. The information found on the Internet also poses a challenge because it may not be authentic or reliable. Another consideration is that teachers have limited time to prepare materials and organize the details of an issue-based course. Plus, most teachers have not been trained for teaching an issue-based course, …