Digital Commons Network^™

Bridging The Divide Between Upper And Lower Classmen: Resources For Mentors And Freshmen In The Choral Education Program, Tanner Hancock Pruett

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The recent decline in student retention in the choral education program at Utah State University should be cause for concern. Students who are excited and passionate about choir are leaving choral education and/or dropping out of college entirely. However, research into college retention rates and the experiences of choral education students at USU has helped explain this decline in student retention.

My review of research about college retention rates indicates that some of the biggest reasons that students drop out of college are academic difficulty, interpersonal difficulties, and mental health. It also indicates students with a strong sense of support …

Curriculum Complexity And Graduation Rates At Utah State University, Hayden Hoopes

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This study utilizes a curricular analytics framework developed by Heileman et al. (2018) to examine the relationship between curriculum complexity and graduation rates in academic programs at Utah State University. The goal in quantifying the complexity of curricula is to determine whether or not prerequisite courses and other factors of curricula structure impacts graduation from the university. To accomplish this goal, curriculum complexity spreadsheets were developed for 96 degree programs at the university, which facilitated the assignment of curriculum complexity scores to the 6,337 students who qualified for the quasi-experimental study. Logistic regression was then applied to the resulting data …

Don't Panic: A Music Therapy Student's Journey, Kira Lynn Anjewierden

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many college students change majors at some point in their undergraduate study. Studies have found that students who change their major late in their education are more likely to graduate from the institution at which they started than those who switch before their 5th semester. At its conception, the purpose of Don't Panic: A Music Student 's Journey was to serve as an informative source for those interested in the Music Therapy Program at Utah State University, reflecting on both the requirements and the process through the experience of one student. In the time since, the author changed majors, and …

Monitering And Addressing Light Pollution At Utah State University, Rachel Kim Nydegger

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Many outdoor light fixtures illuminate in all directions, meaning that a large portion of light is emitted upwards. This excess light - light pollution - represents wasted energy and money, decreases public safety, is a health hazard for humans as well as wildlife, and inhibits the view of the night sky. In order to quantify the anthropogenic contribution of local light pollution, I studied detection methods at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory though a summer REU in 2013. Upon my return to USU, I monitored the night sky brightness from September 2013 to April 2015 at Utah State University. Due …

Assessing Attitudes Towards Global Climate Change Among Utah State University Faculty, Amy C. Rohman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Climate change is a polarizing issue in which there are significant differences in perception between the scientific community and the general public. The intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has formally acknowledged an increasing body of evidence that supports primarily human-caused climate change. No scientific organization has dissented, and over thirty national academies of the sciences have issued joint declarations confirming the evidence of anthropogenic climate change. Therefore, polarization is not caused by a lack of available scientific information. This study surveys Utah State University faculty to solicit their knowledge of and attitudes towards global climate change. Responses are assessed …

Spectrum Noise Exposures - Analysis And Control Implementation, Kyle Lynn Naylor

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

The Dee Glen Smith spectrum at Utah State University has a reputation of having one of the loudest student sections in the nation. For years, students have taken pride in creating a home court advantage by creating an extremely rowdy and loud atmosphere. Many would agree that this is what makes USU basketball so special.

Elevated noise levels, however, have the potential of creating a health hazard to both employees and spectators. Elevated noise levels can cause negative acute effects such as headache, dizziness, nausea, and tinnitus (ringing in the ears). The most likely acute affects that students, employees, and …

A Short Stress Coping Intervention In Female Collegate Student-Athletes, Brett K. Steadman

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This research examines the effect of a stress coping based intervention in the lives of female student-athletes. Sixteen female student-athletes attending Utah State University participated in a 60 minute intervention teaching skills such as progressive muscle relaxation, stressor identification, and stress coping. Participants completed the Inventory of College Students’ Recent Life Experiences before and after the intervention. The scores collected from the inventory were used to determine whether the intervention had a significant impact on the amount of perceived stress in their lives. The findings suggest that those who participated in the 60 minute intervention experienced no change in their …

Hearing Nothing, Brittany Nelson

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Utah State prides itself in its services for students, but recently those services have made negative headlines. Deaf students have filed a lawsuit against the university complaining about the lack of sign language interpreters. But some complain that they are still hearing or seeing no response.

For my Thesis Project, I produced a documentary highlighting the problem both here on our campus, and on a statewide and even nationwide level. I researched the issues, conducted interviews, wrote the script, taped all video and edited the video. The 20 minute documentary was shown publicly on campus in an effort to make …

Improving Utah State University's Healthcare Plan, Aleece Blake

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Utah State University provides health insurance for 10,400 people (3,500 contracts). Employees of the university who qualify for this insurance have the option to pick one of 2 plans, Blue or White. Utah State essentially self-insures these plans, and Blue Cross Blue Shield administers them. This means that the university has a reserve set up to pay the medical claims of all of the people covered by these plans and bears most of the risk associated with providing this insurance. Some of the risk is transferred from the university to the covered individuals through deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. The rest …