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Educational Policies Committee Minutes, October 4, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

• Subcommittee Reports
• Curriculum Subcommittee
• Academic Standards Subcommittee
• General Education Subcommittee

Curriculum Subcommittee Agenda, October 4, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education

• University Studies Request

School of Veterinary Medicine

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change
• Delete Course

Department of Agricultural Systems Technology and Education

• Reactivate Course, Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Art and Design

• New Course
• University Studies Request

Department of Music

• Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change
• Title Change
• Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Theatre Arts

• New Course
• Prerequisite Change
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change, Grade Mode Change
• Title Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change, Add Dual List

Department of Economics …

Curriculum Subcommittee Minutes, October 4, 2012, Utah State University

Educational Policies Committee

School of Applied Sciences, Technology and Education

• University Studies Request

School of Veterinary Medicine

• New Course
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change
• Delete Course

Department of Agricultural Systems Technology and Education

• Reactivate Course, Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Art and Design

• New Course
• University Studies Request

Department of Music

• Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change
• Title Change
• Title Change, Course Description Change

Department of Theatre Arts

• New Course
• Prerequisite Change
• Credit Hour Change, Prerequisite Change, Grade Mode Change
• Title Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change
• Course Number Change, Prerequisite Change, Add Dual List

Department of Economics …

The Communicator, October 2012, Terry Messmer

All Current Publications

Effective 1 December, Todd Black will become the new wildlife manager for Deseret Land and Livestock (DLL), Woodruff, Utah. Todd has been a long-time stalwart and founding member of the Utah Community Based Conservation Program (CBCP).

Utah Science Vol. 66

Utah Science

Utah Science, a publication of the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station at Utah State University

Feasibility Study Of Using A Small Satellite Constellation To Forecast, Monitor And Mitigate Natural And Man-Made Disasters In Chile And Similar Developing Countries, Alex Becena, Marcos Diaz, Juan Cristobal Zagal

Small Satellite Conference

The humanitarian and economical effects that disasters have on developing countries might be diminished by using a satellite system. Although this capability has not been largely exploited by developing countries, the current trends on small satellite development encourage them to use the new paradigm possibilities. Today Chile, a developing country with high-frequency and diverse-type of disasters, is facing the problem of forecasting, monitoring and mitigating disasters. This work studies the feasibility of using small satellites to perform this activity. The need of ground-based sensor network in combination with satellite constellation for robustness is also analyzed.

Review Of The Book Fostering Human Development Through Engineering And Technology Education, Dan L. Householder

Engineering Education Faculty Publications

In their introduction to this sixth volume in the International Technology Education series published by Sense Publishers, editors Moshe Barak and Michael Hacker briefly outline their perspective on engineering and technology education and point out challenges facing the field as it attempts to move from an emphasis on specific knowledge and skills toward the development of higher order thinking skills. The volume explores four major dimensions: learning, human development, culture, and pedagogy.

The Use Of Life History Collage To Explore Learning Related To The Enactment Of Social Consciousness In Female Nonprofit Leaders, Susan R. Seymour

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This paper advances a novel qualitative research approach using life history collage. Rather that utilizing an interview protocol to enter into a participant’s story, life history collage invites participants to create a longitudinal collage of significant life events around a theme such as learning, relationships, or identity. The longitudinal nature of the collage situates and prioritizes significant life events with images, words, and elements chosen to represent events and circumstances. Each image within the collage contains rich and nuanced storylines that invite exploration by both researcher and participant. Meanings and subtexts are revealed as participants describe their collage and the …

Stephen C. Rowan And The U.S. Navy: Sixty Years Of Service, Cynthia M. Zemke

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This thesis is a career biography, and chronicles the life and service of Stephen Clegg Rowan, an officer in the United States Navy, and his role in the larger picture of American naval history. The author has utilized mainly primary sources, including a journal kept by Rowan himself (transcribed from a microfilm copy of a handwritten journal, 900+ pages), and the Official Records of the United States military branches that were kept during the course of the Civil War. Rowan's wartime experiences and the contributions he made during the Second Seminole War, the Mexican War, and the Civil War form …

Continental-Scale Characterization Of Molecular Variation In Quaking Aspen, Colin M. Callahan

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Quaking aspen has the largest natural distribution of any tree native to North America, ranging from Alaska through the breadth of Canada and south to mid-Mexico. Recent studies suggest a general decline of aspen throughout much of the range since at least the mid-20th century, though these findings remain inconclusive. Regardless, factors such as climate change, periods of drought, soil nutrient deficiencies, pathogens, insects, and encroachment by other tree species all pose risks to the health and maintenance of aspen across the continent. This situation is exemplified in the western United States where climate change is forecasted to have an …

The Role Of Educational Attainment In Migration Probability And Destination Selection For The Metropolitan Rust Belt, 1980-2000, Paul D. Jacobs

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The metropolitan Rust Belt has long been recognized as the industrial center of the United States. By the year 2000 many Rust Belt residents were leaving these industrial metropolitan areas for other parts of the country. My research looks to examine how deindustrialization triggers out migration in selected industrial metropolitan areas as well as how migrants are selected by educational attainment. Following this analysis, I examine proximate measures of social capital compared to educational attainment to determine which factors are most important for interregional migration decisions.

Using census data for 1980, 1990, and 2000, I find that higher levels of …

Improving Complementary Methods To Predict Evapotranspiration For Data Deficit Conditions And Global Applications Under Climate Change, Fathi M. A. Anayah

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

A reliable estimate of evapotranspiration (ET) in river basins is important for the purpose of water resources planning and management. ET represents a significant portion of rainfall in the water budget; therefore, the uncertainty in estimating ET can lead to the inaccurate prediction of water resources. While remote sensing techniques are available to estimate ET, such methods are expensive and necessary data may not be readily available. Classical methods of estimating ET require detailed land use/cover information that are not readily available in rural river basins. Complementary methods provide simple and reliable approaches to estimate ET using meteorological data only. …

Interdisciplinary Modeling: Water-Related Issues And Changing Climate - New Mexico State University, Laurel Saito, Alexander Fernald, Timothy Link

All ECSTATIC Materials

Graduate course in interdisciplinary modeling: water-related issues and climate change offered at University of Nevada, Reno in Summer 2012.

Wellness Works: A Collaborative Program For Youth And Adults In Rural Utah, Lindsey Shirley, Mark F. Roark, Lisa Lewis

Kinesiology and Health Science Faculty Publications

The article focuses on the need of Cooperative Extension programs for rural communities of Central Utah residents who are leading an unhealthy lifestyle. It is discussed that the Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agent in Utah developed a wellness community program to address the health concerns of adults. It is discussed that the program promotes healthy living in adults by emphasizing on physical activity and nutrition.

Integrating Rural Livelihoods And Community Interaction Into Migration And Enviroment Research: A Conceptual Framework Of Rural Out-Migration And Environment In Developing Countries, Hua Qin, Courtney G. Flint

Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology Faculty Publications

This article presents a conceptual framework linking perspectives from migration and environment with rural livelihoods and interactional community research in the context of rural out-migration and environmental changes in developing countries. Household livelihoods and community interaction comprise two core mediating factors between rural out-migration and rural environmental outcomes. Developing an interdisciplinary conceptual framework is an important way to advance migration and environment research that is built on knowledge from a variety of disciplines. By building linkages across different research fields, our conceptual framework provides an overall picture of the relevant mechanisms through which out-migration affects the rural environment. The framework …

Re-Configurable Putting Green, Matthew Ralphs

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

This report discusses the design of a prototype transformable putting green that can be programmed to recreate the topography of any putting green. The goal of the design was to give a realistic putting experience with real topography in an indoor environment. This report discusses the design of a pair of 4’x4’ module prototypes; a commercial implementation of this design would utilize a number of modules to create putting greens on a more realistic scale (example 12’x32’). The design of a full size transformable putting green necessitates a topographical range of up to 30”. After initial concepts and preliminary designs …

A Step Towards Sustainable: The Meshing Of The Mormon Church Headquarters' Environmental Earth Stewardship Practices With Modern Trends Of Sustainability, Natalie Watkins

Undergraduate Honors Capstone Projects

Planners and landscape architects are decision makers whose commitment to sustainable development is integral in transitioning our built environment into a renewable and more self sustaining system. The built environment is a place where the three pillars of sustainability comprising social equity, environmental bear-ability, and economic viability are clearly manifested. The recent decades or scientific research in this area have offered us opportunities to make changes in the built environment that will better support future generations of our local communities. However, social and religious community structures can make change difficult on the Wasatch Front where the headquarters of the Church …

Identifying And Quantifying Sediment Sources And Sinks In The Root River, Southeastern Minnesota, Justin Collin Stout

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Fine sediment, normally understood to refer to sand, silts, and clays; is a natural constituent in all rivers. When in excess this fine sediment can degrade the habitat for aquatic life in these rivers, and carry with it many pollutants and nutrients which can cause adverse effects on wildlife and human populations.

Understanding how this fine sediment moves through a river system, from erosion off of hillslopes, transport through the river, and finally export from the mouth of the system is vital part to land and river management. However, predicting how fine sediment moves through a system is a difficult …

This Was The Place: Apostasy From The Lds Church, Traci K. Burnett

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

As with every religion, the LDS (Mormon) Church suffers from attrition of membership. This study looks at the experiences of 21 individuals who have left the LDS church, asking about the reasons for leaving the church and about the consequences of making such a decision.

Unlike many other studies concerning religious apostasy, this research takes a strictly qualitative approach to examining the causes and consequences for leaving the LDS Church. Instead of focusing on demographic characteristics such as race, class, or gender as indicators for apostasy, this research asks a small group of individuals in-depth questions to gain a deeper …

The Role Of Fine-Scale Habitat Associations In Structuring Spider Assemblages: Determinants Of Spatial Patterns In Community Composition, Stephanie M. Cobbold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecologists strive to identify the mechanisms that drive the identity and abundance of species in different locations, because a better understanding of such factors enables them to better predict the effects of habitat modification on organisms, and to identify landscapes in which species are likely to benefit from conservation interventions. However, there is still no consensus on the mechanisms behind geographical variation in species diversity. The primary objective of this dissertation was to focus on spider assemblages to investigate how the fine-scale habitat associations of organisms may drive the composition of their communities at larger scales. Research was conducted in …

Knowledge, Norms And Preferences For Tamarisk Management In The Green And Colorado River Corridors Of The Colorado Plateau, E. Clay Allred

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This research was created collaboratively between the National Park Service and Utah State University as an explorative study addressing social implications of tamarisk management. It has created a stronger partnership between the university and the National Park Service in Moab, Utah. Through this research, Utah State University was able to find valuable social science data to aid public land managers in the planning and management of tamarisk control on the Colorado Plateau. Utah State funded a research assistant for one year to perform this research, totaling approximately $16,000.

This study focused on finding river user knowledge, preferences, and norms for …

A Multicase Study Of The Impact Of Perceived Gender Roles On The Career Decisions Of Women In Science-Related Careers, Stephen Frank Hren

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This study was done to determine how the perception of gender roles developed throughout childhood and early adulthood affected the career decisions of women who showed early promise in science. In addition, this study was done to determine if my experiences as a researcher would have any impact on me personally. Four women were chosen as case study participants, providing for comparison within and across cases.

Gender roles were found to relate to the career decisions made by the four cases in three ways: (a) support from family members, teachers, mentors, and collaborators; (b) opportunities within the family, school and …

Water Infrastructure Challenges In Urbanizing Environments: A Case Study Of The 2009 Logan Canal Landslide, Kathryn Davis Henderson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In July, 2009 in Logan, Utah, a wet, steep hillside failed, leveling a home below and destroying an irrigation canal that ran along the hill. Three people were killed. The event and the resulting policy changes present an opportunity to uncover how frames, or social constructions, play into the policy development cycle. This case also uncovers the nuances involved when old infrastructure takes on new social meanings. Planners and policymakers that pay attention to frames and social dimensions may be able to minimize conflict.

The landslide received immediate media attention and spurred state legislation on canal safety. The event had …

Factors Influencing The Distribution Of Brown Trout (Salmo Trutta) In A Mountain Stream: Implications For Brown Trout Invasion Success, Christy Meredith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Brown trout (Salmo trutta), one of the world’s most successful introduced species in river and lake systems, negatively impacts native species through predation, competition, and systemwide effects. Thus, there is a need to understand factors controlling the distribution of brown trout, in order to prioritize and develop conservation and management strategies. Within the context of invasion success, I investigated how the physical characteristics of the Logan River influence the distribution of brown trout, as well as the potential for brown trout predation on a native fish, the mottled sculpin (Cottus bairdi).

In chapter 1, I evaluated …

The Influence Of Geology And Other Environmental Factors On Stream Water Chemistry And Benthic Invertebrate Assemblages, John R. Olson

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Determining if a stream has been degraded by human activities requires knowing what that stream’s natural water quality and freshwater species composition would likely be without any alteration. However stream natural conditions vary greatly from stream to stream, making predicting natural conditions difficult. To determine natural stream conditions, I developed models to predict natural stream water chemistry at individual streams across the western USA. Specifically, the models predict a stream’s electrical conductivity (a measure of the amount of solids dissolved in water), acid neutralization capacity, and concentrations of calcium, magnesium, sulfate, total phosphorus, and total nitrogen. These models predict chemistry …

The Role Of Fine-Scale Habitat Associations In Structuring Spider Assemblages: Determinants Of Spatial Patterns In Community Composition, Stephanie M. Cobbold

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Ecologists strive to identify the mechanisms that drive the identity and abundance of species in different locations, because a better understanding of such factors enables them to better predict the effects of habitat modification on organisms, and to identify landscapes in which species are likely to benefit from conservation interventions. However, there is still no consensus on the mechanisms behind geographical variation in species diversity. The primary objective of this dissertation was to focus on spider assemblages to investigate how the fine-scale habitat associations of organisms may drive the composition of their communities at larger scales. Research was conducted in …

Places, Kellyn Bailey

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

There is an certain discomfort that accompanies stepping outside the known into the unfamiliar. Yet in my life, the endeavors I have been the most uncertain about have often turned out to be the most rewarding to me. This is especially true in the case of traveling. My first major experience away from home came with an opportunity to participate in a month-long study abroad in Switzerland. My uneasiness about the prospect of spending an extended period of time thousands of miles away from home almost kept me from going. In my life, I can identify a small handful of …

Hierarchical Structural Organizations Of State Political Parties, Isaac Mckay Higham

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

From August through November of 2011 I worked as an intern for the Utah Democratic state party at their state party headquarters. I started my internship around the same time as the newly elected chair of the state party, Jim Dabakis, assumed his new role as head of the party. Dabakis did not have the traditional resume of a party chair but rather had his background as an international art dealer and businessman. He had always been politically minded and involved in political causes, but he did not have the extensive partisan politics background that previous chairs had. In anticipation …

Using Short-Term Environmental Education Programs To Increase Student Learning And Elicit Positive Attitude Change, Tiffany Kinder

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

Short-term environmental education programs such as water festivals and field days are a common outreach tool for watershed programs, yet little is known about their effectiveness at increasing knowledge and environmental awareness. To address this question, I conducted a formal assessment by pre- and post-testing 1400 fourth-grade students who participated in a field day at a Forest Service campground in northern Utah. During the day, each child spent approximately one hour engaged in water-related activities, with an emphasis on aquatic macroinvertebrates and water quality. My research focused on whether this single hour was sufficient to change both knowledge and interest …

Exploring Second Language Learning: Communicative Competence, Pragmatics, And Second Language Literacy, Timothy M. Mecham

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

This portfolio is a compilation of the author’s teaching philosophy and three artifacts that explore elements of second language teaching. The teaching philosophy contains the author’s strategies of second language teaching including instructional practice, communicative language teaching theory, and application. This portfolio also contains artifacts of second language teaching that explore communicative competence, formal address pragmatics, and second language literacy. An annotated bibliography of books and articles that have impacted the author’s teaching beliefs and practices is also included.