Digital Commons Network^™

South Union Messenger (Spring 2018), Kentucky Library Research Collections

South Union Messenger

No abstract provided.

Action Items, Wku Graduate Council

Graduate School

Overview of action items handled by the Graduate Council.

Cyberbullying And School Climate, Emily Payton Fisher

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between demographic variables known to predict bullying and victimization, traditional bullying victimization, cyberbullying victimization, and school climate. Participants were 214 fourth and fifth grade students from three elementary schools in Warren County, Kentucky. Students answered demographic questions and completed a series of surveys including the Positive Experience Checklist and the School Climate Survey Suite. Demographic variables and traditional bullying victimization were regressed on the students’ perception of school climate (Model 1). Additionally, cyberbullying victimization was included in a second block to estimate its explanatory value (Model 2). The present study …

The Effects Of Teacher Demographics, Self-Efficacy, And Student Gender On Behavioral Referrals, Morgan E. Hestand

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The current study examined the most common reason for behavioral referrals and the effects of student gender, teacher age, teacher experience, and school setting on reasons for behavioral referrals to the schools intervention team or the Individual Education Plan (IEP) team. Additionally, it examined the self-efficacy of teachers and compared the self-perceptions of teaching general education students with behavior problems with perceptions of teaching students identified as having an Emotional Disturbance (ED). Participants included 179 general education teachers, grades K-12, from the state of Kentucky and additional teachers recruited from Facebook from across the U.S. Participants completed a survey about …

Interval Sprinting: Impact On Reading Fluency And Self-Efficacy, Laura C. Duncan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Reading fluency is the ability to decode connected text with accuracy and speed (Archer, Gleason, & Vachon, 2003; Daly, Neugebauer, Chafouleas, & Skinner, 2015), and is generally measured by how many words a student can read in a minute. Selfefficacy is the judgment people make about their own performance levels for specific abilities, which affects their motivation and behaviors concerning those abilities (Bandura, 1977). It is unknown if repeated reading or interval sprinting reading interventions have an effect on reading self-efficacy. Two third-grade students with low reading fluency participated in an alternate treatment design, using repeated reading and interval sprinting …

Mindful Eating And Eating Pathology: Correlation Between The Mindful Eating Questionnaire And The Eating Disorder Inventory-3rd Edition, Soujanya Sreedhara Chetluru

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between mindful eating and eating pathology. This was accomplished by using two measures, the Eating Disorder Inventory, Third Edition (EDI-3), and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ). Participants included in this study were 134 students from a midsized mid-south university who were asked to complete a demographics measure, EDI-3, and MEQ. Only three scales from the EDI-3 were considered; Drive for Thinness, Bulimia, and Body Dissatisfaction. Combined they provide an Eating Disorder Risk Composite (EDRC) score. Results indicated that there was no significant relationship between the MEQ overall score and the …

Poor Sleep As A Predictor Of Nssi And Suicide Ideation In Adolescents, Shelby Leeann Bandel

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Despite becoming a greater public health concern, the suicide rate among adolescents has not decreased significantly in recent years (Center for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2015). In fact, suicide is the second leading cause of death for individuals between 12-18 years (CDC, 2015). Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), the deliberate destruction of one’s own body tissue without suicidal intent and for reasons not socially sanctioned (Nock, 2009), has been identified as a robust predictor of suicide, above and beyond other risk factors such as depression and hopelessness (Asarnow et al., 2011; Guan, Fox, & Prinstein, 2012). Therefore, understanding risk factors for …

Grandfamilies In Vietnam: Grandparents’ Engagements In Grandchildren’S Academic Performance At School, Nga Thi Ngoc Nguyen

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In Vietnam, the number of grandparents who become full -time surrogate parents to their grandchildren has significantly increased. When parenting is left to grandparents, they play the same role as biological parents. They significantly affect the educational functioning, developmental outcomes, and well-being of their grandchildren. Using data from in-depth interviews with 16 participants who are raising their grandchildren, the current study provides insight into children’s education in the grandparents-headed households in Vietnam. The more grandparents are involved in their grandchildren’s educational process, the more likely their grandchildren are to achieve academic success. I have found that there is a strong …

A Climatology Of Convective And Non-Convective High-Wind Events Across The Eastern United States During 1973-2015, Victoria Murley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

High-wind events (HWE) occur across every region of the United States (U.S.) and result in hundreds of fatalities, as well as thousands of dollars in damages annually. HWEs are classified as sustained high-winds or high-wind gusts and can be generated from convective or non-convective weather systems. This study investigates high-wind observations across the eastern U.S. during a 43-year climatological period (1973-2015) for spatial and temporal variations in wind speed and direction. Hourly surface wind observations were gathered from the National Centers for Environmental Information Data Center Integrated Surface Database (NCEI-ISD). This dataset includes qualitycontrolled wind observations from 391 first-order weather …

Characterization Of Eight Potentially Hazardous Near Earth Asteroids: Rotation Period Analysis And Structure Modeling Via Light Curve Inversion Techniques, Stacy Jo Hicks

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The term “homeland security”, seems to have become synonymous with terrorism in the minds of the general public. However, there are other threats to the security of the United States homeland that can be just as, if not more, devastating than terrorism. Included among these other threats is the potential of an asteroid collision with Earth. Historically, asteroid impact events have been responsible for the devastation of our planet and many of the mass extinction events encountered throughout the geologic record. Knowledge of physical parameters such as structure and rotational dynamics of the asteroid are critical parameters in developing interception …

Making ‘The Ask’ To Internal Stakeholders: The Influence Of Organizational Identification On University Faculty And Staff Giving, Lora Haley Ashley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study was to explore faculty/staff identification with their employing university and how that, in turn, may influence their decision to financially support the institution, or not. This study employed a case study approach and a mixed methods research design utilizing both qualitative and quantitative data. An online survey using Cheney’s (1982) Organizational Identification Questionnaire measured faculty/staff members’ identification with the organization and with their specific departments. The survey also collected data on faculty/staff past charitable giving. Following the survey, qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted with faculty/staff members to explore what factors contributed to their …

Professional Development And Its Influence On Teacher Practice And Student Achievement, Jettie Pearl Payne

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This paper examines the characteristics of effective professional development (PD). It discusses the change process in a system and how it applies to an educational setting, including teacher practice and student achievement. This study uses a survey, interviews, and student benchmark assessment data to assess the influence of PD on a district. Four main themes surfaced from the research in this study: past experiences mold beliefs and practices, coherence throughout a system clarifies expectations, individualized professional learning leads to authentic change in practice, and professional development influences the entire system.

Break Us Beautiful, Elizabeth Upshur

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The problem addressed in this thesis is cultivating an answer to the question: what creates or comprises the sum total of my Blackness as a modern American woman living in our current political climate? I primarily use a read/call and response methodology, responding to both lived and hypothetical experiences that explore or demonstrate the ways that identity, race, gender, sexuality, regionality, religion, and the historical thumbprint intersect. The results are this collection of poems that is at times mythological, at times irreverent, both abstract and formal as it seeks to fit these pieces into a singular mosaic. The conclusion drawn …

Testing The Relationship Between Dialect Density And Social Interaction, Madeline Marita

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

With over 1300 international students from more than 70 countries, Western Kentucky University prides itself on being a diverse, welcoming community. However, many international students have a tendency to associate with other international students with similar dialects rather than with English-speaking students from the United States. This research explores the relationship between dialect density (how strongly a dialect or accent is expressed) and social interaction of individuals from the international student population on Western Kentucky University’s campus. Results revealed that the international students who had the mildest self-perceived dialect density had high self-perceived social interaction scores. Results also indicated that …

Effects Of Bingocize® On Quality Of Life, Fall Risk, And Health Knowledge In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Alyssa Kathryn Dispennette

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Quality of life (QOL) is an important aspects of overall well-being in older adults. QOL is associated with functional, physical, and psychological health; all of which can be improved with increased physical activity. A high fall risk is associated with low physical function and QOL. One in four older adults experiences a fall each year, making it necessary to focus public health interventions towards decreasing fall risk and improving QOL in older adults. Bingocize® is a health promotion program designed to promote health, health knowledge, physical activity, and social engagement among older adults. The purpose of this study was to …

Cada Día Por Dios (Every Day For God): A Look Inside La Luz Del Mundo And The Expansion Of Hispanic Evangelicalism, Jennifer King

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

“Cada día por Dios,” which translates to English as “Every Day for God” tells the story of the local congregation of the Hispanic evangelical church Iglesia del Dios Vivo, Columna y Apoyo de la Verdad, La Luz del Mundo. More commonly, the church is referred to as La Luz del Mundo or the Light of the World church. The local congregation of La Luz del Mundo is part of a larger trend of evangelical expansion in the Hispanic population and serves as a microcosm of the international church community.

The doctrine of the Light of the World church hearkens back …

Ua64/2 The Challenge: Magazine For The Center For Gifted Studies (No. 44, Summer 2018), Center For Gifted Studies, Tracy Inman

Gifted Studies Publications

No abstract provided.

Strickler, Sally Ann (Mcleod) Koenig, 1933-2016 (Mss 643), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 643. Research materials collected by Sally Ann Strickler related to the Shaker community at South Union, Kentucky. This material deals chiefly with women’s roles in the society. Also includes information about the U.S. flag and Strickler’s dissertation on library services in Southern Association of Colleges and Schools accredited institutions.

Acute Cardiometabolic Responses To Medicine Ball Interval Training In Children, Avery D. Faigenbaum, Jie Kang, Nicholas A. Ratamess, Anne C. Farrell, Nicole Ellis, Ira Vought, Jill Bush

International Journal of Exercise Science

International Journal of Exercise Science 11(4): 886-899, 2018. Medicine ball interval training (MBIT) has been found to be an effective exercise modality in fitness programs, yet the acute physiological responses to this type of this exercise in youth are unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the acute cardiometabolic responses to MBIT in children. Fourteen children (mean age 10.1 ± 1.3 yr) were tested for peak oxygen uptake (VO₂peak) on a treadmill and subsequently (> 48 hours later) performed a progressive 10 min MBIT protocol of 5 exercises (EX): standing marches (EX1), alternating lunges (EX2), squat …

Straub, Karen (Fa 1196), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Folklife Archives Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Folklife Archives Project 1196. Student paper titled “Mrs. Robert H. Saylor in Doll Making” in which Karen Straub interviews Mrs. Saylor, acraftswoman and doll making enthusiast. Straub offers insight into Saylor’s personal history with doll collecting and doll making, the materials Saylor uses in order to sew her products, the research and inspiration behind the process, popular trade publications and clubs relating to doll making, and specific step-by-step instructions on how to complete several varieties of dolls.

David Brinkley For Staff Regent, David Brinkley

Staff Council

Campaign email soliciting votes for David Brinkley.

Ua12/2/1 The Hill In Review, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter recapping the top stories of the week.

David Brinkley For Wku Staff Regent, David Brinkley

Staff Council

Campaign email soliciting votes for David Brinkley.

Meeting Minutes, Wku Council Of Academic Deans

Council of Academic Deans

Meeting regarding use of logos, fall courses, staffing plan, faculty evaluations and merit pay.

Ua12/2/1 The Hill In Review, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter recapping the top stories of the week.

Clarke, Mary Louise (Washington), 1913-1999 (Mss 634), Manuscripts & Folklife Archives

Manuscript Collection Finding Aids

Finding aid only for Manuscripts Collection 634. Research, correspondence and photographs relating to the scholarly study of Kentucky author Jesse Stuart by WKU English and folklore professor Mary (Washington) Clarke. Includes correspondence with Stuart, editors and other scholars in connection with her book Jesse Stuart’s Kentucky and other publications. Also includes research and correspondence relating to Clarke’s book Kentucky Quilts and Their Makers.

Meeting Minutes, Wku Staff Council

Staff Council

Minutes of June 2018 meeting, includes May 2018 compiled reports.

To Our Readers, Joseph Cangemi, Tony Norman

International Journal of Leadership and Change

No abstract provided.

Female Leaders - It’S Not Just About Gender: A Case Study, Nancy Lambe, Jeanne D. Maes

International Journal of Leadership and Change

From the passing of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, females have competed for previously all male-held jobs. Suddenly finding themselves on unfamiliar ground, women needed workplace survival guides more than workplace success guides. Over the years, numerous studies have tracked women on their way to the top of organizations. These studies noted while there are more women in the workplace today, overall women are still struggling with career advancement and, in particular, with role models for successful managerial leadership. As of 2014, nearly 52% of all professional-level positions in the United States were held by women; yet they …

The Fallacy Of Selecting The Right Person For The Job, Seth Allcorn, Howard F. Stein, Carrie M. Duncan

International Journal of Leadership and Change

Recruiting senior level higher education executives is more challenging than the customary and presumably rational approach of forming a search committee, running an advertisement or hiring a search firm, interviewing candidates, and making a selection. This article discusses many of the organizational dynamics that suggest logic and rationality often are lacking in recruiting for these important positions. The inevitable presence of conflicting interpersonal and intergroup dynamics that may not be discussable in any meaningful way compromises recruiting outcomes. Hiring the best person for the position may well not occur.