Digital Commons Network^™

What Does College Writing Really Entail? The Ccss Connection To University Writing, Marcy Taylor, Elizabeth Marie Brockman

Teaching/Writing: The Journal of Writing Teacher Education

This article responds to the question: What Does College Writing Really Entail? The authors showcase four university-level writing assignments and demonstrate how they collectively reflect both assessment results of study of college writing at a Midwestern University and the Common Core State Standards, especially the writing and reading anchor standards.

Western News, Nov. 19, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU one of nation's leading green colleges; Lifelong learning entity gets $1 million endowment; University garners 6th consecutive 'Best for Vets' honor; On Campus with Arnold Taylor.

Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting The Water Project, Autumn Gammon

Honors Theses

The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament took place on September 26, 2015 as Autumn Gammon and Morgan DeBoer’s honors thesis project for the Lee Honors College. The tournament was a fundraising event that helped bring awareness to The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization that is dedicated to bringing clean water systems to communities throughout Sub-­‐Sahara Africa. Held at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, the event brought together Western Michigan University students and surrounding community members for a fun-­‐filled day in the mud supporting a deserving cause.

The event took a great deal of organizing, with planning starting in the …

Mud Volleyball Tournament Fundraiser Event Supporting The Water Project, Morgan Deboer

Honors Theses

The WMU Mud Volleyball Tournament took place on September 26, 2015 as Autumn Gammon and Morgan DeBoer’s honors thesis project for the Lee Honors College. The tournament was a fundraising event that helped bring awareness to The Water Project, a non-­‐profit organization that is dedicated to bringing clean water systems to communities throughout Sub-­‐Sahara Africa. Held at the Kalamazoo County Expo Center and Fairgrounds, the event brought together Western Michigan University students and surrounding community members for a fun-­‐filled day in the mud supporting a deserving cause.

The event took a great deal of organizing, with planning starting in the …

Accessus Ad Auctores: Medieval Introductions To The Authors (Codex Latinus Monacensis 19475), Stephen M. Wheeler

TEAMS Secular Commentary Series

Medieval commentaries typically included an accessus, a standardized introduction to an author or book. In the twelfth century these introductions were anthologised, referred to now as Accessus ad auctores. They served as the first handbooks of literary criticism. The earliest and most comprehensive example, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Clm 19475, saec. XII, is presented here for the first time in a faithful critical edition, with a new translation and explanatory notes addressing different aspects of the text. This book's aim is to present an accurate version of the text while respecting the arrangement and integrity of the anthology as a …

Western News, Nov. 5, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: Michigan earns liberal education status; WMU, Peace Corps giving students added service edge; First Lady to spotlight campus assault prevention; On Campus with Teresa Ventimiglia.

College Of Arts And Sciences E-News Issue 31: November 2015, College Of Arts And Sciences

College of Arts and Sciences news

• Master of Arts in Spirituality, Culture and Health
• Climate Change Studies Minor
• WMU Researches Rare Disease
• History Professor Linda Borish Mentors a SEITA Scholar
• Dr. Arthur R. McGurn Publishes Physics Book

Opening Of Heritage Hall, John M. Dunn

WMU President John Dunn

No abstract provided.

Updates In Academic Affairs - 10/19/15, Office Of The Provost And Vice President Of Academic Affairs

Updates in Academic Affairs

• College Of Arts And Sciences Dean Candidates To Be On Campus This Fall
• Veterans, Military Personnel Honored During Slate Of Events
• University Libraries, Engineering College Partner In Embedded Tech Venture

Successfully Promoting 21st Century Online Research Skills: Interventions In 5th-Grade Classrooms, Tara L. Kingsley, Jerrell C. Cassady, Susan M. Tancock

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

This quantitative study was developed to explore the ability to impact elementary student 21^st Century online research skills with a planned classroom intervention curriculum. The repeated measures quasi-experimental study randomly assigned all 5^th grade classes in a Midwestern, suburban school (n=418) to a 12-week intervention or control condition. Analyses of the ORCA Elementary-Revised performance prior to intervention revealed significant correlations with traditional measures of reading achievement as well as limited influence from demographic variables. In the primary research question, results demonstrated that the intervention group showed significantly higher gains from pretest to posttest on the measure of online …

Enhancing Nonfiction Reading Comprehension Through Online Book Discussions, Angela Falter Thomas

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Abstract

The introduction of Common Core State Standards has many middle grade school teachers concerned with implementing standards while retaining student reading engagement and motivation strategies. This study analyzes the effectiveness of providing social networking strategies in online book discussion groups on enhancing middle grade student reading engagement and motivation. Additionally, this study reaffirmed that offering students choice of texts fostered more autonomous learning habits. Finally as a result of facilitating these online book discussions, graduate students were able to learn and develop more effective strategies and skills for engaging and motivating middle grade student reading. It is hoped that …

Updates In Academic Affairs - 10/05/15, Office Of The Provost And Vice President Of Academic Affairs

Updates in Academic Affairs

• University Libraries Dean Finalists to Present Public Talks on Campus
• Exploratory Advisors Help Students Zero in on a Program of Study
• Provost to Hold Forum for Non-Bargaining Unit Staff Members
• Fridays with Friends Mixers Scheduled through May

A Bibliographical Guide To The Study Of The Troubadours And Old Occitan Literature, Robert A. Taylor

Research in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

Although it seemed in the mid-1970s that the study of the troubadours and of Occitan literature had reached a sort of zenith, it has since become apparent that this moment was merely a plateau from which an intensive renewal was being launched. In this new bibliographic guide to Occitan and troubadour literature, Robert Taylor provides a definitive survey of the field of Occitan literary studies - from the earliest enigmatic texts to the fifteenth-century works of Occitano-Catalan poet Jordi de Sant Jordi - and treats over two thousand recent books and articles with full annotations. Taylor includes articles on related …

The Style Evolution Of Glasses: Acknowledging Well-Being For Wearable Medical Device, Lydia Royeen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

The focus of Peta Bush’s work is to create wearable medical devices that address all qualities of the individual, including physical, mental, emotional, and psychosocial aspects. Peta is completing a practice-based research PhD titled “Therapeutic jewelry: The craft of people-centric devices for wellbeing.” Her passion for creating wearable medical devices that are multi-dimensional stems from her personal experiences, as she has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. In addition, she uses her knowledge of well-being and the biopsychosocial model when creating her wearable medical devices. Peta currently uses technology, such as 3D printing, as one method to fabricate her collection. Her aspirations are for …

Occupational Therapy Students’ Perspectives Of Professionalism: An Exploratory Study, Theresa M. Sullivan, Andrea K. Thiessen

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Professionalism is a dynamic, socially constructed idea, rendering it difficult to comprehend. Though characterized by the demonstration of values and behaviors, its meaning has not been fully explored and remains tacit. To explore how first- and second-year master’s of occupational therapy students conceptualize professionalism.

Method: This qualitative pilot study evolved from an interpretivist theoretical perspective. Convenience sampling yielded four first-year and seven second-year students from one entry-level master’s program to participate in two separate focus groups. Line-by-line constant comparison methods were used to analyze the data and identify categories. An audit trail, peer debriefing, and member checking were employed. …

The Future In Their Hands: The Perceptions Of Practice Educators On The Strengths And Challenges Of “Generation Y” Occupational Therapy Students, Caroline Hills, Kobie Boshoff, Susan Gilbert-Hunt, Susan Ryan, Derek R. Smith

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Those born between 1982 and 2002 are termed “Generation Y”. This younger generation is thought to have unique characteristics, due to the societal and technological influences that they experienced in their formative years. In occupational therapy, this group has been found to have unique attributes that have impacted on practice education. This study replicated an earlier study to affirm or refute the existence of the Generation Y student in occupational therapy from practice educator perspectives. An Australian university previously developed and administered the survey tool. In this current study, the electronic survey was sent to all practice educators listed …

Executive Functioning: Relationship With High School Student Role Performance, Donna P. Mann, Roberta Snover, James R. Boyd, Andrea J. List, Aaron J. Kuhn, Bridget N. Devereaux, Susan M. Chenoweth, Gina L. Middaugh

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

BACKGROUND. Student role performance for academic success in secondary education is under represented in the occupational therapy literature, despite the persistently high dropout rate in the United States (Stillwell & Sable, 2013). Executive dysfunction is one of many possible contributors to difficulties in the classroom (Dirette & Kolak, 2004) and is a better indicator of school performance than IQ (Diamond, 2012). This research examined executive functioning of both alternative and traditional high school students to determine if there is a relationship between executive function and academic success as measured by cumulative grade point average.

METHOD. 132 high school students from …

Socio-Economic Dimension Of Indoor Radon Gas In West Michigan - A Public Health Discourse And Merit To Use Hit In Shaping Health Behavior, Azizur Molla

Transactions of the International Conference on Health Information Technology Advancement

This study focuses on indoor radon levels and socioeconomic data from West Michigan, MI. It was designed to: i) analyze the relationship between indoor radon levels and socioeconomic status of the participating households, and ii) assess the degree of public awareness about the danger of indoor radon gas. The study participants expressed that they knew that radon was negative, and a health risk, but were not equipped with the knowledge to test for or mitigate radon. With nearly half of the participants affected in some way by cancer, radon is a concern and a source for worry among many citizens. …

Leon Sun, Linda Hanes

International Faculty Researchers

Living and working in two countries provided a cultural contrast that has greatly inspired and influenced the art and design of Yuanliang (Leon) Sun, an associate professor of art at Western Michigan University.

Patrick Wilson, Christine Lena

International Faculty Researchers

New urban developments in the growing city of Chongqing, China have captured the imagination of Artist Patrick D. Wilson, a Western Michigan University assistant professor of sculpture and integrated media, whose art work is often influenced by architectural imagery.

Wmu International News Fall 2015, Haenicke Institute

WMU International News

• Internationalizing the arts
• Friends from Kurdistan find musical home at Western
• 5 Music lessons from South Vietnam
• Note taken on this WMU trombonist on an international stage
• Flutist composer coins new genre, Universal Americanism
• Music WMU professor takes worldly approach in researching the healing power of music
• Dominican Republic art calloborative brings interactive exhibit to WMU
• Cross-cultural graphic designer and artist conjoins east and west technology and creativity
• Coupling art and architecture opens doors to China for WMU professor
• Book Arts in Venice study abroad program
• Engineering alumnus masters theater in India
• Dancer becomes vehicle for social change in Panama

The Socializer-Fall 2015, Department Of Sociology

The Socializer

Fall 2015 Sociology departmental newsletter.

Enewsletter- October 2015, College Of Education And Human Development

College of Education and Human Development News

• Three WMU Professors Awarded U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Grant
• TRiO Receives $1.1 Million Grant
• Alumni Ranked in Most Influential People in Healthcare List
• Graduate Named America's Best Adapted Physical Education Teacher of 2015
• TLES Alumni Selected to America Achieves Michigan Educator Voice Fellowship
• Student is Third in a Row from FCS to Win National Scholarship

Lhc Lines- Fall 2015, Lee Honors College

Lee Honors College News

• Greetings Friends and Alumni!
• Staff Spotlight:
• Outstanding Alumni
• Alumni Updates
• Raise Your Voice
• Study in the States
• What’s New
• Graduation
• Recent Graduates
• Student Research and Study Abroad
• Alpha Lambda Delta
• In Memory of Carl Lee

Western Michigan University Magazine, Fall 2015, Western Michigan University

Western Michigan University Magazine (1997-present)

• University News
• In Print
• Expert Insights
• College News
• Classnotes
• In Memoriam
• Alumni Profile
• A Historic Rebirth
• Exonerating the Innocent
• Something's in the Air
• Mending the Gap
• Flexible Expertise

Cto Updates - October 2015, Office Of Information Technology

Tech Talk

• Bernhard center computer lab update
• homepages.wmich.edu
• Security authorizations online
• WMU Wi-Fi
• Did you know?

Western News, Sept. 24, 2015, Western Michigan University

Western News (1972-2018)

Story highlights: WMU launches new state autism resource; First Western Heights residents to showcase new hall; Four of 10 campuswide award winners announced; On Campus with April Eby.

Improving Online Student Experience, Tara R. Gish

Academic Leadership Academy

Whether it is through fully online courses, web enhanced courses, or hybrid courses, nearly all students will participate in online learning during their time with Western Michigan University.

Often, services that are available to main campus students are not extended to online student. Administrators and staff must find ways to reach these students with innovative and accessible student support services that are commensurate with the services available to main campus students. Staff must also consider how web presence influences student experience, both positively and negative, and adjust web content and aesthetics accordingly.

Proposal – Enhancing the current WMU-Online Education web …

Implementation Of Second-Year Experience At Wmu, Adrienne Fraaza

Academic Leadership Academy

Research indicates that second-year students need additional resources and attention to encourage their persistence at the university. After receiving copious guidance during the first year they are often left to navigate the following year on their own, where in reality, they need a great deal of support to help them continue to matriculate successfully.

As costs rise and more students turn to online education, it is imperative that WMU offers holistic and engaging support systems at all levels of a student’s college career. Both national and institutional research shows that the needs of second-year students are not being met. This …

Project Management Systems Thinking Departamental Upgrade, Madeleine Lakatos Fojtik

Academic Leadership Academy

Student Affairs Marketing Communications provides support services Assessment Results for several Western Michigan University departments. In addition to a strong online Web presence, printed materials continue to be a popular medium for Dining Services, Residence Life, Student Affairs and Children’s Place Learning Center, a primary list of Student Affairs departments marketing does work for. Promotional materials are developed for both new students recruitment and retention of students. Throughout the year, the marketing department develops and designs a variety of projects in print, digital media and for the Web—in fact over 400 per year. The marketing team consists of a marketing …