Digital Commons Network^™

An Exploration Of Effective Recruitment Sources For Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Beth Bruner

Master's Theses

Public Safety applicants have declined nationwide over the last several years, including those individuals applying to Norfolk Fire-Rescue (NFR). Declining applicants can be attributed to change in generational births, effects of 9/11, and change from the 18 year old high school graduate to a midtwenty year old college student. An applicant pool decrease requires more effective recruitment efforts. This study examines the NFR 2006 hiring process from written exam through applicants' hiring. A nonrandomized survey design examined 245 surveys of all exam applicants. Measured constructs included recruitment sources and demographic data and were analyzed specifically with regard to those who …

Incarceration : A Rising Population Dilemma, Lessie Smith Jr.

Master's Theses

The nation's incarceration growth continues to soar, having negative economic and societal effects. This research explores continued growth causes and possible answers to prevent, intervene, and slow down incarceration. Hampton Roads institutions' offenders and professional staff were surveyed. The survey focuses on preventive and intervention programs and their effectiveness, sociological and economical factors leading to imprisonment, and statistics supporting incarceration growth. The research goal is to validate program contents and components factoring into imprisonment. The study of others and information generated through this study are used to determine program needs and current effectiveness. This study explores reasons offenders frequent the …

A Study Of The Best Spanish Training Practices For Police Officers, Nicole Marie Otero

Master's Theses

Within the last ten years, the Hispanic population in the United States has grown immensely. This presents a communication problem between the Hispanic communities and the police departments who protect and serve them. This also creates a serious liability issue for police departments. Currently, law enforcement is struggling to adequately train police officers how to speak Spanish. This research examines ways for Chesterfield and Henrico County Police Departments to develop the Spanish-speaking skills of their current police officers. This research further provides details of possible costs to provide adequate Spanish-speaking training to the police officers in both counties. The data …

Recruitment And Retention Challenges For Law Enforcement Agencies : Identifying The Reasons For High Turnover Rates Of New Recruits, Scott A. Kearns

Master's Theses

The problem addressed in this study is the challenge to police agencies to

recruit and retain police officers. The Prince William County Police Department

(PWCPD) has experienced the challenges of filling sworn positions as we

continue to sustain our fully authorized staffing levels. This is a phenomenon

many agencies across the nation are experiencing. A survey was used to identify

the reasons for selecting the PWCPD for employment and what can be done to

retain employees to ensure a positive return-on-investment. A multi-step process

was followed in creating, distributing and analyzing the survey. Results lead to

the following conclusions: knowing …

Stressors On The Detectives Of The Prince William County Police Department, William P. Mackay

Master's Theses

Law enforcement is a highly stressful occupation, with law enforcement officials facing critical incidents such as violent crime scenes and potential loss of life. These incidents, however, are not a daily occurrence. The most common daily stressors associated with law enforcement originate from the law enforcement organization itself, the daily interactions with coworkers, the usage or misusage of the assigned equipment, and the individual's perception of the work environment. This study collected survey data to analyze the prevalence and effects of the daily stressors perceived by the detectives of the Prince William County Police Department. This study identified three areas …

The Impact Of Positive Reinforcement And Noncash Rewards: A Study Of How Its Implementation Can Affect An Employee's Level Of Motivation And Performance, Michael Benjamin Young

Master's Theses

The most powerful forms of motivation cost little or nothing at all. Though nominally effortless, the proper rewarding of excellent performers has become sorely underutilized. As a result, employees are feeling less appreciated and becoming more unmotivated. A review of the literature found three reverberating observations: it is a fallacy that money motivates; recognition, such as positive reinforcement and praise motivate; and tangible, low-cost, noncash rewards can motivate. The anecdotal data in this current research tends to support the salient findings provided by scholarly researchers. Additionally, this current research aims to illuminate the pressing need to make a more concentrated …

Generational Competence And Retention : A Study Of Different Generations In Law Enforcement And How These Differences Impact Retention In The Chesterfield County Police Department, Gary Scott Edwards

Master's Theses

There are currently four distinct generations in today's workforce (Veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials). This presents unique challenges for employers since each of these generations is affected and shaped by different events in their lives, which define the values they bring to work. These differences can be increasingly difficult to manage and may lead to conflicts. Significant research has been conducted in this area, but little has focused on public sector employees, specifically sworn law enforcement officers. This research examines whether generational differences observed in society as a whole are the same as those differences found in law …

Shrines And Prayers: Two Missing Elements Of Comprehensive Mass Fatality, Rhonda Keyes Pleasants

Master's Theses

As a Licensed Funeral Service Provider, I am aware of the special issues which surround mass fatalities. A study of numerous mass fatality plans yielded identification of two missing elements from most plans which are critical to mass fatality management. The first missing element is ritual used in the respectful treatment of the dead. The second missing element is religious precepts regarding caring for and final disposition of the dead based upon the particular belief system of the deceased, their family, surrounding community, and culture. Specific qualitative methods of research used were a review of the professional literature, identification of …

Library Services To Armenian-Speaking Community In Public Libraries Of Glendale, Edit Boghozian

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Public Transportation Accessibility Of San José State University : Fall 2004, Silvia Graciela Revilla Vergara

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Protest, U.S. Media, And Public Memory : The Dismantling Of The Berlin Wall, Rebecca June Busa

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

Slaveowners And Southern Soldiers : The Military Participation Of The Slaveholding Community In Civil War Lunenburg County, Virginia, Glenn Seiler

Master's Theses

Before the final shot of the Civil War rang out, the phrase "a rich man's war, poor man's fight" was well embedded in the psyche of Confederate citizens. Many historians credit such perceptions with ultimately condemning the Confederacy to failure. While numerous government policies seemed to emphasize a sense of protection toward the men of affluent Southern families, Confederate leaders disputed such claims. To the common Southerner the rich did not contribute in an equitable share of the fighting and often sought personal gain while the masses endured hardships. There can be no doubt internal class dissent plagued the Confederacy …

When Religion And Philosophy Meet : A Comparison Of The Theology Of The Unity School Of Christianity With The Classical Aristotelian Worldview, Jeffrey Michael Jackson

Master's Theses

The Unity School of Christianity's theology shares key characteristics with Aristotle's philosophical worldview, which have enabled it to meet the challenges of twentieth century America. Unity was founded in 1889 by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore in Kansas CIty, and has become a thriving religious movement in the United States and worldwide. A comparison of Unity's theology with Aristotle's philosophy finds that both share a pragmatic focus on physical life and its attributes instead of an afterlife; both accept the world as inherently good in nature; and both see underlying order and interconnection in the world. Both also see purpose in …

Predictors Of Breast And Cervical Cancer Screening Among Vietnamese Immigrant Women, Anh B. Nguyen

Master's Theses

Predictors of breast and cervical cancer screening among Vietnamese immigrant women. Anh B. Nguyen, Master of Arts in Psychology, University of Richmond, 2006. Thesis director: Barbara K. Sholley, Ph.D Although practicing preventative healthcare is an important part of a healthy lifestyle, some high-risk populations do not engage in preventative screenings for cancer. Vietnamese American women constitute a high-risk group in gynecological cancers, and it was hypothesized that tenure, acculturation, health insurance, a regular source of care, education, employment status, and marital status would affect rates of cancer screening. It was also hypothesized that the Vietnamese population would have different trends …

The Virginia War Department During The American Revolution, Thomas Gregory Tune

Master's Theses

This thesis will provide a comprehensive analysis of the Virginia War Office during the American Revolution. A study of the War Office must start with its origin and, therefore, with the legislation that created it. This thesis will explore the reasons for the creation of the War Office and its legislative evolution into one of the most powerful agencies in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It will also discuss the War Office's legislative demise near the end of the war as the Virginia General Assembly began to shrink the government in cost-saving measures.

The second part of this thesis will examine …

"Whoso Sheddeth" : Execution Sermons And Narratives In 18th Century New England, Adrienne H. Thornblom

Master's Theses

Murder, theft, and infanticide in eighteenth-century New England were all treated with the same punishment, public execution. The executions were not just public displays, but also a time for sermons and life lessons to teach those who witness the criminal's death to refrain from sinful behavior. At the core of every sermon was the Biblical passages used to warn the onlookers to be careful in life and a pea for the criminal to repent. In addition to the sermons, some of the criminals provided confessions to their crimes and even indicated their newfound salvation for their sins.

This thesis closely …

The Old College Goes To War : The Civil War Experiences Of William And Mary Students, Faculty, And Alumni, Sean Michael Heuvel

Master's Theses

A stroll around the modem-day William and Mary campus offers visitors many links to the college's colonial history. The re-created town of Colonial Williamsburg, the Wren Building, and statues and portraits of famous alumni, such as Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe, all conjure up images of William and Mary's eighteenth century grandeur. Conversely, evidence of the college's rich Civil War history is more obscure. Although scholars have recently examined Williamsburg's role in the War Between the States; little is known about the wartime activities of those individuals linked to William and Mary. This study examines the wartime service of …

From The Pixels Up : Processes And Procedures In The Construction Of A Neural-Site Geographic Information System, Christopher John Mason

Master's Theses

This study examines the question, is it possible to develop a neutral-site Geographic Information System (GIS) that addresses information needs useful for the training of emergency management personnel? To answer this question a subordinate question requiring an answer is what specific steps are required to accomplish this goal? As a base for the data provided here, the history of cities as an initial root of civilization and the concept of emergency management are discussed. Direct intersections, where the specific applications of emergency management technology provide real benefits to local governmental organizations, such as those at the city level are also …

"King Harvest (Has Surely Come)" : Rural Populist Imagery In Roots Rock Music, 1967-1973, Christopher Lee Witte

Master's Theses

Through a detailed focus on these five groups and their music, with an added emphasis on their lyrics, this thesis attempts to create a meaningful tie between Slotkin' s study of American myth-making and story creation with a key area of popular culture - music - that he did not focus on. The thesis itself is separated into three key chapters - the first reveals how nature and landscape are presented in these songs and how they viewed modern twentieth century America with idealized notions of a rural past. The second discusses their presentations of heroes and anti-heroes as musical …

The Marketing Of Mussolini : American Magazines And Mussolini, 1922-1935, Anthony F. Ambrogi

Master's Theses

Until the Halo-Ethiopian War, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the American press had a symbiotic relationship. Mussolini used his charisma and journalistic skills to put himself in the limelight of the American foreign press, and whether they loved him or hated him, American periodicals relished the constant flow of news and sensationalism from Rome. This analysis examines the rise of Fascism and Mussolini in Italy and his efforts to market himself to the press, especially the American press. It then reviews American magazines from 1922 until Italy's invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 and their varying attitudes toward II Duce. Popular …

Public Perceptions Of Water Reuse In Santa Clara County, California, Junlin Linda Liu

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

An Online Training Module For Staff In A Combined University-Public Library, Bridget Kowalczyk

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

The "Cosmic Covenant" In The Letter To The Hebrews, Jeffrey P. Walker

Master's Theses

The Topic The "cosmic covenant" in Hebrews reflects three main ideas: There exists a close affinity between the letter and Enochic Judaism; the letter is a product of Roman Gentile Christianity that emerged as a response to Jewish particularists in the Second Temple covenantal debate; and the writer's cosmic perspective had the simultaneous effect of supplanting and universalizing the Jewish covenantal concept. The Purpose The thesis offered here is that Hebrews presupposes a notion of "cosmic covenant" similar to that found in Enochic Judaism. Conclusions What has emerged is support for how the universalistic scope of 1 Enoch and its …

The Battle Of The Crater, William Mahone, And Civil War Memory, 1864-1937, Kevin Michael Levin

Master's Theses

The battle of the Crater, which took place outside Petersburg, Virginia on July 30, 1864, proved to be one of the bloodiest engagements in the final year of the Civil War. The attempt on the part of Union commanders to break the growing siege between the two armies by tunneling under a Confederate position and exploding 8,000 pounds of explosives created a battle environment unseen elsewhere. The novelty of the mine explosion, the close hand-to-hand fighting, extensive casualties, the decision to include United State Colored Troops in the attacking columns, and a decisive Confederate victory guaranteed that the battle would …

Nonprofit Human Services Agencies And Reliance Upon Government Funding: Implications For Organizational Development, Leon D. Winston

Master's Theses

Based on interviews with the executive directors of twenty human service agencies from San Francisco, CA, which received 60% or more of their funding from government sources, this study explores what organizational and operational benefits and challenges these executives attribute to reliance on government for funding support.

The theoretical framework for the study relies on resource dependency theory within a natural or open systems model of organizational development. This illuminates the relationships between nonprofit human services agencies and the government agencies that fund them. The dependency relationship is seen as being of mutual benefit, although power distribution within these relationships …

A Study On Donor Preferences And Charitable Giving, Stephanie Roderick Williams

Master's Theses

This study entailed the administration of a mail survey of 2,000 donors to determine if baby boomers (aged 40 to 58) would be more inclined than mature donors (aged 59 and older) to value efficiency, organizational outcomes, and information when making a charitable gift. There were no statistically significant differences between donors of the baby boomer generation and mature donors concerning the variables efficiency and outcomes, but there were statistically significant differences between baby boomers and mature donors regarding the variable information: baby boomers valued information more than mature donors did.

Moreover, significant differences were found between young donors (aged …

Richmond, Virginia's Every Monday Club, 1889-1919, Maureen Elizabeth Salmon

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the formation and growth of the Every Monday Club, a woman's literary club in Richmond, Virginia in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Since the group has never been researched before, most of the study concentrates on untouched archives. The study uses the extensive Every Monday Club papers which include club meeting minutes, letters, papers, pictures, yearbooks, and newspaper clippings. This information is also supplemented with obituaries, census, and other primary data. The records disclose issues of class, race and education.

The Troubled Intersection Of The Interests Of Christ And Commerce : Appellate-Court Review Of Virginia Sunday Closing Laws In Historical Overview Through 1942, William Robert Vanderkloot

Master's Theses

Virginia's Supreme Court of Appeals, between 1900 and the conclusion of this thesis in 1942, consistently narrowed Virginia's Sunday closing law, enacted in 1786 to prevent Sunday labor. While paying lip service to the statute's purpose, the court almost unhesitatingly chose statutory interpretations encouraging more Sunday labor, particularly by expanding its ''necessity" and "charity" exceptions. The legislature also granted additional statutory closing law exceptions. This reflected the preferences of the public as well, which increasingly depended on the services of others laboring on Sunday. These results were also due, in part, to inherent confusions and contradictions in the law itself, …

The Vascular Flora Of Powhatan County, Virginia, Michael Austin Terry

Master's Theses

The project was undertaken with three main goals in mind: to provide as current and complete an account as possible of the flora of Powhatan County in the form of an annotated checklist; to integrate the information obtained from the inventory into phytogeographical and ecological generalizations currently being developed for the state of Virginia; and, to report any significant or anomalous discoveries. There is no previous county-wide inventory of plant diversity for Powhatan County. However, Corcoran (1981) published a list of plants from the Jones and Mill Creek watershed located in the Fine Creek Mills area of northeastern Powhatan.

Beyond Battering : The Long-Term Effects Of Domestic Violence, Christine Hagion-Rzepka

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.