Digital Commons Network^™

Share And Share Dislike: The Rise Of Uber And Airbnb And How New York City Should Play Nice, Alexandra Jonas

Journal of Law and Policy

Uber and Airbnb are two companies in the emerging “sharing economy” that provide individuals with a means to become entrepreneurs and benefit from a laissez-faire business model. The problem, however, is that while the benefits to users are great, so too are the risks. The dangers of operating without restraint and circumventing existing law are not only potentially harmful to unapprised users, but also adversely affect the continued use of these businesses. Every aggrieved user complaint has the potential for a lawsuit and every violation creates an opportunity for penalties. Left over are attempts by the courts and city government …

Deaccessioning: A Pragmatic Approach, Ardis E. Strong

Journal of Law and Policy

Art museums are curators of ideas, preservers of culture, and educators on the evolving aesthetics and morals of society. As such, they play an important role in contemporary society and should be accessible to a wide and diverse audience. One important debate in how museums best serve the public interest involves the museum practice of deaccessioning. Historically, policies governing the proceeds museums receive when they deaccession (or remove) work from their collection have strictly limited the use of these funds to the purchase of new art. This policy is based on the idea that museums hold art for the public …

The Hidden World Of Unconscious Bias And Its Impact On The "Neutral" Workplace Investigator, Ashley Lattal

Journal of Law and Policy

Workplace investigations into complaints of harassment, discrimination, and other allegations of workplace misconduct have become a critical method for employers to establish that they have complied with certain obligations to provide a discrimination-free workplace. As a result, the fairness and effectiveness of the workplace investigation process utilized by employers has increasingly come under judicial scrutiny. The nature of workplace investigations rests upon the assumption and expectation that workplace investigators are capable of being impartial in making findings of fact. For this reason, courts have identified the impartiality of the investigator as a key tenet of a fair and effective workplace …

Not Yet Enough: Why New York's Sexual Assault Law Does Not Provide Enough Protection To Complainants Or Defendants, Nicolo Taormina

Journal of Law and Policy

Title IX requires colleges to investigate and adjudicate allegations of sexual assault between students. New York State has recently passed a new law called “Enough is Enough,” which strengthens Title IX’s requirements. However, neither Title IX nor “Enough is Enough” provides strict guidelines for the procedures colleges must use when adjudicating complaints. This means that colleges across New York employ different procedures and offer different sets of rights to their students. After examining federal and state law, some examples of college procedures and the effects they have on students, this Note concludes that “Enough is Enough” must be amended to …

Analysis Of Middle Level Trade Books With Gender And Sexual Minority Content, Jena Borah

Masters Theses

Middle school is often the time students become aware of their sexual orientation or gender identity, and in many schools, perceived nonheteronormative behavior is penalized through bullying. One way schools can reduce bullying and increase successful learning environments is to include trade books that feature gender and sexual minorities. State and national standards set expectations for social and emotional learning as well as critical analysis of high quality reading materials. This research analyzed trade books from the 2013 and 2014 Rainbow Lists which were chosen by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Round Table of the American Library Association as …

Seeing Red In A Sea Of Green: Anthocyanin Production In A Carnivorous Plant, Pinguicula Planifolia, Jenna Annis

Masters Theses

The Southeastern United States is a biological hot-spot for carnivorous plants, with over half of the North American species occurring along the Gulf Coast. Pinguicula planifolia Chapman is one of six carnivorous perennial butterwort species found in the Florida Panhandle. Among these species, only P. planifolia expresses a distinct variation of red coloration on its leaves. The functional role of foliar anthocyanins may include stress response to drought and nutrient deficiency, herbivory defense, free radical scavenging, and photoprotection. Carnivorous plant leaves face strong selection pressures to optimize prey capture and nutrient absorption. Given the frequency of these red pigments in …

A Quantitative Study Of The Source Of Stress For First Generation Freshman Female College Students, Amber Byrley

Masters Theses

This study compared the sources of stress between first-generation and continuing-generation freshman female students, Caucasian and non-Caucasian freshman female students, and straight and non-straight freshman female students. This study was conducted at a rural, Midwestern, four-year, public institution, 101 first time freshman students living in on-campus housing participated in this study. A quantitative study was designed using Higbee and Dwinell's (1992) Developmental Inventory of the Sources of Stress (DISS) questionnaire which measures stress in five sub-categories including time management, physical lifestyle, academics, interactions, and chemical stressors. Results of the study indicated that overall, first-generation freshman females experience more total stress …

An Intersectional Analysis Of Male Student-Athletes' Meaning-Making About Masculinity, Michelle Lisack

Masters Theses

Men's athletics is often viewed as an environment where hegemonic masculinity is perpetuated, though some believe this environment provides a safe space for men to break away from hegemonic masculinity. This study was designed to gain an understanding of how male student-athletes experience masculinity and how the context of athletics influences meaning-making about masculinity. Using a phenomenological approach, the researcher interviewed five male student-athletes and observed the practice sessions of two different teams. The participants were student-athletes of junior or senior status from the following sports: tennis, soccer, swimming, baseball, and basketball. Results showed that male student-athletes found it challenging …

Athletic Identity And Career Transitioning Of Former Collegiate Athletes, Cameron Jimenez

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was to try and advance the understanding of athletic identity (AI) and its specific effects on former athletes. Previous studies in the area seem to focus on the relationship between AI, exercise habits, career maturity, and career transitioning of professional athletes. For example: Erpič, Wylleman, and Zupančič, (2004) examined former professional Slovene athletes. While those are important aspects of life former athletes encounter, the primary investigator (PI) felt it was important to understand the effects AI presents upon employment status of collegiate athletes who did not play professionally. Eighty-five former collegiate athletes participated and completed …

This Is Outrageous!: Understanding Consumer Anger And Brand Reputation On Social Media, Kimberly Legocki, Kristen Walker

School of Economics and Business Administration Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Norway Leads The World In Gender Equality And Work-Life Balance: A Qualitative Life Course Study Of Norwegian Women, Lene Karine Martin

Theses and Dissertations

Norway is one of the world's leading countries in gender equality and work-life balance and therefore proves to be an exceptional model for study to improve gender equality and work–life balance around the world (Strømland, 2009). Norway continues to rank top three in the Global Gender Gap Index in addition to being the happiest country, best country to live, leading country in gender equality and work-life balance, best country for motherhood, and one of the top three countries for business (Badenhausen, 2015; Berglund, 2010; Bradford, 2011; Dresser, 2010; Helman, 2011; McNeil, 2010; “Norway tops ‘best country’ list, U.S. ranks 10th,” …

The Recruitment Of Sexual Minority Students In Higher Education, Jorge El-Azar

Masters Theses

In a time when universities actively recruit diverse groups of applicants, some universities are seeing the need for a diverse student population and advancing their recruitment initiatives to recruit specific groups of students. The LGBTQ+ community has been perceived as an invisible community (Cegler, 2012) by some universities, but other higher education institutions are seeing the value of specifically recruiting students who identify as a part of this community. This study was designed to focus on the initiatives universities are implementing to effectively recruit students who identify as LGBTQ+. Using a qualitative approach, the researcher interviewed six participants who identified …

Design Of An Intrusion Detection System (Ids) And An Intrusion Prevention System (Ips) For The Eiu Cybersecurity Laboratory, Adekunle Adeyemo

Masters Theses

Cyber Security will always be a subject of discussion for a long time to come. Research has shown that there is massive growth of cyber-crime and the currently available number of Cyber Security experts to counter this is limited. Although there are multiple resources discussing Cyber Security, but access to training in practical applications is limited. As an institution, Eastern Illinois University (EIU) is set to start Masters of Science in Cyber Security in Fall 2017. Then the challenge is how EIU will expose students to the practical reality of Cyber Security where they can learn different detection, prevention and …

Transferring Writing Skills To A 3rd Grade Music Classroom, Megan A. Wilson

Masters Theses

The purpose of this action research study was to examine the use of writing skills in a third grade general music classroom. Students wrote narratives based on music they heard, used an interactive notebook to reflect on musical experiences, conducted a short composer research project and wrote a biography about the composer. The study was designed to investigate the following research question: Will the use of writing in the music classroom help the students apply writing skills from their general education classes while learning music content? The duration of the study was for an entire semester and the students attended …

Diversity Of The Beneficial Bacterium Oxalobacter Formigenes Isolated From The Human Gut, Karen Shaw

Masters Theses

Oxalobacter formigenes is an anaerobic, oxalate degrading organism that colonizes in the mammalian intestinal tract. Currently, O. formigenes is divided into two groups via PCR of the oxc gene. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) is a technique used to resolve large pieces of DNA. Typically, PFGE is used to identify differences between strains for pathogenic bacteria, but this study sought to use it to further understand the diversity of a probiotic organism. This study aimed to develop a methodology for utilizing PFGE to examine O. formigenes. The methodology involved lysing O. formigenes cells in plugs, first in proteinase K, …

Dairy, Democracy, & Pr: A Political Economic Analysis Of Associated Milk Producers, Inc. 1988-1989, Anna L. Percival

Masters Theses

This paper, using a political economic approach, explores the communication techniques used during a second-wave of consolidation in the dairy industry in the 1980s. After providing a historical context of the dairy industry and its connections with federal policy, this paper follows the story of a large dairy cooperative: Association Milk Producers, Inc. (AMPI) and how it influenced public policy and consumption through interconnected dairy organizations like the National Milk Producers Federation and by using a political action committee. This paper provides an example of Carey's (1997) treetops propaganda by way of the powerful political action committee C-TAPE and the …

Development Of Learning Objectives For An Undergraduate Computer-Aided Drafting And Design Animation Using The Delphi Technique, Gavin M. Wilk

Masters Theses

This study reflects on learning objectives created for an advanced computer aided drafting (CAD) learning module(s) or course with the emphasis on simulation and engineering animations. These objectives were derived by using the Delphi technique by access the support of a panel of subject matter experts (SME) from academia and industry that are interested in CAD. The results of this study are intended for the use of creating instructional modules for undergraduate studies.

A panel of experts were chosen through an electronic listserv of engineering and technology supporters. Two rounds of two different Delphi survey instruments were utilized to complete …

A Summer Bridge Program's Impact: Social Engagement And The Building Of Self-Efficacy, Stephen L. Roach

Masters Theses

This two phase study sought to investigate the impact that a summer bridge program (SIHL) at a midsized, public institution at had on participants' academic success through an examination of its effect on their self-efficacy. In addition, this study sought to gain an increased understanding of how the program impacted self-efficacy, by providing a new conceptual model for examining the program and similar programs. Lastly, this study expanded on the research conducted by Lucas (2012), by incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods. Participants in Phase 1, the quantitative phase, were 322 students of varying ages, races and ethnicities, genders, and …

Empathy, Perceived Popularity And Social Anxiety: Predicting Bystander Intervention Among Middle School Students, Nicole Menolascino

Masters Theses

Bullying is a prevalent issue in today's schools, and the importance of bystanders has been recognized; however, there are few studies that examine personal characteristics that relate to the five bystander behaviors within Latané and Darley's (1970) Bystander Intervention Model (notice the event, interpret as an emergency, accept responsibility, know what to do, and act). This study examined personal characteristics (i.e., cognitive and affective empathy, perceived popularity, and social anxiety) and their relation to each of the five steps of the Bystander Intervention Model in Bullying (Nickerson, Aloe, Livingston, & Feeley, 2014), as well as exploring gender as a moderator …

Impact Of Transcription Factors On Fibroblast Specific Gene Silencing In Somatic Cell Hybrids, Tania Ray

Masters Theses

As totipotent cells differentiate to specific cell types in multicellular organisms, certain sets of genes are turned off (gene silencing/gene extinction) while others are turned on (gene activation). Cell type specific gene silencing and gene activation is the basis of cell differentiation. Somatic cell hybrids which are produced by fusing different types of somatic cells from two different tissues have been used as a valuable resource to discern the phenomenon of lineage- specific gene extinction. Identification of regulatory factors that mediate gene extinction in hybrids are key to understanding regulatory mechanisms that govern cell differentiation in a multicellular organism. Transcription …

Contributors, W. Scott Howard

Reconstruction: Studies in Contemporary Culture

Information about contributors to articles in volume 16, issue 1 of Reconstruction.

Less Is More: Procedural Efficacy In Vindicating Civil Rights, Jennifer Bennett Shinall

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Eradicating discrimination is a lofty goal, and since the second half of the twentieth century, the United States has largely relied upon the legal system to achieve this goal. Yet a great deal of scholarship suggests that the legal system may not always do a credible job. Scholars have documented multiple instances of discrimination laws' inaccessibility to discrimination victims individually and inability to improve the labor market prospects of victims as a whole. Still missing from the literature, however, is an assessment of what separates effective discrimination laws from ineffective ones. This Article fills this gap, using both qualitative and …

College Football Coaches' Pay And Contracts: Are They Overpaid And Unduly Privileged?, Randall S. Thomas, R. Lawrence Van Horn

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

College football coaches' employment contracts and compensation garner public attention and scrutiny in much the same way as those of corporate CEOs. In both cases, the public perception is that they must be overpaid and pampered Economic theory claims that for coaches and CEOs to be overpaid, they must be receiving compensation in excess of the value they create for their organizations. However, both receive pay-for-performance compensation, which structurally aligns their compensation with value creation. This means we need to examine the underlying structure of the contract that gives rise to the observed compensation to determine whether they are appropriately …

Are College Presidents Like Football Coaches? Evidence From Their Employment Contracts, Randall Thomas, Lawrence R. Van Horn

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

College presidents and football coaches are frequently criticized for their high compensation. In this paper, we argue that these criticisms are unmerited, as the markets for both college presidents and football coaches exhibit properties consistent with a competitive labor market. Both parties compensation varies in sensible ways related to the size of the programs they manage, as well as their potential for value creation. Successful college presidents and football coaches can greatly increase the value of their schools well beyond the amount they receive in compensation. If these higher education executives' compensation is the result of a competitive labor market, …

Introduction: Is The Supreme Court Failing At Its Job, Or Are We Failing At Ours?, Suzanna Sherry

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

It is a pleasure and a privilege to write an introduction to this Symposium celebrating Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's important new book, The Case Against the Supreme Court. Chemerinsky is one of the leading constitutional scholars of our time and a frequent advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court. If he thinks there is a case to be made against the Court, we should all take it very seriously indeed. Chemerinsky's thesis may be stated in a few sentences. The primary role of the Supreme Court, in his view, is to "protect the rights of minorities who cannot rely on the political …

Is The Supreme Court Failing At Its Job, Or Are We Failing At Ours, Suzanna Sherry

Vanderbilt Law School Faculty Publications

Sanford Levinson calls for a new constitutional convention in Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It). This review explains how Levinson overstates the Constitution's defects and understates the risks of submitting it to a constitutional convention for revision. It exposes the hidden biases in Levinson's analysis and defends the counter-majoritarian aspects of the Constitution that Levinson criticizes. Chemerinsky is one of the leading constitutional scholars of our time and a frequent advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court. If he thinks there is a case to be made against the Court, we …

An Investigation Of Information Literacy Of International Graduate Students: Skills, Challenges, And Needs, Yousef Ayoub

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Information literacy at higher education institutions is an important issue at the local and national levels. In 2000, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) created a set of information literacy standards and asked academic institutions to incorporate them into their college curricula (ACRL, 2000). The ACRL states that, to be considered information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and be able to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information (ACRL, 2000). Academic institutions follow these standards to teach their students information literacy skills and assist them to become lifelong learners. Library …

An Examination Of The Lived Curiosity Experiences Of Traditionally-Aged Freshmen Pursuing And Education Degree, Susan Kelly

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The benefits of being curious continue beyond infancy and early childhood. Curiosity has been linked to academic achievement, memory, and lifelong learning. Yet curiosity type behaviors in academic settings are infrequently observed. This is a concern because some of the students graduating from the educational system will be the teachers responsible for fostering conditions that spark curiosity and exploration for future students. These prospective teachers' lived curiosity experiences will influence their future teaching beliefs and practices. Yet few studies have been conducted that illuminate the lived curiosity experiences of prospective teachers. The research question that guided this study was, what …

Ubiquitous Computing In Public Education: The Effects Of One-To-One Computer Initiatives On Student Achievement On Florida Standardized Assessments, Fernando Lobeto

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of one-to-one computer initiatives on student achievement in reading and mathematics. This study compared the differences in FCAT 2.0 Reading and Mathematics scores between schools implementing one-to-one computer initiatives and schools implementing traditional modes of instruction. A second purpose of this study was to determine what effects one-to-one computer initiatives had on student FCAT 2.0 scores overall and by grade level, gender, and socio-economic status. The study used an independent-samples t-test, a repeated measures ANOVA, and a factorial ANCOVA to answer four research questions in order to achieve the purpose …

Setting The Agenda For Stem Literacy In Higher Education: A Content Analysis Of The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Maya Abdallah

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Enhancing achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) is a long-standing national concern. The current national agenda, to instill an "all hands on deck" approach to creating a STEM literate citizenry, calls for broadening the scope of inclusion in STEM efforts. A critical population, higher education administrators, faculty, and staff are a valuable resource to advancing this agenda. Under the proposed Agenda Setting Communication Theory (ASCT) model developed for this study, their level of exposure to needed information is an important indicator of their potential participation in this agenda. As the leading news medium for the higher education community, …