Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending December 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Meetings were held with the SNAP Recreation Team and the SNAP Cultural Resources Team to request assistance in the development of the science strategy. Draft versions of interagency goals, subgoals, science questions, and associated tasks were given to each team for review and input.
• Plans were prepared for the peer review of science proposals submitted for consideration as Conservations Initiatives in SNPLMA Round 9.
• Proceedings of the natural resources management workshop held on September 13 were completed and sent to the Science & Research Team for review by members.
• An important focus of the Science and Research Team was the …

Managing Through Strategic Agendas, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The author discusses the development of the Balanced Scorecard and strategic agendas on solving social and economic problems by the government. She stated reasons why organizations or countries choose to establish strategic agendas, such as it helps develop a vision, serves as a framework for monitoring government and nonprofit performance, and develops political platform. She concluded that its establishment is vital to success in developing countries and in the federal system of government.

Shaping The Future Of Southern Nevada Conference Key Points, Ron Smith

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

General summary of key points raised at the conference

Concurrent Panel Session 1: Sustainability In Community Development And Architecture In Las Vegas, Alfredo Fernandez-Gonzalez, Craig Galati, Mary Kay Peck, Jeff Roberts, Suzanne Sanders, Richard Serfas

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Moderator: David Frommer, AIA, UNLV Planning & Construction Scribe: Michael Spurr, UNLV Department of History Conference white paper & Full summary of panel session, 5 pages

Shaping The Future Of Southern Nevada Moderators & Panelists Biographies

Shaping the Future of Southern Nevada: Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability

Moderators & Panelists biographies

The Impact Of U.S. National And State Level Policy On The Nature And Scope Of K-12 Virtual Schooling, Anna Lukemeyer, Kent J. Crippen, Leanna Archambeault

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

During the past five years, virtual schools in the United States have gained popularity and acceptance as viable alternatives to the traditional school system through provisions for charter schools under Title V, Part B, Subpart 1 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This paper describes the existing federal policies that are driving the online virtual school movement, and how one state, Nevada, has set forth and interpreted specific policies regarding online distance education. In addition, this paper identifies the beliefs acting as the driving forces …

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending September 30, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Met with Dr. Michael Collopy (UNR) to discuss the development of the Tahoe Science Consortium and associated research strategy, peer review process, and organization.
• Presented the S&R Team PowerPoint to federal land managers from Nevada, Utah, and Arizona who are planning a Mojave Desert Initiative.
• Coordinated external peer reviews for two SNPLMA Round 8 CI nominations.
• Hosted an all-agency natural resource management staff science workshop to assist with the selection of interagency goals, sub-goals, science questions, and associated tasks.

Learning For Success In The 21st Century, Patricia A. Iannuzzi

Library Faculty Presentations

Content Knowledge — what do we want them to know?

Skills and Abilities — what are the essential skills and abilities we want them to apply to their learning?

Behaviors and Attitudes — what behaviors, attitudes, values do we want them to live?

Putting A Face On Organizational Innovation, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The article discusses the author's view on the importance of fostering continuous innovation and renewal in public agencies for the success in public management. The author shares that she has come to understand that there are 15 types of teams and individuals that feed innovation inside organizations, outsiders and insiders. She said that by developing such innovation personalities, public managers have the chance to support new concepts in improving processes.

Nevada's Textbook Adoption Process: The State Perspective, Mitch Bishop, Katie Bliven, Scott Hess

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The process in Nevada used to select textbooks, the main tools for classroom instruction, is a complex web of various stakeholders and interactions. Ensuring that quality textbooks get into the hands of Nevada's teachers and students is the goal of the selection process. The main impediments affecting the selection process may be found in the structure of the process and how the stakeholders interact. In most cases, these interactions and responsibilities are dictated by state law and were established gradually over several years. While the current process functions to place textbooks in schools, it also shows great potential for improvement …

The Renewable Engergy Boom: How Nevada Is Playing A Vital Role In The Growth Market, Kathleen M. Drakulich

UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium

This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing the renewable/sustainable energy projects of UNLV faculty, staff, students, and collaborators, as well as other external projects underway statewide and nationally. The development and utilization of new technologies to protect the environment, achieve energy independence, and strengthen the economy will be explored. Speakers and poster-session presenters will provide further insight to many ongoing projects and innovative research ideas.

Organized by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs, the event offers participants the opportunity to learn about energy projects and will encourage networking and collaboration. This symposium is intended for researchers, educators, students, policy makers, …

Renewable Energy - The Future Is Now, Thomas Fair

UNLV Renewable Energy Symposium

This inaugural event is dedicated to showcasing the renewable/sustainable energy projects of UNLV faculty, staff, students, and collaborators, as well as other external projects underway statewide and nationally. The development and utilization of new technologies to protect the environment, achieve energy independence, and strengthen the economy will be explored. Speakers and poster-session presenters will provide further insight to many ongoing projects and innovative research ideas.

Organized by UNLV’s Office of Strategic Energy Programs, the event offers participants the opportunity to learn about energy projects and will encourage networking and collaboration. This symposium is intended for researchers, educators, students, policy makers, …

Nevada's Textbook Adoption Policy: The Role And Influence Of Parents And Interest Groups, Brady Dehn, David Hood, Barry Michaels, Harry Williams

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The textbook adoption process in the State of Nevada has its share of flaws, bureaucracy red tape, and "legal E's" however; its intentions are meant to benefit all instructors and students in the state. Textbooks are as integral to education as school buildings and teachers, and they should be part of the free, public education provided by the state and school districts (New Sentinel Editorial, 2006). In the complexity of this process, legislators have deemed it important to have parents involved to assist with providing appropriate material for students. What appears to be justifiable and logical thinking has created basic …

The Textbook Adoption Process In The State Of Nevada: The Teacher's Perspective, Dwight Bellard, Rebecca Coates, Tamara Hicks

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The textbook adoption process for the State of Nevada is outlined in Chapter 390 of Nevada Administrative Code (NAC) and Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS). When a teacher is interested in purchasing a textbook for use in the classroom, he or she must check the eligibility list of adopted books on file with the Department of Education. If the book is not on the list, they must begin the process of having the book adopted before being able to purchase it.

P.A. In The Era Of Competitive Sourcing: Quality, Qualitatively, M. Ernita Joaquin

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

Among President George W. Bush's management initiatives, competitive sourcing was the most complex, most challenging, and most politicized, admitted Angela Styles, chief of procurement policy at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in 2002.

Styles had left OMB when I started my research but behind her the battle raged on how to subject thousands of federal commercial jobs for public private competition under the rules of Circular A-76 and according to performance criteria set by the OMB Scorecard.

In competitive sourcing, if contractors can perform the job more efficiently than the govemment team, the work is outsourced and the …

Making The Message Matter, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The article provides tips on how to make effective communication in business and political office. According to the author, speakers should be sincere and consistent in delivering their messages to ensure that the public has grasped the given information. It also mentions the need to use sound and texture to make the message more memorable and inspiring.

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending June 30, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Updated the SNAP Board on May 18 with a formal presentation.
• Began discussions with the Cultural Resources Team to integrate cultural resource science within in the Science and Research Strategy.
• Refined the science proposal peer-review process and developed a conceptual graphic to communicate the process with Science and Research Team members.
• Facilitated the selection of interagency goals, sub-goals, and related monitoring and science questions by Science and Research Team.
• Began planning of an all-agency resource management workshop intended to validate interagency science goals and sub-goals, and assist in the prioritization of questions.

Session 11 - Radioactive Dispersion Devices (Rdd): What Are The Odds?, Dennis Bechtel

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Since the tragic events of September 11th, 2001 there has been apprehension that the United States may be ill-prepared to prevent future terrorist events. One source of concern is that a Radioactive Dispersion Device (RDD) could be detonated at a vulnerable target anywhere in the nation. A RDD, also known as a “dirty bomb, is a conventional explosive packed with radioactive material. The explosion could disperse radioactive material over a wide area. The target could be an icon associated with American democracy and government, critical systems and infrastructure, a water supply, a nuclear power plant and others. Such an event …

Session 10 - Risk Education: Teaching (And Learning) About Technology And Uncertainty In Society, Julian Kilker

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Recently heightened concerns about governmental and corporate surveillance, coupled with long-term social and psychological research on privacy, present both an opportunity and a challenge for discussions about risks and risk assessments related to national security and civil liberties, as well as discussions about the social implications of technology in general. These issues include ethics, assessing uncertainty, balancing risks, and negotiating multidisciplinary expertise. This paper contextualizes the planning, implementing, and responses to several iterations of the Honors course “Who’s watching? Media, privacy, and surveillance,” within the larger topic of pedagogical practices appropriate for examining important, but controversial, topics related to technology …

Session 9 - The Century Of Living Dangerously, Part Ii: Confronting Uncertainty, R. J. Bogumil

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodological limitations as well as environmental application-specific features confound much needed objective analysis and hope for equitable remediation of anthropogenic climate change. Issues addressed include: risk subjectivism, the difficulty of mathematical and computer model prediction-validity assessment associated with chaotic system dynamics, as well as standards of scholarship and the obstacle to societal reform posed by commercial, consumer-driven mass-media journalism.

Session 6 - The National Environmental Policy Act (Nepa): Is It All That It Can Be? The Case For Evaluating Stigma Effects, Dennis Bechtel

International Symposium on Technology and Society

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has long been regarded as the“Magna Carta” of environmental policy legislation. The government in implementing its requirements on NEPA is required to evaluate potential environmental impacts from “significant” projects, to examine alternatives to proposed actions, and to enable the public to provide meaningful input to decision-makers. Despite the significance of NEPA there is evidence to suggest that environmental impact analyses may in fact be understating potential negative effects to citizens and communities. In particular potential impacts associated with stigma have been almost universally ignored in documents prepared under NEPA. The proposed high-level nuclear waste …

Session 1 - Cold War Technoscience In Nevada: The Nevada Test Site Oral History Project, Mary Palevsky

International Symposium on Technology and Society

During the Cold War, the United States conducted over 1000 nuclear weapons tests. Of those, 928 took place at the Nevada Test Site (NTS). One hundred tests were in the atmosphere and 921 underground at the 1375 square mile site located 65 north of Las Vegas. Nevada Test Site Oral History Project (NTSOHP) researchers have conducted over 300 hours of interviews with individuals affiliated with and impacted by the NTS, documenting the diversity of experience among many communities of voices including: weapons scientists, test site officials, laborers, contractors and support personnel, the military, American Indians, communities downwind of the NTS, …

Session 1 - Rationalizing The Home Front: The Cold War, The Nevada Test Site, And Radiation Exposure, Leisl A. Carr

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Beginning in 1953, radiation exposure and its effects became a hotly contested issue between the government, members of communities surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS), and researchers within the national scientific community. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), concerned about maintaining a continental testing facility and aware that atomic testing would impact communities surrounding the NTS, sent representatives to areas potentially affected by fallout to instruct and reassure the affected public. How government officials perceived neighboring communities and how these communities perceived these representatives of the government often determined public responses to the atomic testing program. The story of radiation monitors …

Presentation To Senior Leadership The Center For Academic Enrichment And Outreach, Public Lands Institute

Presentations (PLI)

• Strengthen the national fabric in support of public lands.
• Provide people of all ages with opportunities to participate in the enjoyment, protection, and responsible use of our public lands.
• Engage and inspire people to actively participate in the enjoyment, protection and responsible use of our public lands.
• Create high-quality, relevant, up-to-date knowledge to solve problems and make effective decisions about public lands.

City Of Boulder City Parks And Recreation Department Revenue Policy And User Fee Analysis, Karla Fritchman, Jayne Harkins, Cheryl Rodriguez

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Recreation user fees and facility rental fees provide sources of revenue for the City that comes directly from the beneficiary of the service instead of from the general fund. The term user fee will be used in this analysis and will refer to all types of fees and use charges paid by participants using recreation services or facilities.

There were four objectives for this analysis. The first was to determine if any Parks and Recreation Departments in the Las Vegas Valley had current revenue policies and to collect and compare user fees in the Las Vegas Valley against Boulder City …

Program Evaluation Report For: Nevada Child Seekers, Nori Evans, Raymond Keeler, Lisa Pletz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

A program evaluation of the Nevada Child Seekers (NCS) organization was conducted from October 2006 through April 2007. The evaluation consisted of a qualitative assessment of the organization's volunteer recruitment and retention program. The evaluation was conducted by performing a series of interviews of staff and by conducting a web-based survey of available volunteers. Information gathered from the interviews and surveys was compared with benchmarking data from multiple scholarly and community sources.

City Of Las Vegas Municipal Court House Arrest Program Evaluation, Karen Coyne, Michele Hornstein, Timothy Shattler

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The City of Las Vegas operates a municipal detention facility, primarily housing offenders who have committed misdemeanor crimes within the 130 square miles of the Las Vegas City limits. Similar to many jurisdictions, within the State of Nevada, but also across the Country, the offender population is on the rise. The City’s inmate population has grown steadily at a rate of 10%, annually, for five years. This trend, when calculated as a future projection, suggests the City must be prepared for the misdemeanant population to swell from its current daily average of 1144 to more than 3000 inmates by the …

Harry Reid Center Of Environmental Studies: Quality Assurance Program Evaluation, Michael G. Herenick, Stephanie C. Hill, Tya R. Mathis, Greg Troutman

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

The Quality Assurance (QA) Program is critical in the licensing of the Yucca Mountain Repository because it helps ensure that the information used to demonstrate the safer)' of the repository is defensible and well documented. Through audits and surveillances the QA staff identifies areas of non-compliance within each task. The QA Program at the Harry Reid Center (HRC) for Environmental Studies can increase compliance with Quality /Assurance Procedures (QAPs) by improving the program's process.

Through qualitative and quantitative research it was determined that reasons for non-compliance revolved around three key areas; process, communication and training. Communication and training are key …

Leaving A Leadership Legacy, Christine G. Springer

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Publications

The author reflects on the concept of leaving a leadership legacy on public administration. She states that it is all about making a difference and that means taking stands on things that matter in the field. It also means acting courageously where there is no money-back guarantee. Furthermore, she stresses that legacies are not just wishful thinking where public managers choose to leave will be based upon the life they lead.

Interagency Science And Research: Quarterly Progress Report, Period Ending March 31, 2007, Margaret N. Rees

Interagency Science and Research Strategy

• Completed a beta-test of a science proposal review process with the assistance of four external reviewers.
• Participated in workshop entitled “Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management.
• Completed review of the interagency Chesapeake Bay Program science strategy and added this information to the Science Strategy Database.
• Completed a preliminary review of agency science delivery capabilities.