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RBCURE: A Recruitment, Bridge Course and Undergraduate Research Experience Project
Full text linkA mixed methods data collection methodology was used.RBCURE (Recruitment, Bridge Course and Undergraduate Research Experience) is a NSF-funded project designed to enhance the quality of undergraduate education and research in the sciences at WT. Project activities include: curriculum redesign in two geology and chemistry non-major science courses, two online bridge courses for students in a part one non-science majors course to transition into a part two science majors course (Geology and Chemistry) ,a research faculty workshop and an online module support system for new research students. These activities are intended to increase under-represented student participation and success in the sciences. Project objectives include: increase under-represented student success in redesigned courses, evaluate the effectiveness of two online bridge courses for student success and recruitment, and to improve research student experiences. This presentation will encompass implementation of project activities, lessons learned to date and suggestions for future efforts in these areas
HIGHER EDUCATION POLICY AND ITS IMPACTS ON THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Full text linkThis study explores the impact of Texas’s Excess Credit Hour (ECH) policy through a case study and an empirical analysis. The case study highlights the administrative challenges and unintended consequences of the policy, focusing on its effects on students and institutional operations at Duck University. The empirical study examines the demographic and academic characteristics of students impacted by the policy, analyzing data from those within the funding limit, those exceeding it, and those who appealed. Findings reveal disproportionate impacts on transfer and Hispanic students, while GPA improvements among Appealers suggest that appeals offer some academic benefits. Recommendations include enhanced policy communication, tailored support for affected populations, and strengthened appeal resources to promote equity and timely graduation
The Recipe for Research Success: Ingredients and Techniques to Support Graduate Students in Digesting Research
Full text linkIt should come as no surprise that many students are intimidated at the thought of reading, understanding, and performing research (Secret et al., 2003). However, many university programs require students to complete a research methods course. Despite these requirements, students continue to report finding research boring or too complicated for them to understand. To reduce these barriers to successful student learning, the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences re-designed their graduate research methods course to empower students to be informed consumers of research through iterative practices. The goal of this poster presentation is to share the course objectives and methods used that facilitated successful student learning outcomes
Finding Kinesthetic Empathy: A Study To Discover Metrics To Measure Kinesthetic Empathy During Interactive Music Performance
Full text linkParticipants: Two pairs of performer participants (A and B, C and D) engaged in duet and solo performances using a motion tracking based musical instrument. All performances were video recorded. 23 general participants watched these videos and rate the performances by answering a series of survey questions. Procedure: Each pair of performers developed three duet performances using the Body Sample Player instrument.[9] The performers were separated by a curtain so they could not see one another's movement, however they could hear one another through a quadrophonic speaker system. Each performer then engaged in three solo performances on the same side of the curtain. The top two solos of each performer were spliced together with each of the performances on the other side of the curtain (A/B, A/D, C/D, C/B) and the third solo of each cross pair (A/D, B/C) were also spliced together to give the impression of eight different duet videos with each pairing represented twice, even though only two of the videos were of actual duet performances. All eight videos were then shown to a group of general participants who answered a series of questions about each video including overall performance rating, perceived expressivity, and perceived interactivity of each performance.Kinesthetic empathy is a term used in live performance as well as kinesthetic interaction design.[1,2,3,4] In music and dance, it refers to the embodied response audience members have when observing a live performance and is referred to as "vicarious performance" or "inner mimicry".[1,3] In kinesthetic interaction design it is defined as the ability of one or more users to "read, decode and react on each others' movements".[4] In ethnographic studies of interactive music systems that use KI design principles, performers self-reported sensing the presence of other musicians, even when performing remotely over a network connection.[6,7,8] The purpose of the present study was to identify the presence of kinesthetic empathy between two individuals in a live electronic music performance which was reported by general observers as perceived interactivity. Participants viewed eight electronic music performances, both real duets and spliced solo performances that appeared to be live duets. The questions guiding this exploratory study were: (a) is there a difference in perceived interactivity between the live and spliced duets, (b) is there a relationship between performance rating and perceived interactivity of performers, and (c) is there a relationship between preexisting knowledge of electronic music and perceived interactivity of performers. Results showed a significant difference in the perceived interactivity of the video conditions. Further, the results showed a significant relationship between the video performance rating and the perceived interactivity of the performers. There was no significant relationship between preexisting knowledge of electronic music and the perceived interactivity of the performers. Further discussion and implications are outlined
Grow Your Own Grants in Texas: A Multiple Case Study Review
Full text linkAbstract
This study examined Grow Your Own (GYO) grant programs in rural, hard-to-staff Texas public
schools (Grow Your Own, n.d.; Seelig & Mc Kabe, 2021). The focus was on GYO grant
application strategies, GYO grant outcomes, and best practices for sustaining successful GYO
programs. A multiple case study design was used to gather qualitative data that addressed the
processes of GYO grants and the longitudinal outcome for two Texas school districts
(Gustafsson, 2017). Three important themes emerged as a result of the research: 1) flexibility as
a key program component, 2) the importance of communication, and 3) participant follow up and
support. These themes align with Mason & Matas’ (2015) four capital theory as a framework for
improving teacher retention. In conclusion, while individual study participants noted positive
GYO program outcomes, it is evident that more follow up and support is needed for Texas
school districts to determine long term, positive results from GYO programs
THE RELATIONSHIP OF SHARED GOVERNANCE TO TEACHING & LEARNING AT TWO-YEAR PUBLIC COLLEGES
Full text linkAbstract
This scholarly deliverable focuses on the challenges of shared governance in large two-year college systems and consists of two parts. First, a case study illustrates the relational problems a young, minoritized college president faces at a predominantly white institution (PWI) when she tries to reorganize her college in her first year as the college’s leader. The second portion of the deliverable is an empirical study on shared governance from the perspectives of faculty, administrators, and board members in a state community college system. This explanatory Type II case design (Yin, 2018) incorporates a literature review, semi-structured original interviews, and qualitative, multi-method coding to discuss how shared governance can assist or harm the stated college mission of teaching and learning. The research revealed a relationship between shared governance and institutional health, with implications for higher education leaders, faculty, and students
EFFECTS OF ACCELERATED DIET TRANSITION ON HEALTH, PERFORMANCE, CARCASS TRAITS, AND ECONOMIC OUTCOMES IN FEEDLOT HEIFERS
No full textAccelerating the diet transition in feedlot cattle may improve growth efficiency and performance while simultaneously reducing operational costs of feed delivery. Megasphaera elsdenii is a lactic acid utilizing bacteria and exogenous administration could mitigate the accumulation of lactate in the rumen and risk for acidosis caused by rapid diet transition. Our objective was to determine the effects of different applications consisting of d 0 only (LAC1) or d 0 and d 92 (LAC2) of a 20 mL solution containing 2.5 × 108 CFU/mL Megasphaera elsdenii (LAC) during an accelerated diet transition protocol compared to a standard diet transition (CON) without LAC on health, performance, carcass traits, and economic outcomes in feedlot heifers. A total of 2,047 heifers (initial BW = 325 ± 29 kg) were received in 10 different arrival blocks and randomly allocated within block to 1 of 3 dietary management treatments: The CON diet transition consisted of 6 d on each of 4 step-up diets with increasing concentration of starch from steam-flaked corn and bunk hay provided until d 3. The accelerated diet transition consisted of 3 d on each of 3 step-up diets without additional bunk hay. Health, performance, and carcass data were analyzed using mixed models with pre-planned contrasts (CON vs LAC). Economic data were analyzed using a partial budget analysis mixed linear model with treatment as the fixed effect and block as the random effect in both statistical models. All cause morbidity after re-implanting differed (P = 0.06); CON was less (2.2%) than LAC1 and LAC2 treatments (3.7 and 4.7%, respectively). The CON treatment had greater combined DMI (hay plus ration) from d 0 to 92 (P = 0.03) and overall (P = 0.03); however, ADG did not differ (P ≥ 0.72) amongst treatments. Therefore, improved G:F was observed for both LAC treatments from d 0 to 92 (P = 0.02) and overall (P = 0.02). Marbling score was greater for LAC2 (506) than CON (493) or LAC1 (495; P = 0.10). Frequency of A+ liver adhesions was also greater for CON (12.3%) than LAC2 (10.4%) or LAC1 (8.3%; P = 0.05), which suggests that a successfully managed accelerated diet transition with LAC may reduce liver abscess severity. Accelerating the diet transition with LAC resulted in reduced feed and yardage cost (P = 0.06), feed delivery cost (P < 0.01) and total cost (P = 0.05). In conclusion, accelerating the diet transition in feedlot heifers resulted in reduced DMI, improvements in G:F ratio and marbling score, and reduced frequency of A+ adhered liver abscesses and operational costs
Unveiling Barriers: Communication Dynamics in Hispanic Entrepreneurs' Reluctance to Access Government Assistance
No full textHispanic entrepreneurs play a pivotal role in the local economy but face significant barriers when accessing government assistance programs. This thesis examines the communication challenges that hinder their ability to engage with these resources, emphasizing cultural, linguistic, and systemic factors. Grounded in Communication Accommodation Theory (CAT) and Expectancy Violations Theory (EVT), this study investigates how Hispanic entrepreneurs interpret and respond to these barriers and how such perceptions impact their willingness to seek support. By using a qualitative research design, the study draws from semi-structured interviews with Hispanic entrepreneurs across the Texas Panhandle. Thematic analysis revealed recurring themes related to trust, communication style, cultural expectations, and bureaucratic complexity. Participants recounted moments of being misunderstood, disrespected, or discouraged during agency interactions; those barriers that extend beyond language into deeper cultural disconnects. The findings provide actionable recommendations for federal, state, and local agencies, as well as community organizations, to improve communication strategies and build trust. By fostering culturally responsive outreach and support, agencies can better serve this growing demographic and contribute to a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. This research highlights the broader implications for sustainable economic development and offers policymakers, practitioners, and scholars insights. It aims to inform systemic reform that empowers Hispanic entrepreneurs to access the necessary resources, ultimately supporting business growth, community resilience, and long-term economic advancement
The Lost Cause in the Panhandle Plains
No full textThe “Confederate diaspora” refers to the emigration of former Confederates during Reconstruction and the late nineteenth century. An often overlooked part of the Confederate diaspora is the formation of settlements on the western frontier by Southerners and former Confederates alike. Many came west for land and economic opportunity, but some came to escape what they saw as the horrors of Reconstruction. Similar to the Confederados, who expatriated to Brazil, Confederates saw the west as an opportunity to flee Yankee rule and establish communities that would preserve southern values. These values would prove to be an anachronistic facsimile of the true Confederacy and earlier antebellum South.
This work will explore the settlement and the creation of a manufactured legacy of the Confederacy in the Panhandle Plains of Texas. The Panhandle Plains region of Texas is made up of the Llano Estacado of West Texas, the Texas Panhandle, the North Central Plains, and the Northern Edwards Plateau. Various counties within and even some bordering near the region will be points of interest throughout this work. References will be made to the western frontier to include bordering states where similar settlement and cultural preservation took place. The limited Confederate activity in the region during the American Civil War, the establishment of settlements in the region by former Confederates, parades commemorating the Confederacy, the activity of the Ku Klux
Klan, the popularity of the social fraternity Kappa Alpha Order, and the memorialization of the Confederacy all lay within the scope of this work.
This study aims to expose the truth in regards to the nature of the Panhandle Plains and its on-going veneration of the Confederacy. Confederate pride in the region is not native and was introduced over time by various groups. The perpetuation of Confederate values in the Panhandle Plains was no mere coincidence but, in fact, a deliberate effort to distort the truth and to further the oppressive nature of the Old South into the twentieth century