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Perception of Florida Political Actions by Higher Education
Get PDFThis qualitative dissertation examines the impact of recent political actions in Florida on higher education, specifically exploring how these developments have influenced tenured, public university professors\u27 teaching practices, student interactions, and research agendas. Guided by the theoretical framework of social constructionism and employing narrative inquiry as the methodological approach, the study captures the lived experiences of six tenured faculty members at public universities across the state. The findings indicate that Florida’s political actions of Governor Ron DeSantis and a Republican-led legislature may have led to changes in the academic landscape. Professors report self-censorship in the classroom, limited discussions of controversial topics, research and a climate of fear of political repercussions. Faculty members have left or are considering leaving Florida’s public institutions, while others are leaving the academe. The perceived limitations on academic freedom, new post-tenure review processes, and the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives may have caused faculty to change the way they teach, interact with students, and conduct research. The study concludes with practical recommendations for university administrators and faculty to navigate the evolving political environment, such as increased collaboration with legal counsel and proactive retention strategies. It also outlines the limitations of the study, including a small sample size and exclusive focus on tenured public university faculty, and proposes directions for future research. These include comparative studies with private institutions and analyses of faculty turnover and student perspectives. As increased political involvement in higher education spreads to other states, this study offers insights into how faculty and administration may work together to reduce concerns
West Tennessee State Normal School 1915
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/item-of-the-month-2025-08/1009/thumbnail.jp
West Tennessee State Normal School 1915
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/item-of-the-month-2025-08/1008/thumbnail.jp
West Tennessee State Normal School 1915
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/item-of-the-month-2025-08/1005/thumbnail.jp
West Tennessee State Normal School 1915
No full texthttps://digitalcommons.memphis.edu/item-of-the-month-2025-08/1002/thumbnail.jp
Density of compactly supported smooth functions CC∞(Rd) in Musielak-Orlicz-Sobolev spaces W1,Φ(Ω)
No full textDensity of smooth functions in Musielak-Orlicz-Sobolev space; Musielak-Orlicz spaces; Musielak-Orlicz-Sobolev spaces; Variable exponent Sobolev-Lebesgue space
‘Cuz this is what it feels like’: Black men’s affective decodings and reflections of film
No full textHouse finches lose feeding preferences during infection: behavioral changes with implications for pathogen spread
Get PDFForaging is a fundamental behavior that animals use to acquire food resources. Because these resources are critical for survival and reproduction, animals are often thought to forage optimally, maximizing resource intake per unit of time. While the foraging behaviors of healthy animals often align with such predictions, we know little about how or if these predictions hold true in sick animals. This is especially relevant when considering sickness behaviors, or changes in behavior that accompany infection and frequently include lethargy and anorexia, both of which may alter foraging decisions or ability. Because food resources often cause animals to aggregate, a change in foraging behavior during infection could affect host-host contact rates and, therefore, pathogen transmission. The goals of this dissertation were to review how optimal foraging theory could be adjusted to account for changes with infection (Chapter 1), then empirically document how foraging behaviors change during a bacterial infection in a common songbird. Due to their widespread distribution and abundance, I used wild-caught house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) and their pathogen, Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG), as a model system. I first sought to determine how control and MG-infected house finches differ in their food preferences (Chapter 2). I then investigated whether the ease with which a food object can be consumed, known as handling time, could drive differences in foraging between healthy and sick birds (Chapter 3). Finally, I used computer vision techniques to determine if the foraging patterns I observed in a lab setting were also present in wild birds at backyard feeders (Chapter 4). The results in this dissertation suggest that 1) healthy birds make optimal foraging decisions in the lab and in the wild, 2) infection does indeed change the foraging behaviors of sick individuals, and 3) sick birds show a reduced preference for both higher quality and easier-to-consume food. Taken together, these results have implications for pathogen spread in wild animals that use shared food resources. Specifically, if healthy and sick animals make different foraging choices, differences in food quality across a patchy landscape could separate healthy and sick animals more than would be expected by chance
Cossitt Library
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Exploring Caregiver Activation in Serious Illness Communication With Healthcare Providers
No full textObjective: Little is known about the family caregiver’s willingness and ability to navigate the patient’s care needs, known as caregiver activation. The purpose of this study was to explore how caregivers describe activation and trust in serious illness communication with healthcare providers. Methods: Thirty-six interviews with caregivers who self-identified as a caregiver to a person with cancer or dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease) were qualitatively analyzed. Results: A thematic analysis revealed activation with trust when caregivers perceived the patient was actively dying or perceived the nurse as most credible. When the caregiver perceived biomedical urgency, the nurse was perceived as less credible than physician, or there was family discord, activation was described with less trust. Perceived physician credibility was the only theme representing less caregiver activation with trust. Conclusions: Findings revealed a difference between trust- and mistrust-based activation, with notable findings related to the role of nurses. To foster caregiver activation, future nurse communication training should include trust-building strategies to support their role as primary palliative care providers