Minnesota State University, Mankato
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Expand the EMPLOY Program
Get PDFEach year, roughly 600,000 individuals are released from state and federal prisons; 6,960 in Minnesota alone. After incarceration, employment is vital to successful reentry for justice-impacted individuals, yet many depart without the necessary education and skills. Consistent post-release employment is associated with decreased recidivism rates, regardless of the individual’s criminal record. This population deserves support in preparing for employment upon reentry
May 2025 Library & Learning Newsletter
Get PDFPDF version of the May 2025 (Volume 3, Issue 7) Library & Learning Newsletter
U-Stressed? Do Library Employees Experience More Technology Eustress or Distress?
Get PDFBased on professional conversations regarding library technology usage and its impact on workrelated stress, I inquire whether library employees experience more technology eustress or distress on the job. This question was inspired by Tarafdar et al.’s (2019) Technostress Trifecta. My study explores a facet of this theoretical framework, specifically the relationship between motivating (eustress) and discouraging (distress) technology stress. The research project used a mixedmethods approach. I implemented the Information and Communication Technology Demands, the Eustress-Distress Emotion Regulation questionnaires, and a follow-up semi-structured interview. Study participants received a recruitment email through a professional newsletter read by people who work in various types of libraries in Minnesota to collect responses about their workplace and technostress. I hypothesized that employees feel more techno-eustress than distress. I identified factors that impact technostress, including perceptions of the organization and change. This study provides a frame of reference to eventually identify areas of growth for programs and more nuanced discussions about technology in libraries
Shrink: Story of a Fat Girl [book review]
Get PDFShrink is a graphic memoir and graphic medicine title that chronicles one woman\u27s journey with her fat body. Along the way, she educates the reader about the politics, history, health, medicine, and perspectives of fatness
Impact of High School Racial Composition on Intercultural Competence of Undergraduate Students
Get PDFSince the US population continues to become more diverse, it is important to foster students\u27 intercultural competence (ICC) so that they can work collaboratively with people from different backgrounds. The existing studies have examined the impact of socialization at school on youths\u27 development in their attitudes and behaviors in the context of classroom. However, we know little about whether or not the organizational and individual characteristics have an impact on students\u27 ICC development. This study explored the impact of high school racial composition and individual factors such as gender on the ICC of undergraduate students. The study used the course archival data of 48 undergraduate students from Fall 2024 to analyze the relationship between the students\u27 IDI Developmental Orientation (DO) scores and the high school racial composition as well as other various individual, school, and city-level variables. The result suggested that high school racial composition does not have statistically significant association between students\u27 ICC. Additionally, individual-level factors, particularly gender, play a significant role in predicting intercultural competence, while school and city-level variables show weak or no significant associations. The findings provide important theoretical contribution and practical implications
Embodied Affliction: Somalis’ Perception of Trauma
No full textSomali immigrants and refugees have a high rate of trauma, mainly because of their traumatic experiences during the Somali civil war and subsequent migration. Nevertheless, they do not readily access available psychological services in the countries to which they migrate. Research of the past two decades has revealed that different cultures conceptualize and communicate mental distress differently from one another. Those differences affect how Western mental health providers approach the treatment of clients who immigrate from an unfamiliar culture to Western countries, where the biomedical model of mental health dominates the health care system. Improved cultural awareness and communication between providers and non-Western clients like Somalis could yield better mental health outcomes. My research aimed to address a gap in the literature about how Somalis conceptualize, understand, and communicate trauma. I used grounded theory to arrive at an explanation of how Somali refugees understand and express traumatic experiences
Moving Beyond the Baby Blues: Supporting Maternal Mental Health in Minnesota
Get PDFUntreated mental health challenges are the second leading contributors to perinatal and postpartum deaths in the U.S. as well as Minnesota. There are many barriers for mothers and trans/nonbinary birthing parents to receive the care they need, including social stigma, inadequate prenatal and postpartum screening, and a lack of resources and access to integrated, research-informed care, especially for BIPOC and rural communities. While awareness of this troubling issue has risen in recent years, so too have deaths and other adverse outcomes. Addressing maternal mental health concerns will reduce involvement in the child protection and judicial systems, reduce deaths, and improve social determinants of health for mothers, children, and families
Aging in the Shadows: The Struggle for Adequate Resources in Elder Care
Get PDFMinnesota is aging rapidly: by 2030, 1 in 4 Minnesotans will be over the age of 65, with rural areas feeling this shift most acutely. Yet, the state’s aging services are fragmented and under-resourced, leaving older adults struggling to access care, maintain independence, and stay connected to their communities. Without comprehensive reform, growing gaps will strain family caregivers, the elder care workforce, and healthcare systems.
We urge the Minnesota Legislature to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Aging to unify, strengthen, and lead the state\u27s response to aging population needs. A dedicated department will coordinate services, address workforce shortages, expand home and community-based supports, and elevate the voices of older Minnesotans and their caregivers. It’s time to make aging policy a top state priority
Anne-Lyse Nono Honors Portfolio
Get PDFAnne-Lyse Nono\u27s honors capstone portfolio captured in May 2025
Academic Student Support Services UNITE!: How We Worked Across Divisions to Focus on Student Success to Create a Learning Commons
Get PDFAt MSU, Mankato, our Learning Commons is a multi-year, interdivisional effort to destigmatize students seeking academic support and create an obvious and intuitive first stop, both physically and digitally, for students to find and access services. We will describe our university’s road to creating a Learning Commons, explaining our vision, process, collaborative efforts, hurdles, progress, and anticipated outcomes