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- Creator:
- French, Kristina Lynn
- Description:
- Succession planning is a deliberate and systematic effort to ensure continuity in key personnel positions within an organization. This has been a common practice in the business sector that has not yet been widely utilized in the field of early childhood education. There is a link between personnel consistency and the quality of the program provided to children and families. The purpose of this graduate project is to research literature and study results that are readily available in the business sector, limited information from the k-12 system, and to prepare a detailed outline of a professional development resource book about succession planning that is relevant to the field of early childhood education.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Advanced Educational Studies
- Creator:
- Birch, Dotty
- Description:
- Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is a celebrated classic, and it is often the first favorite classic among young women who identify with the heroine and indulge in her fairy-tale romance with Edward Rochester. However, as Jane Eyre is the fairy tale of the Victorian woman’s life, which portrays the heroine happily married to her dour master, Villette is the mimetic portrayal of the Victorian woman and her true quest for love, acceptance, identity, and above all liberation from her masters. It is this story of a spinster set adrift in a male-supremacist society that has captivated critics. Prominent critics, from the nineteenth-century literary critics Susan Gilbert and Susan Gubar to the well-known feminist writer Kate Millett, insist the story of Lucy Snowe is an important psychic drama that portrays the real effects of female deprivation in Victorian society.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Visokey, Andrew David
- Description:
- This thesis incorporates, and attempts to reconcile, both sides of this debate. In doing so, it seeks to accomplish two purposes. First, it explores the possibility that The Scarlet Letter is a novel about sexual slavery for both men and women—on both a societal and personal level—as reflected in Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. Second, it analyzes Pearl as the only “free” character of Hawthorne’s story, and how she models Hawthorne’s vision for the future between the sexes.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Salas, Christina Marie
- Description:
- In many organizations the bulk of safety training provided to employees, with the exception of reoccurring “re-fresher” training occurs during initial period of their employment; most commonly through the employee orientation. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is no exception to this norm; providing the majority of safety related training and information upfront in the new employee orientation. The BLM, however, has identified the new employee orientation process as a major issue of concern of its employees through several employee satisfaction surveys (BLM, 2011). Specifically, the inconsistency between various levels and divisions of the agency in the type information provided during the new employee orientation process. This inconsistency is no exception in the BLM Bakersfield Field Office. The inconsistency arises in the Field Office when safety training disseminated by supervisors is not uniform in information. Providing a consistent new employee orientation with regards to safety may aid in the reduction of incidents and therefore of costs, and also ensure the wellbeing of all employees is safe guarded. This study will evaluate three other agencies that are similar to BLM and evaluate their safety orientations. This study will develop a policy and orientation package based upon the best safety orientation package from the other agencies. The orientation will be recommended for implementation in the BLM Bakersfield Field Office. The package will instruct managers and employees on how best to implement the safety orientation to ensure all employees: 1) are familiar with their roles and responsibilities with regard to workplace safety; 2) receive the required training of their position in a timely fashion; 3) are provided the correct information with regard to the processes to follow when reporting an accident/injury; and 4) records of employee safety training/requirements are reported and tracked appropriately.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Macias, Pamela
- Description:
- California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is one of California’s largest organizations with an important purpose-to punish individuals who break the law, and separate them from society to prevent them from committing another crime. CDCR also has one of the largest budgets compared to other organizations in California that are being funded by the state; this why this study is important and will review California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s mission, whether or not CDCR is achieving their mission, and the importance of CDCR achieving their mission. CDCR has a recidivism rate of 65.1%, this means that 65.1% of prisoners being released will return to prison. This is a significant number and is why the literature regarding crime, deterrence, recidivism, rehabilitation, incapacitation and restorative justice will be reviewed in this study. An analysis of alternatives with critiques and recommendations will also follow. Recommendations will be made for CDCR to assess all of their offenders with the Correctional Offender Management Profiling for Alternative Sanctions (COMPAS) assessment tool. Also place the offenders in treatment programs based on their assessment scores and criminogenic needs to rehabilitate them and correct those needs that have caused them to commit crime in the past. Rehabilitation programs that are based off of the COMPAS model have been proven to reduce recidivism rate from 25% and above. The amount of reduction in recidivism can make an enormous impact on the amount of crime that is committed in California, as well as, reduce the prison population and the cost that comes along with housing the 160,000+ inmates at $47,000 a year per offender.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Livingston, Christopher B. and Grombly, Amanda
- Description:
- There is limited aggregated data showing the amount and levels of preparedness training for active shooter situations in public, academic, and K-12 libraries in California and across the United States. The purpose of this research is to assess the state of preparedness of librarians, staff, and volunteers working in these libraries for active shooter situations. In 2018, the authors collected data from academic, public, and school library personnel about their attitudes and levels of preparedness for active shooter situations. It is hoped that this research will contribute to the development of best practices in raising safety awareness in academic and public libraries.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Library
- Creator:
- Johnson, Sarah Elizabeth
- Description:
- When examining the literature on the prediction of a child’s acceptance little previous work is found. Previous friendship literature has focused on social competence, intelligence, physical appearance, aggression, ethnicity, personality, and social dominance separately while the current project aims to form a more integrated approach to these variables. Forty-four children representing two different classrooms were interviewed in Bakersfield, California. Parent and teacher questionnaires were administered to gather additional information on children’s social functioning. T-tests and factor analyses found differences in how Caucasian and Hispanic children function socially. The current study found differences between these two ethnic groups, however further study is needed to better understand why differences occur.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Sociology
- Creator:
- Holt, Bonnie K
- Description:
- Self-discovery presents itself in a myriad of forms. One of the forms utilized for this purpose is that of artistic expression. Tattooing as a vehicle of artistic expression has evolved over time and today tattoos are utilized as a mechanism for self-discovery. This study seeks to expand on prior research conducted by Kathryn Irwin (2003) in efforts to classify a new subcategory of tattoo collection, that of the informed tattoo collector. Using Peter Burke’s Identity Theory (1996), this study utilizes the concepts of identity, salience, commitment and self-knowledge to gain insight into the process of becoming an informed tattoo collector. In addition, to determine if any informed tattoo collectors exist on the campus of California State University Bakersfield. Research consists of scholarly journals, books and an on-line survey to gather quantitative and qualitative statistics. This study concluded that one respondent met all the specified criteria of an informed tattoo collector and that future research is this area is a viable consideration. It would be of great benefit to expand upon this research by conducting surveys and field interviews outside of the California State University campus and compare/contrast the findings.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Sociology
- Creator:
- Contreras, Christina Yvonne
- Description:
- This study was conducted as an experimental pilot to evaluate a new reading comprehension curriculum, Rocky River Reading, for students in a local after school program. The participants were 50 second through sixth grade students from a variety of socioeconomic statuses and reading proficiency levels. In this study quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. An analysis of the data revealed that during the four week period the experimental group exhibited a greater decrease in time spent reading and read at home more out of interest. Control group parents were less likely to be in consensus on parent pre- and post-evaluations that their student had difficulties with reading based on prior reading experiences with the child at home. In similarity to the pre- and post-evaluations from the control group, experimental parents felt students had no reading strengths prior to RRR.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Advanced Educational Studies
- Creator:
- Falcon, Laura M
- Description:
- Over the past years, the issue of allowing a minor to obtain an abortion without parental involvement has become an ongoing battle for the State of California. According to statistics, California is the state with the most abortions a year. Moreover, the statistics have also indicated that minors are most likely to have unplanned pregnancies, which end in abortion. Therefore, this issue has become an unavailable issue that must be addressed in order to help, guide, and protect our younger generation. The following study is a policy analysis and will do three things. First, the study will conduct a literature review to better understand the problem and determine a more effective solution to reducing the abortion rate among minors. Secondly, the three propositions that were presented to Californians will be review to help determine why all three propositions were rejected. Last, the theory “Window of Opportunity” will be presented along with the specific window California needs in order to enact parental involvement laws. In addition, three recommendations will be offer on what California can do to implement an abortion law. Several recommendations are included in this study. The State of California needs to gather more information and data in connection to minors, parental involvement, and consent laws. If California wants to implement an abortion law, proponents need to follow the proper steps for a window of opportunity to open. The key recommendations are: • Connect the issue to a critical problem (For example, find a correlation between minors getting pregnant and obtaining abortions to an increase of minors dropping out school, committing crimes, an increase of tax dollars, and an increase of families under poverty.) • Look into further research and connect the findings to decision maker’s values, cost-effectiveness, and try to appeal to the public • Last, get more elected officials to support the issue and change the political mood to favor the issue
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Jaber, Mansor Mustafa
- Description:
- Juvenile crime in California is a costly burden that affects all Californians. It is an economic drain to public funds and it has an emotional impact on the juveniles who commit the crimes, the victims they hurt, the families of both, and the communities that have to see the crime unfold. California has reduced juvenile crime rates slightly from what they were two decades ago, but it still maintains rates above the national average. The juvenile justice system was founded on the principle of rehabilitation for all juvenile criminal offenders, but in 2000, Proposition 21 was passed which increased penalties for juveniles who committed felonies. It is important to do everything possible to help reduce these crime rates, so an assessment of the effects of Proposition 21 is necessary. This study will do two things. First, it will conduct literature review to develop a better understanding of this social issue and the most effective methods to relieving this problem. Secondly, an analysis of juvenile felony arrest rates for several categories and population trends from 1980-2008 will be conducted. The results will show that increased penalties for juvenile criminal offenders are not an effective deterrent to crime. The implications of this study is that a new, more effective, approach to dealing with juvenile crime is necessary.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Ives, Kathy
- Description:
- Greenlining Institute (GI) raised public awareness regarding the distribution of California foundation funding received by minorities and low income people. GI is concerned with the low percentage of funding reaching the intended target populations. When GI requested tax exempt foundations to provide statistical information regarding the final recipients they were meet with resistance. The foundations contend current reporting requirements regarding awardees do not consider the social benefits received by targeted populations. This issue gave rise to AB624 in the California State Legislature. The bill was removed from consideration when 10 major California foundations agreed to spend millions of dollars strengthening organizations supporting minorities and low income individuals. The objective of this research is to ascertain if the percentage of California foundation philanthropy correlates to state social, economic and ethnic need as raised by GI. By measuring California foundation philanthropy, certain trends emerge and these trends enable grant writers to focus on underfunded counties and certain targeted populations. The source of information is limited to publicly accessible data for 2006. There is unprecedented growth in philanthropy beginning in the early 1980’s in part due to technological advancements and a shift from traditional foundation funding toward venture capitalism. The underlying cause for this move is the ability to direct the funded project and withdraw funding, increased reporting requirements and potential legislatively prescribed compliance regulations. This research applies methodological triangulation using regression analysis, policy review and theoretical forecasting. The combination of the above methods strengthened this study and provides an in-depth analysis of the data. The collection of data was limited to the top 25 California Foundations by giving, IRS forms 990, Census data and reports published public internet web sites. The amount of California foundation giving awarded to the social target population children/youth more than doubled from 1996 to 2006 and is projected to increase due to support from newly formed foundations and established foundations. In 2006 this target population received 28.1% of available funding. There is an upward trend for funding in low income target populations from 16.6% in 2006 to a projected 23.3% in 2007. Target ethnic populations received the highest level of funding in 2004 at 15.1% of available funds to 13.8% for 2006, and 2007 is projected at 14.25%. Increased political pressure leads to double and triple counting of grant funding by statisticians and should be noted. Statistical analysis and policy review found 19 California counties receive less than $50,000 in foundation grants and support the need for increased record keeping and consistent interpretation regarding the demographic information of grant awardees. Recommendations include voluntary and consistent record keeping; grant writers target counties without community foundations and large community foundations adjust their mission statement to allow them to cut across geographical barriers and serve underfunded counties whose needs fit the funding foundations mission statement.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Miller, Aaron K
- Description:
- A PROJECT FOR BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING WITHIN THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION (CDCR): MINORITIES AND WOMEN HIRING AND ADVANCEMENT The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) is the organization that will be analyzed in this paper. CDCR has 34 adult state prisons and 10 Youth Authority Facilities under its jurisdiction. The executive level starts at the level/rank of Captain and promotes upward to Associate Warden (AW) and then to Chief Deputy Warden (CDW) and ending at the Warden of each individual institution. There are also numerous executive positions held at Headquarters in Sacramento. In order to gain insights as to why and how ethnic minorities and women are prevented from reaching the top level of the organization, the etiology of the glass ceiling was explored. The study identified the key patterns and factors which may result in the gender and racial imbalance at the upper echelons of CDCR. The Executive Service (ES) was established by the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) of 1978 and became effective in July 1979. CSRA envisioned a senior executive corps with solid executive expertise, public service values, and a broad perspective of government. In addition, executives would be held accountable for their performance. The ES positions were designed to overcome some key issues. The department’s goal is for each individual institution is to enforce the safety and security of the institution, while rehabilitating incarnated felons and returning them back into their community. In keeping with these goals, the department is committed to conducting its business in a conscious socially responsible and ethical manner. The mission of the department would be to offer a positive professional environment, and build a diverse, well-trained human resource poll for potential custody and non-custody staff. The mission and vision are achieved by the growth in the department’s ever changing programs. The organization of the future will be completely refined from the organization of today. Strategic planning is a management tool, used to help an organization do a better job and focus its energy, to ensure that members of the organization are working toward the same goals, and adjust the organization’s direction in response to a changing environment. Strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization is, what it does, and why it does it, with a focus on the future. Therefore, it ensures the most effective use is made of the organization’s resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities. It also provides a base from which progress can be measured. In creating the ES, CSRA established a distinct personnel system that applies the same executive qualifications requirements to all of its members. It also shifted to a rank-in-person concept to facilitate executive mobility.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Barnes, Donna
- Description:
- Background The purpose of this comparative case study is to analyze how three California cities Bakersfield, Fresno, and Visalia, are using redevelopment programs and projects for inner city development to offset suburban development. For purposes of this paper, the term inner city refers to the central core of the city, not necessarily an area where residents are less educated and more impoverished. The hypothesis is redevelopment was intended by the California Legislature to revitalize deteriorating and blighted areas of inner city areas. Are redevelopment efforts succeeding to encourage inner city development? Literature Review Not much literature has been written on how redevelopment has contributed towards the reversal of urban sprawl. Most literature concentrates on the perceived negative aspects of redevelopment pertaining to eminent domain, diverting taxes from schools to redevelopment agencies, the abuses of redevelopment by certain agencies, and the large amount of tax increment collected by redevelopment agencies. Research Study and Analysis Bakersfield, Fresno, and Visalia are reviewed in this comparative case study based on pattern matching analysis. All three have active redevelopment plans, projects, and programs. The method of analysis will compare the evidence of local policies, budgets, plans, projects, and programs. Data collection will be analyzed and presented in separate chapters for each city. The importance of the study is to identify what inner city programs and projects are being used in the three cities. Identifying which programs are working is an important tool for practitioners and the public to help with resource allocation for more effective and efficient inner city redevelopment. The objective of using the budgets and implementation plans for each city is to standardized public data available for each agency. No interviews or surveys were conducted. Conclusion, Findings and Recommendations Several recommendations are included in this case study. The public sector must continue to expand the redevelopment of inner cities so further decline can be reversed. This can only occur with investment from the public and private sectors. If city governments and community citizens do not vocally support inner city redevelopment, these three cities will continue to sprawl as demonstrated by growth patterns in Bakersfield and Fresno. Visalia because of its smaller size and emphasis on community involvement was the best role model of inner city redevelopment. Public policy must continue to monitor and encourage inner city redevelopment by clarifying and continually emphasizing the importance of its goals that can help to reverse urban sprawl.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
15. A Community needs assessment of Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch, California: focus group prioritization
- Creator:
- Ceballos, Oscar
- Description:
- The purpose of this community needs assessment was to identify the health and psychosocial services and access needs of residents in three rural communities in central California. Three focus group meetings were organized with community members from Arvin, Lamont, and Weedpatch, California. Group participants reported main concerns were safety (crime), lack of schools, mistrust of officials, pollution (air and water pollution), lack of emergency and health services, and lack of transportation. Each group prioritized its needs. Recommendations and implications for social services and social policy are discussed.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Nieto, Petra
- Description:
- This study is a statewide comparative study in California of the existing Celebrating Families! (CF!) Programs in evaluating the similarities and differences among these programs and their effectiveness of families actually completing the CF! Program. This research utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data was collected through structured telephone interviews with the use of the CF! Telephone Questionnaire. The CF! Telephone Questionnaire consisted of fifteen open-ended questions, pertaining to each CF! Program’s use of the original CF! curriculum. A purposive sample was used in selecting 8 of the 13 CF! Programs existing in California to participate in this research study. Through the use of SPSS analysis, the results indicated no statistically significant findings designating any one of the CF! Programs’ use of the CF! curriculum to be more effective in increasing the number of families to complete the CF! Program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
17. Home court advantage: a project plan for facilities improvement and expansion for CSUB athletics
- Creator:
- Langston, Karen L
- Description:
- College athletics programs bring publicity and notoriety to their universities. The best athletics programs provide an avenue for alumni to create a lasting bond with the university and foster a sense of pride among students and communities. Universities across the country are focused on attracting the best and brightest students. Those that are able to provide an exceptional student experience with assets such as top-notch athletics program and athletics facilities possess a clear recruiting advantage for student-athletes and students at large. Facilities are a critical part of success in college athletics. First class facilities serve as recruiting tools for coaches to attract the most talented student-athletes to their school and loyal fans to sporting events. This may lead to a growth cycle that brings better athletes and teams, a greater number of fans and higher revenues to any university. This may also lead to an opportunity to expand athletics facilities even further, providing a recruiting platform for better athletes and the expansion of other programs. California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB) is a perfect example of a campus in need of facilities improvement. Improvements and expansion will make the University more attractive to student-athletes, leading to potential growth and significant progress in areas identified by university administration as priorities in the institution’s vision statement. This study will evaluate the current athletics facilities on the CSUB campus, determine needs for improvements of existing facilities in order to be competitive in Division I, and propose a facilities expansion plan that will take Roadrunner Athletics into the next decade in a position to recruit top student-athletes, and elevate the overall quality of the program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Brown, Charles Elkin
- Description:
- This study presents both a descriptive and statistical analysis of the relationship between paramedic school admission standards and student attrition rates. The results of this study will be used by the Bakersfield College paramedic school to implement changes to their current admission requirements in an attempt to reduce student attrition. Data was collected from 18 of the 28 accredited paramedic schools in the state of California. A descriptive analysis of the data revealed that paramedic programs with strict admission standards had significantly lower student attrition rates than programs with more relaxed admission standards. Based on the findings of this study, it is recommended that Bakersfield College increase the paramedic school admission standards to include an oral interview, work experience, and successful completion of the HOBET exam.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Tilley, Tamara A
- Description:
- Recent legislative efforts, including the Accountable Care Act and the Mental Health Parity Act, represent attempts to improve and integrate care delivery systems in the United States. These efforts to reduce costs while improving the quality of, and access to, physical and psychiatric health care provide us with a renewed hope for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. The treatment of alcohol use disorders is one distinct area of unmet need that may benefit from an integrated model of treatment and care. The Chronic Disease Management model is gaining in popularity and research efforts have established its effectiveness in the treatment of chronic diseases. Standardized measures are proving effective in screening for alcohol use disorders and thereby increasing our ability to identify these individuals. Alcohol use is a risk factor that, when controlled, can reduce the impact of chronic diseases. This combined with the identification of addiction as a chronic, relapsing, progressive disease suggest a strong case for the application of a chronic disease management model under the chronic disease management model. This paper will endeavor to conceptualize a program proposal for the treatment of AUDs under a chronic disease management program.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Wang, Jianjun
- Description:
- Accompanied by increasing demands on school administrator preparation and rapid development of computer technology, educational statistics courses are exposed to unprecedented pressures for changing both curriculum content and computing platforms. In this article, the intended curriculum is reviewed according to data analysis expectations from state and national guidelines. Past recommendations on statistics instruction are examined to justify the need for quantitative research skills in school administrator preparation. The curriculum implementation is further investigated to reflect a fundamental revision of statistics content by the American Statistical Association. The article ends with an overview of the cutting-edge software development in R that is likely to reshape the future data processing, text analytics, and graphical display for school administrators.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Advanced Educational Studies
- Creator:
- Khizer, Aliya Sultana
- Description:
- The United States is a country that is a melting pot of diversity. With so many cultures and ethnicities, the United States has created, reviewed, and implemented health care protocols and procedures to better accommodate the constant evolving demographic dynamics. South-Asians are the largest ethnic minority group in America consisting of people from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The countries and their respective immigrant communities share common cultural, social and linguistic characteristics and values and thus are often clubbed together as one homogeneous region ( www.ameredia.com). Because of the constant evolving racial and ethnic demographics of the United states, health care services have had to become sensitive to conservative cultures such as the South-Asian culture in order to better serve the people of that culture. A literature review of the South-Asian culture, its cultural traits, taboos, and traditions along with a background on health care services for the South Asian Culture in America is provided. This information is provided in the hope that South-Asian American women and health care providers will learn to understand, embrace, and incorporate the fruits of both cultures while eliminating the differences that create barriers in health care services and choices by implementing a program that addresses these specific cultural needs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Bertagnole, Tracy
- Description:
- Mercy Hospitals of Bakersfield has a problem; long wait times for patients being transported within the hospital. There are many risks associated with intra-hospital transportation including physiologic changes, equipment changes and staffing changes. Long turn-around times can make this problem even worse. This may cause a life-threatening issue or negatively affect the patients’ perception of the hospital. To solve the problem it is proposed that Mercy utilize Transformational Care tools and principles, i.e. Lean. Using this suggestion, the researcher has identified many issues as to why Mercy Hospital’s intra-hospital transportation system has an average turn-around time of 33 minutes. They are; patient is eating or showering, transport waiting for nursing to finish tasks such as the handoff sheet, no nurse to help transport, nurse is busy with other patients, wrong equipment ordered and others. Through analysis it is recommended that Mercy implement a more streamlined process, in which specific guidelines are set in order to decrease turn-around times to the benchmark of 22 minutes. Some of these guidelines include; not requesting transport until patient is ready to be transported, transportation waiting for only five minutes for nursing, utilize the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) model for sustainment and finally train all staff how to utilize the Transport Tracking system to keep track of all jobs placed in the queue which will help with accountability.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Allman, Kathleen M
- Description:
- For the past four years, the State of California has been divided. The California Medical Board has maintained jurisdiction over physicians for decades. Since 2007, the role of the California Medical Board has expanded to oversee physician-owned ambulatory surgery centers as well. The California Department of Public Health regulates ambulatory surgery centers with no physician ownership. Thus, California has a split in the authority pertaining to the ambulatory surgery center industry. The California Department of Public Health will license facilities under its jurisdiction. No other facilities can become state-licensed. This is a disparity in the system. The California Medical Board, on the other hand, allows accreditation of physician-owned ambulatory surgery centers. The Medical Board authorizes four different agencies with as many sets of standards to credential the physician-owned facilities. This represents another contradiction in the California system. Finally, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services require certification of all ambulatory surgery centers that treat Medicare beneficiaries, with no distinction of ownership, representing yet another set of standards. Further complicating the situation, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services granted specific accreditation agencies the power to deem ambulatory surgery centers meet the federal regulations for treating Medicare recipients. All agencies and stakeholders have one goal, to protect the health and safety of individuals seeking treatment in ambulatory surgery centers. The need for simplification and conformity appears obvious, as the efficiencies would add much needed value and transparency to the complex and confusing healthcare system.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Hackman, Diana D
- Description:
- Due to the link that has been established between obesity and processed and fast foods in America, recent research has emphasized examining the potential health benefits of providing nutrition information in fighting the nation‘s obesity epidemic. Nutrition label usage has been increasing due to the link between diet and health over the years; however, the rate of obesity has only increased since the passage of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (NLEA) of 1990. As a result, there has been increasing threats of legislation and regulation of both food labeling and food marketing practices in such a way that regulatory agencies have pointedly asked: how effective is nutrition labeling in reducing obesity in the US? In attempting to answer this question, the paper focuses on nutrition labeling and its connection to obesity. This policy analysis is designed to provide the reader with an inside look on nutrition labeling policy‘s effect on obesity. It investigates the relationship between nutrition labeling and the rising obesity rates in the US and explores a plethora of practical considerations that must be addressed before labeling policies are implemented. The findings of this study can provide useful information to policy makers and nutrition labeling regulatory agencies on improving nutrition labeling system in the US. Ultimately, this policy analysis finding has the power to call the Nation‘s attention to how pervasive the problem is and how many people are struggling with the labeling system. The project is divided into four chapters as follows: The first chapter discusses the purpose and significant of the study. Here, background of the problem is discussed, the statement of the problem is stated, methods and procedure are stated, and the importance of the study is defined. Chapter two gives an overview of the problem. This chapter determines the relationship between nutrition labeling and obesity based on previous research. The federal nutrition labeling bill is analyzed. The importance of the bill is highlighted and previous research on nutrition labeling is analyzed which delves into more detail about the nutrition labeling policies. In the last section of this chapter, the potential solutions are briefly discussed. In the third chapter, policy alternatives are analyzed. This chapter explores alternatives policies and solutions to deal with the nutrition labeling, discuss comparison to future consequences, and spillovers and externalities. The end of this chapter explore constrains and political feasibility of the current nutrition labeling policies. The fourth and final chapter of this paper examines the alternatives and provides recommendations. The recommendations are: [1] to provide real serving size of food to make it easier for consumers to understand nutrition information; [2] to improve the ingredient list so that consumers will know exactly what they are getting; [3] for FDA to require labels for unpackaged foods; [4] to get rid of the qualified health claims and replace it with a ―traffic light‖ system; and [5] to specified instead of generalized nutrition information. The findings and conclusions presented in this report were, of course, determined independently. The fact is the current nutrition labeling system is not perfect; therefore, there is still a lot that need to be done when it comes to nutrition labeling in America.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Suatengco, Teodoro (Ted) E.
- Description:
- (United States Department of Homeland Security, 2010) estimated in the country, the continuation of illegal immigration despite legislative, administrative, and enforcement initiatives over the last two decades represents a clear failure of national sovereignty and the economic security objectives of U.S. immigration policy (Haines and Rosenblum, 1999). Though there are many issues associated with illegal immigration in the U.S., the purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the effects of the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) of 1986 and determine what changes must be made in order to formulate a policy option using an “IRCA-like” model in addressing the current illegal alien population in the country. Under IRCA, legalization, employer sanctions, and enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border were the key tenets. IRCA is perceived as a failure because there are more illegal aliens today compared to when IRCA was passed in 1986. The cause of this failure is simply the lack of commitment and enforcement of the provisions of IRCA by the federal government. Chapter 3 of this thesis clearly shows where and how the failures occurred. More importantly, identifying and learning from the mistakes of IRCA is paramount to developing the next immigration reform bill so that the same mistakes are not repeated and to meeting the original objectives of IRCA when it was initially passed in 1986. The majority of immigrants to the U.S. are lawful citizens who have contributed to, as well as benefited from the country. But there are those who are illegally in the U.S. with no regard for the law and strong desire to take advantage of benefits at whatever cost. Thus, a nation that does not or cannot control its borders will find itself prey to aliens willing to defraud the system for jobs, welfare, free schools and health care. Using the same key tenets of IRCA, the U.S. must first secure the U.S.-Mexico border by building a fence along the entire U.S.-Mexico border. Second, it must implement improvements on the current H2 visa program by improving “approval” turnaround for “working visa” applicants and monitoring non-immigrant visas (student visa and tourist visa) more frequently. Third, it must implement a one-time “2-year Employer Sanction -Legalization Plan” to “push” those who are currently violating the law and grant amnesty to “pull” those illegal aliens eligible for targeted amnesty. After a 2-year application period, the U.S. government must increase penalties on employer sanction violations and visa overstayer violations as a major deterrence to stemming the tide of illegal migration to the U.S.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Bonilla, Mary Linda
- Description:
- The national and local economic crisis remains a serious concern to society. With one of the highest budget deficits nationwide, California Governor Edmund Gerald Brown, Jr. (Jerry Brown) is taking drastic budget saving measures. Numerous budget allocations for State agencies have been reduced. In turn, the Department of Developmental Services (DDS), the agency who provides services to developmentally disabled persons, as mandated by the Lanterman Act, has changed policy priorities. These changes have occurred despite the increase case loads and costs to purchase services for their clients. As the government becomes more restrictive on government assistance, the demands on nonprofit human service organizations, such as California Nonprofit Organization (CNO), have increased. Nonprofit organizations are acknowledging the reality that they can no longer rely on government funding. However, in seeking non-governmental funds, they have found that individuals, corporations, or foundations have reduced or stopped giving. In these challenging economic times, CNO is in survival mode and operating more like the private sector regarding transparency and accountability. They are engaging in organizational change and making new policy decisions to improve overall performance and help minimize the risk of further economic crisis. The overall study of this matter determined that the following policy alternatives should help CNO mitigate the problem: 1. Develop a strategic plan 2. Develop fund a development and marketing plan 3. Collaborate with a compatible nonprofit organization.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Pawloski, Michael
- Description:
- The researcher’s purpose for this community project is to meet the needs for adolescents (ages 13-18); who have been exposed to domestic violence, and create a curriculum for them that is teen-centered and creative. With the help of adolescents that come into our agency seeking treatment and employees at AAFVSA, the researcher of this study will create a drama therapy curriculum for adolescents who have been exposed to domestic violence. The term exposure to DV is defined by the researcher as: those who have experienced it 1st hand (received threats, physical attacks, or verbal/emotional assaults of DV) and those who have witnessed DV (seen DV happen to others). Therefore, when adolescents do come into the agency seeking services due to exposure of domestic violence, they have the option to do individual therapy (which is already intact at AAFVSA) and now group therapy.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Meadlin, Jenny L
- Description:
- The purpose of this study is to determine the nature of the Air Force suspense management policy gap, specifically how it affects the Air Force Research Laboratory, Propulsion Directorate-West (AFRL/RZ-West) suspense control program. Then devise three alternative solutions to this gap analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative. If a policy plan is devised that only meets current needs and AFRL/RZ-West has to implement another alternative in one to five years, the solution will not have been effective enough to justify the cost of implementation. In the current economic and political climate there have been considerable pressures placed on the DOD to reduce spending and increase efficiencies. This is a major factor when determining how to change AFRL/RZ-West’s suspense management system to enable AFRL/RZ-West to be a more efficient and cost-saving organization. In this paper three alternatives were explored and the author feels that alternative three, capitalizing on current organizational knowledge to benefit AFRL/RZ-West, is the most viable taking into consideration the available time, money, and resources. The alternatives to be explored include: 1) Maintain the current policy environment; 2) Develop a Unique Suspense Management System for AFRL/RZ-West; or 3) Capitalize on Current Organizational Knowledge to Benefit AFRL/RZ-West. A program plan was devised to assist AFRL/RZ-West to implement, maintain and share the benefits of filling this policy gap. In order to implement alternative three effectively, the author suggests the following recommendations: 1) Acknowledge the need for a suspense management system 2) Define AFRL/RZ-West’s requirements for a suspense management system 3) Choose a Suspense Management System 4) Take a Top-down Approach to the Implementation 5) Report the Results of the Program to HQ AFRL Without a useful and meaningful suspense management system in place, many of the issues surrounding and resulting from the lack of policy, specific to the suspense process, begin to take their toll on the organization. Considering the largest issues of re-accomplishing work and time loss on behalf of numerous employees, the author explored three alternatives for solving this policy gap have been proposed and the strengths and weaknesses of each alternative have been identified. Properly identifying these strengths and weaknesses will allow AFRL/RZ-West to plan more strategically. If AFRL/RZ-West follows, the program plan supplied in this paper and reports the findings up the Air Force chain of command the suspense management process Air Force wide may become the focus for the next round of federal business process re-engineering.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Sparks, Tiffany Jean
- Description:
- This study examines the personal beliefs, thoughts, and opinions about the relevance of incorporating the idea of attachment theory in daily, social work practice from a population of individuals who first hand serve children placed in the child welfare system, social workers employed by the Family Services and Permanent Placement programs of the Kern County Department of Human Services. The research was conducted using a survey method. This research aimed to introduce and support the idea that applying attachment theory in child welfare policies and practice is key to improving the lives of children in the child welfare system. Results from the study indicated that social workers from the two employee programs share similar and differing opinions about the idea of including attachment theory in daily practice. Overall, two themes derived from the results; social workers determine decisions for children placed in the child welfare system on a case by case basis and what is deemed to be in the child’s best interest. Implications for further study suggest conducting surveys about the relevance of attachment theory in the family lives among those who care for these children, foster parents, and the importance of child welfare agencies providing continual trainings about attachment theory for their employees and foster parents.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Spears, Trisha
- Description:
- Since the 1960s studies have shown that food allergies in children have grown from one in one-hundred to one in twenty children being diagnosed with some type of food allergy. While these studies give an insight into the severity of the issue they are unable to determine if it is an actual increase of food allergies in children or an increase due to the fact that individuals are now more aware of these food allergies which has led to more children being diagnosed. Each year thousands of parents/guardians entrust the public school system with the care of their fragile children expecting them to be taken care of just as any other student in attendance would be taken care of. The only way to ensure that these children are protected to the fullest extent is to design and implement guidelines and school policies on how to handle fragile children within the public school system. This paper is to present a strategy and a sample guideline for public schools serving fragile children with food allergies, it includes the following: (a) the most common types of allergens and their reaction types; (b) legal aspects involved; (c) an outline of the roles and responsibilities of all individuals involved; (d) medications and procedures; (e) a review of options for training and education, and; (f) sample checklists, letters and notices for school personnel and students. This paper is to provide a better understanding of the food allergies and how to approach them. To ensure the proper care of fragile children while in attendance of the public school system it is critical for the school, school staff, and parents to work together to see that the needs of the students with a life-threatening allergy is met. In order for ensure the safety of fragile children with food allergies it is recommended that: (1) School boards review and take into consideration the significance of the purposed sample guideline; (2) For others who would like to build on the sample guideline, one of the most important things will be to contact and work with other school boards and businesses to design their own guideline for handling fragile children within the school district, and; (3) Work internally with school district personnel to customize and personalize guidelines to meet the needs of the school district.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Morris, Courtney Anna Ruth
- Description:
- Through stakeholder interviews and in-depth literature review this project explored the feasibility of creating, implementing, and maintaining a California elder abuse registry. This project aimed to formulate a white paper for the California Senior Legislature for future proposal development. Five stakeholders from across California were interviewed. Utilizing content analysis and grounded theory analysis, interview data were examined leading to the development of a model. The resulting model was a visualization of stakeholders’ knowledge and perceptions about elder abuse registry issues. The model contains three phases, integrated categories, and subcategories. The model was grounded in that data and supported by literature. The findings and resulting model support the feasibility of California creating, implementing, and maintaining an elder abuse registry. The Researcher concluded with three recommendations for future research and California elder abuse registry creation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Baeza, Diane L
- Description:
- Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (DM) has reached epidemic proportions in the past several decades due to the advancing age of the population, an increased prevalence of obesity, and decreased physical activity. One in every 14 Americans has diabetes, and another 40% of the population is at risk for developing the disease (Funnell & Kruger, 2004). Every year, diabetes accounts for more than 200,000 deaths, 82,000 amputations, and 44,400 new cases of end stage renal disease and up to 24,000 new cases of blindness in the United States (American Diabetes Association).Diabetes mellitus is characterized by recurrent or persistent hyperglycemia. Hemoglobin A1C measures nonreversible glycosylation of the hemoglobin molecule. HbA1c is a term often used in relation to diabetes; it is used for diabetes diagnosis and how it differs from blood glucose levels. For people with diabetes, an HbA1c level of 6.5% is considered good control, although some prefer numbers closer to non-diabetic levels. This result driven task is completed to determine the patient’s compliance level. Diabetes is a largely self-managed illness; diabetes education has long been viewed as an essential component of care. Primary care physicians provide clinical care for the majority of patients with DM but few primary care providers have the resources to assist patients to achieve the level of glycemic control needed to prevent long term complications (Graber, Elasy, Quinn, Wolff, & Brown, 2002). The purpose of this study was to identify best practices in diabetes education measured by lowering HbA1c levels. Teaching and Learning theories will help evaluate the measures of HbA1c levels in diabetes education. Areas of lifestyle behaviors assessed including health responsibility and self-management practices. A total of 64 articles were reviewed to determine and define best practices of diabetes education. The findings were that a significant improvement in healthy lifestyle practices and measuring of HbA1c levels through diabetes education. The results identified both diabetes education and intervention of clinical staff help support that diabetes education is measured through lowering HbA1c levels.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Steele, Bonita F. Eighmey
- Description:
- This work examines whether an increase in community or evidence-based mental health services for persons with a history of both mental illness and criminal justice system involvement would reduce the incarceration rate of this population. If such a correlation exists, significant savings in both systems is possible. This work is important to guide policymakers in making prudent investment of public dollars while achieving cost-effective and highly desired societal outcomes; not to mention the improved individual quality of life outcomes that might also result. A brief history of the mental health and criminal justice systems is provided in order to highlight the intertwining history and functioning of these systems. The literature review discusses the theoretical understanding of mental illness, deviance and criminality, legal standards of diminished capacity and the capacity to knowingly violate the law. The prevalence of mental illness and criminal behavior is provided as context for the demographics of persons with a history of both. The availability of mental health services within the state correctional system is discussed as well as diversion from the correctional system at time of arrest, prior to booking, before adjudication and at post-release, including several evidence-based best practices programs. Previous research has identified several personal attributes, societal characteristics and other factors that may influence the incarceration of persons with mental illness. Among these potential factors are: personal biological and cognitive attributes, prior criminal involvement as a juvenile or an adult, socio-economic status (including homelessness), crime and unemployment rates, and the improved correctional diagnosis of serious mental illness. Previous research has also identified mental health spending and utilization as directly controllable influential factors. Recently released URS state-level data for 2005 and 2006 are used to test the hypothesis that increased utilization of community based mental health services or evidence-based practice programs in 2005 would reduce the number of persons with mental illness incarcerated in 2006. Alternatively, a reduction in utilization of community based mental health services or evidence-based practice programs in 2005 would increase the number of persons with mental illness incarcerated in 2006. Regression analyses of the state-level URS data set revealed that a statistically significant relationship did not exist between the 2005 utilization of community based mental health services or evidence-based practice programs and incarceration in 2006.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Imura, Kayo
- Description:
- Optional Practical Training (OPT) is temporarily working in the United States on authorizations issued to international students. OPT allows students to remain in the country after completion of their education to obtain experiences in the professional workforce. Despite its advantages, several problems have restricted students from accomplishing the core goals of the OPT system. These problems lead more international students to stay in the county without a valid legal status. The purpose of this report is to propose a policy alternative to maximize the benefit of OPT system. Each option will be evaluated with its ability and acceptability as well as its efficiency. The final proposal is to create small agencies dedicated to support the current OPT practices.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Horn-Bunk, Sheri Marie
- Description:
- Many developments have kept the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act and the issue of undocumented college students in the news and on federal and state legislative agendas. There is an inevitable tide of growing undocumented students graduating from high school looking for college options. The paper examines the proposed piece of legislation called the DREAM Act. The DREAM Act would permit undocumented students to begin a six-year process leading to permanent legal status. Among other requirements, they would need to graduate from a U.S. high school and have entered the U.S. at least five years before the legislation is signed into law at the age of 15 or younger. To complete the process they would, within the six year period, be required to graduate from a community college, completing at least two years towards a four year degree, or serve at least two years in the U.S. military. These individuals would qualify for in-state tuition rates in all states during the six-year period. The DREAM Act would provide a path to legal residence for undocumented youth with a caveat; students would have to earn their legal status. It also would open the door to college for tens of thousands of students who have the knowledge, skills and aspirations to pursue a college degree or military training creating an available stream of educated employees as we move into the next century. The paper explores DREAM Act economic outcomes from increased high school graduation rates, legalized citizenship and work force growth. The paper recommends a change in the framing of these three outcomes and suggests with the promotion of the economic benefits of these outcomes the DREAM Act would become a law
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Pratt, Megan Renee
- Description:
- The concern of this research is that the welfare system is frequently abused and more specifically abused by individuals with drug abuse problems. According to research presented in Drug Use Among Welfare Recipients in the United States “Drug Use is 50% higher in households with welfare recipients than in nonwelfare households.” The issue with individuals with drug abuse problems receiving welfare is that it enables them to find employment and contribute to society. If welfare recipients are unable to pass a drug test for employment their chances of ever getting off welfare are slim to none. To better analyze and understand the severity and impact of drug abuse on the welfare system previous research will be examined concerning the number of individuals on welfare that have drug abuse problems. Also, to be examined is the impact of substance abuse programs on drug and alcohol use and what types of programs have higher success rates. Choosing the right substance abuse program will be critical to the over all success of this welfare reform. With the creation of a substance abuse program within welfare, caseworkers would have an appropriate place to send “troublesome substance-abusing clients.” Implementing a substance abuse program within welfare would be the best solution to this problem. Welfare recipients would periodically be drug tested. The key to transitioning people from substance abusing welfare recipients to employed and self-sufficient members of a community is a substance abuse treatment program. The at risk welfare clients would be identified with a mandatory drug test. Drug abusers are unemployable.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Garcia, Gladys
- Description:
- With the increasing number of charter schools opening throughout the United States, researchers have designed studies to explore the operation of charter schools and how they measure up to educational performance. The majority of charter schools are in urban areas and serve low income and minority students. Charter schools are public schools with autonomy to design curricula as they believe will better serve their students. Thus, because of the uniqueness of each charter school, it is difficult to measure the overall educational performance of charter schools. Despite the mixed outcomes of studies, as more data is available researchers have designed methodologies to appropriately measure the performance outcome of charter schools. Studies that use longitudinal student and school data and adjust for demographic conditions indicate that elementary charter schools are performing at or slightly above traditional public schools. Contrary to elementary charter schools, studies show that charter high schools are performing below traditional public schools. Subsequently, more research studies are necessary to determine the educational performance of charter schools in the nation. Meanwhile, current research studies serve as a framework for decision making of students and parents, administrators, state charter school regulators, and communities with charter schools.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Avila, Maria L
- Description:
- The purpose of this project is to create a psychoeducational curriculum for adolescents with type 2 diabetes. The desired outcome is for group participants to acquire knowledge, learn the management of the psychological effects of diabetes and to gain awareness of typical environmental stressors of the disease. Cognitive behavioral therapy will be utilized to treat psychological issues, such as grief and depression, in adolescent with type 2 diabetes. The overall purpose of this curriculum is to minimize psychological issues in adolescents with diabetes to reach optimal glycemic levels.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Social Work
- Creator:
- Pollack, Kellie
- Description:
- Since the first organization ventured onto social media, the median has proven to be a tour de force. According to Stone (2009), “The age of social media has empowered amateur journalists and fledgling presidents” through 140-character Tweets and “status updates” it has the power to “recruit volunteers, spread awareness, and solicit donations.” Many nonprofits have experienced huge successes utilizing social media for just these purposes. Unfortunately, for some, experiencing success on social media has been an elusive endeavor. The following thesis is an investigation of three nonprofits’ social media campaigns in order to identify essential elements needed to experience successful outcomes on social media. The study identified four capacity requirements to fully utilize all of social media’s potential: (1) understanding the varied platforms and its intended use, (2) planning events, (3) dedicated writers, and (4) having a strategy. The study also discovered seven elements that have deemed to be the precursors of success: (1) tell a story, (2) interact, (3) diversify, (4) make sharing easy, (5) make donating easy, (6) give a call to action, and (7) transparency.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Aguirre, Julieta
- Description:
- Educators today are responsible for student growth within the classroom atmosphere, just as they have been since the profession began. That has not change. What has changed is the attitude, the dedication, and the devotion that each individual gives to their teaching profession. As time passes, more and more young adults are discouraged from taking a profession in education as they feel that it is a lot of work for little pay. Work ethic in the young adult has seen a decrease over the years. This program proposal will help to understand why that is and what school districts can do to encourage employees to give only their best and keep the focus where it should always be, the children.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
41. A Policy analysis on electronic health records: meaningful use incentive for eligible professionals
- Creator:
- Ram, Pritika
- Description:
- Electronic health care systems have mainly been utilized in professions other than health care such as customer relationship management and resource planning. However, up until recently more health care systems are exploring the pros and cons of an electronic record keeping system. The HITECH Act under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, led by the CMS and ONC, proposes meaningful use among users of EHR systems in the U.S. health care delivery system as a critical national goal. In 2010, the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published its EHR final rule regarding the incentive program for providers and eligible professionals. The CMS incentive program will provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospital (CAHs) or acute care hospitals as they adopt, implement, upgrade, and demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Health information technology (health IT) will make it possible for health care providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information including using EHR instead of paper based medical records (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2011). The certification process also helps providers and patients be confident that the electronic health information technology products and systems they use are secure, can maintain data confidentially, and can work with other systems to share information. This study intends to understand the significance of implementing health information technology and EHR systems policy in health care to further understand the basis of the CMS incentive programs for providers and groups. The goals of this policy analysis are to assess current status of information technology adoption, estimate EHR system market penetration, and evaluate the barriers to EHR implementation and the economic impacts of EHR implementation. The objective of this study is to improve quality of care and patient information sharing while lowering long term costs and errors among providers and health care organizations. Additionally, this study will identify measures to determine if current or future policies are appropriate in the adoption and implementation of EHRs throughout health care delivery systems and among types of care settings.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Quintana, Diana
- Description:
- The use of medical marijuana in the United States is a debatable issue due to the different perceptions the public holds. At the state and federal level, controversies also exist on marijuana’s therapeutic value. Under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), marijuana is classified as schedule I drug; meaning it may be highly abusive and has no connection with medical treatment. While the law has been in effect since 1970, sixteen states have passed medical marijuana laws allowing patients to consume the substance for certain medical illnesses. States have the power to execute these laws through the 10th Amendment. Consequently, the inconsistency of the laws has created issues between some states and the federal government. The federal government can interfere at any time with medical marijuana laws and prosecute anyone who is affiliated with the substance. In order to find a solution to this problem, the researcher has conducted in depth analysis of the existing laws and how they relate to the theory of federalism. In addition, the researcher has analyzed three alternatives and the status quo to find the most effective solution. Based on the alternatives, the researcher has selected the reclassification of marijuana to a schedule II drug as the best option. The alternative has been selected because it will create a uniform policy with the existing laws. In order for this alternative to be effective, the researcher suggests eight recommendations. The recommendations range from educating children and patients of the risks and benefits of the substance to prohibiting medically ill children from consuming the substance until more research is acquired. Additionally, the researcher advises that more research needs to be conducted on the potential effects of recreational use. This is because states may want to pass these laws in the future as it was seen in the state of California.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Moorhead, Margaret
- Description:
- School vouchers promise to improve parental choice in offering a higher quality education for their child. The primary effect of school vouchers or school choice is its tendency to increase the educational gap between the middle and upper-income and the low-income students. This policy analysis describes how the voucher system was intended to work and what is known about their actual effects on students, parents, and public schools in various areas. Research of literature regarding various implemented voucher programs in the United States and two other nations was conducted. The main purpose of this analysis was to determine if students who utilized school vouchers showed improved student achievement outcomes. The research also covers how data from the voucher programs was analyzed along with controversial analysis on the original findings. To conduct the analysis for this paper, I accessed third party information from scholarly journal articles after receiving approval from California State University, Bakersfield Instructional Review Board (IRB). The information gathered was from research articles on various voucher programs and analysis of those programs. The literature I studied revealed small but inconsistent effects of school vouchers. The programs varied by ethnicity, program structure and incentives. The research did not produce evidence that students’ achievements increased over a long-term. Recommendations developed from the analysis include: 1) changing the curriculum of the public schools or developing new academic programs; 2) getting back to basics; 3) lower the student-teacher ratio; and 4) target more resources toward states with a higher proportion of minority and disadvantaged students.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Bradford, Tanya
- Description:
- Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is infinite problem throughout the world. Women more so than men endure brutal assault by the men they love, trust and depend on. With regard to race in research of Intimate Partner Violence, African American women are under represented. Although findings suggest that African American women suffer higher rates of intimate partner violence over Caucasian women, African American women are more prone to the risk of violence than Caucasian Women due to many factors. Research fails to present the true extent of this serious threat and the leading factors such as poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, no education, no outreach programs and societal stress that allows IPV to run rampant in the African American Communities. Much more research is needed to reveal the depth of African American women experiences with intimate partner violence. IPV is a threatening problem that passes down to generation to generation. Beating women is an acceptable practice in the African American community that is over looked by many. African American women believe that they are powerless and thus do not seek help do to many reasons; racism lack of trust, undeserving, have low self esteem, are feeble, come from poor communities, have low or no education, and intergenerational effect, and shame. Although it is a crime to intentionally cause harm to another individual, African American women suffer needlessly by the hands of men they love. Society, the African American community, and the family fail to conceive that women of color are in danger from violent men by turning from the truth that IPV is a real threat. To remedy IPV, perpetrators ought to be accountable for their crimes against women by applying harsher punishment. Much more research is indeed a need to address the indisputable factors in regards to the different factors in the African American Communities that cause IPV and to reveal the true extent of IPV against African American Women.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Sweat, Hilary (Hilary L.)
- Description:
- Significant changes are coming to the United States military. The repeal of DADT would call for the elimination of the military‘s ―Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell‖ policy and an official normalization of homosexuality within the U.S. armed forces, persons found to have a homosexual orientation will no longer be discharged from the military. The greatest challenge posed by the normalization of homosexuality within the armed forces is not the fact that homosexual persons will serve in uniform. Given the distribution of homosexuality within the population, courageous service of homosexual persons has been the case from the beginning. Successful implementation requires strong leadership, a clear message, and proactive training and education. The repeal of DADT will introduce conflicts and concerns. The purpose of this study is to do a policy analysis of the current policy and Repeal Act of 2010 to identify the issues the Leadership will be faced with and evaluate alternatives to investigate the best possible choice for the Leadership to effectively implement normalization of sexuality in the military. It is clearly going to be a major mission for leadership to implement this change in the military, whatever the change may be. However, by keeping the military a nonsexual zone, keeping sexual orientation as personal and private matter the implementation of normalization of sexuality in the military will prove to be a safe and fair option. By comparing consequences and looking at what constraints the future may hold along with the feasibility of each alternative the best decision can be made for the armed forces. The leadership will be able to educate and train all personnel in order for an effective implementation.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Blaylock, Theresa
- Description:
- The problem is the effectiveness of youth-offender programs. To gain consistent program outcomes that reduce recidivism rates there, the criminal justice system needs accurate measures of successful rehabilitation. Today youth-offender programs are not all effective in their treatment of youth offenders. When a youth comes in to the juvenile system, it is an opportunity to effect change and proactively prevent recidivism. Youth-offender programs that are not effective are causing harm to both the youth-offender and to the government or financial backer of that program to effect a decrease in youth-offender recidivism. The harm poor-quality youth-offender programs cause is in the youth-offender’s giving up on the idea of a life free of criminal activity. Further harm is in government budgeted funding to programs that are not producing a reduction in recidivism. This includes nonprofit agencies taking donated money for the benefit of youth offenders. Programs not reducing recidivism are causing further harm to the public perception of the troubled youth that are in these programs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Martinez, Priscilla
- Description:
- Because foundations have tax-exemption from the IRS, it is expected that they will meet a need that is not being met by the government. However, there are many who believe that there is a discrepancy in foundational giving in California because the perception is that foundational giving goes to select counties and others, especially those in the Central Valley, do not receive a fair amount of funding when considering similar populations and needs of the counties. To test this hypothesis, data on giving from four of the largest foundations in California for one year were gathered along with data on social needs indicators for every county in California to test whether there is a correlation between foundational giving and social needs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Munoz, Candace Evette
- Description:
- In Law enforcement, there are dangers that police officers face on a daily basis. One stressor in particular, is an officer-involved shooting, also known as a critical incident. Currently, many law enforcement agencies are using a technique called Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD). However, there have been many studies showing the ineffectiveness of CISD, and despite these findings, law enforcement agencies are continuing its use. The research shows that many police officers manifest a slew of psychological and physical problems from the stress of law enforcement and, most importantly, an officer-involved shooting. There is an alternative to using CISD, which is called Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), which is a more intensive recovery process. This paper will propose a program plan for the Bakersfield Police Department on how to implement a CISM program into the current CISD program it currently has in place.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Thompson, Natalie H
- Description:
- The Diamond Divas are an all-female roller derby team from Bakersfield, California. Established approximately in 2009, the Divas are composed of a diverse group of women from a variety of class, educational, and professional backgrounds; however, these women are united by their participation in this sport and the culture that revolves around it. Previous research has been primarily performed in the fields of sociology and philosophy, for only recently has much attention been paid to women's roller derby as an area of anthropological study, particularly in terms of gender, with little emphasis on the culture of roller derby itself. The present study examines the construction of the “roller girl” identity, a complex, and often contradictory, negotiation of more traditional conceptions of femininity, aggressive competition, and exaggerated expressions of sexuality. Some Divas function within the constraints of femininity (Hauser 2011), others actively challenge hegemonic femininity (Finley 2010), while still others are somewhere in the middle as suggest by Williams (2002) or fluctuate between these two realms depending on the situation at hand. Additionally, identity construction is also informed by the adherence, or lack thereof, to the socio-cultural norms and values of the specific geocultural context of Bakersfield. This research seeks to illuminate a growing subculture found in many cities and towns throughout the United States and documents a cultural movement that is quite active within this particular community. More importantly, it contributes to the rapidly accumulating pool of current cumulative research by presenting information from an anthropological perspective, widening our understanding of roller derby by contextualizing this specific team and these specific women, adding their voices to the ongoing dialogue concerning women and sports. 3
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Glasco, Misty
- Description:
- Tourism is a significant, sometimes vital part of a destination’s economy. Tourist spending supports jobs and helps cities thrive. For many years destination marketing and tourism promotion by Convention and Visitors Bureaus has been funded primarily through the collection of Transient Occupancy Tax. In recent years, the wavering economics of California has forced cities to explore different ways to fund Convention and Visitors Bureaus. Tourism Business Improvement Districts have become a key method of providing stable funding for destination marketing and promotion. The Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau’s budget is currently funded by TOT, allocated by the city, and is not guaranteed. Fresno and Stockton are two of Bakersfield largest competitors. The cities of Fresno and Stockton have had success enacting TBIDs in recent years. This paper will look closely at the data from Fresno and Stockton to see if Bakersfield should consider implementing a TBID as the funding source for the Bakersfield Convention and Visitors Bureau. The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of Fresno and Stockton’s TBIDs to better understand the district formation process, and to understand the challenges and opportunities in forming a TBID. This data may serve as a general frame to determine what lessons these cities can offer Bakersfield and other cities considering a TBID funded CVB. TBID’s for Fresno and Stockton are providing a stable funding source for the cities CVBs free from political circumstances. A TBID funded budget gives relief to local government by providing a funding source that does not come from city collected taxes or general fund revenues. Bakersfield’s hotel revenue assessed for a TBID indicates that the Bakersfield CVB would have an average budget of $1.4 million. Stable funding of this amount would allow the Bakersfield CVB to market its destination and provides more exposure to its target audience. This would increase local events, meetings and tourism, leading to increased occupancy, TOT and sales taxes. This increase provides an overall better economic situation for the Bakersfield CVB, the City of Bakersfield and its residents.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Hughes, Jina D'Ann
- Description:
- Underrepresentation of African-American males as grade level rises is a major concern in education (Duggins & Acosta, 2017; Howard, 2010; Husband, 2012; Tatum, 2006; Washington, Patton-Terry, & Siedenberg, 2013). Prior studies have placed the blame on African-American males in grades k-12 for their lack of academic progress. In an effort to understand why slow achievement still exists with this subgroup, research on the struggle experienced by African American male students lacks a critical analysis of the quality of educational practices and the perceptions of teachers. Teacher expectations and perceptions can shape the engagement and self-esteem of students. Many African-American male students have been negatively impacted by unjust criticism and treatment based on teacher biases and assumed stereotypes. This case study utilized qualitative methods to examine the relationship between teacher and administrator perceptions and the performance and well-being of African-American males in third through eighth grade in a suburban school district. The goal of this study was to encourage educators in this small, southwestern school district to make well-informed decisions that promote academic growth by recognizing perceived factors that may impact overall student performance and well-being. Triangulation of participant interviews, survey results, and archival data was accompanied by a six-phase analysis method. The results of this study revealed a possible relationship between educator perceptions and the performance and well-being of African-American males in third through eighth grade in this suburban district.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Educational Leadership (DPEL)
- Creator:
- Wright, Jamal Tyrone
- Description:
- This study focused on the policy impact of SB 1456 (2012) on students enrolled in rural community colleges in California. SB 1456 (2012) was signed into law with the intent to increase student success rates that ultimately resulted in the completion of educational goals for students in California Community Colleges (CCC). In order to examine the implications of this measure, the following research questions were utilized to guide this study: 1) Is there a statistically significant interaction between race and academic year for school belonging? 2) Is there a statistically significant interaction between race and academic year for campus support? This pre-experimental study used data from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) to assess SB 1456 (2012). The analyses of the data were structured using a cohort model to evaluate variances in response between the 2011 and 2014 academic years. Furthermore, the data were disaggregated by race to identify whether African-American and Latinx student responses varied from their White counterparts. As a result, race and academic year were the two factors which were considered in this study. The two outcomes for the study, support for learners and sense of belonging, were two of the five benchmarks that CCSSE measures for. To determine if there were significant interactions between the factors and outcomes, a two-way ANOVA (2 X 2) was used. Along with a two-way ANOVA (2 X 2), the researcher incorporated the Crtitical Race Theory to effectively interpet the responses of minority students. Upon running the tests, the results concluded that there were no statistically significant interaction effects between cohort years and school belonging or between race and academic year. These findings suggest that the programs, workshops, and initiatives funded by SB 1456 (2012) did not increase minority students’ sense of belonging on campus. Additionally, the results show that the programs implemented in 2012 did not lead to more minority students utilizing support services. The data also revealed that there is still a significant gap between how White students view their campus and how minority students feel on campus. However, noteworthy differences were observed in student-faculty interactions. In contrast to current literature, the data showed that minority students had enriching and constructive relationships with faculty members. Nevertheless, a greater emphasis on high-touch interaction must be included into the marrow of SB 1456 (2012). In doing so, more minority students will utilize the resources which they desperately need, which will, in turn, lead to a reduction in educational and emotional achievement gaps.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Educational Leadership (DPEL)
- Creator:
- Campos-Hughes, Laura
- Description:
- There is an average of 6500 active cases which California Children’s Services (CCS) case manages for medical processing. CCS continues to use traditional paper charts and there is no tracking system to show which one of the over 50 staff members may have the chart or if the chart has been filed in the chart room. On a daily basis CCS may receive at least 125 faxes requesting medical authorizations ranging from procedures, medication or equipment. There are four Office Services Technicians who process all faxes, locate the paper chart and forward to the correct staff for review. The current system of receiving and processing faxes often causes delays in processing as the charts cannot be found. In addition, CCS spends 42% of their yearly office supply allocated budget on paper and toner. CCS has acknowledges the need to transition into a paperless system is important and has spent over $76,000 towards implementation but has fallen short of completing the transition. After reviewing literature regarding implementation of a paperless system, expenses which CCS has incurred and estimating cost of office supplies as well as staff loss of productivity it is recommended CCS immediately restore implementation process of transitioning from the current paper chart to a paperless system.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- LaPierre, Kish
- Description:
- This thesis describes and interprets a large rock feature complex and associated artifact caches from the Mirror Point site (CA-SBR-12134/H) located on the east side of Searles Lake within the boundaries of the South Range, Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake, California. The objectives of this investigation: to access the lifeways of the inhabitants that once occupied this site; activities of the occupants at this site; time period(s) when this site was occupied; and purpose or function of rock features and associated artifact caches. Archaeological investigations of CA-SBR-12134/H included four surface scrapes and the excavation of eight test units, mapping of the overall site surface, and analysis of recovered materials. Artifacts recovered from this site include large obsidian bifaces, glass, silver, and shell beads, a bow fragment, pottery, debitage, historic bottles, mining debris, and several types of projectile points. Because the rock features and artifacts seem to serve no utilitarian purpose it is assumed that this site was visited for ideological reasons. Diagnostic artifacts span from the Early Period (before 6600 BP) to Historic times (circa 1900). It is possible if not likely that these artifacts were collected from other sites and brought to CA-SBR-12134/H as part of a ritual offering and that the site was visited from prehistoric to historic times.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Anthropology
- Creator:
- Lorenzi, Georgina
- Description:
- Government agencies throughout California face complicated issues with public employee defined benefit pension plans. Market earnings on pension investments have plummeted with the decline of the U.S. economy. This market downturn increases pension costs for governmental agencies. As pension costs continue to command a significant allocation of governmental funding, services offered to citizens may decline to levels unsatisfactory to various stakeholders – citizens, elected officials, government agencies, private sector, and employees of these government agencies. However, salaries and benefits not comparable with the private sector and other governmental agencies may fail to attract qualified personnel to provide these very same services to citizens and the community. Public employee pension plans create political and emotional arguments by a myriad of stakeholders that may compromise and inhibit objective decision-making. Therefore, unbiased and objective analysis and interpretation is required even more with the politics and emotions inherent with this issue. This study explores pension costs, as reported within the General Fund, for the City of Bakersfield. The City of Bakersfield’s pension costs increased from a low of $3.7 Million in Fiscal Year 2000/01 to a high of $24.7 Million in Fiscal Year 2011/12 – a 562% increase. In addition, the actuarial value of the City of Bakersfield’s PERS plan assets, inclusive of all funding sources, over the accrued liability was $94 Million to the good in Fiscal Year 1998/99. For Fiscal Year 2009/10, the accrued liabilities exceeded plan assets by approximately $149 Million. Literary review of issues impacting public employee pension plans is also included in this study. Recommendations to curb public sector pension costs abound. This study focuses on recommendations offered by the Little Hoover Commission and Governor Brown’s “Twelve Point Pension Reform Plan.” This study then concludes with suggestions dealing specifically with rising costs for the City of Bakersfield’s defined benefit pension plans. At this point, a disclosure is necessary to address potential bias on the author’s part. The author of this study is currently a 26-year employee with the City of Bakersfield and is a participant in the Miscellaneous defined benefit pension plan.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Shahrokhshahi, Rita
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: This thesis examines the patriarchal wounding of my Slavic mother line and follows the healing journey I took to transform wounds to enrich my self-identity in my pursuit toward wholeness Procedure: My study follows the motherline. The motherline is the maternal lineage of a woman backward through the generations. I explored the wounding of my motherline by using an autoethnographical narrative. Autoethnography is an autobiographical form of qualitative research that uses self reflection to explore personal stories and experiences within a cultural context. I used self-reflection to aid my stories and employed a Jungian psychological framework. Through the myth of Inanna, I embarked upon a metaphorical descent and met the dark goddess Ereshkigal. I relied on depth techniques to track and interpret my dreams, guide my active imaginations, and create spontaneous healing rituals. I made a pilgrimage to Montenegro to further assist my inquiries and overall depth experience. Findings: I found that healing occurs in the reflective process of sharing my journey of personal and cultural wounding. Healing is not a means to an end but is rather an ongoing process toward a quest to achieve wholeness. I found that my personal female individuation process is a continuous stream of engaging with the rhythms of life, death, and rebirth as a continuous cycle in my developmental pattern. My mother line wounds provided deep layers of meaningful experiences to happen that continue to offer value for me to expand my quest toward wholeness. Conclusions: Suffering from personal wounds affords the opportunity to examine the soul through a process of individuation. The connection with the motherline and one's cultural lineage is a way to further understand self and create wholeness. For women, the sacred feminine is a source for greater meaning. In the quest toward female individuation, a goddess-centered spirituality is an opening to assist the exploration of vast realms and qualities that lives inside every woman.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Psychology
- Creator:
- Wood, Lana Mariko
- Description:
- This chapter outlines the author’s experience co-designing and co-teaching an undergraduate problem-based learning public health course with faculty from her liaison department at a mid-size public university. During the year and a half spent on the design and implementation of this course, the author’s role evolved from information literacy consultant to co-instructor, ultimately deepening her relationship with her liaison department and its students and faculty. There were many opportunities, challenges, and lessons learned from working collaboratively on this new course, including the fundamental ways in which problem-based learning requires students to use information literacy skills. This experience also demonstrates the advantages of challenging oneself to teach outside of one’s subject expertise, in less familiar liaison subject areas.
- Resource Type:
- Book Chapter
- Campus Tesim:
- East Bay
- Department:
- Information Studies
- Creator:
- Hernandez, Jaime
- Description:
- This policy analysis describes the current expenditures for inmates in California. Expenditures for inmates have not reduced since the state of California has cut back on many programs throughout the state to close the deficit. The goal of this policy analysis is to assess the expenditures of inmate cost in rehabilitation, medical health care, and the current expenses associated in California. The study will identify current problems in the correction system, advantages, and disadvantages for alternatives. Policy alternatives will be measured by effectiveness and feasibility. The policy alternatives are to improve rehabilitation services and reduce medical care costs. Rehabilitation services have not worked in California. Recidivism is still high with offenders violating their parole (California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, 2010). It is important to take a closer look at rehabilitation services and measure their effectiveness. Considering effectiveness and feasibility, the best alternative is through reducing costs related to inmate health care during tough economic times. This could be accomplished by an established well-organized primary health care system to provide effective medical services to inmates. Managed health care systems have reduced costs in other states and have avoided lawsuits (Chan & Speier, 2004). In addition, the careful evaluation of each patient when inmates request to see the doctor avoids unnecessary tests and expenses. Proper evaluation and preventative care have controlled expenditures for inmate’s medical health care (Office of The General Inspector, 2008).
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Anderson, Ian J
- Description:
- When a child is placed into foster care, the courts and dependency care systems focus on finding a safe haven for the child which means that the child’s education is often overlooked. The long-term effects of not considering the child’s educational needs are devastating to the child the longer they stay within the system. To address these issues California Assembly Bill AB 490 was implemented in January 2004. One key element of this legislation was the implementation of an education liaison. The research presented will show that due to a lack of funding, enforcement and clearly outlined implantation AB 490 has not been able to fully address the problems of educating foster youth. Kern County foster youth suffer from the same educational disparities of those in the rest of California. In order to address this the following program proposal will demonstrate how the creation of a volunteer education liaison program run through the Kern County Network for Children will help to correct these disparities for Kern County Foster youth.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Barajas, Daniel E.
- Description:
- Continuation high schools serve students for multiple reasons. Among them are low credit attainment, excessive absences, probation status, and discipline problems. Students in these programs often have many educational gaps. In the state of California, continuation high schools have been an educational option for this vulnerable student population since 1919. This segment of the school system seeks to offer students with diverse educational challenges and obstacles a second opportunity to complete their education. Presently, there is little research connected to the success of continuation high school graduates’ level of persistence in any type of higher education. This study examined the influence teacher-student relationships had on a particular group of continuation high school students who, in spite of challenges associated with continuation-education deficit mindset, were able to attain academic success in higher education. The study sought to explore how the practices of comprehensive high school sites intersected with those of a specific continuation high school. Social Capital and Critical Race Theory provided the conceptual lens to analyze teacher–student relationships. The researcher captured students’ and teachers’ perceptions in order to analyze how their interactions and relationships could be strengthened to ensure student academic success and provide continuation high school students with options upon high school graduation.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Sergi, Stephanie Lynne
- Description:
- In this thesis, I seek to resolve the debate over Tiresias’s ability to unify The Waste Land by offering a new perspective—Tiresias as a Modernist Maypole. I propose that Tiresias’s inability to perfectly coalesce the different voices and themes within the poem is not due to an authorial failing but is instead an imperfect unification that may suggest a modernist view of unity. In short, the thesis focuses Tiresias in regards gender, prophecy, and mythology. This thesis argues that Tiresias fails to completely unify The Waste Land; nevertheless, it also maintains that he can, in fact, fuse the poem’s fragments in an unusual way. Tiresias allows for a nuanced view of the poem’s structure by suggesting incomplete connections hidden in the numerous vignettes. An image of a maypole can illustrate this modernist view of unity. A traditional maypole consists of a fixed pole that has ribbons or streamers extending down from the top, and the end of each ribbon is held by a person. Then, the people dance around the pole weaving the ribbons together. In contrast, a modernist maypole would lack some of these ribbons, and others may be frayed or torn. In The Waste Land, Tiresias is the stationary maypole; however, some of the ribbons connecting him to the other characters in the poem are either torn or missing. In true modernist fashion, the maypole, Tiresias, unifies the work by suggesting what it might have been.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Martinez, Lauren Elizabeth
- Description:
- Originally published in 1898 in serial form, The Turn of the Screw has undergone many incarnations. The short story was published again, complete with a preface, in Henry James’s New York Edition, 1907-1909. The version I have chosen to use, edited by Robert Kimbrough, is based directly on this edition: “The first section of the present volume contains the only critical edition of The Turn of the Screw ever published and is the first modern text to follow the New York Edition, the one which had James’s final authority” (Kimbrough, ix). Kimbrough includes the notes that accompanied the serial version, as well as several of James’s personal letters about the story as well. Rather than choose sides and argue for or against the Governess’s sanity, I am studying James’s stylistic choices not to solve the debate over the ghosts’ existence, but to determine how, lingusitically and rhetorically, James created this unanswerable dilemma. Richard A. Lanham’s Analyzing Prose will serve as a starting point for my stylistic analysis, and I supplement with Aristotle’s theories of rhetoric. James wrote in his New York edition preface that this story is “a piece of ingenuity pure and simple, of cold artistic calculation, an amusette to catch those not easily caught (the “fun” of the capture of the witless being ever but small), the jaded, the disillusioned, the fastidious” (120). My interest lies not in what ambiguity he created, but rather in how.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Kroll, Rebecca
- Description:
- To approach these concerns, this project seeks to provide an evaluation of the intellectual and personal relationship between authors Ralph Ellison and Kenneth Burke as viewed through the lens of personal correspondence. A review of selected letters demonstrates the two authors maintained an enduring relationship, one that spanned from the forties up until Kenneth Burke’s death in 1993. In other words, the authors maintained a friendship lasting roughly half their lives. To that end, this project presents a chronology of selected correspondence in order to provide an initial set up, so that scholars may encounter the letters in one place and consider the role each author played in the development of the other’s ideas.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Rasmussen, Cody W
- Description:
- The soon to retire baby boomers are going to create a strain on the current elderly infrastructure in America. The following is a proposal for an assisted living facility in Mexico. If put into effect the outsourced assisted living facility will help to ease the strain on the American elderly infrastructure. The proposed facility will provide both a quality and affordable retirement for baby boomers. The recommendation is to put this program model into effect and to reap the benefits thereof for years to come.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Lewis, Ryan D.
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: The endangered Sonoma County population of the California tiger salamander, Ambystoma californiense, undergoes migrations between breeding pools and upland dry-season refugia. Orientation in this species during breeding migrations has been addressed minimally in previous studies, and literature is particularly sparse concerning newly metamorphosed juveniles. Previous works have not addressed the ability of metamorphs to orient or the way in which they search for upland refugia. The purpose of this study is to evaluate if California tiger salamander metamorphs can re-orient during initial migration and if search movements constitute a Correlated Random Walk. Procedure: We evaluated fine scale movements of newly metamorphosed California tiger salamanders as they moved away from breeding pools, by capturing salamanders with a drift fence. Metamorphs received different orientation treatments, and subsequent movement was tracked with fluorescent powder. We measured turning angles and step lengths at each segment of the tracks, and compared the effect of different treatments. Findings: Here we show that newly metamorphosed juveniles can re-orient to their upland migration path after being interrupted and disoriented. Further, we demonstrate that while searching for burrow refugia, metamorph movement is a correlated random walk. Conclusions: The initial migration from natal pools to uplands following metamorphosis has been identified as a crucial life history juncture for the persistence of this species. Our findings show that these migrations are directed by some orientation, and that these movements are not random. The presence of a Correlated Random Walk is consistent with search patterns in many vertebrates.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Biology
66. toogoodtobetrue
- Creator:
- Wrisley, Brooke
- Description:
- toogoodtobetrue is a fiction creative project containing a collection of queer short stories designed to examine the unifying and diverse experiences of a modern queer existence. Thematically, the collection seeks to create and explore the practical and affective possibilities of queer optimism, or optimism without futurity.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Boylen, Sarah C.
- Description:
- Purpose of the Study: This research study hopes to address the negotiation of important aspects in teaching such as how to foster inquiry and literacy while adhering to standards, specifically the Next Generation Science Standards, and if those standards allow for student epistemic agency in secondary science classrooms. The future of science education lies in teachers instilling in their students the skills that will help them gain scientific literacy and student agency in the classroom, and beyond. For the purposes of this study, a framework was developed around scientific inquiry and literacy, while negotiating varying pedagogical approaches, along a theorized spectrum of increasing student agency. The framework is a tool to help educators visualize a variety of pedagogies as they relate to important characteristics of stages of inquiry that could offer increasing epistemic agency for their students. This research study intends to shed light on the perspectives and opinions of a selected group of high school life science teachers and some of their students in regards to these approaches to teaching a controversial, or Socioscientific Issue (SSI), in the science classroom. The student outcome goals that were considered were critical thinking, personal decision making, ethical questioning, outreach and “social justice” as activism. The three classrooms include one Sheltered Learning biology class and one Advanced Placement biology, both at the same high school, and one Integrated 3-4 biology class in a neighboring County. Within and across the three different classrooms, how do participating teachers, and their students’ perceive, or view, (a) varying approaches toward using a controversial, or Socioscientific Issue (SSI), such as GMOs, in secondary science classroom, and (b) activities designed for the science classroom that have the end goals of outreach, social justice or activism, on or off campus? Finally, how does student preference compare to the proposed theoretical framework set forth in this study? Procedure: This mixed-method study is a one-phase embedded design approach; where quantitative data is the secondary data that was collected while qualitative data was being audio recorded during teacher and student interviews. Four activity “scenarios” were designed, along with interview questionnaires, and used as tools and guides during teacher and student interviews. Three high school life science teachers and 13 of their students were interviewed to investigate their perspectives on using the four different activity scenarios which would explore the topic of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) as food. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. Findings: Overall, two classes preferred Activity 1; critical thinking in the lab, whereas one classroom preferred Activities 3; outreach and 4; activism, although students had a variety of responses as to why. All three teachers and many students agreed that outreach and activism are important. However, teachers believed that activities that stayed in the classroom were more feasible that activities that left the classroom. Teachers were fairly accurate when predicting their students preferred activity scenario. All the participants said that GMOs as food would be a good topic for learning science in the classroom. Teachers and students felt that activities that are controversial, or that might cause conflict in the classroom, are acceptable for learning at school. Those who were asked felt that conflict can be managed and usually does not leave the classroom. When the varying perspectives within classrooms were reflected on the spectrum, new ideas about what student epistemic agency and scientific literacy are emerged. Conclusions: Student epistemic agency can be defined in many ways, including what the students want to do most. However, agency through varying teaching approaches and a variety of student outcome goals can bring different forms of agency to students while doing inquiry in the science classroom. Finally, students may come into the classroom with prior experiences that give them a different “position” when negotiating a controversial, or socioscientific, type issue. Implications for teaching practice involve balancing factors that are within our control, such as activity planning and pedagogical approach, with factors that are out of teachers control, such as the starting point of a student’s position when they enter the classroom for learning. This starting point position can have large impacts on a student’s perceptions, and willingness, to “like” activities Finally, teachers play a large role in how learning can happen in the classroom, as well the school and society that they lie within.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Soto, Erik M.
- Description:
- Statement of Intent: The intent behind Children of Immigrants is to give a voice to people who are Latinx, Chicanx, or Mexican in a country which constantly shapes our narratives to benefit the Anglo-American narrative. By writing about the culture, religion, relationship dynamics, and the clash of between Mexican and American societies, I hope to give the reader an authentic perspective of the Mexican/Latinx/Chicanx experience. Scope: The scope of Children of Immigrants is always through the eyes of someone who is Mexican/Latinx/Chicanx. Everything about the characters in these poems is a reflection of the Mexican/Latinx/Chicanx and, by extension, people who interact with this identity. Approach: Because the purpose of Children of Immigrants is to illustrate an authentic Mexican/Latinx/Chicanx experience, my approach was to mimic and write about situations and locations that helped build a foundation to this experience. This included incorporating the Spanish language, including real locations, and writing with politically charged themes. Many of the experiences I wrote about come from my personal life or tales told by friends, family members or the news.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Sonoma
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Grimes, Adam John
- Description:
- The blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is a federally and state-listed endangered species, endemic to the San Joaquin Valley, Carrizo and Elkhorn Plains, and Cuyama Valley of central California. Habitat degradation has had a profound impact on the historic distribution and population size of G. sila. Although recognition of G. sila as a distinct species has been questioned by some authors (e.g., Cope 1900, Smith 1946), it is currently recognized as a full species separate from the wide-ranging long-nosed leopard lizard (G. wislizenii); however, genetic support for the specific status of G. sila is lacking. Furthermore, the genetic identity of leopard lizards in the purported hybrid zone between these two species in the Cuyama Valley in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties has not been evaluated using modern molecular techniques. Understanding the genetic identity of leopard lizards in the Cuyama Valley has practical as well as systematic implications. I investigated the sister taxon relationship of G. sila and G. wislizenii using 603 base pairs of sequence from the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase III (CO3) gene from 37 individuals representing the two species sampled from various populations in western North America. Phylogenetic analysis revealed 17 haplotypes that are partitioned into two major clades that correspond to the range of G. sila and that of G. wislizenii haplotype groups, thus supporting the recognition of both lizards as distinct species. Additionally, I sequenced 682 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase b (cyt b) gene from 34 individuals representing six populations of G. sila, including lizards from a remnant hybrid population. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the cyt b sequences consisted of 18 haplotypes that are partitioned into three geographic clades: northern, central, and southern. All lizards from the Cuyama Valley exhibited the G. sila mitochondrial DNA signature and formed the "southern" clade that was joined as a sister group to the "central" clade. My morphological analysis placed some leopard lizards from the hybrid zone with true G. sila, whereas some aggregated with G. wislizenii, indicative of hybrid status. However, genetic signatures suggest that all lizards in the hybrid zone are true G. sila, and not hybrids.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Wilcox, Nathan S
- Description:
- Since 1994, California‟s three strikes law has been the most far-reaching of all the three strikes laws in the nation. While designed to incapacitate and deter violent habitual offenders from committing further violent crimes, the breadth of the law has led to more than that. It allows for third strike convictions for any of some 500 felonies, even offenses considered „wobblers‟ or offenses that could be charged as a felony or misdemeanor (Freedburg, 2004). Conviction of a second strike also allows for sentences which could be up to double what they would be if the offense was not considered as a strike. Oftentimes, these offenses counted as strikes are non-serious and non-violent. Convictions under this particular law have contributed heavily to California‟s current prison population crises. „Striker inmates‟ or those convicted under the „three strikes‟ law, make up one quarter (25%) of the total California prison population (California State Auditor, 2010). The costs associated with these incarcerations are continuing to cause tension when California is already in an uncertain financial situation. Reviewing the origins of the law to include the „tough on crime‟ approach to Proposition 184‟s passage and what has been done since then, provides some background leading to the current situation. An assessment of the three strikes law‟s current state gives support to the rationale that it should be changed. This is in order to both address the high number of incarcerated offenders convicted of non-violent, non-serious offenses and reduce the costs related to their incarceration. Three policy alternatives were examined; the ‘do nothing’ or no difference option, refining the definition of a strike to include only violent or serious offenses and the option of enhanced community supervision. After an analysis of the alternatives and application of criteria, the alternative of refining the definition of a strike to include only violent or serious offenses proved to be the most likely to succeed. This is because it met the criteria of effectiveness, feasibility, efficiency and adequacy.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Murdock-Padley, Rosanne
- Description:
- Federal, state and local environmental regulatory agencies guide the activities of the City of Bakersfield Wastewater Industrial Pretreatment Program. The goals of one of those agencies, the California State Water Resources Control Board is to educate the public about water quality issues. An evaluation of public awareness activities used by the City of Bakersfield Wastewater Industrial Pretreatment Program found that industrial waste inspectors would like to expand their public education and awareness efforts beyond commercial entities. Public education and awareness efforts can educate the public on the proper ways to dispose of pollutants and the effects of discarding pollutants down storm drains and sewers. The Wastewater Division currently does not have a public awareness plan to guide the public awareness effort. This study includes a literature review that examines the effectiveness of public awareness methods at changing behavior of the target audience in environmental matters. The review found public awareness and education alone may not change behavior of a target audience in matters of the environment. Implementation of a planned public awareness campaign is still recommended for the industrial pretreatment inspectors engaging in public awareness activities over the current ad hoc method because a planned campaign can serve as a blueprint and guide. Implementation strategies that industrial waste inspectors can use to create a public awareness plan are included in this report. Creating a public awareness plan that outlines what to do and how to do it is a major part of a public awareness plan. A public awareness plan can guide the efforts of public awareness efforts allowing for efficient and effective use of limited public resources.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Matson, Jason Wade
- Description:
- Law enforcement agencies are encountering dire financial constraints as the depressed economy continues to exist. These agencies are working with significantly reduced staffing levels with no immediately relief anticipated. The current circumstances have created a need for revisions to existing procedures in order to increase efficiencies. This program proposal study is designed to evaluate how law enforcement agencies can increase the amount of time that a law enforcement supervisor can have available to devote to in-field supervision and to create a formalized process to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the process. The research also seeks to determine what unintended consequences might develop from a modified review and approval process, to provide recommendations for administrators to consider, and make recommendations on remedial options for non-reviewed reports should the investigation require such action. The knowledge gained from this study will help law enforcement administrators provide alternatives to workload adjustments during recessed economies and limited staffing levels when encountered in future similar situations.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Paul, Rohit
- Description:
- Senate Bill 899 was a partial success as it was able to lower the costs of workers’ compensation for California’s insurance carriers and employers. That 2004 reform bill led to a substantial reduction in overall claim volume by limiting the various extensions of injured worker benefits and increasing the requirements to qualify for particular benefits. By the year 2009, any progress made by the 2004 reform had already been erased. The state’s insurance carriers averaged a 25% loss on workers’ compensation premiums that year. Gradual price increases in workers’ compensation premiums, over the last several years, have significantly contributed to California’s notorious distinction as one of the worst states in which to operate small businesses. From a historical review, workers' compensation system premium pricing goes through a cycle of highs and lows that project over several years. The high years prompt cost reducing reforms and the low years prompt new actions from involved parties that result in rising costs. Currently, Status Quo projects a workers' compensation system that is unsustainable for businesses and insurance carriers due to mounting pressure from rising claim costs that have already overcome the SB899 reform. Over 90 percent, of the total costs in the system, stem from claims involving temporary disability. In addition, the system allows for claim lifespans and medical profits that significantly out-pace those of similar claims for non-industrial injuries. Policy changes are needed in the form of medical treatment containment measures and overall claim resolution motivators. The larger focus of future reforms should be on returning injured workers to their job in a functional capacity and at a universally accepted pace. Alternatives to the problem can largely be devised from existing components of the workers' compensation system. Current AME/QME procedures and ACOEM guidelines should be used to formulate small scale reforms that attempt to return claim costs and durations to a logical level as opposed to reforms that aim only to cut exorbitant costs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Milam, J. Garth
- Description:
- Late in the summer of 1918, Bakersfield and Kern County was consumed by news of the war in Europe. Many hoped they were nearing the end of the deadliest war in history. But as one tragedy was ending another was just beginning. Today, ninety years after the Spanish Influenza epidemic swept the world, few are aware of the devastation it wrought. In fact, a sort of social amnesia enveloped much of the western world. Bakersfield was no exception. A present day resident of Kern County would not put the 1918 influenza on any list of local disasters. Though when the facts are examined, the Spanish Influenza mortality rate in Bakersfield exceeded every other major city in California. But even Bakersfield’s numbers were dwarfed by two regions of rural Kern County. The rapidly growing towns on the West Side and Oildale, just north of Bakersfield, were bustling, youthful, oil boomtowns. In little more than a decade these non-existent towns grew to contain a third of the county’s population. Sadly, the youth of the boomtowns made the Spanish Influenza even more devastating to these rural communities. In only four months of flu, these towns would loss many times more victims from plague than two years of war. How could such an event not be remembered, memorialized, and indelibly imprinted in our social consciousness? Yet, the influenza of 1918 proved to be much more than a forgotten tragedy in our collective past. It was a physical loss felt by nearly every family in the region. Globally, the effects of four years of war followed by a pandemic that took millions more lives, left twentieth-century society reeling. Kern County dealt with the great loss like the rest of the world; it tried to forget it.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- History
- Creator:
- Keldgord, Heather Elayne
- Description:
- Rhus ovata is an evergreen shrub species that is common to low elevations in southern California. This species is subdioecious, i.e. some individuals are functionally females and produce fruit while others are functionally male and produce flowers with pollen. I hypothesized that because female plants allocate greater resources to reproduction through the formation of both flowers and fruit, female plants have fewer resources available for vegetative growth, survival, and defense. Therefore, I predicted that female plants would be smaller and less competitive. I sampled Rhus ovata populations at six sites across a rainfall gradient (221mm/yr to 701 mm/yr) and predicted that populations would be male dominated at drier sites because of their greater stress tolerance. At each site I measured the ratio of male to female plants within the sampled population. For a subset of individuals at each site, I measured crown size, stem tissue density, specific leaf area, reproductive investment, and distance to the nearest neighbor. As expected, female plants had greater total reproductive investment although the amount of investment was highly variable and females exhibited more variability than males. However, this differential reproductive investment did not lead to sexual size dimorphism. Ratios of functional male plants to functionally female plants differed among sites, but these differences were not correlated with rainfall and across sites the ratio of males to females did not significantly differ from a one to one. Plasticity in allocation to reproduction among females in this long-lived woody species may mitigate reproductive costs and reduce sexual dimorphism.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Webb, Josh
- Description:
- This study of the BCS is an evaluation of the current policies and guidelines’ governing collegiate football’s post-season. By focusing specifically on tax-exempt status bowls, this study highlights a disturbing trend among the individuals in charge of operating the bowls and their foundations. Rooted in non-profit literature, this study examines the Bowl Championship Series’ misappropriation of tax payer’s funds, by the participating organizations, under tax-exempt status. Reforms have been suggested based on the model provided by the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. This unique study provides an in-depth examination of non-profit mismanagement, negligent spending, and legal violations as they pertain to the world of collegiate sports’ highest grossing sport. The purpose of this report is to establish a set of rules and regulations by which the bowls and their directors must abide. The tax-payers of many communities have footed the bill for far too many unrelated business items. The time has come for the government to establish boundaries for this type of non-profit and hold them to their sworn congressional testimony. Furthermore, this paper will explore the literature of the non-profit world and how it directly relates to the conduct of the BCS.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Perez, Jesus Roberto
- Description:
- Summary Associated Students Incorporated at California State University Bakersfield is the student government on campus. ASI not only represents the students of CSUB, but also is a nonprofit organization 501(c) 3 corporation. ASI has never had program evaluation done, since ASI is a nonprofit organization it important for one to be done, so the organization is aware of any issues that they are not addressing. Discussion ASI in 2010, created a five-year strategic plan for where the organization is going. ASI has four areas that are elements that make up ASI. Those areas are: -Finance, which funds events/ programs; -programming which hosts events; -Internal affairs that deal with the inner workings of ASI; and, -External affairs that deal with student advocacy. The reason for this study is to review the documents of ASI and the business they currently conduct to see if the organization is achieving their goals. Finally, ASI has been looking to grow as an organization. Certain programs looking into are sustainability projects, internship opportunities, grant writing, and community outreach. With the current funding model of ASI and the recession is it feasible for ASI to be able to reach these goals. As well as if, ASI is even meeting their current goals and objectives with the current funding model.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Holsonbake, Cheryl Ann
- Description:
- Public institutions of all kinds are being subjected to more accountability by legislators, educators, the media, and taxpayers. But, U.S. colleges and universities that once enjoyed relative freedom from accountability have been increasingly in the spotlight. In light of the recent nationwide recession and painfully slow recovery, college graduation rates are being heavily scrutinized, especially among public community colleges and universities. This study focused on graduates of Kern High School District who enrolled at CSU Bakersfield as first-time freshmen and whether taking advanced mathematics courses improved their odds of completing a college diploma. Binary logistical regression results indicated an overall model including the rigor of students’ last high school mathematics class was reliable in distinguishing between those who graduated with a bachelor’s degree and those who did not. Holding all other variables constant, KHSD students taking any course(s) above Algebra 2 were 3.2 times more likely to complete college in four years. The findings held for five-and six-year college graduation rates as well. Students taking more rigorous mathematics courses were 2.2 times more likely to finish their degree in five years and 1.8 times more likely to finish their degree in six years.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
79. A Content analysis study to determine: Telemedicine: the future of health care delivery systems?
- Creator:
- Costelloe, Melissa D
- Description:
- Healthcare in rural locations in America continues to draw disparities due to a myriad of issues including access issues, lack of physicians, and lack of facilities in rural locations. It is a pivotal time in the healthcare industry to ensure that these health disparities do not continue. According to U.S. census data, approximately 21% of the U.S. population lives in rural or medically undeserved locations. Physician shortage, poor access to care, and rural–urban disparities in availability of subspecialty care are important issues that require the attention of health care providers and health policy makers (Raza, Joshi, Schapira, & Agha, 2009). As advances in technology have come to light, what are the impacts of Telemedicine in rural communities in America? This research paper will attempt to answer this hypothesis. The methods used for this research paper are non-experimental research design based on qualitative information using a content analysis method. The limitations to this research project include time available to complete the study. The results based on this research include confirmation that Telemedicine provides more timely access for populations living in both rural and urban locations in America. Other results include better health outcomes and comfort for families and caregivers who can travel less due to Telemedicine access. The three recommendations include healthcare providers creating mandatory Telemedicine access; additional training and education to those who help deliver Telemedicine and create grants or subsidies for healthcare providers to offset startup costs.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
80. Best practices of public health departments in controlling chlamydia infection in the United States
- Creator:
- Nkwonta, Nkem O
- Description:
- Chlamydia trachomatis is an intracellular bacterium that causes Chlamydia infections. It is the most common sexually transmitted disease, and is the most preventable cause of infertility in the United States. Since 1994, it has had the highest incidence of any sexually transmitted disease in the United States, and is acquired through sexual intercourse, which could be anal, vaginal or oral. The individuals most affected by the infection are aged 20-24, and females are far more affected by the infection than males. Chlamydia trachomatis is associated with the following infections namely—ocular infection, lymphogranuloma venereum and genitourinary infection. While the incidence rate of the infection in United States is 456.7/100,000 of the population that of Kern County is 706.4/100,000 of the population, which is much higher than the national average. It is estimated that about 2.8 million people are affected in the United States, and the average yearly cost of treatment for the infection is about $4.2 billion. Symptoms of Chlamydia infection vary from asymptomatic (mostly in males) to vaginal, urethral and rectal discharge, pelvic inflammatory pain, upper abdominal pain due to perihepatitis, pharyngeal infection, and Reiter’s syndrome. Some of the practices that help in Chlamydia control are free yearly screening, use of barrier contraception, motivational behavioral interventions (health promotion and organizational developmental theories), partner therapy, and home-based screening. The mainstay of Chlamydia control is increased screening since it is estimated that about 70% of individuals who have the infection are asymptomatic. Also, included in this paper are the core functions of Public Health Departments, which are policy development, health assessment and quality assurance, and their importance in the control of Chlamydia infection. Five county public health departments were selected at random from the four regional areas of the United States — West, South, Northeast and Midwest. The criteria that was used for the selection is population size greater than 500,000 and an incidence rate of Chlamydia infection <320/100,000 of the population. In addition, the study addressed the effects of demographics — gender, ethnicity, educational status, age of the population, percentage of the population that are females on the prevalence of Chlamydia in the community. The county public health departments used for the study are: Orange County in California, San Mateo County in California, Santa Clara County in California, Ventura County in California, and Westchester County in New York. The ultimate goal of the study is to come up with recommendations that can be implemented in Kern County, which would help in reducing the exponential rise in the incidence rate of the infection within the county. Data analysis was done using qualitative comparative methods — descriptive statistics, and recommendations were made based on the best practices of the five sample counties. Also discussed was the likelihood of Kern County Public Health Department accepting the recommendations, and lastly, identifying some of the setbacks hindering the control of Chlamydia infection in the county.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Sorenson, Scott Thomas
- Description:
- This organization currently operates numerous Patient Service Centers where specimens are collected for clinical testing. Many times these sites are failing to meet the corporate standard of 15 minute patient wait times. The organization currently has many quality initiatives that help ensure accurate patient results, but they are not as focused on patient wait times. This program proposes a continuous quality improvement process that will allow the organization to identify areas of weakness, and make the necessary changes needed to ensure patient waits are kept to a minimum. The proposed program will require an initial baseline assessment of all sites, and further analysis of those that are underperforming. This analysis will lead to operational changes and efficiencies being implemented to help raise the performance of the site. The changes will be unique to each site, and based on the operational analysis the program will provide. There will be an ongoing performance evaluation to ensure that the program is successful at achieving its goal of reducing patient wait times. Ultimately, the program will help raise awareness of the importance of patient wait times within the organization. It is recommended that focusing on patient waits will not only improve patient satisfaction with the service the company provides, but also help identify operational efficiencies that may lead to cost savings. It is also recommended that the corporation require affiliated laboratories to report patient wait times as a quality indicator that their performance is measured on.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Taylor, Mary
- Description:
- This study focused on both the voice and experience of successful Black students in higher education as well as the factors, both internal and institutional that they perceive as contributors to their success. This research is important because while a breadth of research exists that examines Black students and their relationship to higher education, much of it is framed in a deficit-based line of inquiry. As a response, and inspired by critical race theory (CRT) and Harper’s (2012) anti-deficit achievement framework (ADAF), this study focused on successful Black college students’ stories and what might be learned from them. The literature shows that Black students bring a variety of strengths and abilities to their higher education experience that merit further attention by both researchers and educators especially since these students achieve in spite of the challenges so widely documented in the deficit-based literature. Using a narrative research approach, this study identified eight high-achieving students and explored their experiences, their success, and the factors they perceived as contributors to their achievement. Additionally, this study sought to highlight the students’ experiences as a counternarrative to the existing discourse, add to the existing body of asset-based research and inquiry, enlist study participants as partners in the research process, facilitate their storytelling and amplify their voices. Data collected from eight semi-structured interviews and photojournal entries was restoried and coded for themes that yielded rich and meaningful insight into the strengths successful Black students bring to research and practice. The findings of this study reinforced those of the other asset-based researchers highlighted within this study and strengthen the need for more studies of this type. Study findings also included stories that were the result of the collaboration between researcher and participant as well as the themes that provided insight into their perceptions of the factors contributing to their success. Lastly, participants showed themselves to be willing and capable partners in the research process and offered a wealth of information that informed assertions relevant to research and practice. Among these were the importance of early influences, the students’ strengths, the importance of their peers, and the ways that their lived experiences can inform a higher standard of research inquiry and care in the higher education setting.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
- Creator:
- Hampton, Holly, Meulemans, Yvonne Nalani, Nataraj, Lalitha, and Matlin, Talitha R.
- Description:
- Although the issues of diversity and representation are often discussed within academic librarianship in Canada and the United States, the field has made little headway in being inclusive of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) who work within it. If academic libraries are to become truly authentic and inclusive spaces where BIPOC are central not only to shaping the values of a library but also to determining how those values are accomplished, we must examine the traditional ways in which libraries function. One of these traditions is a reliance on bureaucracy and its associated practices such as structured group work and meetings, which are presumed to be inherently neutral and rational ways of working. Critical examinations of bureaucracy within higher education reveal how its overadoption is absurdly at odds with the social justice–oriented missions of most libraries. Furthermore, not all who are involved in libraries are equally harmed through this overreliance on bureaucracy; this article employs Critical Race Theory to uncover the insidious and specific deleterious impacts bureaucracies can have on BIPOC library workers. The antithesis of a neutral system, bureaucracy instead functions to force assimilation into a system entrenched in whiteness.
- Resource Type:
- Article
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Teaching & Learning
- Creator:
- Jeffrey P. Reiner
- Description:
- Suspended sediment was investigated above and below beaver ponds in the Beaver Creek drainage in the south central mountains of Idaho near Idaho City from March 1979 through September 1979. The study was to identify the potential for beaver ponds as settling basins for suspended sediment in wildland watersheds. Two sampling stations were established above and below a beaver colony. The parameters measured included suspended sediment, stream discharge, and water temperature. Also, the beaver pond volumes and surface areas and beaver dam lengths and heights were measured. The data were collected weekly from March through September, except during May and June when sampling was more frequent to bracket the peak flow period. The data demonstrated that suspended sediment was deposited in the beaver ponds. The proportion of suspended sediment deposited in the beaver ponds averaged about 38 percent on the rising limb, 10 percent during the peak flow period, and 65 percent on the falling limb. The suspended sediment ratio was negatively correlated with stream discharge and positively correlated with water temperature. The relationship between the suspended sediment ratio and the stream discharge and water temperature was significant at the 0.05 level. The quantity of suspended sediment deposited in the beaver ponds during the study period was 78.2 tons, which was approximately 25 percent of the suspended sediment load transported through the above sampling station.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Environmental Science & Management
- Creator:
- J. Lincoln Freese
- Description:
- The abundance, seasonal distribution, holding habitat and behavior of adult summer steelhead were studied during the summers of 1979-1981 in the Trinity River system, California. The North Fork Trinity River and New River were the only streams in the drainage harboring significant numbers of steelhead during the summer months. Estimated combined run size for both streams ranged from a maximum of 776 fish in 1980 to a minimum of 455 fish in 1981. Summer steelhead began entering the tributaries in early June; entry peaked during mid-July. Steelhead numbers and distribution had substantially stabilized by early August. Summer steelhead were tagged in a single holding pool in the North Fork Trinity River during September 1981. Subsequent surveys revealed that they remained in that pool until the first storm fronts had passed through the area in early October, at which time small groups of fish rapidly migrated upstream. However, some tagged fish were still present at the tagging site in early November. High stream discharge precluded further survey work after that time. Holding pools do not appear to be a limiting factor for adult summer steelhead in either tributary. During the study period, the percentage of pools harboring one or more adult summer steelhead ranged from a minimum of 14 percent to a maximum of 36 percent in the North Fork; corresponding values for the New River were 27 percent and 31 percent. Twenty-seven pools in the New River were surveyed periodically during the summer of 1980. Factor analysis suggested a relationship between steelhead numbers in pools and available cover and shade, but failed to show a relationship between steelhead numbers, pool dimensions, upstream gradient, downstream gradient or distance to first downstream pool. Although no statistical analysis of steelhead numbers and other pool variables was performed for the North Fork Trinity River, observations indicate a high correlation between steelhead numbers and pool dimensions in that stream. Gold-dredging activity was heavy in the New River watershed, and appeared to have had an effect upon steelhead distribution among holding pools in that stream. Heavy poaching activity is a significant threat to the continued survival of the summer steelhead run in the New River drainage. U.S. Forest Service barrier modification efforts in the North Fork Trinity River appeared to have had an effect upon summer steelhead distribution. Steelhead were observed in greater numbers in upstream areas, and were concentrated in a fewer numbers of pools, after barriers were modified. Analysis of scales taken from North Fork Trinity River summer steelhead revealed that 95 percent of returnees smolted at age 2, 44 percent of returnees made their initial upstream migration as "halfpounders", and 42 percent of returnees were repeat spawners.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Humboldt
- Department:
- Fisheries
- Creator:
- Atwood, Robert Christopher
- Description:
- Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & Bigelow var. treleasei (J.M. Coult.) Toumey (OBT), commonly known as Bakersfield cactus, is endemic to parts of Kern County, California. O. b. var. treleasei is one of four varieties of Opuntia basilaris and is state and federally listed as endangered (USFWS 1990). The purpose of this study was to assess the genetic differentiation between OBT and Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris (OBB), and within and among populations of OBT throughout its range. Samples were collected from 200 individual plants representing 32 populations of OBT and one population of OBB and were analyzed using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP). The AFLP protocol was successfully used to differentiate between an outgroup population of OBB and the great majority of the sampled populations of OBT using 195 polymorphic fragments. Two dendrograms were created using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA); one for all individuals and the other where each population was treated as a discreet unit. In the dendrogram based on all individuals, most samples did not cluster as distinct geographic populations, suggesting little genetic differentiation, due to a partial or complete restriction of gene flow, among the majority of OBT populations. Extensive genetic variation was found within and among OBT populations based on an analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA). Twenty three percent of the genetic differentiation was found among fragmented populations and 77%from within individuals of OBT populations suggesting that genetic variation exists between individuals within the OBT populations analyzed. In the UPGMA diagram by population, all five of the Wheeler Ridge populations clustered together. Moreover, three of the Wheeler Ridge populations formed a distinct cluster in a principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) suggesting some level of genetic structure among OBT populations. The only population with a large sample size where virtually all representative samples grouped together was for ‘OEO2’, which is located in the eastern portion of the Southern San Joaquin Valley. The results of this population genetics study will likely be useful in the conservation management of this endangered taxon.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Biology
- Creator:
- Samarin, Andrew
- Description:
- nderground water storage has now beco m e an essential element in meeting C alifornia’s future water needs. The traditiona l method to capture and store water for later u se was to simply dam a river. However, for C alifornia the days of damming a major river t o procure a new source of fresh water are in t he past. Dams have become cost prohibitive i n their construction as well as in their pot ential for negative environmental impact. Nor are inexpensive water sources a vailable in quanti ties large enough to sup port California’s f uture needs; this has resulted in rapidly rising water cost s (Saliba, 1987). C alifornia’s water purveyors are now i mplementing large-scale groundwater projects to meet their customers’ needs at t he lowest possible cost. This technique for storing water is still in its infancy, and Calif ornia is in the forefront in developing such projects. Like other Western states, Califor nia’s development depends on two sources of w ater: surface (I.e. streams, rivers, and lakes), and groundwater. At the beginning of the 2 0 t h century, California’s groundwater basins were abundant and widespread. The ease of a vailability to groundwater was the forerunner t o establishing California’s agriculture and urban growth. Its dependence on potable groundwa t er has grown ever since. Unfortunately, C alifornians pump more water annually than can be replenished naturally. For Californians t o have sustainable sources of both ground an d surface water, the time has come for new w ater polices to be considered (Associat i on of California Water Agencies, [ACWA], 2 011). The importation of surface water to sustain groundwater supplies is not a new w ater management tool in California. In t he late 1920s, the Santa Clara Valley Water District adopted one of the first conjunctiv e management programs (ACWA, 2011). H owever, what has recently changed is th e size of groundwater banking programs. The S emitropic Water Storage Dist ricts (SWSD) groundwater bankin g program is an example of the growth in this area of conjunctive use. Created in t he 1990s, SWSD can store a total of 2.15 million acre feet (MAF), one of the largest, groundwater banking programs in the w orld. (SWSD, Groundwater Banking, para.1). For most Californians this growth has g one unnoticed. T his policy analysis will examine the ever increasing interdependence between C alifornia’s limited surface a n d ground water supply. A critical element to sustaining C alifornia’s future water need s will come through conjuncti v e use. Conjunctive use is a p olicy implementation which calls for the in t egrated use of both imported surface and groundwater resources to maximi z e the availability and reliab ility of water supplies in a s pecific region (ACWA, 2011).
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Ramos, Marisol
- Description:
- Nonprofit organizations face considerable challenges related to managing and collecting data. Among the challenges that nonprofits face is the lack of resources to perform such methods as collecting, managing and analyzing data. The information gathered has a direct impact on the organization’s ability to demonstrate accountability and program effectiveness and to secure future funding. But in order to manage such information, a systematic method for collecting data is needed. MOVE International (Mobility Opportunities Via Education/Experience) is a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for children and adults with severe disabilities to improve skills (and independence) to sit, stand, walk and transition while participating in everyday activities of daily living in classrooms, care facilities and homes. The nonprofit is an evidence-based program that relies on the collection of individuals’ outcome data to show improvement in functional mobility. MOVE did not have a systematic process in place to collect and centralize their data data. The lack of a comprehensive data collection system was impeding the organization from using the information to further develop its program for future financial support of grant funders. In order for MOVE to continue and grow as an evidence-based organization, the proposal presented a review of the literature of gathered research to support the planning, designing, and implementation of a management information system. The literature recommended designing a system that would adapt to the growing need of the organization as well as the surrounding community. The theory of strategic information systems planning was introduced to assist MOVE with the various options for a management information system. The theory took into consideration the internal and external environment that were identified as important variables impacting the decision making as well as the design. There were seven additional constructs to the theory that were also helpful to consider when designing or selecting a management information system. The proposal also included methods to collecting outcome data. Preparing and planning is key to not only to outcome measurement process bur for selecting the most appropriate management information system. The information provided will not only help to become more informed decision makers but create organizational change.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Llanes, Consepcion
- Description:
- Domestic violence has been a social issue for many years and response to this problem the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault (AAFVSA) was founded by a group of volunteers. The AAFVSA is a nonprofit organization that began by operating a 24-hour hotline for battered women to provide numerous services for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Now it offers numerous services to victims. The purpose of this program evaluation is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault hotline by determining what percentage of callers completed the service they requested. This evaluation also collects data about the service requested the most, the gender of callers, and whether the victim went to the outreach center after calling the hotline. The results show the AAFVSA hotline is not very effective because only eleven percent (11%) of the callers completed the service they requested when they called the hotline. In addition, the majority of callers were females and the service requested most often was case management. Also, only twenty-two percent (22%) of the callers went to the outreach to seek services. In order to increase the effectiveness of the AAFVSA hotline and assist more victims, I recommend that the clinical services manager do the following: (1) better train the hotline staff, (2) hire more hotline staff, and (3) encourage staff to correctly mark the data forms after any contact with a caller. Moreover, for future research I recommend the researcher to interview the callers whose data are being analyzed and also review their actual file rather than just the printout of the file. Important information that can benefit the evaluation may be disclosed during interviews and/or be found in the files.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
90. A Program proposal for Kern Medical Center's Program to Decrease Trauma Caused by Distracted Driving
- Creator:
- Carrillo, Jose
- Description:
- Cases of trauma being caused by distracted driving are increasing. The following is a sample of plans that can be used to end this problem and the rationale for implementing these plans. While conducting presentations at local area schools, KMC can enlist the help of parents. This enlistment would be conducted by inviting parents to any school presentations and encouraging parents to sign a pledge (along with students) to not text and drive. Since KMC does not have the budget or staff to reach out to all local area high schools, KMC could partner with local area school districts to form volunteer student/parent groups at local schools that continually re-enforce the message of not using a phone while driving. These groups would be structured in the same manner as booster clubs which involve parent and student participation. For students, KMC can encourage the formation of scholastic clubs that would continue to spread the message about not being a distracted driver. Developing a partnership with willing companies would be beneficial to KMC and those partnering companies. Whereas funding is an issue, KMC can apply for grants with The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration using their online tool located at FedBizopps.gov. KMC can also explore the possibility of using social media as a revenue source. Rationale: The cases of trauma caused by distracted driving are increasing and it is imperative that something be done. The preceding recommendations are a sample of ideas that can be put into play. The tradeoff for doing nothing will be an increase in trauma patients at local area hospitals that will increase the strain on an overworked staff, potentially more unsafe drivers on our local roads, which is a danger to us all, and most importantly increase the potential for loss of life.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- McKeegan, Randy
- Description:
- Public pensions in the United States have faced unprecedented reforms in recent years. From the smallest special district to the largest states in the union, from the state of Florida all the way to Alaska, public entities across the county have made changes to the pensions they offer to their employees. These reforms have been driven by more attention being focused on the performance and costs of these plans. For the most part, government employees are enrolled in Defined Benefit (DB) plan that provides a fixed amount of income to a retiree every year until death. Most employees in private industry, if enrolled in a pension plan, receive a Defined Contribution (DC) plan which provides a fixed pool of funds at retirement that is drawn upon by a retiree until death (or until it runs out). The DB plans are more costly to maintain and studies have found that they have created a large unfunded pension liability (the amount owed when calculating the costs of all future payments) that continues to grow. One estimate calculates that the DB plans are short over $4 trillion. When reforms are implemented it is usually with the intent of reducing these growing liabilities and costs. This study will examine the reforms to public pensions that have taken place in recent years, specifically those that were put in place by the County of Kern and the State of Michigan. The review of financial data from these two entities will identify the annual costs paid to fund the plan and the related calculated unfunded liability in each plan. The results will show how these costs saving measures have fared for these two public entities and whether more far reaching reforms would be needed to address this growing pension problem. The study will also look at legal decisions that have been made with regards to pension reforms implemented by other public agencies and examine the legal challenges inherent in changing these important benefits for both new participants in a plan and existing enrollees. The study will conclude with recommendations on ways to move forward with pension reforms and possible options for changes to pension plans that reduce costs and unfunded liabilities in a timelier manner.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Hayes, Christine C.
- Description:
- The phorid fly genus Apocephalus is the largest assemblage of ant-parasitizing Phoridae. Apocephalus is currently organized into two subgenera: A. (Apocephalus) and A. (Mesophora). The species of A. (Mesophora) attack a wide variety of non-ant hosts including stingless bees, spiders, wasps, bumble bees, and cantharoid beetles. The species of A. (Apocephalus) are the true “ant-decapitating flies” and are divided into six species groups: the A. attophilus group (parasitoids of attine leaf-cutting ants), “A. miricauda group” (parasitoids of ponerine ants), A. pergandei group (parasitoids of Camponotus carpenter ants), A. mucronatus group, A. feeneri group, and A. grandipalpus group. Here I report on a preliminary molecular phylogenetic study of Apocephalus, including representatives of both subgenera and exemplars of five currently recognized species groups. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian phylogenies were inferred using four nuclear (AK, TPI, CAD, 28S) and four mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI, ND1) gene fragments (4284 bp total). For all analyses Apocephalus was recovered as a monophyletic group relative to the outgroup taxa included in the study. In addition, subgenus A. (Mesophora) was recovered as a monophyletic group, but was not a sister group to the subgenus A. (Apocephalus).A phylogenetic hypothesis for exemplars of five Apocephalus species groups is presented and compared to hypotheses based on morphology.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Biology
93. Engagement and instructional strategies: a study of the impact of specific strategies on behavior
- Creator:
- Byrom, Tonja M.
- Description:
- This study investigates whether the use of engagement and instructional strategies studied by Robert Marzano can reduce student behavior problems in primary grades. The strategies for engagement include two categories: daily strategies and opportunistic strategies. There are also nine instructional strategies included in this research that have been extensively studied by Marzano and his researchers, but not with regard to their impact on behavior. The strategies are discussed in further detail in this document. In the study, research-based strategies are compared to surveys and behavior problems in order to investigate a connection between the use of specific strategies and student behavior. An integral part of this study includes literature pertaining to research on behavior, teacher effectiveness and research-based strategies to improve student achievement. The study has two research goals. The first goal is to add to the field of knowledge on the connection between instruction and behavior in primary grades. The second goal of the research is to use observations and teacher input to evaluate possible areas of training for teachers, specifically in primary grades. Methods of data analysis include the comparison of observations and surveys to behaviors reported by teachers in primary grades. Limitations to this study and research results are discussed. Further large-scale research findings pertaining to the relationships found in this study could effect change regarding teacher training programs, student identification for special education, and district resources.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Advanced Educational Studies
- Creator:
- Smith, Sara Michelle
- Description:
- Since the turn of the century, the U.S. has become proactive in addressing the obesity epidemic that affects more than two-thirds of the adult population and 17% of children between the ages of two and nineteen (U.S. Dept. of HHS, 2013). However, as proactive as these attempts have been, no research has been performed to analyze the correlation between the overfilling of packaged food products and obesity rates. The lack of research in this area is attributable to the notion that competition between packaged food manufacturers will minimize the overfilling of food products to gain the most profit (U.S. Dept. of Commerce, 2012). As a result, this research study sought to identify the true prevalence of packaged food overfilling by experimentally testing five of the most widely consumed packaged food commodities. By applying the appropriate methods of net content testing described in the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s Handbook 133 entitled Checking the Net Contents of Packaged Goods, the net content values of sixty samples were measured and compared to the declared net content values found on each product’s label. These methods revealed that 73% of the samples tested were overfilled and sample groups exhibited average percent overfills as high as 6%. The average percent overfill values for each of the five products were then used to adjust the nutritional label to the correct nutrient concentrations based on the presence of this excess product. These adjusted values exhibited significant implications for diabetic and hypertensive consumers trying to consume the recommended daily values of calories, carbohydrates, and sodium. However, an analysis of the historical and existing legislation, the capitalistic nature of the packaged food industry, and the Food and Drug Administration’s regulation of net content in this industry indicates that the recommendations for addressing this problem must be multifaceted and politically sensitive. By suggesting voluntary implementation of net content testing procedures throughout food production, the FDA can appeal to the cost-cutting mindset of the packaged food industry. Voluntary implementation suggestions will also save the FDA money and resources that have hindered the agency’s ability to regulate this industry in the past.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Gaumond, Theresa Anita McCarron
- Description:
- Barnes’s works are steeped in overt grief and rage, and all of her longer works can be directly traced back to traumatic events in her life. Antiphon and Ryder both are vicious retellings of her early family life. Themes of incest, rape and stolen virginity run through both. Her constant thematic repetitions have been considered by critics as a stylistic attempt to disassociate herself from the disturbances in her life, but she was never able to completely divorce her works from partially retelling her past. Her masterpiece, Nightwood, is no exception. It was written to cope with her anguish after her eight-year co-dependent relationship with Thelma Wood ended, and most of the characters are traceable to their real-life counterparts; for example, Thelma Wood is Robin Vote, and Djuna Barnes is Nora Flood. Nearly all of the characters in the book have been identified by researchers to their real-life counterparts. Barnes repeatedly called Nightwood “my life with Thelma,” and wrote to T. S. Eliot that the work was semi-autobiographical (Field 43). Nevertheless, care has to be taken not to confuse the events in the book with the reality of Barnes’s and Wood’s life together. The focus must remain upon the rhetorical and stylistics methods that Barnes uses within Nightwood to explicate the trauma of a failed relationship.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- English
- Creator:
- Hellams, Ruth E.
- Description:
- “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr Dissatisfaction with the current state of the nation’s public schools continues to reveal itself through repeated efforts to transform the traditional, long-standing core elements known as the “grammar of schooling” (Tyack & Tobin, 1994). Generational rhetoric on the failed state of traditional public education and a drive for equitable outcomes for all students serve as guideposts for many school reform efforts. It is the need to reveal the systems and structures supporting changes to the traditional architecture of schools that has inspired me to conduct this research. This dissertation explores how a nontraditional high school, nested within a traditional district, supports and sustains its nontraditional model. Through a case study approach this research utilized interviews with administrative and teaching staff and an analysis of key documents, policies, and practices. Central to this study was an examination of the school’s core values and the practices of competency-based education (CBE) that served to shape and influence the school’s direction and nontraditional model. Emergent themes from this research were analyzed through the lens of Fullan and Quinn’s (2016) Coherence Framework and their four identified drivers for systems improvement. Findings illustrate that school structures which intentionally foster relationships and build opportunities for teacher collaboration contribute to the long-term sustainability of school reform and help influence and shape a school’s direction. Furthermore, clarity of expectations for teaching and learning, when outlined in a school’s mission and vision statement, can serve as guideposts for long-term sustainability. Guidance and support with respect the CBE model was especially important. Lastly, these findings underscore the importance of site leadership in maintaining balance between the needs of the school and the district as essential to sustaining the school’s nontraditional approach. By identifying factors and conditions serving to sustain the school’s nontraditional approach, the findings of this study can assist others who seek to change the traditional architecture of schooling currently dominates most schools.
- Resource Type:
- Dissertation
- Campus Tesim:
- San Marcos
- Department:
- Education
97. A Proposal for implementing a voluntary physical fitness program for Bakersfield police officers
- Creator:
- Townsend, Jason R.
- Description:
- Every Bakersfield Police Officer is required to pass a physical agility test prior to graduating the police academy. Like most police departments across the country, Bakersfield Police Officers are not required to pass a physical agility test for the duration of their career. As a result, some Bakersfield Police Officers are overweight, suffer from on-duty injuries, and have health problems. Law enforcement is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle due to changing work schedules which leads to interrupted sleep patterns, unhealthy eating habits, wearing a heavy gun belt which can cause back pain, high stress events such as foot pursuits, vehicle pursuits, and violent physical confrontations. Police officers may suffer from higher levels of stress, cardiovascular disease, injuries, and absenteeism from work at a higher level than the general work force. Physical fitness has been shown to lower stress levels, relieve lower back pain, provide more restful sleep, prevent injuries, and lower cardiovascular disease. From 2008 to 2012 the Bakersfield Police Department has seen a dramatic increase in the number of on-duty injuries and sick hours used. This has led to early disability retirements which are costly to the City of Bakersfield. The researcher surmises that a lack of physical fitness is a substantial reason for these injuries, sicknesses, and early disability retirements. The purpose of this study was to determine the need for a voluntary physical fitness program for Bakersfield Police Officers. To assist in this determination, an interview with Bakersfield Police Manager Jena Covey was conducted along with a survey that was offered to the full complement of 343 Bakersfield Police Officers to gather their thoughts on and current physical fitness practices. Due to the increase in on-duty injuries and sick hours used by Bakersfield Police Officers from 2008 to 2012, a physical fitness incentive should be offered to officers. An incentive which offers additional paid days off each year would cost the City of Bakersfield very little money and could save a substantial amount of money in the long run with reduced injuries, fewer sick hours used, and increased morale.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Karpe, Ray
- Description:
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory condition of the central nervous system that is generally considered to be autoimmune in nature. The cause of MS is unknown. MS affects 500,000 people in the United States and another 2 million people worldwide. The symptoms of MS vary and are unpredictable. No two people have exactly the same symptoms, and each person’s symptoms can change or fluctuate over time. The purpose of this study was to review the literature for current practices for caring for MS care bound individuals in nursing facilities. The study provides an insight as to what MS is, how nursing facilities play a role in MS patient care, and how this disease affects the MS caregivers and care receivers. Non-experimental qualitative research was be done by using hermeneutics. The research was qualitative in scope and data was gathered from case studies, existing data, and any published material that was in the public domain that was germane to this paper and available in English. Caring for nursing facility residents with MS is complicated. As a result of this fact, nursing facility staffs will require additional training and resources to best meet the needs of the MS population. Long term care is expensive. Medicaid will eventually cover the cost for most people. The government could save millions of dollars annually on long term care costs if Medicaid was adjusted to allow more people access to some type of respite care. The recommendations in this paper are: better education for nursing facility staffs that treat MS patients; a comprehensive study on best practices of care for MS patient’s needs; and better education for MS caregivers and care receivers, as well as elected officials on the health and cost saving benefits of respite care.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Perez, Raquel
- Description:
- Clinica Sierra Vista created the Patient Navigator Program because a need was identified among the population they serve to improve the health care outcome for individuals with chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to identify the level of patient satisfaction, specifically for those participating in the program for diabetes management, and ultimately identify areas in need of improvement. The study was grounded upon three key questions: 1) How satisfied or dissatisfied are the participants of the Patient Navigator Program? 2) What are some areas, as identified by participants, in need of improvement to provide quality care? 3) What are the barriers associated with the target population of the program that limit their access to care? The study was conducted in the spring of 2014. The total number of individuals who participated in the survey was 72 participants. The survey consisted of 6 close-ended questions and 4 open-ended questions. The results showed that overall, participants of the Patient Navigator Program, are satisfied with the program but did state there was room for improvement in the following key areas: language matters, information portrayal, access barriers, staff turnover, and response time. Based on the findings three recommendations were determined. The first recommendation is to provide the Patient Navigators and Clinica Sierra Vista providers with adequate tools to foster a culturally perceptive environment. The second recommendation is to design a process for continuous improvement of the Patient Navigator Program. The third recommendation is to expand the knowledge obtained from this research to further explore and assess the effectiveness of intervention and diabetes management of the target population.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Bakersfield
- Department:
- Public Policy and Administration
- Creator:
- Blackwell, Hope
- Description:
- In my thesis exhibition, clandestine: conversations with a shadow, I render elements of my psyche to act as a window for the outside world, exploring the psychological concept of the shadow self. The concept of the shadow self, is a psychological archetype suggested in research conducted by psychologist Carl. The shadow self is understood to be the repressed unconscious of an individual that can manifest in feelings or thoughts that contradicts the character of an individual. The research of Jung was the foundation for this exhibition alongside my personal experience with the loss of my father. This exhibition consists of projected still images and videos that attempt to bring the shadow self and the exploration of loss out of the subconscious and into the physical world. I use lens-based media to record my body as the primary subject for this work. The gallery installation is meant to become the physical representation of my mind, where the shadow lives, creating an environment where viewers can encounter something that normally is not seen.
- Resource Type:
- Masters Thesis
- Campus Tesim:
- Chico
- Department:
- Art and Art History