The Impact of Teaching Innovation Grants on Faculty Effectiveness and Student Retention

In recent years pressure has increased on public universities to improve their four and six year graduation rates. There are some obvious factors influencing these graduation rates. Many students attending urban universities are non-traditional students who work in order to pay for their education. Some entering freshmen are not prepared for college courses and begin with remedial courses. In a structured degree program such as engineering, students are required to satisfy prerequisites in order to proceed through the curriculum. Lack of course offerings can delay progress towards graduation. This study expands on a previous study conducted on a single engineering program in one public university. In this study several engineering programs in two large public universities in Texas were included. Senior engineering students were surveyed to determine the causes delaying their graduation. In responding to a survey questionnaire, students provided such information as whether they started at a 4-year university, if they had changed their major, if they started their college math below calculus, if they attended school full-time or part-time, the total number of years of college study needed to complete their engineering degree, the factors that caused delay in their graduation, and other questions related to length of study for the degrees being offered. Engineering students studying a variety of engineering programs participated in this survey. The results presented in this paper provide useful information to guide the development of programs and plans for improving graduation rates for students enrolled in engineering.

Many psychologists conceive of canonical correlation as a statistical technique that relates two sets of continuous variables; whether one set is deemed the "predictor set" and the other the "criterion set" is often arbitrary. Psychologists are now aware of the applicability of least-squares or regression methods to conventional experimental designs, with the independent variables serving as predictors and the dependent measures as criteria. Cohen (1968), for example, points out that, if one constructs dummy variables (+1, 0, -1) representing each between-cell degree of freedom in an experimental design and regresses the dependent measure upon these predictors, then a multiple regression analog to univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) is achieved. If, in addition to the discrete design predictors, the researcher includes one or more continuous variables in the predictor set, then a univariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) can be accomplished. Leastsquares techniques are also applicable to designs involving multiple dependent measures (Woodward & Overall, 1975). Just as multiple correlation is the least-squares analog to univariate ANOVA and ANCOVA, canonical correlation is the analog to multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and covariance (MANCOVA) (Knapp, 1978). SinceANOVA is simplya special case of multiple regression (i.e., one which employs discrete design predictors), which in turn is a special case of canonical correlation (Le., one which has only one criterion), canonical correlation seems to be the most general of these techniques, the closest approximation to the general linear model. Insofar as a canonical correlation analysis is concerned, the only factors that distinguish the various techniques are the number of criteria and whether the predictors are continuous, discrete, or mixed. In sum, canonical correlation can be used to perform any univariate or multivariate analysis of variance, covariance, or regression. Although there are several canonical correlation programs available [e.g., SPSS's CANCORR (Nie, Hull,

This study examines determinants of accounting students' successful bid for the uniform Certified Public Accountant (CPA) examination in Texas. With a sample of data from 30 public universities in Texas from 2005 to 2007, our analysis suggests that academic deficiency of incoming first-year students explains 49% of the institutional variation in the CPA exam pass rate. In contrast, educational quality (as measured by faculty salary, AACSB accreditation in accounting and accounting programme size) provides a less pronounced contribution to success in the CPA examination (13% of the institutional variation). Thus, the institution-level variation in the CPA exam pass rate among public universities in Texas seems to be predetermined to a great extent by the pre-college preparation of the students they admit.

Introduction: Health literacy (HL) has been identified as a significant predictor of outcomes across the health continuum, including cancer care. As a result it is recommended that all health professionals receive health literacy training. Some institutions have begun integrating health literacy into training programs, but there is a dearth of reliable assessment tools to measure learners' knowledge. Only one validated instrument (Health Literacy Knowledge and Experience Scale (HL-KES)) exists that specifically assess health professionals' health literacy competence, but it was validated for use among nurses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the HL-KES as a suitable measure for assessing the HL knowledge and experience of health promotion professionals. Methods: Advanced (junior and senior) students (n=250) enrolled in bachelor-level health promotion programs in three large public universities in Texas completed the 29-item HL-KES. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to test the factor structure. Reliability estimates of the overall scale and subscales were assessed using the item covariance method with coefficient alpha (α). Results: The analyses identified three factors that accounted for 62% of the total variance. Twelve items loaded on factor 1 (Knowledge of HL challenges), four items loaded on factor 2 (knowledge of HL assessment strategies), and three items loaded on factor 3 (knowledge of HL principles for written healthcare materials). Results from the test of internal consistency indicated the HL-KES had acceptable reliability for the overall knowledge scale (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77). The sub-scales had Cronbach's alphas ranging from .31 to .52. Conclusion: The results suggest the HLKES is a reliable instrument for assessing health promotion professionals' health literacy knowledge. As a whole, the Cronbach's alpha for the instrument falls within the acceptable range (.65 - .90). The subscales, however, have low reliability coefficients. Cronbach's alpha is a function of test length and inter-item correlation and a couple of subscales had just a few items. Reduction in the number of items no doubt attenuated the internal consistency. Citation Format: Lenna Dawkins-Moultin, Lisako McKyer. Validation of an instrument to measure health professionals' health literacy competence [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A009.

Purpose: Hispanic-Americans are the largest ethnic minority group in the United States. The need to care for older Hispanics has become an important issue as they now enjoy longer life expectancies due to better access to healthcare and less labor participation in hazardous occupations. The present study examined whether the association between caregiver burden and gender-role expectations is mediated by acculturation and filial piety. Method: The sample consisted of 93 Mexican-American rehabilitation services students enrolled at a large public university in Texas. The four instruments used in the study were the Zarit Burden Interview, the Bem Sex-Role Inventory, the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican-Americans-Revised, and the Expectations of Filial Piety Scale. Participants visited an online survey site to respond to the questionnaire. Results: About half of the most common person to whom care was being provided was a parent 49.5% (n = 46) with 35.5% (n = 33) grandparents and 15.1% (n = 14) siblings. Acculturation scores were positively correlated with both gender-role expectations (r = .23, p = .027) and filial piety (r = .30, p = .003) scores. In addition, caregiver burden scores were negatively correlated with gender-role expectation scores (r = -.21, p = .046) and filial piety scores were positively correlated with gender-role expectation scores (r = .29, p = .005). The correlation between caregiver burden and filial piety was not statistically significant (r = -.10, P > .05 n.s.). Moreover, neither acculturation nor filial piety mediated the relationship between gender-role expectations and caregiver burden. Conclusion: Mexican-Americans view aging positively, have a sense of caring for elders, and have strong ties to their culture. As a result of strong Hispanic family values, the obligation to care for family members (i.e., familism) tends to occur with little hesitance. Future replication studies are needed to better understand the effects of acculturation and filial piety on caregiver burden among Mexican-Americans residing in other regions of the country, including outside the cities along the United States-Mexico border. The rationale for further research is that living in predominantly-White states such as Minnesota and Wyoming, where Mexican-Americans make up a small fraction of the population, might have effects on their acculturation.

This study examined the impact of action research conducted by five science teaching methods course instructors on their students’ perceptions of the classroom learning environments at a large public university in Texas. The study analyzed the results from 133 students who completed two administrations of the What is Happening in this Class (WIHIC) questionnaire, one at the beginning of the semester and one at the end of the semester. Five sections served as a treatment group while two sections served as a control. Quantitative analyses, including one-way ANOVA, were conducted for each class section. Results showed that the perceived learning environment increased between the beginning of the semester and the end of the semester for all sections. However, the most significant gains in students’ perceptions were made in the treatment sections and were attributed to the action research interventions that were designed and implemented by the instructors based on the analyses of the first WIHIC administration.

Report on the development and psychometric testing of a theoretically and evidence-grounded instrument, the Characteristics of Responsible Drinking Survey (CHORDS). Instrument subjected to four phases of pretesting (cognitive validity, cognitive and motivational qualities, pilot test, and item evaluation) and a final posttest implementation. Large public university in Texas. Randomly selected convenience sample (n = 729) of currently enrolled students. This 78-item questionnaire measures individuals' responsible drinking beliefs, motivations, intentions, and behaviors. Cronbach α, split-half reliability, principal components analysis and Spearman ρ were conducted to investigate reliability, stability, and validity. Measures in the CHORDS exhibited high internal consistency reliability and strong correlations of split-half reliability. Factor analyses indicated five distinct scales were present, as proposed in the theoretical model. Subscale composite scores also exhibited a correlation to alcohol consumption behaviors, indicating concurrent validity. The CHORDS represents the first instrument specifically designed to assess responsible drinking beliefs and behaviors. It was found to elicit valid and reliable data among a college student sample. This instrument holds much promise for practitioners who desire to empirically investigate dimensions of responsible drinking.

Mental health is an increasing concern among vulnerable populations, including college students and veterans. The purpose of this study was to determine if mobile health technology combined with health coaching can better enable a user to self-manage their mental health. This study evaluated the mobile app "Biofeedback" that provided health coaching on stress self-management for college student veterans' mental health concerns. Twenty-four college student veterans were recruited from a large public university in Texas during the spring 2020 semester, impacted by COVID-19. Ten participants were assigned to the intervention group where they used the mobile Biofeedback app on their smartphones and smartwatches, and 14 were assigned to the control group without the app; assignment was based on mobile phone compatibility. Both groups participated in one initial lab session where they learned a deep-breathing exercise technique. The intervention group was then asked to use the mobile Biofeedback app during their daily lives and a smartwatch, and the control group was asked to perform the breathing exercises on their own. Both groups filled out Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) self-assessments at 2-week intervals. At the end of the semester, both groups were given an exit interview to provide user experience and perceived benefits of health coaching via the mobile biofeedback app. The deep-breathing exercise in the initial lab session reduced stress in both groups. Over the course of the study, the app recorded 565 coached breathing exercises with a significant decrease (approximately 3 beats per minute) in participants' heart rate during the 6-minute time period immediately after conducting the breathing exercises (Spearman rank correlation coefficient -0.61, P<.001; S=9,816,176). There was no significant difference between the two groups for PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores over the course of the semester. Exit interview responses indicated that participants perceived that the mobile Biofeedback app improved their health and helped them address stress challenges. All participants reported that the intervention helped them manage their stress better and expressed that health coaching via a mobile device would improve their overall health. Participants reported a positive perception of the app for their mental health self-management during a stressful semester. Future work should examine long-term effects of the app with a larger sample size balanced between male and female participants, randomized participant allocation, real-time detection of mental health symptoms, and additional features of the app.

Purpose This paper posits, develops and tests the effects of general environmental awareness factors on consumers’ intentions in the Environmental Awareness Purchasing Intention Model. Environmental awareness is tested within the context of purchasing vehicles and, thus, vehicle relevant factors (perceived quality and self-image) are also included. Further, the purpose of this paper is to explain the relative contribution of general environmental awareness factors on purchasing intentions compared to quality and self-image. Design/methodology/approach The main thrust of the research involved a survey of 248 young automobile buyers from a large public university in Texas, USA. The data were analyzed using both multiple regression and partial least square-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings Environmental attitude has a positive impact on purchasing intention, while perceived control toward environmentally responsible behavior has a negative impact. Results also show a positive impact of quality and self-image on intention to purchase environmentally friendly cars. Furthermore, the results reveal that environmental awareness factors explain less variance than perceived quality. At the same time, the results show that environmental factors, relatively, explain more variance in the decision-making process than self-image. Originality/value This is the first study to examine the relationship between general environmental awareness and the intention to purchase an environmentally friendly car. This study contributes to sustainable consumption literature in operations management. The paper also provides insights for developing managerial guidelines for car manufacturers based on the understanding of factors influencing environmentally friendly car purchasing intentions.

Do in-state tuition benefits affect the enrollment of non-citizens? Evidence from universities in Texas

Aim/Purpose: This study aims to understand and assess the self-care perceptions and habits of US domestic versus international graduate students in doctoral programs at an R1 university in Texas. Background: The number of domestic and international students entering doctoral programs in US universities continues to increase each year. However, completion rates within the Ph.D. program remain low, especially for domestic students. Previous research has suggested that mental health and issues of well-being are equated with high-stress levels and depression rather than balance and success. One way to address the low completion rates is to understand how doctoral students balance academic progress and achievement in their prospective doctoral programs with self-care efforts. This study is designed to assess the self-care perceptions and habits of domestic and international graduate students in doctoral programs as well as to understand the differences in perceptions of self-care between domestic students and international students Methodology: In the present study, researchers used an explanatory mixed methods research design to investigate the self-care practices and perceptions of domestic and international doctoral students enrolled in a public university in Texas. In the first phase, quantitative data were collected through a survey to examine the extent to which doctoral students utilize self-care practices (six self-care variables were examined in the survey: physical, cognitive, psychological/emotional, behavior, interpersonal, and existential). The descriptive statistics collected in this phase aided in the purposeful sampling of participants for the second phase of the study. In phase 2, interviews were conducted to identify the nature of self-care and self-care choices practiced by doctoral students and how these characteristics were similar and/or different between international and domestic students. Contribution: Few studies have investigated the self-care practices and perceptions of domestic and international students. The present study contributes to the body of knowledge on self-care perceptions and practices amongst domestic and international doctoral students in a Texas public university. Findings: Through a survey of doctoral students, international students reported higher levels of self-care than their domestic counterparts. After interviews were conducted the researchers found that the students interviewed each understood the need for self-care to avoid stress and burnout, however only some were able to prioritize self-care in their day-to-day routines, citing workload from courses and faculty advisors as preventing self-care. Many attributed this to their family and cultural backgrounds. Recommendations for Practitioners: In conducting this study, researchers concluded that self-care practices among doctoral students should become a priority in higher education programs. The participants in this study understood that they should practice self-care, but they had limited ability to engage in self-care regularly. Therefore, it is recommended that higher education institutions and faculty mentors recognize the importance of self-care for doctoral students and support their students in maintaining a work-life balance to avoid burnout and attrition. Recommendation for Researchers: Additional studies that include a larger sample size and specific self-care routines to be studied would be beneficial for researchers to consider. Impact on Society: Understanding and investing in doctoral students’ well-being and self-care practices could lead to higher completion rates and more productive programs in higher education. Future Research: Future research could be conducted to examine the differing needs of domestic and international students when considering self-care and doctoral students.

Despite rapidly growing interest in Computer Science (CS), CS has the second lowest participation rate for women of all science and engineering degrees, according to a recent report by the US National Science Board [16]. The reasons for women's underrepresentation and their experiences may differ from university to university. Universities are very different in terms of types of students, student profiles, students' socio-economic status, race, number of students, admission requirements, and resources. For example, some universities can create gender balance in introductory courses through selective admission. However, typically, admission practices in large public universities are not able to achieve gender balance for CS majors. As a result, there are lower percentages of women in the CS major in large public universities than in selective schools. In addition, large public universities tend to have a larger number of CS students when compared to private universities. To understand women students' experiences and struggles in computer science at a large public university in the United States and to find ways to intervene in favor of gender equity in computer science, we conducted in-depth interviews with women students in introductory programming courses. In this article, we present women students' experiences, struggles, expectations and offer potential interventions based on the findings to encourage women to consider CS as their major and stay in the CS major. Our interview data shows there is a persistent effect of lack of prior programming experience and gender bias that leads to a negative experience for women students in introductory CS courses. This article presents the challenges faced by women in CS and provides their recommendations for attracting and retaining women students in CS at large public universities.

We examine whether students respond to immediate financial incentives when choosing their college major. From 2006–2007 to 2010–2011, low-income students in technical or foreign language majors could receive up to $8,000 in SMART Grants. Since income-eligibility was determined using a strict threshold, we determine the causal impact of this grant on student major with a regression discontinuity design. Using administrative data from public universities in Texas, we determine that income-eligible students were 3.2 percentage points more likely than their ineligible peers to major in targeted fields. We measure a larger impact of 10.2 percentage points at Brigham Young University.

Studies about college majors largely ignore non-citizen or immigrant populations. Using the administrative data from two public universities in Texas, the author examine students’ major choices by citizen status. In the context of legislation providing in-state tuition access for undocumented students (H.B. 1403, effective 2001), the author tests the effects of the policy on students’ choices of major. Foreign-born populations have a higher propensity to select majors in Science, Engineering and Math (SEM) and a lower propensity to enroll in social sciences than citizens. Domestic students exhibit variable propensities to opt for SEMs, depending on their race. There is evidence of behavioral changes pre— to post—H.B. 1403, with foreign-born populations shifting away from high-return majors.

Little is known concerning the behaviors, attitudes, and emotions of Internet users who go on-line to search for sexually explicit materials. This study examines a range of emotions elicited by viewing sexually explicit materials on-line in a sample of undergraduate students from a public university in Texas. Of the 506 students in the sample, 196 (43.5%) had accessed these types of materials on the Internet at least once. This study examines gender, ethnic, and gender-ethnic differences in the reporting of 11 different emotions such as feelings of entertainment, sexual arousal, guilt, and anxiety. The authors also examined the relationship between selected predictor variables and individual emotions. Results revealed that sexual arousal was the 4th most frequently reported emotion, preceded by feeling entertained, disgusted, and having a general feeling of excitement and anticipation. Ethnic differences were encountered only for feelings of anxiety about being caught while viewing explicit materials; gender differences were found for feeling entertained, sexually aroused, angry, and disgusted. Regression models were used to test the association between gender, ethnicity, degree of religiosity, expectations and expectancies toward using the Internet for viewing sexually explicit materials, and individual emotions. For non-negative emotions, the strongest predictors emerging from the models were expectations and expectancies (or attitudes). For negative emotions, none of the predictor variables exhibited a linear association with the emotions.