California State University Northridge Research Articles

Food Insecurity among Division I Student-athletes at a California State University: A mixed methods study

According to the 2020 Hope Survey, 38% of two-year college students and 29% of four-year college students experienced food insecurity. The distinct lifestyle of student-athletes may place them at an even greater risk for experiencing food insecurity and its consequences as compared to non-student-athletes. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence of food insecurity among 98 student-athletes at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) and explored its impact on their athletic and academic performance, and emotional well-being. The current study utilized a mixed-methods, cross sectional design. An online survey was used to assess food security status, fruit and vegetable intake, reliance on athletic department fueling stations, and other sociodemographic variables. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the impact of food insecurity on athletic performance, academic performance, and emotional well-being. Of the 98 student-athletes, 34.7% were food insecure. Reliance on the fueling station as a primary source of food for the day and reduced fruit and vegetable intake were identified as significant predictors of food insecurity. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted and revealed that food intake impacts energy levels during athletic events and overall quality of athletic performance, as well as energy levels in class and ability to focus during class. Additionally, unequal access to resources within the fueling station were seen as a barrier to their success. Future research should investigate the prevalence of food insecurity among student-athletes and assess the use of the athletic department fueling station as an intervention to mitigate food insecurity among this population.

Study of knowledge, attitude, and perception toward LGBTQ people amongst medical students.

People across cultures have had negative stereotypes, prejudice, and discriminatory attitudes toward the LGBTQ community for many years. Unfortunately, this perception exists within the medical fraternity as well, which in turn has a negative impact on the provision of healthcare facilities to individuals. Change in awareness and perception of LGBTQ among medical undergraduate students may remedy the situation. To find out the knowledge, attitude, and perception of medical graduates toward the LGBTQ community. The study is a cross-sectional observation study and was designed as an online survey using stratified random sampling incorporating the questions from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) questionnaire, Acceptance of Homosexuals (AHO), Homosexuality Attitude Scale (HAS), and relevant sociodemographic details. The data were collected using Google Forms for 3 months. A total of 300 medical undergraduate students were included in the study. Around 87.6% (n = 263) of participants are comfortable having a friend with a homosexual orientation in their circle and 63% (n = 189) disagree that the acceptance of LGBTQ people has anything to do with the morality of our society. Although the overall knowledge and attitude of medical graduates toward LGBTQ is positive, a considerable percentage of students have negative attitudes. Despite the overwhelmingly accepting attitudes and perceptions, some individuals are slightly reluctant to interact comfortably with LGBTQ people. Medical students need to be trained to maintain a non-homophobic attitude.

Open Access and the End of a Big Deal

After the California State University system canceled a large journal package in 2015, California State University Northridge analyzed usage and overlap data and proceeded with a subscription to a small number of single titles. This collection development decision was coupled with an attempt to improve discovery and linking for open access content. In the years since the cancelation, overall usage of the publishers journal content has remained comparable to pre-cancelation usage, while downloads of open access content have increased.

Contested Cartography: Transformational Teaching and GIS Research in Chicanx Studies

Contested CartographyTransformational Teaching and GIS Research in Chicanx Studies Stevie Ruiz (bio), Quetzalli Enrique (bio), and Tomas Figueroa Jr. (bio) The Digital Environmental Humanities Lab When provided with research opportunities, Chicanx college students can overcome adversity that they face in their academic journeys as undergraduates.1 As of Fall 2020, Chicanx and Latinx undergraduates comprise 55.9 percent of the 35,211 undergraduate students who make up the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) student body.2 However, the same diversity among the CSUN student body is not reflected among its white faculty. According to CSUN Counts, a database that quantifies faculty and student demographics, white faculty still dominate the professoriate at 61 percent of all full-time and part-time positions combined, while Chicanx and Latinx faculty comprise only 12.5 percent.3 Just 50 percent of all CSUN undergraduate students complete their bachelor’s degrees at an average rate of six years. One explanation for lower-than-average graduation rates correlates to students not being valued and feeling supported to complete their academic goals. In order to address these educational inequities structured by institutional racism, Professor Stevie Ruiz put together a research team which included three Chicanx Studies undergraduate students. Lab participants included Quetzalli Enrique, Enrique Ramirez Jr., and Tomas Figueroa Jr., all of whom competed for financial support by Campus Quality Fees, an on-campus academic resource grant.4 Building upon the success of previous cohorts in his lab, Ruiz implemented a two-year [End Page 68] research collaboration with his mentees in their junior year and mentored them until they reached their graduating senior year. Like Ruiz, each of these students came from a working-class Mexican American background, and one of them was the first in their family to attend college. As Genevieve Carpio examines, digital humanities in ethnic studies are important to build the skills needed to bridge the digital divide that low-income first-generation Chicanx undergraduates come into the classroom with.5 Rarely provided with these opportunities, each of the lab participants were enthusiastic to contribute towards a collective project that could provide them with skills that would enhance their academic journey and future career. Ruiz’s research team focused on the visualization of archival records using Geographical Information Systems (GIS), an understudied method of visualizing data in the field of Chicanx Studies. Ruiz was motivated by his own research agenda in environmental justice and his commitment to his students enrolled in his lab. The “Digital Environmental Humanities Lab” was built to foster research excellence in a collaborative fashion. As a collective, we found that this was a rarity among the types of professional relationships built between faculty and undergraduate students that existed at CSUN. In the professoriate, Ruiz encountered the problematic tendency of faculty viewing undergraduate students as an obstacle in research design, development, and practice rather than as potential collaborators. Students who enrolled in our lab expressed that white faculty frequently ignored their personal experiences with topics of study and often felt undervalued by their intellectual contributions. In building our collaboration, we centered undergraduate voices as the basis of how to engage and model a transformational learning environment where students could provide their input without being scrutinized, belittled, or even mocked. This is significant because our research lab found that when undergraduate students were provided with research opportunities, it ensured a higher quality of student success and provided them with skills to persist into service-oriented professions that hopefully transform lives, including their own. Our lab’s success rested upon building an intellectual community that was built by mutual accountability and respect for one another’s time. Creating a weekly schedule for meetings helped us instill mutual accountability for both the faculty and student members. Because we [End Page 69] developed a democratic research community, each member assisted in coordination and time management in order to develop our collective research process. Members were responsible for meeting deadlines that were mutually agreed upon while granting the flexibility to work at a pace best suited to each member, even if it meant that we needed to work extended hours beyond our conventional meeting times. The culture that was developed within the research...

Fake News and Libraries: How Teaching Faculty in Higher Education View Librarians’ Roles in Counteracting the Spread of False Information

This paper reports on a survey of faculty members at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Los Angeles, California, regarding their attitudes about libraries’ and librarians’ roles in the area of fake news. This study is a continuation of a previous paper that reviewed the origins of fake news and faculty perceptions of the concept. The survey results suggest that faculty members have differing views of how libraries and librarians can help them address fake news. Across disciplines, ages, and genders, faculty members’ views show little belief in the use of the library or librarians to help combat fake news. Notably, only lecturers seem to have a strong view of libraries and librarians playing helpful roles in dealing with the fake news phenomenon. These findings may have future implications for librarians who attempt to address fake news with either their faculty or their students. It may be necessary to develop broader outreach and awareness programs to change traditional conceptions of academic librarians and library services, which are often conflated.

November 2021 Placement Ads

November 2021 Placement Ads

New Leadership, New Layout

New Leadership, New Layout

Una entrevista con Antonio Gilman Guillén. Segunda parte

Esta contribución completa la entrevista con Antonio Gilman Guillén, cuya primera parte se publicó en Trabajos de Prehistoria 77 (1). Gilman es Profesor Emérito de la California State University-Northridge (EE. UU.), fue director de Trabajos de Prehistoria (2015-2018) y ha dedicado la mayor parte de su trabajo a la Prehistoria Reciente de la península ibérica. Los temas tratados en esta segunda entrega se agrupan en dos bloques. En el primero de ellos se plasman sus reflexiones sobre la experiencia de su relación con la Arqueología española. Se repasan sus opiniones sobre la arqueología tradicional bajo el franquismo, el proceso de modernización, con sus rasgos específicos, y las tendencias recientes y los cambios más relevantes en el registro arqueológico. Estas cuestiones se abordan desde su experiencia como investigador extranjero en España y sus propias contribuciones científicas. También se presta atención a su actividad como recopilador crítico de la cronología radiocarbónica ibérica. El segundo bloque se dedica al contexto intelectual de su práctica arqueológica. Se discuten sus raíces en la segunda generación de la New Archaeology y las aportaciones del marxismo a la consolidación de un funcionalismo crítico con sentido histórico y sus referentes teóricos en la obra de autores como Childe, Adams o Wolf. Se examinan en este contexto sus puntos de vista en relación con algunos de los temas que definen el campo de su trabajo como prehistoriador: los problemas del origen de la desigualdad social y el Estado, las formas políticas de las “sociedades intermedias” y la “Revolución del Paleolítico Superior”. Se hace referencia también a los desafíos que presenta el desarrollo de la “ciencia arqueológica” y particularmente la paleogenética, y su influencia en el retorno de la arqueología histórico-cultural y difusionista. Finalmente, se valora la contraposición entre las tradiciones del historicismo europeo y la Arqueología antropológica norteamericana y el momento actual de esta última.

Collecting COVID at the California State University: Shared Approaches, Divergent Implementations

COVID-19 is a paradigm-shattering development which will have far-ranging effects, many still unforeseen and unanticipated. Community collecting initiatives provide insight and local-level perspectives to momentous events. Examined with other institutions’ holdings, these collecting initiatives illustrate larger trends and allow for a comparative look at reflections and reactions toward historic happenings like the ongoing pandemic. When the virus first spread, rapid-response collection was at the foremost thoughts of many California State University (CSU) archivists. Thankfully, the CSU’s 23 campuses have a robust community of archival practice, called the CSU Archives and Archivists Roundtable (CSUAAR). CSU archivists engaged each other promptly by conversing, collaborating, supporting, and sharing. We will discuss the community of practice at the CSU, highlight how the CSUAAR facilitated projects and developed some shared approaches to collecting efforts, and illustrate three different rapid-response collecting projects developed at the university level (CSU Bakersfield, CSU Northridge, and CSU San Marcos).

Equitable student success via library support for textbooks

PurposeThe cost of course materials to the individual student has increased over the past decade, contributing to educational inequity. Open educational resources (OERs) may be a solution and research validates their positive impact on student success outcomes (Colvard et al., 2018; Feldstein et al., 2012). Few studies, however, examine the role that library collections play in addressing course materials cost and student success. This paper aims to investigate whether materials costs are a significant factor in course pass rate and whether the library has a positive impact on pass rates.Design/methodology/approachUsing required texts listed in syllabi for select undergraduate courses at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), the authors compare course materials costs for each course to the pass rate. The authors then measure the impact of course materials cost on the achievement gap between Pell Grant eligible and non-eligible students.FindingsThis study confirms previous research indicating that reduced course materials costs have a measurable impact on student success, in that the total minimum cost of required materials has a statistically significant effect on the percentage of students who pass a course. However, course reserves slightly increase the disparity between high-income and low-income students, suggesting that course reserves are a less effective way of supporting the latter compared to OERs.Originality/valueThis study is unique in examining the effect of the cost of course materials on students, regardless of the source of cost reductions. Most literature focuses on the qualitative efficacy of OERs instead of measured impact or the relationship between the cost of course materials and student success. The authors investigate the connection between OERs, library engagement and student success.

Do Plant-Based Diets Provide Adequate Calories and Protein for Hemodialysis Patients?

Abstract Objectives Compare the daily calories and protein intake of hemodialysis patients by plant- vs. animal-based food consumption. Methods A retrospective, secondary analysis of baseline data from food frequency questionnaire and laboratory testing data of the Dialysis survey (CDS) study was performed. The CDS survey was conducted in hemodialysis patients between 2005 – 2007 (N = 358). The daily protein and calorie intake were respectively calculated by adding individual food items, then separated by source (plant vs. animal) for comparisons. Statistical analysis was performed using the statistical software SPSS. Results Patients had a daily calorie intake of 15.11 + 7.33 kcal/kg and 19.11 + 10.56 kcal/kg if consuming primarily plant-based and animal-based foods respectively. Comparing protein intake, plant-based diets provided 0.63 + 0.31 g protein/kg while animal-based diet contributed 0.84 + 0.47 g protein/kg. These values were well below the calories and protein intake of 30 – 35 kcal/kg and 1.2 g protein/kg respectively recommended by NKF K/DOQITM guidelines for hemodialysis patients. The analysis of daily calorie or protein intake showed a significant positive association with the amount of food consumption for both plant and animal-based food (significant Pearson correlation at 0.01 level). Plant based-foods known to be a good source of protein have the additional benefit of containing phosphorus in a form that is less available than animal-based food therefore lowering patients phosphorus intake. Conclusions Dialysis patients obtained similar amounts of calories and protein from plant or animal-based food. Those who consume more plant foods could reduce their levels of phosphorus intake. More studies are needed to support that plant-based diet is safe and nutritionally adequate for hemodialysis patients. Funding Sources Augusta University, California State University Northridge.

Surveying fake news: Assessing university faculty\u2019s fragmented definition of fake news and its impact on teaching critical thinking

This paper reports on the results of a survey of faculty members at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Los Angeles, California regarding their understanding of and familiarity with the concept of fake news. With very few studies published on the attitudes of teaching faculty at universities, this study is a unique approach to the issues facing educators, knowledge creators, and information specialists. The paper examines the origins of the term “fake news”, the factors contributing to its current prevalence, and proposes a new definition. It also reports upon the attitudes that teaching faculty hold, and how they define fake news within their specific disciplines. Though nearly all surveyed faculty felt fake news was an important topic that impacted them professionally, the researchers also find that faculty across all disciplines and ranks, ages, and gender, hold widely differing conceptions of fake news. This lack of consensus may have future implications for students in particular and higher education in general and are worth exploring further.

Book Review: Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of the Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry

Aerial Adventure Environments: The Theory and Practice of the Challenge Course, Zip Line, and Canopy Tour Industry Speelman, E. A., Wagstaff, M., Jordan, S. H., & Haras, K. (2020). Aerial adventure environments: The theory and practice of the challenge course, zip line, and canopy tour industry. Human Kinetics. Reviewed by Jose H. Gonzalez Recreation and Tourism Management Department California State University Northridge Luis Acevedo Department of Physical Education and Recreation University of Puerto Rico Subscribe to JOREL

Automated Storage & Retrieval System

The California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Oviatt Library was the first library in the world to integrate an automated storage and retrieval system (AS/RS) into its operations. The AS/RS continues to provide efficient space management for the library. However, added value has been identified in materials security and inventory as well as customer service. The concept of library as space, paired with improved services and efficiencies, has resulted in the AS/RS becoming a critical component of library operations and future strategy. Staffing, service, and security opportunities paired with support and maintenance challenges, enable the library to provide a unique critique and assessment of an AS/RS.

The Original “Farm-to-Table”

Research Article| November 01 2019 The Original “Farm-to-Table”: Native Foodscapes and the Future of California Cuisine Natale Zappia Natale Zappia natale zappia is an Associate Professor of History and the Director of the Institute for Sustainability at California State University Northridge. Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar California History (2019) 96 (4): 88–92. https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2019.96.4.88 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Natale Zappia; The Original “Farm-to-Table”: Native Foodscapes and the Future of California Cuisine. California History 1 November 2019; 96 (4): 88–92. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/ch.2019.96.4.88 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentCalifornia History Search This content is only available via PDF. © 2019 by the Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved. Please direct all requests for permission to photocopy or reproduce article content through the University of California Press's Reprints and Permissions web page, http://www.ucpress.edu/journals.php?p=reprints.2019 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal You do not currently have access to this content.

Ethnic Studies as Praxis

The authors provide a collective counter-narrative of the movement at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to resist educational policies that have negative implications for students, particularly students of color, and threaten Ethnic Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, and Queer Studies. The authors contextualize the movement that erupted in the fall of 2017 at CSUN within the struggles of the 1960s to transform higher education by establishing Ethnic Studies. Drawing from Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy and Critical Race Theory in education, the authors maintain that, in its best iterations, Ethnic Studies is praxis that empowers communities to create transformative social change.

Complexities of Identifying Posterior Cerebral Artery Cerebrovascular Stroke

Eunjoo An is a PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Nursing. Rebekah J. Howerton Child is Chair and Associate Professor, California State University Northridge, Northridge, CA.

Using Common Academic Indicators to Predict Graduation Rates at CSUN, 2005-2014

The median time to graduation at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is five years and fewer than fifty percent of first time freshmen graduate in less than eight years. We used data mining and predictive analytics to determine some of the key academic indicators of success at CSUN. The most important indicators that we found were (a) which math course the student was placed in (or took first); (b) student grade point average (GPA) at the end of each of the first two terms in residence; and (c) successful completion of a freshman experience seminar course (UNIV 100). When all three are considered simultaneously, we can correctly identify over two thirds of the students who will drop out without graduating, while misidentifying approximately one-fifth of students who ultimately graduate as at-risk of not graduating.

An Undergraduate Study of a Fluids Time-To- Drainage Device

In this educational research study, a group of undergraduate students, under the supervision of Dr Boyajian and Dr Zirakian from California State University Northridge, introduce a designed fluid time-to-drainage model as part of the Senior Design undergraduate course.

Commentary on "Physical Activity Levels of Children With Down Syndrome".

“How should I apply this information?” Children with Down syndrome (DS) are not meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines. Physical activity (PA) is necessary for overall health and well-being to prevent consequences of sedentary behavior such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, all of which represent comorbidities typical in population of people with DS. Although PA reference levels for children with DS do not exist, efforts should be made to promote PA and reduce barriers to exercise in this population. Clinicians should promote and increase PA in their interventions, which could in turn increase fitness levels, improve motor development, and decrease health risks. It has been suggested that more physically active children tend to have higher self-esteem and less socioemotional problems. “What should I be mindful about when applying this information?” The comparison of PA levels of children with DS is made with PA levels of children developing typically. This may not reflect the true amount and intensity of PA for children with DS, since they may have cardiovascular and musculoskeletal impairments that may compromise the results of accelerometer measurements. Therefore, it is necessary to establish specific levels and intensity of PA appropriate for children with DS before designing PA guidelines for this population; this knowledge should then be incorporated in therapeutic interventions and in daily life. We should also be cautious to generalize the review's results to all children with DS because the review included limited evidence, suggesting, at the same time, that more research is necessary. Nevertheless, clinicians should be able to assess not only PA levels but also fitness levels of children with DS prior to recommendations related to increasing PA levels. Prescribing specific activities with the aim of improving their health and well-being and reducing the risk of disease associated to sedentary lifestyle should be the ultimate goal when working with this population. Rosa M. Angulo-Barroso, PhD California State University Northridge, California Marta Valentín-Gudiol, PT, PhD Blanquerna School of Health Sciences, Ramon Llull University Barcelona, Spain