Measuring the Efficiency and Productivity of British Universities: An Application of DEA and the Malmquist Approach

This paper uses data envelopment analysis to examine the technical efficiency (TE) of 45 British universities in the period 1980/81 to 1992/93. This period was chosen primarily because it was characterized by major changes in public funding and in student : staff ratios. To shed light on the causes of variations in efficiency, TE is decomposed into pure technical efficiency (PTE), congestion efficiency (CE) and scale efficiency (SE). The analysis indicates that there was a substantial rise in the weighted geometric mean TE score during the study period, although this rise was most noticeable between 1987/88 and 1990/91. The rising TE scores are attributed largely to the gains in PTE and CE, with SE playing a minor role. The Malmquist approach is then used to distinguish between changes in technical efficiency and intertemporal shifts in the efficiency frontier. The results reveal that total factor productivity rose by 51.5% between 1980/81 and 1992/93, and that most of this increase was due to a substantial outward shift in the efficiency frontier during this period.Efficiency; Productivity; Universities; DEA; Malmquist

Grow Up, Alice: Identity Development through Nonsense in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

In 1865 and 1871, Lewis Carroll wrote two novels, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, that would be read and analyzed continually. The readers fell in love with Alice’s curious young character. Critics have written about her extensively, but have yet to recognize just how much of an influence her social and linguistic encounters in each of the three worlds (Alice’s ordinary world, Wonderland, and the Looking Glass world) represented within the two novels have had her identity development. In order to illustrate how Alice’s nonsensical social and linguistic educational experiences have influenced her identity development upon returning to her ordinary world, this paper provides three detailed chapters that explicitly highlight the relationship between society, language use and communication, and Alice’s identity development

Presenting a Self-Compassionate Image After an Interpersonal Transgression

Two studies investigate the presentation of self-compassion following an interpersonaltransgression. In study 1 (N ¼ 228), participants imagined letting someone down. Self-compassionate participants were less likely to endorse self-critical statements and more likely to endorse self-compassionate statements. Study 2 (N ¼ 208) investigated people’s preference for self-compassionate versus self-critical statements after someone let them down. Less self-compassionate participants preferred and were more likely to forgive someone who made self-critical statements. More self-compassionate participants preferred self-compassionate responses and were just as likely to forgive someone regardless of the type of response. These findings support the hypothesis that self-compassion leads to more self-compassionate presentations and presents a more nuanced understanding of responses to self-compassionate and self-critical presentations in an apology context

The Civil War Career of Daniel L. Russell, Jr.: Myth vs. Reality

A thesis presented to the Chancellor's Scholars Council in partial fulfillment of the requirement for completion of the Chancellor's Scholars Program

A Concept Paper for a VCU Social Sciences Initiative

This project proposes the development of a Social Sciences Initiative at the undergraduate and graduate levels that will provide educational, research and service opportunities for faculty and students. These opportunities are envisioned as interdisciplinary, with a focus on community issues and priorities, and with the potential to create new links among existing educational/research units within the University. The development of a Social Sciences Initiative provides a direct link to the Mission of VCU through several of the Mission’s intents: “activities that increase knowledge and understanding of the world and inspire and enrich teaching” The Social Sciences Initiative will expand current activities and promote innovative teaching in an interdisciplinary manner. “diverse educational programs” The Social Sciences Initiative increases the diversity of educational program offerings. “development of innovative approaches to meet the changing needs of our society” The Social Sciences Initiative will directly address the changing societal needs through support of interdisciplinary education, research, and service. Further, this initiative is consistent with the VCU Vision in that it will “advance a climate of scholarly inquiry…serve as a model of diversity in higher education…addressing urban issues in the nation and the world…build upon its substantial foundations in the…applied social sciences.” (VCU Strategic Plan for the Future of Virginia Commonwealth University, Phase II, 1998)

3D Analysis of chromosome architecture: advantages and limitations with SEM

Three-dimensional mitotic plant chromosome architecture can be investigated with the highest resolution with scanning electron microscopy compared to other microscopic techniques at present. Specific chromatin staining techniques making use of simultaneous detection of back-scattered electrons and secondary electrons have provided conclusive information on the distribution of DNA and protein in barley chromosomes through mitosis. Applied to investigate the structural effects of different preparative procedures, these techniques were the groundwork for the ``dynamic matrix model{''} for chromosome condensation, which postulates an energy-dependent process of looping and bunching of chromatin coupled with attachment to a dynamic matrix of associated protein fibers. Data from SEM analysis shows basic higher order chromatin structures: chromomeres and matrix fibers. Visualization of nanogold-labeled phosphorylated histone H3 (ser10) with high resolution on chromomeres shows that functional modifications of chromatin can be located on structural elements in a 3D context. Copyright (C) 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel

The Ecomusicology Bibliography via Zotero: A Dynamic and Emerging Scholarly Resource,

The Ecomusicology Bibliography is a unique and unparalleled bibliography of books, articles, newspapers, websites, blogs, and multimedia sources. It is available to anyone with a computer and internet connection by using the free software Zotero, which allows users to quickly “collect, organize, cite, search, and share” research citations ( www.zotero.org). The Ecomusicology Bibliography (henceforth E.B.) is a dynamic resource of scholarly, journalistic, and popular sources that aids in making connections between music, culture, and nature

Ecomusicologies

What is ecomusicology? The question deserves a succinct answer, such as: Environmental studies plus music/sound studies equal ecomusicology. Our conceit, however, is that one plus one equal more than two: There is no one ecomusicology but many ecomusicologies constituting a dynamic field. One may wander this field leisurely to explore its interesting and relevant areas, or one might prefer to head in a particular direction. Twenty-two authors provide nineteen brief essays, some of which continue with further resources in an online supplement (http://www.ecomusicology.info/cde). As your “field guides,” the editors of Current Directions in Ecomusicology (CDE) provide a volume introduction, which continues throughout the book in four directions (fieldwork, ecological, critical, and textual), plus a glossary, all of which provide a map of the territory as we find it circa 2015. However, the observer effect is surely valid here: Our collective commentaries of the field will change the lay of the land

Legal aspects of teacher dismissal for immorality on grounds of sexual misconduct

Throughout the history of American education, the character and conduct of public school teachers have been of great concern to parents and the general public. Because of their daily contact with impressionable young people, teachers are expected to abide by a strict moral code of conduct despite the liberalization of sexual mores that has occurred during the last two decades. The purpose of this study was to provide current information for practicing school officials faced with the decision to dismiss teachers for immorality on grounds of sexual misconduct. The questions answered by this study involved the status of immorality as a cause for dismissal in both the state statutes and the judicial system; trends and patterns in judicial decisions; and guidelines for administrators and school board members to use in dismissal decisions