A Description of Merger Applied to the Montana State University Context

This article reports on the description of merger applied to the Montana State University context. Eastern was renamed on July 1, 1994, as Montana State University (MSU)-Billings. The Billings Vocational Technical Institution was then merged with MSU-Billings, and renamed the College of Technology. There is considerable debate on campus as to the nature of the merger. There is also potential benefit for students in this merger. MSU-Billings should be better able to attract the best students if enough of these positive outcomes are realized. The final positive outcome of the merger to be presented concerns the public. If history and tradition can provide a basis for prediction, Montana is not up to it. In order to be successful, past practice will have to change too radically

A Case Study of Children\u27s Programming in Transitional Housing

Background: Female-headed households with children makeup nearly 30% of the homeless population, and are challenged to become self-sufficient while embodying multiple roles with inadequate supports (Bassuk, 2010; Crncec, 2008; Fisher, 2000; Schultz-Krohn & Tyminski, 2018). While there is growing literature to support the social-cultural and occupational needs of adults in this population, few programs and research efforts have explored the life skill and developmental needs of children (Fleary et al., 2019). Purpose: The purpose and objectives of this capstone project were to examine the planning, execution, follow-up, and contextual adaptation of the programs provided to children and youth at a transitional living facility for homeless women and children in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The project also aimed to increase the body of evidence supporting the unique analytic skills of occupational therapists to evaluate the aspects and interrelationships of client occupations that affect individuals’ identity, health, well-being, and participation in life (AOTA, 2020) Theoretical Framework. This capstone embraced the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO) as a theoretical framework because it illuminates the reciprocal influence of human volition, habituation, and performance capacity, with the environment, and how the resulting dynamic motivates occupational engagement and the desire and capacity of the parent and child to participate and adapt (Kilmer et al., 2012; Taylor & Kielhofner, 2017). Methods. A qualitative case-study methodology allowed for an in-depth exploration of the contextual intertwining of clients, the facility, and the environment. Data collection involved participant observation, individual interviews, and review of facility artifacts and documents following IRB approval. Results. Results demonstrated the contextual challenges of program planning, execution, and evaluation among community-based settings serving homeless populations, particularly amid a global health crisis. Volunteer readiness, communication, and program evaluation were perceived differently among study participants, highlighting the importance of self-efficacy and communication in motivation and commitment. Diversity issues were an uncomfortable but significant factor in residents’ lives, agency partnerships, and study participation. Conclusions: The results highlight the complexity in studying programming provided to children and youth within this transient population. Yet, the data undeniably points to the inclusion of occupational therapists as essential team members to create, implement, and evaluate relevant and culturally responsive services

Attribution of personal responsibility for self action in a small group context

Dissertation (Ph.D.)--University of Kansas, Speech and Drama, 1975

Navajo Student Food Preferences

Adapt -- “to make suitable to requirements; adjust or modify fittingly. Adaptability is a trait which has been attributed to Navajo2 Indians by anthropologists, educators, novelists, psychologists, artists) -- in fact, by almost everyone who has had dealings with them over a period of time. Yet, to identify specific examples of their adaptability and the attempt to measure the effect upon interpersonal relations of evidences of adaptation has proved to be no easy task

The Effect of COVID-19 on Substance Use and Mental Health on a College Campus

In this research, the author surveyed a university population to determine the impact that COVID-19 has had on substance use and mental health. Current research provides significant data indicating worsening mental health and substance use. This paper looks at how applicable those trends are to a small private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. The data included 261 respondents composed of students, faculty, and staff of the university. The results reveal that college students, faculty, and staff experienced statistically significant increases in feelings of unhappiness, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, agitation, and irritability during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. Data analysis of survey responses reveals that COVID-19 had a negative impact on mental health and substance use and decreased the frequency of sharing of e-cigarette devices

Disability and Identity

Chapter 1 establishes my search for reflections of my identities in the larger culture. I describe my search for recognition in a culture that glorifies the able bodied and explore why difference must be explored from multiple contexts. Chapter 2 describes the methodology I chose for this project and how it reflects the nature of the perspectives I utilize. It explores the difficulties and rewards of autoethnographic work. Chapter 3 describes the process of identity formation. Since this project views disability as a construct, I must determine which forces create and perpetuate our identity as human beings. I also explore ideas related to the management of multiple identities. Chapter 4 examines models of disability and the implications of these models for disability scholars and the world at large. I offer my reflections and interpretation of the meaning of disability in my own life. Chapter 5 explores the process of turning to disability. Instead of keeping disability issues at bay or beneath the surface, I examine how many people with disabilities, including myself, choose to come out as disabled and integrate disability as a key form of their personal identity. Chapter 6 looks at the ways people with disabilities choose to respond to pervasive negative forces, including the structural and the cultural. This chapter also forges connections between disability and the mobilization of other oppressed groups. Chapter 7 emphasizes the importance of language and other forms of recognition for people with disabilities. This chapter recognizes the ongoing debate over choosing labels and the implications of language and identity. Chapter 8 describes disability across the lifespan. I outline the theoretical issues occurring at different life stages and recount specific personal experiences relating to my life and my identity. Chapter 9 enters the terrain of disability and sexuality, a major source of pain and oppression for all people living with a disability. I link ideas related to disability and sexuality to concepts encountered in queer theory and feminist theory. My conclusion delineates the place of disability within the multicultural arena. I summarize the arguments of multicultural and feminist scholars and note areas where disability does and does not receive adequate coverage. I emphasize the need for continual coverage and research in the area of disability studies because of the profound influence it exerts on my own and others\u27 lives