The transformation of Madison College into James Madison University: A case study

The purposes of this qualitative study were to investigate the transformation of Madison College, a small Virginia women\u27s state teachers college, into James Madison University, a nationally recognized coeducational, comprehensive university, and to examine the effect of President Ronald E. Carrier\u27s charismatic leadership on the transformation. This metamorphosis took place in just twelve years.;The Strategic Planning Model developed by Kotler and Fox in Strategic Marketing for Educational Institutions (1985) was used as a framework to evaluate the strategic plans used by Madison\u27s administrators to change the institution\u27s image. Criteria for charismatic leadership espoused by Burton Clark in The Distinctive College (1970) were used to assess Dr. Carrier\u27s leadership style.;One emphasis of this study was to determine if a formal marketing plan was used to change the college\u27s image. Research confirmed that formal marketing efforts in higher education were virtually unknown in the early 1970s, the time of Madison College\u27s transformation. Strategic plans were used, however, in relation to increasing both the total enrollment and the percentage of male students, creating a men\u27s intercollegiate athletic program, improving and adding academic programs, and expanding the physical plant.;Findings confirm the importance of well-planned strategies for educational institutions attempting to change their images. Additionally, the impact of charismatic leadership as a catalyst for change cannot be overemphasized. A third finding is that a strong institutional saga is critical in helping the revised image to be validated among the institution\u27s publics. Synergy is the most appropriate term to describe how the elements coalesced in the successful transformation of Madison College into James Madison University.;A study of this nature confirms the efficacy of the data-gathering techniques indiginous to qualitative research methods and adds to the growing body of qualitative research being conducted both in education and in marketing case studies. Further research efforts should be undertaken about individual institutions so that more broad-based conclusions can be drawn

Scottish government equality outcomes:pregnancy and maternity evidence review

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Provenance of building stones in four 'galley castles' in Argyll

This report describes the outcomes of a project to assess the character and provenance of decorative stones in four ‘galley castles’ in Argyll. This includes a comparative investigation with a number of potential sources of sandstone and metamorphic rocks in Argyll and the surrounding region, which could have been quarried in the past

Source, character and weathering style of building stone in Culzean Castle & Country Park, Ayrshire

This report describes an assessment of the source, character and weathering style of the building stone that has been used in Culzean Castle and other historic structures that lie within Culzean Castle & Country Park (CCCP), in Ayrshire. The assessment was conducted by the Building Stones team of the British Geological Survey (BGS) on behalf of National Trust for Scotland (NTS). The project was funded by Historic Scotland, and the work has been conducted under the Memorandum of Agreement (2011-2016) between Historic Scotland and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC; as represented by BGS). The main building stone in CCCP structures is sandstone sourced locally from the Swanshaw Sandstone Formation. Descriptions of the quarries that are thought to have supplied the stone, and a brief assessment of the potential for obtaining new supplies of the same stone from these and other quarries, are presented in section 2 of this report. The results of a brief review of historical records of local quarrying activity and building history in CCCP are tabulated in an appendix and presented in section 3 as a ‘timeline’. The geological character of Swanshaw sandstone is described in section 4, and the main causes of weathering in sandstone are reviewed briefly in section 5. The character of weathering in the stonework of CCCP buildings, and some of the factors that are likely to be causing accelerated stone decay, are described in section 6. Recommendations for ‘best practice’ procedure in the long-term repair and maintenance of stonework in CCCP are presented in section 7. Key conclusions are summarised in section 8

Seasonal Variation in the Proximal Determinants of Undernutrition During the First 1000 Days of Life in Rural South Asia: A Comprehensive Review

In this review, the influence of seasonal variation on undernutrition during the first 1000 days of life of life in rural South Asia is conceptualized using a modified framework developed under the “Tackling the Agriculture and Nutrition Disconnect in India” project. Evidence for the existence and extent of seasonality is summarized from 14 studies reporting on six proximal determinants of undernutrition. A limited number of studies examine seasonal variation in risk factors for this age group. All available studies, however, report a compelling finding of significant seasonal variation for at least one determinant of undernutrition. Research to clarify mechanisms for potentially adverse effects of seasonal variation on health and nutritional status during the first 1000 days of life is needed.Department for International Development (DFID

Fourteen Polymorphic Microsatellite Markers for the Widespread Labrador Tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum)

PREMISE: Microsatellite markers were developed for Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum, Ericaceae) to facilitate downstream genetic investigation of this species and the extremely closely related, circumboreal Rhododendron subsect. Ledum. METHODS AND RESULTS: Forty-eight primer pairs were designed using Illumina data and screened for excellent amplification. Sixteen successful pairs were developed as microsatellite markers using fluorescently labeled amplification to generate chromatogram data. These data were evaluated for intrapopulation and interpopulation variability in three populations from Alaska and Maine, USA, and the Northwest Territories, Canada. Fourteen polymorphic markers genotyped reliably, each with one to eight alleles. Cluster analysis indicates that across the range, populations can be easily discriminated. Cross-amplification in other Rhododendron subsect. Ledum species shows broad application of the developed markers within this small, well-supported clade. CONCLUSIONS: These microsatellite markers exhibit significant variability and will be useful in population genetics within R. groenlandicum and for investigation of species boundaries across Rhododendron subsect. Ledu

Microsatellite markers for the biogeographically enigmatic sandmyrtle (Kalmia buxifolia, Phyllodoceae: Ericaceae)

Premise: Microsatellite markers were developed for sandmyrtle, Kalmia buxifolia (Ericaceae), to facilitate phylogeographic studies in this taxon and possibly many of its close relatives. Methods and Results: Forty‐eight primer pairs designed from paired‐end Illumina MiSeq data were screened for robust amplification. Sixteen pairs were amplified again, but with fluorescently labeled primers to facilitate genotyping. Resulting chromatograms were evaluated for variability using three populations from Tennessee, North Carolina, and New Jersey, USA. Eleven primer pairs were reliable and polymorphic (mean 3.92 alleles), one was reliable but monomorphic, and four were not reliable. The markers exhibited lower heterozygosity (mean 0.246) than expected (mean 0.464). Cross‐amplification in the remaining nine Kalmia species exhibited a phylogenetic pattern, suggesting broad applicability of the markers across the genus. Conclusions: These microsatellite markers will be useful in population genetics and species boundaries studies of K. buxifolia, K. procumbens, and likely all other Kalmia species.publishedVersio

Community-Based Efforts Aim to Improve the Food Environment within a Highly Obese Rural Appalachian County

Rural communities in Appalachia are displaying increased obesity prevalence, yet traditional interventions have not provided a broad enough impact to improve dietary consumption patterns. Therefore, expanding efforts that address the food environment and incorporate behavioral nudges through community-developed marketing strategies may be a viable mechanism to improve food and beverage choices within this unique population. This study installed shelf-wobblers across n = 5 gas stations in one rural Appalachian county in Kentucky. Smart Snacks were identified from store inventory lists utilizing the CDC Food Service Guideline for Federal Facilities calculator and were categorized into high-protein snacks, low-fat carbohydrate snacks, meal replacement snacks, and no-calorie beverages. NEMS-CS audits were conducted, and monthly sales data was collected at baseline and for six months thereafter for each store location. A difference-in-difference model was used, adjusting for total sales or total mean sales for each Smart Snack model to assess the percentage change within and between stores. Overall, percent change in mean sales and total sales across all stores resulted in a percentage increase of sales of Smart Snack items following wobbler installment. This study provides unique insight into how a community-driven approach to marketing can influence the sale of healthier food and beverage items