Towards a new definition of professionalism for college leaders:a Scottish perspective

In 1993, colleges in Scotland became independent corporate bodies, funded directly by central government. This article is a review of the evolution of college management practice within the context of the political reform of the public services and recent educational policy developments in Scotland. It is an analysis of a complex and continuous process of structural and political change that has revolutionised the role of college leaders. Public and political interest in moving towards ‘world class’ institutions has created a context for a new discourse of professionalism in the leadership and management of colleges. In this article we present a new and more comprehensive definition of professionalism, which offers a sharp contrast with the older public service ethic and with the simple rhetoric of managerialism. It is proposed that professionalism in further education management should, in future, be defined in terms of four inter-related dimensions. It is further suggested that the concept of professionality should be embraced, emphasising the ability to create a value base and an institutional culture which locates management, not above and in isolation from other staff, but as part of a network of professional expertise that has, at its core, a focus upon the complexity of the needs, values and expectations of lifelong learners. </jats:p

Reproducibility of liquid oxygen impact test results

Results for 12,000 impacts on a wide range of materials were studied to determine the reproducibility of the liquid oxygen impact test method. Standard deviations representing the overall variability of results were in close agreement with the expected values for a binomial process. This indicates that the major source of variability is due to the go - no go nature of the test method and that variations due to sampling and testing operations were not significant

Computer simulation of the threshold sensitivity determinations

A computer simulation study was carried out to evaluate various methods for determining threshold stimulus levels for impact sensitivity tests. In addition, the influence of a number of variables (initial stimulus level, particular stimulus response curve, and increment size) on the apparent threshold values and on the corresponding population response levels was determined. Finally, a critical review of previous assumptions regarding the stimulus response curve for impact testing is presented in the light of the simulation results

Effect of reduced aft diameter and increased blade number on high-speed counterrotation propeller performance

Performance data of 0.17-scale model counterrotation pusher propeller configurations were taken in the NASA Lewis 8- by 6-Foot Supersonic Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers of 0.66, 0.71, 0.75, and 0.79. These tests investigated the aerodynamic performance of the unducted fan (UDF) demonstrator propeller engine developed in a joint program by General Electric and NASA. Data were recorded to show the effect on counterrotation propeller cruise efficiency of two takeoff noise-reduction concepts. These two concepts are reduced aft blade diameter and increased forward blade number. The four configurations tested were a baseline (F1/A1 8/8) configuration, a reduced aft diameter (F1/A3 8/8) configuration, an increase forward blade number (F1/A1 9/8) configuration, and a combination of the latter two (F1/A3 9/8) configurations. Data were collected with a complex counterrotation propeller test rig via rotating thrust and torque balances and pressure instrumentation. Data comparisons documented the power differences between the baseline and the reduced aft diameter concepts. Performance comparisons to the baseline configuration showed that reducing the aft blade diameter reduced the net efficiency, and adding a blade to the front rotor increased the net efficiency. The combination of the two concepts showed only slightly lower net efficiency than the baseline configuration. It was also found that the counterrotation demonstrator propeller model (F7/A7 8/8) configuration outperformed the baseline (F1/A1 8/8) configuration

Destruct tests on scale model saturn i booster

Destructive testing of scale model saturn i launch vehicl

Evidence to Suggest that Women’s Sexual Behavior is Influenced by Hip Width Rather than Waist-to-Hip Ratio

Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is an important ornament display that signals women’s health and fertility. Its significance derives from human development as a bipedal species. This required fundamental changes to hip morphology/musculature to accommodate the demands of both reproduction and locomotion. The result has been an obstetric dilemma whereby women’s hips are only just wide enough to allow the passage of an infant. Childbirth therefore poses a significant hip width related threat to maternal mortality/risk of gynecological injury. It was predicted that this would have a significant influence on women’s sexual behavior. To investigate this, hip width and WHR were measured in 148 women (M age = 20.93 + 0.17 years) and sexual histories were recorded via questionnaire. Data revealed that hip width per se was correlated with total number of sexual partners, total number of one night stands, percentage of sexual partners that were one night stands, number of sexual partners within the context of a relationship per year sexually active, and number of one night stands per year sexually active. By contrast, WHR was not correlated with any of these measures. Further analysis indicated that women who predominantly engaged in one night stand behavior had wider hips than those who did not. WHR was again without effect in this context. Women’s hip morphology has a direct impact on their risk of potentially fatal childbirth related injury. It is concluded that when they have control over this, women’s sexual behavior reflects this risk and is therefore at least in part influenced by hip width

A Manual for Using Communication Strategies with Adolescents with Autism

Many students with autism lack the essential skills necessary to communicate effectively as adolescents and adults. They communicate in a nonproductive manner to get their wants or needs met. Some of these behaviors include crying, screaming, or having tantrums. Current research reviewed for this project indicates clearly the benefits of applied social skills such as social stories, augmentative strategies such as picture exchange systems, and alternative strategies such as gestures and sign language. These students need to communicate their wants and needs by using socially appropriate adaptive methods of communications. The purpose of the manual at the end of this project is to provide a tool for Individualized Education Program (IEP) teams to assist students with autism to communicate more effectively

Mass Spectrometric Studies of Oxygen Isotope Exchange Reactions with Oxide Surfaces

Isotopic exchange reactions with the surface of amorphous silica and crystalline quartz were studied mass spectrometrically. A mixture of approximately 2%18o2 in neon was used as the test gas, and was passed over the surface of the oxides. Measurements were taken as a function of temperature and residence time, for kinetic studies. These studies clearly show a second order rate law for the surfaces examined. The rate constant on amorphous silica was 2.2xl02L/mol/sec. The energy of activation was 35.3 kcal/mol and the frequency factor was l.35xl09L/mol/sec. On the crystalline quartz the rate constant was 2.0xl02L/mol/sec. The energy of activation was 65.2 kcal/mol and the frequency factor was 4.52xl02L/mol/sec. The postulated mechanism for a bimolecular reaction would occur at temperatures above that required for dehydroxylation. This allows chemisorption of a molecule of 18o2 to form a bridged six-membered ring upon which a subsequent collision of a second 18o2 molecule results in an oxygen isotope exchange