Students' Personal and Academic Attributions of University Withdrawal

A Commission of Inquiry on Canadian University Education recently reported that approximately 42% of full-time undergraduate students who entered Canadian universities in 1985 failed to obtain a degree within five years. While this statistic is startling, perhaps, of greater concern is the apparent lack of interest shown by most Canadian universities in the subject of undergraduate student attrition. As an initial step toward addressing the issue of Canadian university attrition, a conceptual model of undergraduate student withdrawal is proposed. The model is based on the assumption that students are characterized by a wide range of personal and academic variables. Such characteristics interact or co-exist with institutional variables such as campus integration. This interaction results in the quality of student academic performance and the nature of student psychological condition. Poor quality of student academic performance results in institution-initiated undergraduate withdrawal; a variety of psychological variables (e.g., satisfaction, stress) result in student-initiated undergraduate withdrawal. The bases of this model were findings obtained from questioning 498 undergraduate students who had withdrawn from a large Western Canadian university. Personal student characteristics, institutional factors and societal variables frequently emerged as students' attributions of university withdrawal. Student academic performance was validated as the causal factor for institutional-based undergraduate withdrawal and student psychological state appeared critically related to student-based undergraduate withdrawal. From these findings, preadmission counseling, academic and personal student support and an increased commitment to accommodating students are recommended.Récemment, une Commission d'enquête sur l'enseignement supérieur au Canada indiquait que près de 42% des étudiants sous-gradués, inscrits pour la première fois dans les universités canadiennes en 1985, n'avaient pas complété leurs études à l'intérieur d'une période de cinq ans. Suite à cette information, la plus grande surprise est à l'effet de l'apparent manque d'intérêt de la majorité des universités canadiennes par rapport au sujet de l'attrition au niveau sous-gradué. Dans cette article, un modèle conceptuel de l'attrition par rapport à cette population est proposé comme une contribution pouvant faire avancer cette question dans les universités canadiennes. Le modèle est basé sur les prémisses que les étudiants ont des caractéristiques personnelles et académiques variées. Ces caractéristiques interagissent ou coexistent avec des facteurs institutionnels, telle l'intégration dans un établissement universitaire. Cette interaction est le résultat de la qualité de la performance académique de l'étudiant et de la nature de ses conditions psychologiques. Une pauvre qualité de la performance académique de l'étudiant es liée à un départ initié par l'institution, tandis qu'une variété de facteurs psychologiques (exemples: satisfaction, stress) sont liés à un départ initié par l'étudiant sous-gradué. Les bases de ce modèle se dégagent d'une enquête menée auprès de 498 étudiants sous-gradués, qui on quitté une université de l'ouest canadien de grande taille. Les caractéristiques individuelles des étudiants, les facteurs institutionnels et les composantes sociètales émergent fréquemment comme étant le facteur causal du départ (base institutionnelle) et l'état psychologique de l'étudiant et apparu relié au départ (base étudiante). Suite à ces résultats, des services en counseling préalables à l'admission, les supports académique et personnel aux étudiants et une plus grande volonté de répondre aux besoins des étudiants font partie des recommandations

On hook/off hook mechanism for wrist telephone

A radiotelephone wrist device includes a case having a transceiver and a strap attached to the case for fastening the device to a user's wrist. The strap has a top layer and a bottom layer in which the top layer is releasable from the bottom layer of the strap. A microphone is located on the strap and electrically connected to the transceiver. A speaker is located at an end of the top layer of the strap and electrically connected to the transceiver. A cradle for receiving the speaker is formed in the case. A sensor located beneath the cradle detects when the speaker is removed from the cradle.Published versio

Report of ESCOP Subcommittee on Domestic and International Markets and Policy

International Relations/Trade,

How Virtual Reality Impacts the Landscape Architecture Design Process during the Phases of Analysis and Concept Development at the Master Planning Scale

Virtual reality (VR) can offer many benefits for designers. In the field of landscape architecture, the technology is primarily being used as a tool for design review in the late stages of the design process, yet many of the benefits that make VR valuable in the later stages of the design process suggest that VR may be equally valuable when used in earlier stages such as analysis and concept development. This research examined incorporating VR into the design phases of analysis and concept development, and integrated its use with traditional landscape architecture methods to measure its impacts on a large scale master planning project. This research explores the advantages and limitations of VR and suggests a positive outlook for VR as a design tool

Diversity antenna for a wrist telephone

A radiotelephone wrist device includes a case having a transceiver and a strap attached to the case for fastening the device to a user's wrist. The strap has a top layer and a bottom layer. The top layer is attached to the bottom layer by a pivot mechanism which facilitates rotating at least a portion of the top layer with respect to the bottom layer. A microphone is located on the strap and electrically connected to the transceiver. A speaker is located at an end of the top layer of the strap and electrically connected to the transceiver. A first antenna is located in the bottom layer of the strap. A second antenna is located in the rotatable portion of the top layer of the strap.Published versio

Predictors of excellent early outcome after total hip arthroplasty

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Not all patients gain the same degree of improvement from total hip replacement and the reasons for this are not clear. Many investigators have assessed predictors of general outcome after hip surgery. This study is unique in its quest for the predictors of the best possible early outcome.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We prospectively collected data on 1318 total hip replacements. Prior to surgery patient characteristics, demographics and co-morbidities were documented. Hip function and general health was assessed using the Harris Hip score (HHS) and the Short-Form 36 respectively. The HHS was repeated at three years. We took a maximal HHS of 100 to represent an excellent outcome (102 patients). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of excellent outcome.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The two strongest predictive factors in achieving an excellent result were young age and a high pre-operative HHS (p = 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>It was the young and those less disabled from their arthritis that excelled at three years. When making a decision about the timing of hip arthroplasty surgery it is important to take into account the age and pre-operative function of the patient. Whether these patients continue to excel however will be the basis of future research.</p

Evaluation of Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles as a Feedstuff for Heifers in the Last Trimester fo Gestation

Ninety-six crossbred heifers were used in an experiment to evaluate the effect of dried distillers grains plus solubles (DDGS), fed in the last trimester of gestation, on heifer performance and reproduction. Animals were blocked by previous heifer development strategy (Antelope Research Station range developed = ANT 1; Antelope Research Station dry lot developed = ANT 2; Cottonwood research station = CTW), stratified by expected calving date, body weight and body condition score, and randomly allotted to one of twelve pens. Each pen was randomly assigned to one of two treatments (6 pens/treatment; 4 pens per block). Treatments were 1) dried distillers grains and grass hay (DDGS) or 2) soybean hulls and grass hay (SBH). Treatments were applied during the last-trimester of gestation. Diets were developed utilizing the 1996 NRC computer model and designed to meet nutrient requirements at 240 days of gestation under thermo-neutral conditions. Treatment diets offered similar amounts of NEm each day based on assumptions of the energy content of SBH and DDGS (assumed SBH = 80% TDN and DDGS = 88% TDN). Heifers fed the DDGS had a greater (P\u3c0.01) increase in body weight and a heavier (P=0.03) final weight compared to the heifers fed SBH. Body condition score was not affected by diet. Calf birth weights were similar for both the DDGS and SBH treatments with a mean birth weight of 87.0 lbs ± 5.3lb and 85.0 lbs ± 3.4lbs respectively. Treatment had no effect on calving ease or calf vigor scores. These results suggest that in limit fed situations DDGS and SBH can both be supplemented at 40 percent of the diet with no negative affects on cow performance, calf birth weight, or calving difficulty