Grading Policy Spring 2021 Semester

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Creating A Model For High Impact Practices At A Large, Regional, Comprehensive University: A Case Study

Student engagement in High Impact Practices (HIPs) has been gaining the attention of higher education leaders and researchers. When students are actively engaged in the learning process they report greater gains in learning and personal development. Students involved in HIPs show better retention, higher GPA and succeed in graduating college in a timely manner. Less advantaged students benefit even more when they participate in these practices. As university funding models are becoming performance based, HIPs are more important in ensuring students success. The following presents a case-study at a large, regional, comprehensive university- California State University Fullerton in Southern California. In 2013, the Strategic Plan was implemented at CSUF. The plan contained four goals. Goal number two was to “improve student persistence, increase graduation rates University-wide, and narrow the achievement gap for underrepresented students.” One of the objectives for this goal was to “Increase participation in High-Impact Practices (HIPs) and ensure that 75% of CSUF students participate in at least two HIPs by graduation.” How do you get a university of over 38,000 students to have 75% of the students participating in HIPs? A strategic plan task force was created to define HIPs, create an assessment report on HIP outcomes (focusing on increased retention and graduation rates), and develop a system for creating HIPs on a campus as large as CSUF (a result of the AAC&U experience).This case study describes their preliminary work

Grading Policy Fall 2020 Semester

University Communicatio

Spring 2021 Faculty COVID-19 Health and Safety Requirements

Email communication to the University community

Obesity Prevention In Urban Settings: Creating Healthy Environments

The Center for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles and Obesity Prevention, housed in the College of Health and Human Development, at California State University, Fullerton promotes interdisciplinary research and community outreach in areas related to children’s health and weight management. Two studies focusing on the built environment are showcased. The first study, “Commuting Patterns and Obesity Risk” demonstrates that students with longer commute times are more likely to have a body mass index (BMI) over 25, which is considered overweight. The second study, “Increasing Physical Activity with a Mobile Physical Activity Unit” turned a parking lot into a playground. This was created to provide children in Santa Ana, one of the densest cities in Orange County, California, a place to play. The built environment can have a profound effect on physical activity and if given the opportunity, is important to address in the design stages for the health of our communities.

Obesity Prevention In Infants, Children And Adults: An Interdisciplinary Approach

The Center for the Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles and Obesity Prevention, housed in the College of Health and Human Development, at California State University Fullerton promotes interdisciplinary research and community outreach in areas related to children’s health and weight management. Three research projects presented below offer a comprehensive multi-level approach that guides us in developing current and future programs that are effective for addressing obesity in infants, children, and adults. These projects range from creating and testing a telenovela, designing a healthy eating program emphasizing breakfast nutrition and physical activity, and finally looking at the role of the environment in terms of commute times and obesity patterns.

College Women’s Perception and Knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Cervical Cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are one of the most common types of sexually transmitted infections in the United States. The highest rates of HPV infection are found in adult’s ages 18-28 years. This study utilizes the Health Belief Model to assess knowledge and perception of HPV infection and cervical cancer in college-age women and their intent to reduce their numbers of sex partners and request that their partner wear a condom during their next sexual encounter to prevent HPV infection. Even though most college women have heard of HPV, it appears that 79.5% of women in this study rated their subjective knowledge of HPV as poor, and only 58% knew that a vaccine now exists to prevent HPV infection. HPV health promotion campaigns should do more to incorporate HPV vaccine education in STD and HPV educational interventions

Minimizing Musculoskeletal Discomfort in the Workplace: An Age Based Approach

America’s work force is aging but very little is known about functional limitations (e.g., changes in vision, hearing, musculoskeletal system) and how that affects individual performance, productivity and the needs of aging workers. Four hundred eight employees at a college campus completed a web-based questionnaire. There was a significant difference between older and younger workers with regards to both mental and physical health compared to five years ago. Older workers (ages 45 and over) reported greater degrees of physical declines than younger respondents. The largest decline in older respondents was found in eyesight followed by upper/lower back strength and muscle strength. As for specific changes in mental health characteristics, older respondents showed greater degrees of decline in memory, reaction time, and learning ability. Workers that participated in ergonomics training were more likely to change their work environment to reduce discomfort and enhance their performance. Health promotion programs of this type should be encouraged by employers

Evaluation of the Relationship between AcademicPerformance and Physical Fitness Measures in California Schools

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between academic achievement and physical fitness in California schools. Data from the academic year 2004-2005 Fitnessgram were compared to reading, mathematics and science scores on the California Standards test (CST) of 253 elementary schools in the Orange County School District. Physical education teachers from the 10 lowest scoring and 10 highest scoring schools were interviewed regarding content of the physical education classes in their school. Simple correlation coefficients revealed a positive linear relationship between academic scores and physical fitness scores. The interview with the teachers revealed that most of the 10 lowest scoring schools did not have a designated physical education teacher. All of the 10 highest scoring schools had designated physical education teachers and followed the physical education guidelines recommended by the California Education Board

Breastfeeding as a Primary Diabetes Prevention Strategy Among Low-Income Latina Women

Type 2 diabetes is a serious illness affecting more than 20 million Americans; if left untreated it can lead to life threatening complications such as heart disease, stroke, and kidney disease. Efforts to prevent the onset or delay the complications of diabetes are urgently needed particularly among Mexican Americans who are 1.7 times more likely to develop diabetes. Medical professionals agree that diabetes may be prevented through proper diet and exercise. A growing body of evidence suggest that the risk of diabetes may also be reduced among women who breastfeed. New research shows that women who breastfeed exclusively are less likely to develop diabetes. However, despite the many known benefits of breastfeeding, rates are declining particularly among low- income Latina women. Focus groups were conducted with low-income women participating in the Women Infants and Children Program (WIC) to assess their knowledge and perceptions of breastfeeding. It was found that all focus group participants would be more likely to breastfeed if they knew it reduced their risk of diabetes. As a result of this study, an educational handout was then developed to promote breastfeeding as a diabetes prevention strategy among low-income Latina women