Categorizing Qualitative Insights from an Itemized Inventory of Interest in Study Abroad

Study abroad is a transformative life and learning opportunity that is thought to motivate student expectations of the university and cross-cultural travel experience. Few studies, however, ask students directly about what they desire to know prior to embarking on a study abroad sojourn. Here, we report on qualitative findings from an interest inventory of feedback given by university students who responded to a standardized worksheet designed to align student and teacher expectancies about the expectations and provisions of learning experiences. Categories were summarized according to fit and similarity with factors discussed in studies of intercultural awareness, pedagogical design, and study abroad assessment. The results showed that students generally“ wanted to know” deeper domain knowledge about their host culture (New Zealand) and expressed being motivated to obtain a broader understanding about demography with authentic experiences. Implications for study abroad program design and assessment are discussed

The Role of Persons Other Than Professional Development Staff in the Solicitation of Major Gifts From Private Individuals for Senior Colleges and Universities

The purposes of this study were to determine and describe the roles of persons other than professional development staff in the solicitation of major gifts from private individuals for selected senior colleges and universities as perceived by senior development officers. The activities of four groups of nondevelopment staff, trustees, president/chancellor, private citizens, and nondevelopment staff/faculty, were examined through the four steps of the major gift solicitation process: identification and rating, cultivation, the in person solicitation, and the thank-you process following the gift. The population encompassed all accredited, degree granting four year colleges and universities in the United States which solicit major gifts from private individuals. The sample consisted of the 223 schools which had received one or more gifts of one million dollars or more from private individuals as reported in Giving USA. Philanthronin Digest, or The Chronicle of Higher Education, between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 1987. The research instrument was a mailed questionnaire which was sent to the Chief Development Officer of the 223 schools in the sample. Replies were received from 162 institutions, for a response rate of 72.7%. Examination of the results of this study indicated that the services of nondevelopment personnel were used in the major gift solicitation process at the vast majority of schools in the United States, that over half of the major gift dollars solicited were attributable to the efforts of these individuals, and that the president/chancel lor was the most important advocate for an institution's development program followed by the trustees, private citizens, and finally the nondevelopment staff/faculty. Further examination of the data revealed specific determinants which a senior development officer should, for different nondevelopment groups, weigh more or less heavily when deciding which individual(s) will have the greatest likelihood of being influential with major donor prospects

Flight Investigation of a Normal-Acceleration Automatic Longitudinal Control System in a Fighter Airplane

A flight investigation was made to obtain experimental information on the handling qualities of a normal-acceleration type of automatic longitudinal control system. The control system was installed in a subsonic fighter-type airplane. In hands-off (stick-free) flight the normal-acceleration control system attempted to regulate the normal acceleration to a constant value which is dependent on the automatic-control-system trim setting. In maneuvering flight a given pilot's stick deflection produced a proportional change in normal acceleration, the change in acceleration being independent of flight condition. A small side-located controller stick was used by the pilot to introduce signals into the automatic control system. In the flight program emphasis was placed on the acceleration-limiting capabilities of the control system. The handling qualities were investigated in maneuvers such as slow and rapid pull-ups and turns and also in flight operations such as cruising, stalls, landings, aerobatics, and air-to-air tracking. Good acceleration limiting was obtained with the normal-acceleration control system by limiting the magnitude of the input signal that the pilot could introduce into the control system. The same values of control-system gain settings could be used from an acceleration-limiting stand-point at both 10,000 and 30,000 feet for the complete speed range of the airplane. The response characteristics of the airplane-control system combination were also satisfactory at both high and low altitude with these same values of control-system gain setting. In the pilot's opinion, the normal-acceleration control system provided good stability and control characteristics in flight operations such as cruising, stalls, landings, aerobatics, and air-to-air tracking