Everything’s Bigger in Texas: Examining the Mandatory (and Additional) Financial Burden of Postsecondary Education

Student fees remain an under-researched aspect of postsecondary education and finance (Kelchen, 2016). This study examines the mandatory and additional fees charged to full-time, in-state undergraduate students by public and private not-for-profit four-year institutions in Texas (n=96). Findings demonstrate the average four-year institution in Texas charges over $1,500 per academic year in mandatory fees,$500 higher than the national average. Moreover, private institutions charge an average of $1,100 less than publics, while fees comprise 6.8% of the total cost of attendance at private and 29.1% at publics. Institutions of higher education compose fee explanations above the 12th-grade reading level and only 5.2% of the sample provided fee explanations in a language other than English, thus further marginalizing non-English speaking language populations in Texas. Implications for policy makers, practitioners, and future research are addressed.Educatio

hagis, an R Package Resource for Pathotype Analysis of Phytophthora sojae Populations Causing Stem and Root Rot of Soybean

Phytophthora sojae is a significant pathogen of soybean worldwide. Pathotype surveys for Phytophthora sojae are conducted to monitor resistance gene efficacy and determine if new resistance genes are needed. Valuable measurements for pathotype analysis include the distribution of susceptible reactions, pathotype complexity, pathotype frequency, and diversity indices for pathotype distributions. Previously the Habgood-Gilmour Spreadsheet (HaGiS), written in Microsoft Excel, was used for data analysis. However, the growing popularity of the R programming language in plant pathology and desire for reproducible research made HaGiS a prime candidate for conversion into an R package. Here we report on the development and use of an R package, hagis, that can be used to produce all outputs from the HaGiS Excel sheet for P. sojae or other gene-for-gene pathosystem studies

Satisfied Superintendents: A Case Study

The role of the superintendent is viewed as high-stress. Research reports a high turnover rate in the superintendency. Superintendents face pressure and criticism from several fronts. Despite these circumstances, many superintendents find satisfaction within the position. Through the stories of superintendents, we discover new findings about satisfaction derived from the superintendency. The purpose of this study was to examine the common characteristics of satisfied superintendents and the components of the superintendency that provide satisfaction. The major contribution of this study is a greater understanding of how superintendents can increase the likelihood of experiencing satisfaction and longevity in their position. Through interviews, twenty-one superintendents shared their experiences. All interviews were audio-recorded. Data generated were analyzed and coded. Overlap and redundancy of codes were reduced and collapsed into themes. Four themes emerged from the study: motivation to obtain the superintendency, rewards of the superintendency, supports in the superintendency, and routines to maintain health as a superintendent. Based on the findings of the study superintendents who reported satisfaction in their roles: provided a structure for their evaluation to be able to gauge the level of their impact, created support systems to assist them in their work, established routines to promote a healthy lifestyle, and were intentional and meaningful in creating positive interactions with others. Advisor: Marilyn L. Grad

Physiological Coregulation Intervention Over Video Call in New Relational Dyads

Physiological linkage, the degree to which physiological behavior of one partner in a relationship is related to the physiological behavior of the other partner, is a well-documented process. Electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV) are two physiological measures for which physiological linkage has been observed (Timmons, et al., 2015). A more specific term, coregulation, has been proposed to specify a process of mutual physiological regulation within a relational dyad towards a homeostatic set point (Butler & Randall, 2013). While an important construct, there is a present lack of intervention studies seeking to increase the capacity for coregulation in relational dyads. Furthermore, there has been a recent massive increase in video call technologies, in response to the global Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, this author conducted an intervention study over video call that sought to observe if: a) physiological linkage occurs between relational dyads interfacing via video call and b) the relational capacity for coregulation can be increased over time via a relational play intervention carried out over three weeks on video call. Results showed partial support for hypothesis one, partnered participants’ HRV was significantly correlated at baseline and during the stress-inducing exercise, regardless of group assignment. Results supported the null hypothesis for hypothesis two, demonstrating that the intervention dyads did not exhibit a higher degree of coregulation during posttest compared to the control dyads. However, all dyads demonstrated a return to homeostatic baseline after a stressor at both pretest and posttest, suggesting that relational dyads can effectively coregulate in response to a stressor while interacting over video call. Implications will be discussed below