Animating Faith Development: The Experience of Student Affairs Professionals at U.S. Catholic Colleges & Universities

Faith is a form of social identity encompassing an individual’s religious and spiritual beliefs that aid them in making meaning in their lives (Fowler, 1981; Patton et al., 2016). While many secular institutions have reduced or removed learning about faith, Catholic higher education is an environment that integrates faith development into its work with students (Clark, 2001; Astin & Oseguera, 2004; Estanek, 2008). However, limited research exists on faith development in practice by early to mid-career student affairs professionals within Catholic higher education (James & Estanek, 2012). This qualitative study explored student affairs professionals\u27 personal faith development experiences and their influence on understanding college student faith development. Nine student affairs participants with three to nine years of professional experience at U.S. Catholic colleges and universities were interviewed. Participants engaged in a semi-structured interview, provided a photo and narrative of a faith artifact related to an item of significance in their faith development, and shared reflections about faith in their work through video recordings in faith vignettes. Three themes emerged from the professionals as shared characteristics of faith development: disconnect, meaning-making, and a sense of belonging. In addition, three themes emerged related to how these personal experiences influence their understanding of college student faith development: faith is complex, faith development is a journey, and faith is not developed alone. This study contributes to understanding how student affairs professionals support student faith development within the context of U.S. Catholic colleges and universities and provide recommendations for practice and future research

Witness / Eyewitness: Exploring the transformative potential of photography to develop an inclusive view of the world and society

This paper describes a small-scale qualitative research study exploring the use of the arts, particularly photography, and its potential to develop greater awareness of the world and current affairs in adults preparing to work as educators in the lifelong learning sector. The research is part of a wider study into the use of the arts in professional education, and the extent to which they can have a transformative impact. This particular project using photography has been part of an initiative to develop reflective and critical thinking about the world and society, and a commitment to the values of inclusion, equality and diversity

An examination of fire history and fire management in the context of fauna conservation in south-eastern Australia

Fire can influence biodiversity by changing the spatial patterns of vegetation and the suitability of habitat for fauna species. Understanding the spatial patterns of fire in the landscape is critical to the conservation of biodiversity, and this is reliant on sound knowledge of fire history. In this thesis I examined fire history and fire management in the context of fauna conservation in New South Wales (NSW), south-eastern Australia. Initially, I used digital fire records for NSW for years 1902 to 2018 to identify sources of error in the database, then examined how data quality may affect interpretation of fire history for biodiversity conservation. I then examined variation among, and predictors of, distributions of time since the most recent fire (TSMRF) for extant native vegetation in NSW. I tested whether distributions of time since fire for different vegetation types follow predicted trends at varying scales and identified the degree to which these distributions are influenced by landscape management actions. Finally, I used a field-based study to investigate the impacts of fire history, vegetation type, and environmental factors on habitat attributes, and the extent to which they vary among vegetation types. Thirty-two years and 76% of extant native vegetation in NSW (38% in areas managed for biodiversity conservation) had no fire records, and significantly more in the drier, less populated western parts of the state. However, my results indicate this is an incomplete representation of fire history. Repeated records accounted for >50% of the records in the database, however only 8% were identified by an automated clean using software tools. Without a manual-clean the number of fires and area burnt per year would be exaggerated by >300% in some years. The number of repeated records and records with missing data reduced dramatically from the early 2000s. After cleaning, change point analyses indicate two periods of change in the patterns of recorded area burnt, the mid-1930s and late-1960s, although it remains unclear whether this is a change in fire regime or improved record keeping. Ninety-one percent of records were missing attributes important for biodiversity conservation (month of fire occurrence and intensity), severely limiting the usefulness of the database for biodiversity management, planning, and research. In 2018, TSMRF varied from 0 to 92 years. TSMRF was skewed to shorter intervals in 2018, 2008 and 1998. In more coastal eastern areas, distributions were skewed to shorter times since fire but were similar among wet and dry vegetation types. In arid and semi-arid areas, distributions were greatly variable but skewed to longer TSF than more coastal areas and were often heavily influenced by one or two large fire events. At a local scale, distributions of TSMRF varied within vegetation types that spanned large geographic areas. At a finer scale still, distributions were similar in locations in close proximity, regardless of vegetation type. Within areas managed for biodiversity conservation, distributions of TSMRF were skewed to shorter times since fire than in general for the vegetation type. Previous fire history, mean annual temperature and rainfall, and land-use were stronger predictors of the distribution of time since fire than proximity to roads and population density. Although similar in structure and physiognomy, it was the floristic and fine-scale structural differences that were the greatest drivers of variation in habitat in the three vegetation types I examined. Characteristics of the most recent fire and the interval to the next fire did not have as strong an effect on habitat as vegetation type. The fire type (wild versus prescribed) was one of the best predictors for variation in the landscape for some habitat types. There was a weaker, but significant effect on fauna habitat of time unburnt prior to a fire and whether the fire is wild or prescribed. However, these effects of fire varied among vegetation types. My findings demonstrate that key habitat types important for the persistence of fauna did not have a uniform response among vegetation types at a local scale. Fire management practices designed for managing plant species survival are based on predictable plant responses to fire at a formation-scale, however these results demonstrate that the response of key fauna habitat attributes is not predictable at this scale and fire management may need to be directed at a finer-scale than that at which they are currently managed

Anti-social media

To inform the discussion over free speech and hate speech, this study examines the way racial, religious and ethnic slurs are employed on Twitter. Executive summary: How to define the limits of free speech is a central debate in most modern democracies. This is particularly difficult in relation to hateful, abusive and racist speech. The pattern of hate speech is complex. But there is increasing focus on the volume and nature of hateful or racist speech taking place online; and new modes of communication mean it is easier than ever to find and capture this type of language. How and whether to respond to certain types of language use without curbing freedom of expression in this online space is a significant question for policy makers, civil society groups, law enforcement agencies and others. This short study aims to inform these difficult decisions by examining specifically the way racial and ethnic slurs (henceforth, ‘slurs’) are used on the popular microblogging site, Twitter. Slurs relate specifically to a set of words, terms, or nicknames which are used to refer to groups in a society in a derogatory, pejorative or insulting manner. Slurs can be used in a hateful way, but that is not always the case. Therefore, this research is not about hate speech per se, but about epistemology and linguistics: word use and meaning. In this study, we aim to answer two following questions: (a) In what ways are slurs being used on Twitter, and in what volume? (b) What is the potential for automated machine learning techniques to accurately identify and classify slurs

Globalization as a Racial Project: Implications for Human Trafficking

This essay considers the potential impact of viewing globalization as a racial project in relation to human trafficking. Through an examination of a wide variety of scholarly sources and the work of Omi and Winant (2015), this essay presents the argument that globalization itself is a racial project by tracing how race is interwoven with the processes of globalization. It then asserts the implications this conceptualization of globalization has for human trafficking, and particularly anti-trafficking efforts. Finally, it argues for the power of using such a conceptual framework and suggests the incorporation of a critical globalization perspective for future studies of human trafficking

Reading between the signs

Teaching reading to hearing students, with the supplemental support of American Sign • Language, is a relatively new concept. Many components associated with sign language reinforce basic concepts of English. It teaches individual letter sounds, and names, and many of the signs for words emphasize beginning sounds, as well as meaning. Another important component of sign language is its bodily kinesthetic form of learning. Many students in public schools today are not learning through traditional teaching strategies. Incorporating sign language provides a multi-sensory approach to literal hands-on learning. The following research outlines the principles behind teaching effectively using sign language to hearing students. It provides anecdotal evidence and physiological backing of its success, and provides actual structure of how to implement it within the classroom. Finally, it provides the benefits and positive outcomes sign language can have on students, parents, and teachers

Cyber Sexual Misconduct

Students are spending more time online than ever before and sexual misconduct now traverses both the physical and digital worlds. This workshop will review three mediums of cyber sexual misconduct; camming, sextortion, and revenge porn. We will review conceptual definitions, the digital tools used by college students, online vernacular, and Title IX implications including implications from coercion in cyber sexual misconduct. We will conclude by reviewing best practices for evidence collection in these complex cases. This topic is pressing as recent studies show that at least 33% of college aged students participate in sexting and that of those who receive sexts, 15% post the images on the internet or send them to people they have never met in person

Nutritional Outcome Measures of Preadolescents and Adolescents Diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa after Receiving Nasogastric Feedings versus Oral Diet upon Hospitalization

The purpose of this project was to review the literature related to the demographic, clinical, anthropometric, and nutrition therapy characteristics of inpatient preadolescents and adolescents diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN). The literature review includes an overview of the prevalence and diagnostic criteria for AN, screening and evaluation of patients, inpatient treatment protocols, the complications associated with AN, and nutrition treatment options (oral diet, enteral feeding, and parenteral nutrition)