Faculty Day of Research

1. Faculty Day of Research Poster Session

2. LoayAlnaji, DBACollege of Technology, On Line • The Change from Syllabus-Focused Curriculum Courses to Object-Focused Curriculum: A Case Study at Alzaytoonah University • This research sheds the light on the steps and procedures taken by the University of Alzaytoonah, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, to convert their course delivery system from a Syllabus focused to object focused course. The research lists the current system, its deficiencies, describes the measurements taken to put the new system in place, faculty training, course objectives writing, as well as syllabus re-writing. The research also explains the benefits the university hopes to gain from making such a change, as well as its effect on both, faculty as well as the student community.

3. HananAlhaddi, DBADonald W. Maine College of Business and College of Management Lawrence Tech University • The Influence of Triple Bottom Line on Strategic Positioning: An Exploratory Case Study on Differentiation through Image Journal of Management and Strategy • Using grounded theory as a methodological approach, the influence of triple bottom line (TBL) was explored as an emerging, yet substantially important phenomenon on strategic positioning through image differentiation. This study makes a contribution to the sustainability scholarship (TBL as a subset of sustainability) and the marketing scholarship by introducing and exploring the dynamics among TBL, strategic positioning, differentiation, and image. This is done by presenting The Influence of TBL on Strategic Positioning Framework, which illustrates how these four variables are connected. This work also contributes to strategic management, social investing, and human resource scholarship by suggesting the positive impact of the TBL Image (a term defined and introduced in this study) on developing long term strategies, talent acquisition and retention, and business growth within a global organization.

4. Julie Hill-Janeway, JDDonald W. Maine College of Business • The Blended/Virtual FLC is Reality: Success on Multiple Education Platforms Building a Virtual Faculty Learning Community (FLC) - Concept and Best Practices • Exploring the concepts of FLCs and PLCs, and why many mistakenly believe blended/virtual FLCs can’t work.FLCs/PLCs are innovative faculty development tools being employed in educational institutions globally. Many schools employ multiple educational platforms including a main campus with traditional students, an off-campus/regional program with primarily non-traditional students, and an online campus containing both student types. The only things the platforms have in common is faculty, administrators, and students, and a desire among at least some of them to develop and improve teaching and learning. How do they do this across platforms? Virtually.

5. Terri Tomaszek, PhD; Colleen Coughlin, JD, PhD; Neil Shepard, PhD College of Arts and Sciences • Getting to 'The Heart of the Matter': A Case for the Humanities and Social Sciences in Education and Research. • In response to a request from the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, a Commission was formed to explore the importance of the humanities and social sciences to the future of our nation. The resulting report entitled "The Heart of the Matter" defines three overarching goals: 1.) to educate Americans in the knowledge, skills, and understanding they will need to thrive in a twenty-first-century democracy; 2.) to foster a society that is innovative, competitive, and strong; and 3.) to equip the nation for leadership in an interconnected world. In this interactive session, the panel will present a short overview of the report, the salient issues in higher education and research, challenges to making institutional change, and strategies for operationalizing change. • Continued on next

6. Terri Tomaszek, PhD; Colleen Coughlin, JD, PhD; Neil Shepard, PhD College of Arts and Sciences • Continued - • As the report finds, it is the humanities that help us as a people understand the why - why we are here, why we believe what we believe - and the how - how we fit into the world, how we understand each other and engage with difference. In this regard, we will discuss how the humanities can also help us to understand and navigate the conditions of being humane, inhumane, and ultimately human. Participants will discuss short- and long-term implications of the report's conclusions with the intent that, as the report asserts, "These goals invite all stakeholders, public and private alike, to embrace a new commitment to collaboration, and a new sense of mutual obligation to the role of the humanities and social sciences for a vibrant democracy.

7. Charles Bunker, MSCollege of Arts and Sciences • Raising Geological and Environmental Awareness Through Experiential Learning: Encouraging Students to Explore their World. • Students are increasingly becoming disengaged in the classroom when traditional teaching methods, such as textbook readings, publisher supplied lecture notes, and examinations focusing on pure memorization, are utilized. How can we engage these students in a way that will help them become, not only interested in the geological sciences but also gain an environmental awareness of the world around them? Personal knowledge and firsthand experiences are required. Students are more likely to become involved in a discussion when the professor is relating firsthand knowledge or using personal images from locations visited instead of publisher supplied photographs. This seminar will share best practices utilized over the last few years of instruction that has led to a shift away from traditional methods of teaching to methods that encourage both instructors and students to learn about their environment by exploring their world.

8. Stephen Snyder, PhDCollege of Arts and Sciences • Non-Academic Factors in Student Success: Hope Makes a Difference • A review of a research study of non-academic factors in student success. Findings indicated students who manifested positive psychological strengths (hope and optimism) and processes (self-efficacy and coping), whether academically-prepared-at-entry or who completed developmental education courses, succeed equally. Conference session will be focused on methodology, data, and opportunities for institutions of higher education to further test and apply the findings. The review included details on open-use instruments to measure psychological strengths, statistical significance analysis, and correlations to student success.

9. Timothy Pennings, PhDCollege of Arts and SciencesDan Lithio, Hope College; Eric Webb, Case Western Reserve University • Optimizing a Volleyball Serve • An effective volleyball serve gives the receiver little time to react, and also drops down close to the net. It is difficult to accomplish both objectives. In this paper, the authors mathematically model the flight of a volleyball under the influence of gravity, air resistance, and spin. Then they use the model to find optimal serving strategies.

10. Charmayne Mulligan, MA; Gina Mezzano, MA; Sue Offenbecker, MSN, RNCollege of Arts and Sciences • Students vs. Faculty: Call a Truce in the War over Secondary Sources. Research This, Not That! Supporting Students Use of Secondary Source Materials. • Faculty and students don’t agree on research: what it is, why it should be done, what students should do with it, and where information should come from. This session helped participants find common ground around using source materials by bridging the gap between students’ behaviors and faculty members’ expectations. The session helped participants: understand students’ current research habits, especially with Internet-based materials; develop stronger, clearer guidelines for secondary source use; critically evaluate sample student sources to understand differences in quality; and understand current resources available for helping students evaluate sources.

11. Thomas Lonergan, PhD; Stephen Snyder, PhD: College of Arts and SciencesLinda Rinker, EdD: Office of the Provost • Increased Pass Rates for Developmental Courses Resulting From Organizational changes. • A series of organizational changes were implemented at Davenport University in the 2012-13 academic year which resulted in sustainable double digit improvements in the percent pass rate of students, in the developmental course sequence in both math and English, as well as the subsequent gatekeeper courses. All the organizational changes were budget neutral and included 1) A mandatory weekly attendance policy monitored electronically and supervised by the Office of the Registrar, 2) Block registration pairing a limited number of select course offerings for students placed in developmental courses; students were required to schedule developmental courses in their first semester of entry, and were prohibited from changing their schedules, thereby ensuring compliance with this requirement, • Continued on next

12. Thomas Lonergan, PhD; Stephen Snyder, PhD: College of Arts and SciencesLinda Rinker, EdD: Office of the Provost • Continued - • 3) Creation of an Exceptions Committee for students challenging placement into developmental courses in their first semester of entry, 4) Changing the grading scale from Pass/No Credit to a letter grade and a minimal pass rate (grade of C) set at 73%, 5) Creation of an intrusive mid-term reporting system identifying students in jeopardy of not passing, and 5) The use of Supplemental Instructors in various capacities matched to the experience level of the course instructor and individual student needs. At the end of the academic year, improvements in persistence and retention were documented. Challenges to the implementation of each change will be discussed.

13. Chris Hamstra, PhDCollege of Arts and Sciences • Authentic Leadership Storytelling - 'Leadership Narratives and the Cocreation of Organizational Values • This qualitative research study examined the emergence and use of leadership stories within an educational institution. Stemming from Authentic Leadership (Avoilio & Gardner, 2005) and Complexity Communication (Salem, 2009) this paper analyzed 142 distinct stories from participating leaders when focused on an organizations core values. Salem (2009) points out that in the field of communication there “is no research on how stories change or how one story might lead to another [story] from the same generative bases” (p. 146). Using the organizational core values as a basis, emerging themes from leader stories centered on: Having Purpose (Collegiality and Empowerment), Student Focus, Lifelong Learning, Communication (Speaking and Listening), and Drive for Quality.

14. MominkaFileva, PhD; Patricia Phillips, MACollege of Arts and Sciences • Soft Skills for Solid Learning • According to research, students value the human element and personal touch in their professors. Although institutions value the academic qualifications and professional development of faculty, the literature shows a correlation between the “softer” skills of teaching and student academic success. This presentation bridges the personal and academic elements of teaching and learning. It defines soft teaching as a human exchange between teacher and student that creates a quality academic experience. The goal is to show effective ways of creating a positive learning climate that promotes solid, successful learning and retention of college and university students. We identify strategies for providing constructive feedback on student work and for effectively dealing with students who are at-risk academically.

15. Christy L.A. Nelson, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTACollege of Health Professions • Comparing Two VPM Scoring Methods Used by Entry-level Occupational Therapy Students • Occupational Therapy academic programs include administration and scoring of visual-perceptual-motor (VPM) tests as part of the curriculum for entry-level students. Some academic programs provide specific instruction in use of a protractor to score VPM tests and other academic programs utilize a visual inspection method of scoring. This poster presents the results of a faculty-mentored student project comparing two VPM scoring methods by entry-level Occupational Therapy students (protractor versus visual inspection method). The findings of this study provide evidence that occupational therapy students should utilize the protractor method in scoring visual-perceptual-motor assessments to decrease the likelihood of errors. The findings of this study also suggest that specific instruction in scoring procedures within an OT curriculum would be beneficial to the overall education of occupational therapy students.

16. T.J. Hunt, MBA, RHIACollege of Health Professions • Leader-Member Exchange Theory and Health Information Management • The Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory of leadership was first introduced in 1975 regarding vertical dyad relationships in organizations. The theory has evolved since then; however, it continues to focus on the benefits of high quality personal relationships between leaders and followers. A literature review was conducted to ascertain the benefits and criticisms found through previous research of this concept. Research spanning 1975 through 2011 from North America, Europe, and Asia were examined regarding LMX benefits to leaders, benefits to followers, and criticisms of the theory. Review of the literature found evidence of positive outcomes regarding team performance, employee job satisfaction, citizenship behaviors, and lower intended turnover. • Continued on next

17. T.J. Hunt, MBA, RHIACollege of Health Professions • Continued - • Those with higher quality relationships to their leader tended to have faster career progression, more perceived organizational influence, and a higher level of complexity & responsibility in roles assigned. Challenges and criticism of the idea were also found. Formal HIM degree programs and continuing education offerings have many aspects of clinical, technical, and administrative topics to cover. It may be important in preparing HIM professionals to succeed in the workplace to focus not only on technical competency but also on interpersonal relationships and leadership. Evidence in multiple cultures suggests high quality LMX relationships are beneficial in individual career advancement & success, and may benefit the professional workforce as a whole.

18. Rick Schanhals, BSECollege of Health Professions • Global Advances in Health and Medicine • Building the content necessary to create and operate an EMR (electronic medical record) is a complicated and time consuming process. An EMR’s usefulness is totally dependent on the content that was initially loaded and then continually updated. This process is usually very involved due to the variety of programs necessary to operate the EMR. Typically, an EMR needs content built for the nursing staff to record the vital signs and the patient’s preliminary and presenting problem’s history, the physician’s history and exam questions, the orders necessary to load the CPOE system, the order steps needed to manage the patient workflow, and the aftercare instructions necessary for the patients to care for themselves when they leave the medical facility. • Continued on next

19. Rick Schanhals, BSECollege of Health Professions • Continued - • These are not all of the content areas in an EMR, but they are the ones that require the most involvement of content experts such as the physicians and nursing staff. To reduce the amount of time needed to build and maintain the EMR and the amount of staff needed to support the content in the EMR; this paper describes how one company uses Cmaps to load some of the content into its EMR.

20. Sandra Welling, MSN, RNCollege of Health Professions • Key Factors of Professional Affiliation • Evidence suggests 60% of entry level nurses experience dissatisfaction within the first two years of practice resulting in high employment turnover which equates to excessive employee orientation costs and poor patient care. Transitioning into nursing practice can be extremely stressful for the entry level nurse and is further complicated by their newly acquired responsibilities. This study will help the nursing profession understand the key factors of professional affiliation. The central question asks how to identify entry level nurse affiliation and how to assist individuals in finding a sense of confidence found in critical reasoning to facilitate their affiliation. Through the acquisition of knowledge relating to the affiliation of the entry level nurse, researchers can potentially assist entry level nurses to successfully transition into professional nursing practice. An adequate transition will benefit the nursing profession by eliminating turnover costs and increasing safety in the clinical environment.

21. Sandra Welling, MSN, RNCollege of Health Professions • Support of Student Veterans • Now more than any other time in history of our nation, the healthcare industry is facing a severe shortage of nurses. At the same time, the nation has been experiencing a large number of returning military service members. With the passage of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, it is expected that more than 590,000 veterans are expected to enroll in colleges or universities over the next academic year. Research indicates student veterans are less academically engaged and many feel unsupported by their university. One-third struggle with “invisible war wounds” and 41% screen positive for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, student veterans have difficulty with social functioning, productivity, and community involvement, complicating reintegration back into college life. • Continued on next

22. Sandra Welling, MSN, RNCollege of Health Professions • Continued - • Colleges and university must be committed to the success of all student veterans and though student, academic and library collaboration has effectively developed a campus culture ensuring their academic achievement. In addition, PTSD translates into the clinical environment. Nurses must understand all aspects of "invisible war wounds" so they might assist peers with success clinical integration. Two of the nursing students were student veterans and had a comprehensive understanding of the difficulty integrating into the academic environment. The students collected data and analyze findings. They developed a plan for improvement (quiet and safe area for student veterans). The project was submitted to the University and approval was given by the administration to implement the change. The students raised funds and created an area for student veterans.

23. Marlene Berens DNP, FNP-BCCollege of Health Professions • Mentor Training Program • The retention of pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students is one of the critical components in resolving the present healthcare crisis. Peer mentors play an important role in retention of students. The main objective of peer mentoring was to support a nursing student making the transition to a university setting and to nursing education. Gilmour, Kopeikin, and Douché (2007) described peer mentoring as a key strategy for support of nursing students. Mentoring is a complex process requiring development of purposeful relationships underpinned by knowledge and experience. This capstone project’s purpose was designed and implemented to determine if a mentor training program for pre-licensure baccalaureate nursing students would increase mentor self-efficacy and mentoring efficacy.

24. Robin S. Goodrich, EdD, RNCollege of Health Professions • Transition to Academic Nurse Educator: A Survey Exploring Readiness, Confidence and Locus of Control • The nursing faculty shortage dictates the need to recruit and retain excellence in the academic nurse educator role. This study investigated the relationships among academic nurse educator’s levels of readiness, confidence, personal control, support, perceived independence, general self-esteem, level of locus of control in the work settings, and demographic information. This research applies the theory of Experiencing Transitions (Meleis, Sawyer, Im, Messias, & Schumacher 2000) as it relates to nurses’ transition to academic nurse educator. The results of this study provide evidence to support and enhance processes designed to develop and retain nurse academicians. • Continued on next

25. Robin S. Goodrich, EdD, RNCollege of Health Professions • Continued - • Identification of, and investment of financial and human capital support of academic nurse educators is critical to building and maintaining the faculty pipeline. Advocacy for the Academic/Research Doctorate in Nursing as a terminal degree for academic nurse educators is necessary to advance the science and practice of the profession.