A study was conducted to explore the current state of Extension advisory council development and maintenance from the perspective of advisory council members and county-based Extension professionals (agents). These two perspectives were explored within the Mississippi State University Extension Service through qualitative methods. Focus groups and telephone interviews were used to answer the research questions. The study found that agents recognized that advisory members have a certain purpose and roles, which was to strengthen Extension programs. This overall purpose of council members was achieved through specific roles, such as providing general advice and supporting the delivery of Extension programs. Next, Extension agents in the study recognized the importance of providing positive feedback to council members, which in turn makes for a more productive group of people and increases retention rates. Lastly, Extension agents expressed concern about training being provided to advisory members, and new agents. Members and agents both felt that training would be beneficial to Extension and their programs.

Evaluation and Improvement of an Advisory Program by John W. Van Ornum MS, Brigham Young University, 1989 BS, Brigham Young University, 1987 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University December 2014 This project study investigated the effectiveness of a student advising program at a rural high school in Hawaii. The advisory program was implemented to help students track their progress and prepare them for post-high school college and career choices, yet the program's implementation had not been evaluated. Guided by Erickson's theoretical framework, this quantitative study examined advisory participants' perceptions of (a) student-advisor relationships, (b) assistance in making post-high school plans, (c) advisor content knowledge, and (d) recommendations for program improvement. A descriptive survey was given to advisors (n = 28) and a random sample of advisees (n = 145). Descriptive survey data indicated that the advisors and advisees perceived the advisory program to improve student relationships with adults and the development of post-high school plans. Further, comparative analyses using independent-samples t tests found no statistically significant differences in the responses between the advisor and advisee groups in terms of relationships and developing post-high school plans. Advisors indicated that they needed more training, more time to plan, and that program evaluations should be shared at a faculty meeting. Based on these findings, it is recommended that the advisory program be continued, and that additional, ongoing training and planning time be provided to program advisors. Improvements to the advisory program will help school administrators and program advisors provide services that will better prepare advisory students for post-high school educational and career choices, thus promoting positive social change.

Scrapers are useful construction equipment when hauling distances range between 500 to 3000 feet. When preparing an estimate for an earthmoving project utilizing scrapers, the capacity of the scraper and the cycle time for the given project conditions must be calculated. Since travel time varies widely based on the conditions of the haul road and the performance of the equipment, determining the most economical selection (size and model) and the correct number of scrapers and pushers is a rather tedious process. The calculation of travel time between the cut and fill zone involves repetitive calculations. A spreadsheet-based interactive advisory system was created in order to facilitate these calculations and generate a list of recommended equipment. The system contains a scrapers database, performance charts, soil properties, and a user interface to solicit data that is specific to the project such as haul road surface conditions and characteristics. Data such as efficiency (minutes worked per hour) and hourly rates for operators and other workers can also be specified in the user interface. Once the user enters the quantity to be moved the application calculates the production rate, time required for the job, and the estimated unit cost for each scraper in the database. The system then produces a list of all scrapers, sorted in the order of shortest time or lowest unit price.

Scrapers are useful construction equipment when hauling distances range between 500 to 3000 feet. When preparing an estimate for an earthmoving project utilizing scrapers, the capacity of the scraper and the cycle time for the given project conditions must be calculated. Since travel time varies widely based on the conditions of the haul road and the performance of the equipment, determining the most economical selection (size and model) and the correct number of scrapers and pushers is a rather tedious process. The calculation of travel time between the cut and fill zone involves repetitive calculations. A spreadsheet-based interactive advisory system was created in order to facilitate these calculations and generate a list of recommended equipment. The system contains a scrapers database, performance charts, soil properties, and a user interface to solicit data that is specific to the project such as haul road surface conditions and characteristics. Data such as efficiency (minutes worked per hour) and hourly rates for operators and other workers can also be specified in the user interface. Once the user enters the quantity to be moved the application calculates the production rate, time required for the job, and the estimated unit cost for each scraper in the database. The system then produces a list of all scrapers, sorted in the order of shortest time or lowest unit price.

Research Project (M.A.) - Simon Fraser University, 2006. / Theses (Dept. of Political Science) / Simon Fraser University. Also issued in digital format and available on the World Wide Web.

No description available.

The general problem approached in this thesis is that of building computer based legal advisory programs (otherwise known as expert systems or Intelligent Knowledge Based Systems). Such computer systems should be able to provide an individual with advice about either the general legal area being investigated, or advice about how the individual should proceed in a given case. In part the thesis describes a program (the ELl program) which attempts to confront some of the problems inherent in the building of these systems. The ELl system is seen as an experimental program (currently handling welfare rights legislation) and development vehicle. It is not presented as a final commercially implementable program. We present a detailed criticism of the type of legal knowledge contained within the system. The second, though in part intertwined, major subject of the thesis describes the jurisprudential aspects of the attempt to model the law by logic, a conjunction which is seen to be at the heart of the computer/law problem. We suggest that the conjunction offers very little to those who are interested in the real application of the real law, and that this is most forcefully seen when a working computer system models that conjunction. Our conclusion is that neither logic nor rule-based methods are sufficient for handling legal knowledge. The novelty and import of this thesis is not simply that it presents a negative conclusion; rather that it offers a sound theoretical and pragmatic framework for understanding why these methods are insufficient - the limits to the field are, in fact, defined.

No description available.

The question of advisory group effectiveness continues to be a topic for discussion and research. As these groups have been organized to study and give recommendations on a diversity of issues, questions have arisen in relationship to their ability to impact educational decision making. The purpose of this research was to examine the perceptions of effectiveness held by members of a Citizen Advisory Committee and by members of a school board in relationship to the committee's ability to complete tasks as requested by the school board. Data were gathered from members of the Citizen Advisory Committee and the school board through the use of a questionnaire and individual interviews. Data analysis revealed concerns in relationship to the clarity and number of tasks assigned by the school board, membership on the committee, feedback from the school board, and the future of the advisory committee. In conclusion, citizen advisory councils can be an effective avenue to involve the community in the operation of schools when given appropriate education and support. / Ed. D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains iii, 178 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 170-173).