The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between physical self-efficacy and personal dietary habits among students living in the wellness residence halls of Ball State University. This was a correlational study using previously collected data from six wellness residence halls. Residents from these halls were voluntary participants in the wellness screening, which included the testing instruments used for this study. Fifty-four subjects completed the Lifestyle Assessment Questionnaire (LSAQ) which included both the Physical Self-Efficacy Scale (PSES) and the Dietary Habits Questions (DHQ). The relationship between physical self-efficacy and dietary habits was tested using the Pearson r as the correlation coefficient. It appears that there is a significant linear relationship between the physical self-efficacy and dietary habits among participants examined in this study. This linear relationship should be interpretated with caution, however, because the strength of the relationship between PSES and DHQ scores (r2=.1099) indicates that less than 11% of the variance within the DHQ scores is shared with the variance within the PSES scores. Those who had good physical self-efficacy also had good dietary habits. Further study is recommended. / Institute for Wellness

The purposes of the study were:1) To collect and share information on the perceptions of graduates regarding the academic, professional, and social experiences of students in the doctoral program in Educational Administration and Supervision at Ball State University, 1987-2002, relative to their professional preparation and career goals;2) To profile the demographic characteristics of respondents whose experiences are described and reported in this study: Gender, age, ethnicity, date of admission, enrollment status, date of graduation, professional occupation during and after doctoral study, financial situation, and sources of financial support during doctoral study.3) To draw conclusions and make recommendations, based on the data, on how students' personal motivation and professional preparation, career goals, academic training, institutional, and social support blend together to enrich the experiences of doctoral students in Educational Administration and Supervision at Ball State University.The population for this study consisted of 111 graduates (72 males and 39 females) of the doctoral program in Educational Administration and Supervision, Department of Educational Leadership, Teachers College, Ball State University, 19872002. A list and addresses of doctoral graduates of the program were obtained from the Graduate School Office. The addresses were verified by the Ball State University Alumni Office. A packet of questionnaires was mailed successfully to 106 graduates. Seventy-nine completed surveys (76 percent) were returned. Of the 79 respondents 52 were male, and 27 were female. The data were subsequently tabulated, analyzed, summarized, and reported in narrative form. Findings and conclusions suggest that:1. The doctoral program in Educational Administration and Supervision at BallState University adequately prepared graduates to contribute meaningfully tothe scholarship and professional demands of the discipline;2. The curricula of the doctoral program allow for rich and diverse career optionsto graduates;3. Improvement should be made in the doctoral program in EducationalAdministration and Supervision at Ball State University to include:a. Practical application experiences through structured internship,mentoring, and peer interaction;b. Greater efforts at job search and placement assistance;c. The effective management of technology to serve the growing numberof part-time students; andd. A systematic departmental database to keep track of graduates of the program. / Department of Educational Leadership

From 1965 through the 1980's, community education was endorsed and promoted in Indiana by the C.S. Mott Foundation of Flint, Michigan. The Mott Foundation issued nearly $2 million in grant money to the Institute for Community Education Development (ICED) at Ball State University to encourage local communities in Indiana and a four-state region to develop community education programs and processes. This money was granted to Ball State University and the ICED for several purposes: 1) to promote the concept of Community Education, 2) to provide and manage seed money incentive grants made to local public school corporations who adopted the concept, 3) to provide training and academic programs to local program leaders, and 4) to support the development of Community Education in the state through consultant services and other appropriate forms of assistance. After twenty-two years of activity and investment, the Mott Foundation-focused development of community education in Indiana through the Institute for Community Education Development (ICED) was phased out.This research was conducted using an Oral History methodology in which a thorough literature review was completed, ICED yearly reports and other literature provided background and triangulation, and eight interviewees were interviewed and audio-recorded for a total of twenty-one interviews. Recordings were each transcribed and stored by the principle investigator. Participants were interviewed a total of one to three times each, dependent upon the information obtained during each interview.This study provides a written historical report of some of the developments of community education in the State of Indiana that were due, in part, to the ICED consultants. This study also describes the community education development strategies in Indiana by the ICED staff. Additionally, this study reports some of the strengths and weaknesses of the strategies utilized by ICED professionals in Indiana's development of community education as reported by the interviewees. Those interested in educational development may utilize this study to gain insights from some of the lessons found in Indiana's Community Education development experience from 1965 through 1987. / Department of Educational Studies

With numerous local economies previously driven by manufacturing, Indiana was strongly affected by the economic downturn from 2007 until 2009. One suggestion to facilitate economic growth has been Richard Florida’s “creative class” theory, which asserts that talented and educated people choose to live in creative places. College graduates represent one part of Florida’s “creative class.” Current students at Ball State University were surveyed to understand the importance of place-related factors for where students wanted to live after they graduated. The survey responses indicated that students are most concerned with income potential, cost of living, and distance to family. Alumni residence data from Ball State and three other Indiana universities were also mapped and compared to county-level measures of income, housing, distance from home, and creativity index. This analysis supports the survey findings that economic factors and family connections are likely motivating factors in where graduates have chosen to live and stands in contrast to the overall logic of the creative place theory of development. / Department of Geography

There is a need in the field of international education to form sound assessment practices to provide support for the study abroad experience. This study conducted assessment research using the CrossCultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) as a pre and post-test as well as structured interviews to assess the impact and determine the cultural learning outcomes of the two main types of study abroad programs at Ball State University.According to the CCAI, there was meaningful cultural learning that occurred for the students who participated in study abroad programs for the Fall 2001 semester. The interviews revealed that the student participants experienced gains in self-perception, communication skills, and worldview concepts. Further implications include the continuation of assessment in the international education field and the move towards learning based study abroad models. / Department of Educational Studies

Training staff to better meet the needs of a diverse study body is an important component of housing and residence life programs. This study at Ball State University identified the role and effectiveness of the Multicultural Advisor Program and provides suggestions on how to improve. Six focus groups allowed the researcher to explore the Multicultural Advisor Program from Resident Assistants, Multicultural Advisors, Hall Directors, and students perspectives during fall 2003 semester. / Department of Educational Leadership

This study examines NewsLink Indiana, an innovative convergence news organization at Ball State University. The first chapter briefly introduces the organization and the study. The second chapter reviews relevant literature and poses the research question: How do the stakeholders in NewsLink Indiana construct their memberships in the group in light of their memberships in other groups? Methods of data collection and analysis are described in the third chapter. Transcribed interviews from fourteen members of the NewsLink Indiana organization were examined. The fourth chapter describes the four themes that emerged as results of this study. The final chapter provides conclusions, contributions, limitations, and suggestions for future research in this area. / Department of Communication Studies

Using McClusky"s (1963) Power Load Margin (PLM) theory, this study employed a correlational research design to investigate if relationships existed between involvement in career-related professional development outlets and activities, and Margin in Life (MIL) scores for full-time student affairs professionals at Ball State University. Correlation coefficients (Pearson r) were calculated to determine if relationships existed between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets and activities. Partial correlation coefficients were calculated to determine if relationships existed between subjects' ages and the relationship between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets and activities.Subjects (n = 107) were identified using the 2004-2005 Ball State University Directory and mailed a Professional Development Questionnaire (PDQ), created by the researcher, and Stevenson's (1982) Margin in Life Scale. Responses from 64 subjects were used in this study (31 females and 33 males). Subjects' ages ranged from 22 to 67 years (M = 41.5 years).PDQ results indicated that subjects averaged involvement in 10.6 outlets in the previous 12 months. Six indicated involvement in more than 20 outlets. Excluding these responses, the mean for outlets was 8.8. The mean for activities was 8.4.The mean MIL score for subjects was .60. All subjects in this study had a sufficient amount of power; thus, no subject had an excessive amount of load.Results of the correlational analyses suggest the possibility that a negative correlation may exist between MIL scores and the number of career-related professional development outlets. Although the correlation and partial correlation coefficients were weak, this may have been a function of the relatively small number of subjects who participated in this study. Additional research with a larger subject population is suggested to investigate this possible relationship. No relationship was found between MIL scores and career-related professional development activities. No differences in relationships between outlets and activities, and MIL scores were found when the age of subjects was factored either in or out as an influence. Further PLM research in student affairs is suggested, including qualitative methods investigating areas of professional development relating to power, load, and margin. / Department of Educational Studies

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

The purpose of the study was to assess programs, activities and facilities for physically handicapped students at Ball State University.Study participants included eighty-five individuals identified by University officials. Participants included fifty-six physically handicapped students, nine non-handicapped undergraduate students, ten administrators and ten faculty. Physically handicapped students were divided into seven disability groups including: (1) blind; (2) visually impaired; (3) deaf; (4) hearing impaired; (5) wheelchair confined; (6) limited ambulatory and (7) "other" disabilities.An interview assessment instrument was developed consisting of fifty items divided into five sections. Participants were interviewed for assessment of specific accommodations, general information, legislation, communication and attitudes concerning programs, activities and facilities for physically handicapped students at Ball State University. Fourteen trained interviewers conducted interviews with assigned participants.Physically handicapped students completed assessments from all five sections of the assessment instrument. Non-handicapped undergraduate students, administrators and faculty completed assessments from general information, legislation, communication and attitudes sections.Analyses of assessment data included-profile comparisons by number and percentage of participant responses. Response choices to assessment instrument items were: (1) a great degree; (2) moderate degree;(3) small degree; (4) none and (5) I don't know also collected from all study participants.The following summary of findings is based on analyses of assessment responses received from the study population.1. University transportation services were not as useful for handicapped students as non-handicapped students.2. Physical education facilities were not as useful for handicapped as for non-handicapped.3. Intramural sports provisions were not adequate for handicapped participation.4. Nobility impaired students reported difficulty with University door accommodations.5. Blind and visually impaired reported a greater need for brail and auditory information in public places at the University.6. Deaf and hearing impaired students reported a greater need for visual fire alarms and amplified telephones at the University.7. Wheelchair confined, limited ambulatory and "other" disability students reported little convenience in use of University parking facilities.8. Twenty of fifty-six handicapped students reported inconvenience in use of library card catalogs.9. Six wheelchair confined, one limited ambualtory, one blind, one visually impaired and three "other" disability students reported a need for more appropriate University Health Services.10. Handicapped students reported limited participation in social organizations and special interest groups.11. Twenty-two percent of the handicapped reported a greater need in consideration of handicapped for employment at the University.12. Limited ambulatory students reported a greater need for non-slip floors and surfaces at the University.13. All but five handicapped participants were not familiar with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.14. Participants reported that all institutions of higher education should be accessible to the handicapped.15. Non-handicapped persons reported that handicapped students had more personal adjustment problems than non-handicapped students.16. A greater number of handicapped than non-handicapped students reported that handicapped college graduates secure jobs as easily as non-handicapped college graduates.17. Thirty-six percent of the handicapped students had no information on which to base an opinion concerning career and vocational counseling services at Ball State University.18. Forty-seven percent of the handicapped students had no information on which to base an opinion concerning placement services at Ball State University.Study findings were dispersed to University officials for use in University accessibility development for the handicapped.