The purpose of this embedded case study was to describe the academic experiences of international graduate students at Ball State University. Purposive and snowball sampling procedures were used to select nine international graduate students for this study. Their countries of origin were Ghana, Kenya, China, Iceland, Greece, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia. Ball State University was the case in this study and the nine international graduate students the units of analysis. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed by means of constant comparison and cross-unit analysis. The findings of the study revealed the reasons why these international graduate students came to Ball State University to pursue their education, the students’ assessments of their academic experiences, and descriptions of their personal and professional development as outcomes of their educational experiences at Ball State University. The main reasons why the international graduate students came to Ball State University were, due to connections they already had with someone affiliated with the university, the quality of the programs offered at Ball State University, and through the award of scholarships. The international graduate students described their academic experiences as beneficial to their development in a number of ways including, development of research and publication skills, increased competence in the use of technological aids to enhance teaching and learning, and the opportunity to put into practice the skills and knowledge they had acquired through practica and internships. The study participants also expressed that they acquired skills that made them competent to perform in the areas they were trained, for example, therapeutic skills or team skills. They shared that they had grown as individuals because of the experience that they gained at Ball State University. In addition, some stated that their worldview had expanded, and their self-confidence had increased. The study discusses the findings in the light of the current literature on international graduate student education in the U.S., as well as the implications for future research. The study makes recommendations as to how Ball State University can make use of this new information to better market itself as a first class institution of higher learning, and to make the experiences of international graduate students at Ball State University a more appealing choice to prospective international graduate students. / Department of Educational Studies

There is no abstract available for this dissertation.

When service-learning began to gain prominence as a legitimate academic pedagogy in the early 1990's, it was believed that through intensive service experiences, students developed a greater understanding of themselves, felt empowered to make a difference in their community, made a connection to course material, and made a commitment to continue serving their communities post-graduation. Research conducted in the mid to late 1990's confirmed that students completing service-learning courses were responding positively in all these stated areas (Eyler, Giles, & Braxton, 1997; Osborne, Hammerich, & Hensley, 1998). However, a new generation of students began entering higher education institutions in the fall of 2000. Labeled the Millennial generation and because these students were different from any other previous generation (Howe & Strauss, 2000), it was appropriate to ask whether these students would respond to service-learning experiences in the same way. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the assumptions made about the effects of service-learning were accurate for the contemporary Millennial student, as defined by Howe and Strauss (2000), and to more accurately know whether those service-learning experiences were meeting students' expectations. This research assessed the way Millennial students at Ball State university were affected by service-learning in three primary ways: Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness. A sample of 256 undergraduates enrolled in service-learning courses at Ball State University at the beginning of the fall 2009 semester were given a service-learning pre-assessment test that consisted of 18 questions in three different subcategories: Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness. The pre-assessment was designed to evaluate what students expected to gain from their service-learning experience. A post-assessment was given at the end of the fall 2009 semester and asked students to report on what they actually received from the service-learning experience. Overall, Ball State Millennial students reacted in very similar ways to their service-learning experience as the generation before them. Ball State Millennial students had high expectations that, as a result of their service-learning experiences, their classroom studies would be more meaningful, their higher level thinking skills would be enhanced, and their service-learning experiences would be an important part of their education. There was not a statistically significant difference between the pre-assessment (expectations of service-learning) and the post-assessment (service-learning experiences). Students had high expectations for what they would achieve from their service-learning experience and overall their expectations were met. When looking at the individual subcategories, there were statistically significant differences between the pre- and post- assessment for Expanding Academic Learning, Personal Growth and Development, and Civic and Social Awareness, but not for Personal Growth and Development. This research also demonstrated that service-learning affects students in similar ways regardless of the age of the students, class standing, grade point average and years of previous service. There was, however, a statistically significant difference based on service-learning course taken. / Department of Educational Studies

During the summer of 1968, the Vice President for Student Affairs at Ball State University, established the Office of Special Programs. Personnel of the Office were charged with the responsibility for developing and providing special services for students with low academic records so that collegiate success and persistence might be enhanced. The Director of Special Programs was directly charged with the responsibility for providing academic counseling, advice relative to course selections, and for marshalling existing university academic and ancillary support systems as necessary to improve college persistence behaviors among students classified for "Admission with Warning."Personnel of the Office of Special Programs developed and implemented a program designed to provide special academic and supportive services to "Admission with Warning" students. The Directed Admission Student Experimental Program was implemented in the fall of 1968. The program included a remedial reading course, a remedial writing course designed specifically for students identified for the DASEP experience. Personal counseling and special Curricular Advising services were provided to all DASEP students. Over the period from 1968-1972 a total of 274 students were selected to be participants in the DASEP group, and a total of 273 students were identified for inclusion in a control group.The purpose of this study was to determine whether students admitted to the Ball State University Directed Admission Student Experimental Program (DASEP) during the period from 1968 to 1972, persisted to program completion more frequently than did similar students in an identical non-DASEP control group. If the null hypothesis relating to the major purpose was not accepted, differences among DASEP persisters and non-persisters would be investigated.A second purpose of the study was to collect and analyze evaluative perceptions from participants of the Directed Admission Student. Experimental Program relative to the special services provided.The research was planned to test the null hypothesis relating to persistence in the DASEP program and to secure evaluative perceptions about the services from 274 DASEP students.The investigator collected data on persistence in the DASEP program from 265 DASEP and 255 control group students. Data were statistically treated by means of the chi square statistic. The .05 level was used for hypothesis acceptance or non-acceptance. In order to secure evaluative perceptions about services provided participants in the DASEP program, a Likert type instrument was developed and sent to 250 participants in the DASEP program. Review of the data led to the following conclusions:There was no statistically significant difference found between the DASEP group and control group students in persistence to the completion of their individual educational program.Less than one-half of the DASEP students perceived the services provided by the Reading Clinic to be helpful.Slightly more than one-half perceived the services of the Writing Clinic to be helpful.Depending upon the service, about one-half of the students perceived the special Curricular Advising services to be helpful.About one-third perceived the subjects taught in the seminar class to be helpful.Slightly less than one-half of the DASEP students perceived counseling, provided by the staff of Special Programs to be helpful.In a summary question, 94 percent of the DASEP students perceived the DASEP program had been beneficial to them.

This creative project contains step by step procedures for the set up and operation of hardware as well as software for an automated four projector system designed for use in the Electronic Response Laboratory in the Department of Biology at Ball State University. The main divisions of this project were:1) Set up of four projectors including location, position and adjustments.2) Linkage of projectors to dissolve controls.3) Synchronization procedures for linkage of projector system with a tape recorder through the use of actuator cables and a sound synchronizer.4) Impulse recording and final operational procedures. 5) A brief description of software production.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

A survey of the mammalian fauna of the Salamonie Reservoir, Huntington and Wabash Counties, Indiana, was conducted from September 1, 1970, through December 31, 1971. Specimens were collected by trapping, shooting, and as road kills. Data were also collected from local residents, hunters, and trappers. Specimens collected were identified, measured, weighed, and preserved as study skins and skulls. Measurement ranges, means, and standard deviations were computed for all species with two or more specimens. Study skins and skulls were deposited in the Ball State University Mammal Collection.Results indicate at least 29 species of mammals are present on the Salamonie Reservoir study area. Twenty three species were collected during the study and six were accounted for in literature reports of previous studies.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

To regain operation of a Minuteman Missile guidance computer, a ferromagnetic film was sprayed onto a previously inoperable memory disk after the original coating was removed using paint remover. The coating was then polished down to provide a smooth and uniform film, 1'he permanent data required for the clock and sector channels was determined from an operable Minuteman computer. 1-his information was then recorded on the memory disk using the write heads which were part of the complete memory unit. Digital electronics using integrated circuits provided theand generated the recording data _or the memory write heads. A "memory check" program verified the uniformity of the repaired memory by alternately writing "0' s" and "1' s" on each bit location and then reading and comparing the numbers to "0's" and "l's".Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

The idea of obtaining a best approximation in some sense of a function gained considerable importance with the introduction of electronic computers. The Remez algorithm, which is known as the exchange method, is used in this paper to find the best approximating polynomial of a given degree for a real continuous function f(x) on a real finite interval (a,b). The comparison of such an algorithm written in the FORTRAN and the PL/I languages is the main purpose of this paper. A review of the approximation theory is made as well as a discussion of the steps in the programming process. The outstanding features used in the programs of the languages are pointed out and illustrated with examples taken from the programs. The accuracy of the results, the speed, and the storage requirements are analyzed. Also ideas of program organization are discussed.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

Samples from three well cores in the Pipe Creek Junior Reef (Niagaran-Cayugan) in the' Wabash Formation of northeastern Indiana revealed an indirect and imperfect relationship between dolomite and clay content. A microscopic examination of the larger than two micron fractions of residues that were insoluble in acetic acid, and semi-quantitative X-ray analyses of the smaller than two micron fractions revealed illite to be the only clay mineral present in 91 samples. Illite comprised approximately 50 percent of the insoluble residue and more than 90 percent of the aluminum oxide-containing minerals. No magnesium silicates were found.Illite and dolomite contents were calculated from spectrochemical analyses of Al203 and MgCO3 respectively in 94 reef-influenced samples from three Indiana Geological Survey well cores. The regression and linearity of the dolomite/illite relationship revealed an imperfect correlation in two of the three cores.Nineteen thin sections of textural' varieties, from the core that did not reveal a strong illite/dolomite correlation, and eight thin sections from a portion of interbedded limestones and dolostones in the pipe Creek Junior quarry reef flank revealed the authigenetic origin of dolomite and the probable detrital origin of illite. The concentration of illite and other insolubles by post-micritization microstylolitization occurred along seams of carbonate solution and high permeability which developed selectively within the micritic matrices. Dolomite selectively crystallized in those more permeable sediments following the complete or nearly complete lithification of the reef.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

This thesis describes the design, development, implementation, and output results of a software monitor program which measures job turnaround time on an IBM 360 system under OS/MFT and HASP. This program is designed to be used in conjunction with other monitors and accounting data to measure the performance of the System/360. In this thesis, relevant RASP logic is summarized, followed by design specifications of the monitor, solutions to design problems, and a full description of the monitor's program logic. Actual results obtained by the monitor are included.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306