Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1972. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 150-153).

Thesis (D.Phil.(Curriculum studies, Education))-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (D.Ed.)-University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 236-247).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on September 25, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2000. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-170). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, Davis, 2008. / Degree granted in Agricultural and Resource Economics.

Thesis (M.A.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Geography, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 68-70).

xvii, 183 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was enacted to address unequal access to technology by K-12 schools and public libraries in the United States. The federal government has since spent over $21 billion in the E-Rate program. The purpose of the study was to document E-Rate expenditures and technology usage patterns and to investigate the effectiveness of the federal diffusion project in influencing technology behaviors in one rural school district in Oregon. Data collected on E-Rate reimbursements and the use of these funds were collected for the school district over a 10-year period. The amount of bandwidth utilization and the capability of individual school networks increased at each school each year over the 10-year period. The school district also found ways to meet the substantial paperwork requirements imposed by the federal agencies in charge of the program. At the end of 10 years, the school district addressed their long-term connectivity needs by installing and paying for their own district managed fiber network. The E-Rate program appeared to be successful in supporting diffusion of the technology innovations and was probably necessary for the school district to be able to utilize the Internet and the World Wide Web. Other factors may or may not have been as important as the E-Rate funds in diffusion of the innovations. Recommendations are made for future research. / Adviser: Diane Dunlap

Master of Arts / Geography / John A. Harrington Jr / Kansas watershed projects have been responsible for reducing floodwater damage across the state since the formation of watershed districts, following the Kansas Watershed District Act of 1953. A total of 80 organized watershed districts now take on the responsibilities associated with watershed management and protecting the land uses within them. Today, Kansas watershed districts face challenges in completing nearly half of the 3,000 structures proposed since 1953. Insufficient funding, burdensome policy changes, and a declining interest from local board members and landowners are key challenges boards must overcome in addition to managing rapidly aging infrastructure and dealing with projects that have exceeded their life expectancy. Research methods used for this report include content analysis of general work plans, relevant federal and state policies, and interviews with local stakeholders. In order to understand the economic, political, social and geographic impacts of watershed development, the following issues are addressed: cost-benefit ratios using monetary and non-monetary benefits, differences between federal and state funding in regards to rehabilitation and best management practices, local perceptions of watershed development, and spatial factors that exist among watershed districts. This study found that watershed projects have the potential to provide up to $115 million each year in monetary and flood damage reduction benefits in Kansas protecting over 35,000 miles of transportation routes while providing recreation opportunities and enhancing environmental conservation efforts. Political and social impacts were identified through in-person interviews with 21 local stakeholders that include landowners, board members and state representatives, representing 21 different watershed districts. Perceptions of political and social issues indicate that when government assistance is available, watershed districts are more willing to deal with increased regulations. However, a lack of financial support that has existed in Kansas watershed districts over the last eight years has contributed to a general opposition of increased federal regulations and reluctance to continue building watershed structures. Spatial factors among watershed districts illustrate the spatial and temporal differences in district development, watershed structure construction, and precipitation gradients that influence land use and ecoregions between western and eastern Kansas.

This project was established with the aim of assessing the extent of the development of new mining communities and the extent to which sport has been involved in the development of new communities around the Witbank district. The development of this project was an endeavour to understand the extent of change in settlement practices of miners, a subject on which there is not much academic literature. From the earlier settlement of small-scale farmers in Witbank, coal mining sprouted. Until the 1980s, a large number of African workers on these mines were migrant labourers housed in single-sex compounds. When the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) called for the abolition of hostels, the migrant system was seriously affected. With the decline of the migrant labour system, mine workers’ families have been settling with them in units located on or close to the mines. As compounds were converted into family units, African workers tasted the freedom of living with their families. The move from hostels to houses has led to the development of new ‘normal’ communities; ‘normal’ in the sense that they comprise men, women and children. The research shows that the development of new communities has not been automatic, but one that has relied, in particular, on the self-activity of the miners and their families, though often with support from colliery managers. As in the UK and US, various institutions have been involved in developing mining communities, and this study focuses on one of these, a sports association, specifically the Mpumalanga Collieries’ Human Resources Association (MCHRA). Whilst in many respects the new mining communities are similar to those considered in the UK and US, apartheid divisions continue to mark the geography of settlement, with class replacing race as the main marker of division. Sport is crucial in the secondary development of these communities; secondary in that it promotes social cohesion rather than gives rise to the emergence of communities. Nonetheless, sport has already shown its importance in Witbank. It does not only allow families to entertain themselves, but also gives the communities some escape-valve mechanism, as it keeps people busy and away from crime, drugs and alcohol abuse. This study provides valuable evidence of ordinary people taking responsibility for new social problems arising in the post-apartheid era, and they are doing this, in particular, through the mechanism of sport. / Prof. Peter Alexander Ms. Claire Ceruti