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The purpose of this study was to determine how current admission policies and practices at four-year public institutions of higher education in Virginia are implemented to evaluate home school applicants. University administrators, admission officials, and other interested individuals may gain insight into (a) admission policy implementation and informal practices, (b) anticipated policy revisions or new policy developments, (c) evaluative criteria currently being utilized to evaluate applicants, and (d) current home school application and enrollment trends. An interview protocol was developed and used to conduct interviews with the chief admission officer, or designee, at each of the 15 public institutions. Admission policies, admission requirements and guidelines, undergraduate catalogs, view books, and web sites were examined. Each institution's data were analyzed independently. The major findings revealed that 14 of the 15 public institutions had received home school applications, 13 of the 14 have made offers of admission to home school applicants; however, very few institutions had traced applicant enrollment. Only one institution had a written policy that had been approved through the institution's governance structure. One institution had a verbal agreement and a statement in the undergraduate catalog related to home school applicant's requirements. Three institutions reported recent and on-going discussion and research related to policy development and the evaluation of home school applicants. Five institutions indicated that policy development might be considered should home school applications continue to increase. / Ph. D.

Pallets are abundant throughout the supply chain with 2.6 billion pallets in circulation in the United States (Freedonia, 2015). More than 93% of goods are transported in the form of a palletized unit load (White and Hamner, 2005). Plastics are the second most commonly used material to manufacture these shipping platforms (Bond, 2018), yet there is a lack of information to be found about the plastic pallet industry's characteristics. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to investigate the status of the plastic pallet industry in the United States in 2018. To gather information, an online survey was conducted. It was sent out electronically to twenty-six plastic pallet manufacturers with response rate of 54%. The results have shown that almost 16 million plastic pallets were manufactured in the United States by the survey respondents in 2018. Of these, over 80% were multiple use pallets and about 80% were standard size. Most plastic pallets that were manufactured by the respondents were made with high pressure injection molding (63%) using high density polyethylene (HDPE) resin (68%). Close to 50% of the pallets had reinforcement beams and 12% had fiberglass reinforcement. Although most plastic pallets were manufactured using virgin resin, 34% were manufactured from recycled resin which reduces the cost and increases the sustainability of the plastic pallet. In addition, this study has shown that most of the plastic pallets manufactured in 2018 had no flame-retardant additives since only 20% from the respondents indicated that their pallets were Underwriter Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) certified. Based on these results, a new survey format and framework is designed with a recommendation to conduct it in every five years in order to further explore the state and market trends of the plastic pallet industry. / Master of Science / Pallets are abundant throughout the supply chain with 2.6 billion pallets in circulation in the United States (Freedonia, 2015). In 2005 it is estimated that more than 93% of goods are transported in the form of a palletized unit load (White and Hamner, 2005). Plastics are the second most commonly used material to manufacture these shipping platforms (Bond, 2018), yet there is a lack of information to be found about the plastic pallet industry's characteristics. Therefore, the main objective of this research was to investigate the status of the plastic pallet industry in the United States in 2018. To gather information, an online survey was conducted. It was sent out electronically to twenty-six plastic pallet manufacturers with response rate of 54%. The results have shown that almost 16 million plastic pallets were manufactured in the United States by respondents in 2018. Of these, over 80% were multiple use pallets and about 80% were standard size (48 in. x 40 in., 45 in. x48 in.). Most plastic pallets manufactured by the respondents were made with high pressure injection molding (63%) using high density polyethylene (HDPE) resin (68%). Close to 50% of the pallets had reinforcement beams and 12% had fiberglass reinforcement. Although most plastic pallets were manufactured using virgin resin, 34% were manufactured from recycled resin which reduces the cost and increases the sustainability of the plastic pallet. In addition, this study has shown that most of the plastic pallets manufactured in 2018 had no flame-retardant additives since only 20% from the respondents indicated that their pallets were Underwriter Laboratories (UL) or Factory Mutual (FM) certified. Based on these results, a new survey format and framework is designed with a recommendation to conduct it in every five years in order to further explore the state and market trends of the plastic pallet industry.

Yes / Purpose: We develop new quantitative methods to estimate the level of speculation and long-term sustainability of Bitcoin and Blockchain. Design/Methodology/Approach: We explore the practical application of speculative bubble models to cryptocurrencies. We then show how the approach can be extended to provide estimated brand values using data from Google Trends. Findings: We confirm previous findings of speculative bubbles in cryptocurrency markets. Relatedly, Google searches for cryptocurrencies seem to be primarily driven by recent price rises. Overall results are sufficient to question the long-term sustainability of Bitcoin with the suggestion that Ethereum, Bitcoin Cash and Ripple may all enjoy technical advantages relative to Bitcoin. Our results also demonstrate that Blockchain has a distinct value and identity beyond cryptocurrencies - providing foundational support for the second generation of academic work on Blockchain. However, a relatively low estimated long-term growth rate suggests that the benefi ts of Blockchain may take a long time to be fully realised. Originality/value: We contribute to an emerging academic literature on Blockchain and to a more established literature exploring the use of Google data within business analytics. Our original contribution is to quantify the business value of Blockchain and related technologies using Google Trends.

This research examines the relationships between land use and surface water quality trends in Virginia. Data from 168 surface water quality monitoring stations throughout Virginia were analyzed for trends for the period of 1978 to 1995. Water-quality data available at these stations included dissolved oxygen saturation (DO), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), pH, total residue (TR), non-filterable residue (NFR), nitrate-nitrite nitrogen (NN), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and fecal coliform (FC). A seasonal Kendall analysis was used to determine trends for each water-quality parameter at each station; this analysis produced an indicator (Kendall's tau) of improving or declining water quality. Median values for each water-quality variable were also determined at the monitoring stations. Virginia land use was determined from the USGS Land Use Land Cover (LULC) data (1970s) and the Multi-resolution Land Characteristics (MRLC) data (1990s). Land-use variables included urban, forest, pasture, cropland, total agriculture, and urban change. These six variables were correlated with Kendall's tau to determine if relationships exist between water-quality trends and land use. Water-quality medians and land use were also correlated. In general, highly forested watersheds in Virginia were associated with improving water quality over the 1978 to 1995 study period. These watersheds were also commonly associated with better water quality as measured by the water-quality medians. Watersheds with less agricultural land tended to be associated with improving water quality. Better water quality, as measured by the water-quality medians, was generally associated with watersheds possessing fewer urban acres. There were few significant relationships between water-quality medians and agricultural variables. / Master of Science

Thesis advisor: Christopher R. Glass / This executive dissertation assumes a sensemaking lens to investigate how Assistant and Associate Vice President (AVP)-level administrators in student affairs approach their supervisory roles within the current climate of higher education and employment. The study’s primary goal is to identify how leaders can prepare for changing employment trends and transitions to facilitate and support positive outcomes and satisfaction within their departments and for their staff. The COVID-19 pandemic cast an unforgiving spotlight on longstanding issues within employment in the student affairs profession, which ruptured under the pressures of the outbreak, socio-political upheaval, and massive demographic shifts. Though turnover trends have plagued the student affairs profession for years, COVID-19 demonstrated the inability of traditional human resource practices to meet the changing needs of employees and institutions. This study addresses the following research questions: 1) how do AVP-level student affairs administrators make sense of employment data and trends to inform their supervisory practice? and 2) how do AVP-level student affairs administrators make sense of their role (relationship + actions) in supporting staff members beyond university-wide HR efforts? To answer these questions, this dissertation employed a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. The main results of the study identified five themes, including issues of recruitment, retention, and resignation; shifts in worker norms; considerations of the identity of a supervisor; changing workforce trends; and institutional priorities. These themes notably revolved around the need for AVPs to navigate various forms of tension. These findings have substantial implications for enhancing supervisory approaches to support positive outcomes for student affairs professionals, supporting recommendations for new pathways to the profession, and creating space for proactive versus reactive approaches to employment trends. Ultimately, the goal is to support increased satisfaction and retention in the field of student affairs. The findings contribute to research by addressing trends in an increasingly multigenerational workforce, supervisory approaches in student affairs, and strategies for navigating societal and demographic shifts. / Thesis (EdD) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Leadership and Higher Education.