<p>The topic of this project is employee job descriptions within an athletic department. This project involves Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Athletic Department's top eight administrators. The job descriptions were reviewed and updated to ensure compliance with federal and state governments, university personnel office, and governing organizations.</p> <p> Since the ratification of Title VI many organizations have had to update their systems to comply with the Title VI legislation. In 1964, when Title VI of the Civil Rights Act was passed, many organizations found that they were not in compliance.</p> / Master of Science in Education

<i>Clematis addisonii</i> Britton (Ranunculaceae) is a Virginia endemic restricted to calcareous soils in a four county region of the Ridge and Valley Province in Virginia. A two year study of the reproductive biology of this species reveals that it is self-compatible, showing no significant reduction in fecundity following self-pollinations. Morphological observations indicate that this species is protogynous. <i>In vivo</i> pollen tube growth supports this conclusion. Field observations suggest that the morphological pistillate phase lasts significantly longer than the staminate phase and is sufficient enough in length that cross-pollination is likely to occur during the time period preceding the staminate phase. The secretion of nectar from the onset of anthesis enhances the probability that outcrossing will occur prior to the presence of self-pollen in flowers. These findings suggest that, in spite of self-compatibility, populations of <i>Clematis addisonii</i> are capable of maintaining high levels of outcrossing by virtue of protogyny and nectar secretion from the onset of anthesis. / Master of Science

The relationships between marital communication of later-life couples coping with chronic, physical illness, caregiver depression and marital satisfaction were examined in this study of 25 patients and their spouse caregivers. Guided by Bowen Theory, lag sequential analyses and sequence repetition analyses were conducted on observational data to determine the effects of open communication, closed communication, and pursuer-distancer communication on caregiver depression and marital satisfaction. The findings indicate that reciprocal closed communication between caregivers and spouses was positively related to caregiver depression, reciprocal open communication between caregivers and spouses was negatively related to marital satisfaction, and reciprocal pursuer-distancer communication was negatively related to marital satisfaction. Further, sustained pursuer-distancer communication was related to higher caregiver depression. Communication patterns were found to be related to family of origin relationships. Possible explanations for these findings and implications for family therapy and future research are discussed. / Ph. D.

With present wage levels already high, and with organized labor demanding still higher wages for the future, it is necessary for management to secure higher productivity from labor in the future than has been secured in the past. In some cases organized labor has demanded that future wage increases be granted with the understanding that such increases will not be followed by compensating price increases. Wage increases without compensating prices increases can be satisfactorily granted only if the wage increases are accompanied by increased labor productivity. At the present time, such increased productivity cannot be obtained by speeding up the operator to an unreasonable pace. Labor will not tolerate such practices. The increased labor productivity necessary to compensate for wage increases must, therefore, be obtained by the use of more efficient production methods. In some cases, increased productivity is secured by the installation of more efficient machinery and equipment. In other cases, particularly with assembly operations, rearrangement of the stock bins, the installation of simple jigs and fixtures, and the revision of work methods to eliminate unnecessary motions and to increase the efficiency of performing the remaining motions may cause considerable increases in labor productivity without unreasonable speed up. This latter method of increasing efficiency is known by various names, some of the more common of which are motion study, methods engineering, and work simplification. The average person usually visualizes modern production as performed almost exclusively by large numbers of workers who constantly repeat the same operation for long periods of time. Doctor Ralph M. Barnes, on page 349 of Motion and Time Study (1), points out that such long-run production is not the typical situation even in larger plants. On the other hand, Doctor Barnes states that most operators work on relatively short-run production with frequent work changes. Any method of increasing the productivity of short-run production would, therefore, be applicable to a wide range of industrial effort. Motion study literature recognizes the fact that, other things being equal, a person tends to perform an operation faster if the work is arranged so that it can be performed by a symmetrical motion path rather than if it is performed by a nonsymmetrical motion path. Small assembly work is usually performed symmetrically by the expedient of arranging the workplace so that each hand builds a complete assembly simultaneously with the other hand. A hand motion path is said to be symmetrical when it meets two requirements. First, at any point in the cycle the right and left hands are equal distances to the right and left respectively of the center line of the body; to fulfill this requirement, components of motion to the right and left of the center line of the body must be performed by the hands moving simultaneously, in opposite directions, and for equal distances. Secondly, at any point in the cycle the right and left hands are equal distances in front of the body; to fulfill this requirement, components of motion toward or away from the body must be performed by the hands moving simultaneously, in the same direction, and for equal distances. Several years ago, while the author was employed as a motion study operations which led him to believe that considerably larger time savings could be made by the application of symmetrical motion paths to short-run production, than could be made on long-run production where the worker changed operations infrequently. It appeared that less practice was required to attain a given level of skill if the motion path were symmetrical than if it were nonsymmetrical. Since, as has already been pointed out, short-run production represents a very large proportion of all industrial effort, it appeared profitable to make a study to determine if the application of symmetrical motion paths would actually yield greater savings on short-run production than on long-run production; any methods producing time savings on short-run production would have a wide field of possible applications. It was the purpose of this study to determine if the impressions mentioned in the preceding paragraph could or could not be verified. An operation was arranged so that it could be performed by either a symmetrical or a nonsymmetrical motion path. Several operators performed short 25-cycle runs of the operation by one motion path and then shifted to the alternate motion path at the end of each 25-cycle run. This procedure was continued until 29 runs by each motion path had been completed by each operator. Such a procedure produced the effect of the operators working on short-term production with frequent changes of operation. All operating times were recorded. A comparison of the time records for the two motion paths gave an index of their relative efficiency. Such comparison did indicate that greater time savings could be expected from the application of symmetrical motion paths to short-run production than by application to long-run production. / Master of Science

Sorption isotherms and scanning data were obtained for three test materials at three different temperatures. These data resulted from further investigating the operating range of an existing experimental apparatus and procedure. During the course of the research, the operating range and control of the existing apparatus were extended, and its temperature range was tested for the first time. The apparatus is composed of a small test chamber, which is capable of containing from one to six test samples, and an external forced-air relative humidity and temperature conditioning system. The conditioning system maintains test chamber relative humidity and temperature, as directed by a GW-BASIC computer program. Sample moisture content is gravimetrically determined in situ. The system can maintain dry-bulb temperatures between 10 C and 70 C. At room temperature, the apparatus can maintain relative humidities between o and 90 per cent. Low temperature set points have a significantly lower maximum relative humidity range as a result of the formation of condensation in the concentric tube counterflow heat exchanger. High temperature set points are also severely limited, due to the formation of condensation in the test chamber during data collection. Sorption isotherms were measured for oriented strand board, fiber board sheathing, and exterior grade plywood over the relative humidity range limits at 12 C, 25 C, and 55 C. Scanning curves were measured from the 50 per cent relative humidity set points on the adsorption and desorption curves of the 25 C isotherms. / Master of Science

As many small town populations continue to migrate toward growing urban centers, individual outlying communities become fragmented and disparate, with a loss of focus paralleling their loss of activity. The fabric of these towns becomes irregular, with holes appearing where occupants left. The street no longer holds a rhythm or cohesiveness. It struggles to maintain some inkling of its form, but becomes only a loose string of leftover elements. Over time, these remaining elements become increasingly dissociated and become isolates along the street. Most of these are not strong enough to stand alone, therefore a lack of cohesion leads to disorder The purpose of this project was to re-establish that order by redefining the town as a concrete unit. It was also important to define a character that would render the town unique. As a nearby city continues to expand, this tiny community must be secure enough to withstand the gobbling effect of the larger city’s annexation efforts. It must have defined purpose and distinctive traits too precious to destroy. Being situated within a heavily populated Mennonite community, this location provides the perfect opportunity to establish this individuality and make a special place, a place familiar to those who live and work there and curiously inviting to those who may visit. The primary vehicle for this project was a Mennonite community center and farmer’s market. This new center would provide a place to rejuvenate activity and commerce while bringing in a large and unique sector of the local population whose transportation needs are currently ignored by the present town’s conditions. The site is Dayton, VA, a small town of about 1100 people. Established in 1833, the town is situated along Cooks Creek, south of Harrisonburg. The creek and its branches surround the town on three sides, making a distinct separation from the surrounding area. The fourth side backs up to a hill which leads out into the countryside. The presence of these natural boundaries offers a special opportunity to accentuate the location of the town; to pronounce the feeling of arrival at a distinct destination. Once inside, the town is laid out on an irregular grid that extends westward from Main Street and out over the hill. A physical differentiation among the primary and secondary streets is one of the significant defining elements that articulates the town. Further definition and emphasis was critical to accentuate the existing order. The town’s relation to a bypass that borders it on the east has been, up to this point, one of default. As traffic was detoured around the community, the activity that once made Main Street a lively place was pulled away from the downtown area. The principal buildings that face Main now turn their backs to the majority of people that pass them everyday. Again, in trying to make this an inviting place to visit, it seemed critical that the town re-address this formal boundary. Such a crucial element can no longer be overlooked. As the nearby city continues to grow in size and population, it will continue to spread over more of the surrounding countryside. If previously settled areas are not significant enough to justify their preservation, they too will become absorbed into the city. In an effort to lose such a special locality, every attempt must be made to emphasize its assets and show it as a place of history, character, and purpose. / Master of Architecture