Feasibility of Delivering and on-Campus Food Distribution Program in a Community College Setting: A Mixed Methods Sequential Explanatory Investigation

Despite community college students experiencing food insecurity there has been a dearth of research conducted on the feasibility of providing a program designed to increase access to fruits and vegetables among community colleges. This study used a mixed methods sequential explanatory design to examine the feasibility of delivering an on-campus food distribution program (FDP) to community college students and to examine the association between FDP and food insecurity and dietary intake. The study also explored the student’s experiences related to barriers and facilitators of program utilization. In phase one, the FDP occurred for eight months and students could attend twice per month, receiving up to 60 pounds of food per visit. Online questionnaires were used to collect students’ food security and dietary intake. Among the 1000 students offered the FDP, 495 students enrolled, with 329 students (66.5%) attending ≥1. Average attendance = 3.27 (SD = 3.08) [Range = 1–16] distributions. The FDP did not reduce food insecurity nor improve dietary intake. In phase two, a subsample of students (n = 36) discussed their FDP experiences through focus groups revealing three barriers limiting program utilization: program design and organization, personal schedule and transportation, and program abuse by other attendees. Facilitators to greater program utilization included: the type of food distributed and welcoming environment, along with allowing another designated individual to collect food. To maximize program use, it is suggested that reported barriers be addressed, which might positively influence food insecurity and dietary intake.

An Accessible Mental Health Self-Management Innovation for College Students

This article outlines findings from two Wellness Recovery Action Plan® workshops for college students in Western Canada. Widely recognized mental health challenges among college students and a service need demonstrated in pilot sessions served as rationale for providing one of the first iterations of WRAP in a college setting.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Sexually Transmitted Infection Testing in a College Setting

Objective: Assess the impact of the pandemic on STI (sexually transmitted infections) testing in a college health setting. Design: Exploratory analysis of the number of STI tests done, positive rates for those tests and of percentage of compliance to follow-up from March to December 2020 and its comparison with historical data at the University Health Services, UW-Madison. Sample: students STI tests during the analyzed period. Measurement: Observed (2020) vs Expected (2015-2019, average) number of STI tests, positive rate, compliance to follow-up testing for STIs. Results: There was a significant decrease in the number of tests done and increase of positive rate when compared to historical for total sample and per sex. There was a decrease in the percentage of follow-up for the entire sample and females and an increase for males. Conclusions: Considering the three outcomes assessed, we observe an impact in STI testing during the pandemic. In concordance with national data, our analysis shows significant declines in STI testing and follow-up during 2020 compared to previous years and an increase in positivity rate. The finding of higher positivity with lower number of tests is likely due to triaging patients, facilitating testing for those at highest risk of infection.

The Persistent Effects of Short-Term Peer Groups on Performance: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in Higher Education

This paper studies the persistent effects of short-term peer exposure on long-run performance in a college setting. I exploit the random assignment of undergraduates to peer groups during a mandatory orientation week and track the students’ performance over four years (until graduation). Assignment to orientation week groups with high levels of peer ability is associated with lower performance during the first year at college and a higher probability of early dropout. These adverse effects are driven entirely by the exposure of low-ability students to high-ability peers. Beyond the first year, exposure to higher peer ability during the orientation week negatively affects selection into the college’s most popular major (business administration) and final grade point average. Taken together, the findings suggest that the composition of short-term peer groups matters for individual choices and long-run performance outcomes. This paper was accepted by Yan Chen, decision analysis.

Perception of Faculty Members in Clinical and Surgical Departments on Mini-CEX as an Assessment Tool for Undergraduate Students in a Medical College in Central Kerala

BACKGROUND The Mini-CEX (Mini clinical examination exercise) is a work place based assessment (WPBA) method used for the assessment of clinical skills. The present study attempts to study the different perceptions of faculty members of clinical and surgical departments in the medical college in using Mini-CEX as an assessment method in undergraduate students. METHODS This was a descriptive study done at Amala Institute of Medical Sciences, Thrissur for a period of three months.30 faculty members from various departments were requested to conduct the Mini-CEX sessions in their departments and these faculty members were assessed by another Observer from the same department. RESULTS The sample size was thirty. The faculty members with different experience levels were included in the study. They were also the observers mutually. The Mini-CEX was conducted in the hospital premises. The location varied. The duration of the Mini-CEX for a particular skill was noted in minutes. The mean in all 3 skills is around 7.9 with a standard deviation of about 1.2.This shows that the Mini-CEX duration is only about 6 to 8 minutes. The data reveals a mean of 5 minutes with a standard deviation of 1.0 for the feedback session. So in effect the whole session of Mini-CEX was over by about 11 to 13 minutes which is not a lengthy assessment session. 5 point Likert scale was used to analyse the perceptions of the faculty members in the role of examiner and observer as well. The results showed that Mini-CEX is feasible in the medical college setting and can be used for the formative assessment of undergraduate students. CONCLUSIONS Mini-CEX is well appreciated and valued by the examiner for assessment of undergraduate students. Direct observation of medical trainees with actual patients and Mini-CEX during busy clinical postings is feasible with good outcomes. Mini-CEX can be used for the formative assessment of undergraduate students. KEYWORDS WPBA, Mini-CEX, Faculty Perception, Undergraduate Students

Teaching Emotional Intelligence Online: The Sociology of Discussion Boards

Student engagement in an online class has always been a challenge to faculty. We all know that online courses can be difficult for some students, and online discussions do not always turn out as planned. How do we maximize our online communication effectiveness? In a case study of an Emotional Intelligence course in a community college setting, we looked at this through a sociological lens and built on the perspective of socialization theories and conceptions to see students quickly become engaged in discussions with their classmates and openly share their concerns. Data was analyzed and lessons learned.

Research on a new model of quality education in college physical education

Physical education has been an important aspect of school curriculum hitherto, not only in elementary but also in higher institutions of learning like colleges. Notwithstanding its significance in physical and mental health development and well-being, it has not been taken with the level of seriousness it deserves, especially in colleges and other higher learning institutions. This can be trivial to the personal and professional life of a college electrical engineering students. This is because they are one of the most affected careers due to their heavy workload, as they may presume. All this is attributed to the lack of a better medium and framework for passing information across from the instructor to the students in the course of the physical education (P.E) lessons. This paper mainly discusses the formation of quality-oriented education thought, the basic characteristics of quality-oriented education in colleges and universities, the main contents and the concrete countermeasures of carrying out quality-oriented education in colleges and universities by means of literature method, expert interview method and logical thinking method. The main purpose is to explore a new model of physical education suitable for the objective needs of social development in the 21st century, to continuously improve the quality of education and teaching, and to comprehensively promote the implementation of the Outline of National Fitness Program. This calls for a better student-driven and instructor-acquaintance model that will help improve these P.E lessons, which is the main objective of this research study. Putting up this new model will not only improve the process but also bring exuberance to both the instructor and the student. Unlike the traditional models which were more instructor or teacher-centered, this research delves into a new model that is more student-driven. It theoretically describes how the student-driven instructor-acquaintance (SDIA) model can be conceptualized to how it can be implemented to realize P.E’s full demeanor and importance in a college setting. To test the effectiveness of the model, a pilot study was done on students and instructors to refine the existing findings. The participants were chosen based on both the traditional and the model's criteria. The results proved that creating and adopting the SDIA model is more likely to improve the process's motivation and make the lessons livelier.