Getting Ahead by Spending More? Local Community Response to State Merit Aid Programs

The concentration of broad-based merit aid adoption in the southeastern United States has been well noted in the literature. However, there are states that have adopted broad-based merit aid programs outside of the Southeast. Guided by multiple theoretical frameworks, including innovation diffusion theory (e.g., Gray, 1973, 1994; Rogers, 2003), Roberts and King’s (1991) typology of public entrepreneurs, and Anderson’s (2003) stages of the policymaking process, this qualitative study sought to answer the following questions. First, in the absence of regional diffusion pressures, what internal determinants are reported as accounting for the diffusion of broad-based merit aid programs outside of the Southeastern US? What types of public entrepreneurs were identified as playing key roles in establishing merit aid in states outside the southeastern US? During which stages of the policymaking process were they active? We found that merit aid was a means of addressing an array of public problems, including low college going rates at in-state public colleges and universities, and weak K-12 accountability. Consistent factors reported as facilitating merit aid creation included a strong, vocal public advocate (governors and a university system president) and a desire to strengthen state economies and diversify workforces. A full range of public entrepreneurs played key roles in developing merit aid in the sampled states. Political and executive entrepreneurs were in the forefront of merit aid efforts, but our data suggest that a cast of supporting public entrepreneurs were integral to the eventual adoption of broad-based merit aid in the sampled states.

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Effectiveness of Local Community Policy Responses to Climate Change Impact on Ecosystem Services for Biodiversity Conservation in the Semi-Arid Zones

Advances in Environmental Engineering and Green Technologies - Climate Change and Its Impact on Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity in Arid and Semi-Arid Zones ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7387-6.ch016 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 304-315

Author(s):

Wilson Truman Okaka

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Government ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Local Community ◽

Action Plan ◽

Development Planning ◽

Community Response ◽

Change Policy ◽

Government District ◽

Semi Arid

The Ugandan government has decentralized climate change policy strategies at the local government district development planning levels to build local community adaptive capacity for accelerated action for disaster resilience. This chapter focuses on the local community response by Isingiro local government district authority. The purpose is to provide a context of the significance of eco-services and natural biodiversity resources in the semi-arid district, located in the South-Western Uganda, elaborate on the district climate change action plan for community-based adaptation strategies, and the biodiversity conservation district development plan. For decades, most households and local communities have perpetually suffered from the severe climatic stress of galloping heatwaves, shocking floods, ferocious frequent whirlwinds and wind storms, catastrophic droughts, perennial food insecurity, malnutrition, migrations, and famines. The district has adopted strategies to enhance biodiversity conservation for eco-services for food security and sustainable community livelihoods.

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Effectiveness of Local Community Policy Responses to Climate Change Impact on Ecosystem Services for Biodiversity Conservation in the Semi-Arid Zones

10.4018/978-1-6684-3686-8.ch012 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 218-229

Author(s):

Wilson Truman Okaka

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Local Government ◽

Biodiversity Conservation ◽

Local Community ◽

Action Plan ◽

Development Planning ◽

Community Response ◽

Change Policy ◽

Government District ◽

Semi Arid

The Ugandan government has decentralized climate change policy strategies at the local government district development planning levels to build local community adaptive capacity for accelerated action for disaster resilience. This chapter focuses on the local community response by Isingiro local government district authority. The purpose is to provide a context of the significance of eco-services and natural biodiversity resources in the semi-arid district, located in the South-Western Uganda, elaborate on the district climate change action plan for community-based adaptation strategies, and the biodiversity conservation district development plan. For decades, most households and local communities have perpetually suffered from the severe climatic stress of galloping heatwaves, shocking floods, ferocious frequent whirlwinds and wind storms, catastrophic droughts, perennial food insecurity, malnutrition, migrations, and famines. The district has adopted strategies to enhance biodiversity conservation for eco-services for food security and sustainable community livelihoods.

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Paucity of Blood Products Transfused Following the I-35W Bridge Disaster.

Blood ◽

10.1182/blood.v110.11.4026.4026 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 110 (11) ◽

pp. 4026-4026

Author(s):

Jed Baron Gorlin ◽

Sertac Kip ◽

Dawn Hansen ◽

Jonathan Pohland

Keyword(s):

Hurricane Katrina ◽

Trauma Center ◽

Local Community ◽

Blood Donation ◽

Community Response ◽

Lessons Learned ◽

Blood Products ◽

Blood Center ◽

Phone Calls ◽

Level 1

Abstract Following 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina there has been a concerted effort to prepare and organize for disasters. Blood transfusion, a key element of disaster response, has been previously documented to be an important factor in decreasing fatalities from disaster-related injuries, provided there is an organized system of transfusion. Reviews of blood usage following other domestic disasters have generally revealed only modest use of transfusable products that generally do not overwhelm local supplies of blood. We conducted a survey to enumerate the amount of blood and blood products used in Minnesota following the I- 35W bridge collapse that took place on 8/1/07. The bridge is for a major interstate highway that crosses the Mississippi river collapsed under the weight of evening commute traffic. The bridge normally carries 140,000 vehicular trips daily. About 100 individuals presented to local hospitals the evening or day following the incident and 9 individuals died at the scene or by the time of arrival at the trauma center. All critically injured were brought to Minnesota’s largest level 1 trauma hospital that fortuitously was adjacent (less than 1/2 mile) to the disaster site. Within 1/2 hour of the event, the local community blood center sent additional blood to all customer hospitals likely to receive patients, prior to any estimates of the number of injured patients expected at that hospital. However, no blood products were transfused for bridge accident victims at the other surrounding hospitals. Of 25 patients presenting by ambulance to the level 1 trauma center, only 5 received blood following the event. Only 2/5 received emergency group O units, and since both were male, they each received 2 group O Rh(D) + before being switched to type specific units. In total, 14 units of red cells were transfused the evening of the disaster to four of those patients. 30 additional units were required for the 5 patients requiring transfusion over the ensuing week-10 days following hospitalization. One apheresis platelet, 2 jumbo cryoprecipitate units (derived from 600 ml plasmapheresis donations) and 4 FFP were also administered to these same 5 patients the evening of 8/1. The FFP included 2 units of thawed AB plasma that are maintained in the transfusion service for immediate release to emergency patients at all times. Media response uniformly encouraged blood donation and community response was overwhelming resulting in one local community blood center receiving over 11,000 phone calls in the two days following the disaster. The usual collection of ∼400 units/day was doubled to almost 800 units and on the second day after the disaster (8/3/07) the blood center issued press releases noting that the immediate needs had been met. Lessons learned include the importance of disaster drills to prepare staff for such events. In addition, the best disaster preparation is to have adequate supplies at all times, since components from donations that follow the event may not be available for several days.

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Exploring the Experience of Arab American and Arab Immigrant Women With Intimate Partner Violence

Violence and Victims ◽

10.1891/0886-6708.vv-d-17-00174 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 33 (5) ◽

pp. 918-931 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sonya Crabtree-Nelson ◽

Neil J. Vincent ◽

Itedal Shalabi

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Cultural Context ◽

Local Community ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Community Response ◽

Future Research ◽

Arab American ◽

Immigrant Community ◽

The University

This article describes a study resulting from of a university–community partnership. The faculty of the university and the executive director of local community agency serving the local Arab American and Arab immigrant community had a shared interest in looking at the unique experiences and needs of Arab women survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV). This led to a qualitative research project in which 25 Arab American women were interviewed about their experience with IPV. Contextual themes emerged related to cultural context, community response, and survival resilience. Implications for practice and direction for future research are discussed.

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