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In this duoethnography, the co-authors share their experiences and reactions to trauma as student affairs practitioners in the wake of a car and knife attack at Ohio State University. Our goal in sharing these stories is for readers to join us as collegiate educators in this journey of exploring trauma and the healing process. We want to continue normalizing conversations about trauma, acknowledge the differences in trauma healing due to existing systems of oppression, and encourage readers to consider how we can better support trauma survivors in higher education. We offer considerations for practice moving forward and hope that others can find support and affirmation through the conversations in this study.

Faculty from two universities in Florida and Ohio designed, developed, and implemented programs to work with youth from their respective service regions to support college and career readiness initiatives. Both programs were directed by university faculty and utilized university resources to support K-12 students' career development skills. In this paper, we examine the programs' designs, implementations, and results; we include feedback from students, school personnel, and local stakeholders. Attentive to results and the relevant literature, we hope to ignite a long-term discussion on how universities can create effective outreach programs that help support student transitions from high school to college, or directly into a career.

ENG 7980: History and Theories of Composition (HTC) is a course required for all MA and PhD students in rhetoric and composition at Ohio University. This section of HTC was designed with two specific goals in mind. The first was to introduce students to multiple theories of composition, and the second was to not only teach but also to facilitate learning transfer. Ultimately, students would each create their own "theory" of composition. Class content was designed to connect to contexts outside of the immediate classroom setting--specifically to students' other classes, research projects, and teaching. Class assignments were designed to draw outside content into the class as well as to push class content into teaching and research. This course design has been co-written by the instructor of HTC (Ryan) and four graduate students who took the class in fall 2017 (David, Sue, Courtney, and Chris). This article presents an extension of class content. David, Sue, Courtney, and Chris helped Ryan to reflect on the curriculum and update it based on what they learned about learning transfer.

Information technology (IT) literacy skills are increasingly important for all adolescents to learn, as the majority of post-school pursuits will require at least some amount of computer skills. For adolescents with disabilities, this urgency is perhaps more pronounced, as this subpopulation typically experiences more dismal post-school outcomes than their peers without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the "Envision Information Technology Literacy" (EITL) scale based on pretest and posttest responses of students with and without disabilities (N = 150). Findings show promising validity and reliability of the EITL scale. Implications for practice are discussed with regard to uses in high school career courses and as an age-appropriate transition assessment.

This article explores state school funding in Ohio and examines the concepts of equity and adequacy. This is accomplished not by conducting an empirical study but through a thorough review of the current environment of school funding in the state. For Ohio, the concepts of equity and adequacy are especially pertinent when considering that Ohio's funding methods for public education have been found unconstitutional more than once. Recent trends in policy as well as current research are used in determining if Ohio is funding education at necessary levels to provide an adequate and equitable education for all students. Because current education reforms provide a more relevant context for equity and adequacy concerns to policy makers, a review of these reforms, their implications, and how the state ensures that education funding is both equitable and adequate is addressed.

As the impacts of water quality on human health become better understood, universities have an opportunity to equip students to become more informed and responsible citizens. We define "water literacy" as possessing the scientific knowledge to understand the links between water availability and usage, and being equipped to constructively discuss water-related issues that affect society. Water literacy has been positively correlated with education level and water-related experiences in adults, but less is known about water literacy in college students. We surveyed 224 students about water literacy at Malone University, a primarily undergraduate institution in Ohio with regard to gender, student year, residency status, and hometown. Of survey respondents, 62% first considered whether water was safe before drinking it, 44% primarily drank bottled water on campus, and more females (45%) than males (22%) took additional measures to filter campus tap water. Most (54%) reported seeking water-related information online and only 27% were able to identify key threats to water quality in Ohio. Of the 38% of respondents who were able to identify the source of their hometown drinking water, most were from rural areas and drank well water. Our results indicate a low degree of water literacy among students, which has been reported elsewhere in Ohio and nationally. Our survey approach could be useful for universities seeking to identify knowledge gaps before implementing new curricula.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents. Secondly, this study examined to what extent ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents vary according to school district characteristics. Furthermore, the study examined to what extent do ethical leadership perspectives of Ohio public school superintendents vary according to leader demographics. A survey was used to collect data of both superintendent demographics and school district characteristics. Included in this survey were an Ethical Leadership Scale (ELS) and Social Desirability Scale (SDS). The ELS was used to measure ethical leadership perspectives of the superintendents. The SDS was used to measure social desirability of the superintendents. The survey was sent to 606 public school district superintendents in the State of Ohio of which 231 responded. Additionally, this study included an ancillary study in which the researcher conducted interviews with 15 superintendents from across the State of Ohio. The goal of these small group and individual interviews was to gain further information regarding ethical leadership perspectives and social desirability of superintendents in the State of Ohio, and furthermore, to identify district characteristics and leader demographics associated with ethical leadership perspectives. Included in these interviews, the researcher administered the ELS and SDS instruments to each participant.

How do very young children develop a sense of identity and belonging culturally, and how can this sense be supported by early care and education teachers and programs? This article examines literature associated with identity and belonging in early childhood and how those who work closely with children and families can incorporate best practices into daily routines and procedures. The authors share several practices from the A. Sophie Rogers School for Early Learning at The Ohio State University, a high-quality program serving children and families who are economically and culturally diverse.

The extant literature offers little to describe the processes for screening students in adult basic education (ABE) programs for potential learning disabilities, referring adult students for diagnostic assessment, or barriers to obtaining diagnostic assessment for a learning disability. Without current documentation of a learning disability, ABE students are excluded from obtaining accommodations on the GED, in the workplace, and in postsecondary education, thereby limiting opportunities for meaningful participation in these pursuits. Attentive to those two concerns, this article presents results of a study investigating learning disability screening practices in Ohio ABE programs over a four-year period. Results document that screenings have increased, particularly following the implementation of statewide policies and professional development. While the rate of screenings increased, the overall number of students who were referred and then received a diagnostic assessment has remained low. Program administrators identified assessment costs as a significant barrier to obtaining diagnostic assessment. Additional research is needed to identify and describe specific barriers to diagnostic assessment. (Contains 5 tables and 4 footnotes.)

The key to building successful strategies as a higher education practitioner promoting 21st century green economy career awareness for women attending urban universities, demands advocating for benefits, and subverting potential barriers, to positively influence career choices. Women's career investment and returns increase when proper strategies are employed to address benefits and barriers embedded within urban university systems. There are five primary strategies involved. Develop internal constituents to: 1) partner with career services centers, science, engineering and urban colleges, faculty, staff and student organizations; 2) recruit external constituents from memberships in professional clubs and organizations, civic venues, forums, networking, seminars, workshops, conferences, business, and governmental organizations. Establish a network to engage students pursuing green careers with professionals; 3) provide opportunities for career development through cooperative, internship and experiential learning programs, mentoring, informational interviews, career fairs, job shadowing and placement activities; 4) design effective recruitment and marketing campaigns to attract students by incorporating savvy communication techniques to diminish barriers; 5) focus on advisement and counseling meetings, review concept and ideas to reach diverse women by establishing relationships with public relations and marketing departments, student newspapers and radio stations. Hold classroom presentations and investigate social networking sites.

That advisories in secondary schools are fairly pervasive around the country may be one of the great unintended consequences of the Coalition of Essential Schools (CES) reform effort. While no CES Common Principle explicitly states that advisories should exist in schools, as Coalition Schools evolved, advisories became one of the logical ways for teachers to get to know their students well. However, despite their ubiquity, the effectiveness of advisories is problematic at many schools. In some, they have simply become a new name for "homeroom." In others, they are designated as "family groups" but simply serve as an administrative device for attendance and sending messages home. In the worst advisory scenarios, teachers and students experience the advisory as an additional burden on their time without any real value, and this is when the real unfulfilled promise of advisories has had tragic consequences. With that in mind, the author sets out to question folks in a variety of Essential schools to find out how advisories work (or don't) in order to explore the idea that a more systematic and structured approach to developing advisory systems might help them create more effective schools, and hoping to develop some guidelines that may help Essential Schools (and others) create thriving, effective advisories. In the spring of 2009, the author sent an e-mail to 25 schools with a set of 10 questions about advisory programs. He received detailed responses from five schools that represent an interesting geographical cross-section: (1) rural/suburban Massachusetts; (2) upstate New York; (3) rural Ohio; (4) Los Angeles; and (5) urban Rhode Island. Two schools are charters, one an alternative school, one a comprehensive high school, and one an independent school. Their Coalition membership dates back as far as 1988 and all are current, active CES schools. In this article, the author presents the questions and the responses. Furthermore, the author provides five significant insights that can be garnered from the responses of the five vastly different schools that share the commonality of benefiting from successful advisories.

In this descriptive and comparative study, we present results highlighting the complexity and scope of the challenges facing rural districts as they navigate the changing demographics of the students and families they serve. Rapid increases in the number and concentration of racially, culturally, and linguistically diverse students in rural areas may have significant implications for teaching and learning. In the face of these changes, rural districts may lack the financial, human, and logistical resources to meet these increasing demands. Viewed within the context of the salient literatures and attentive to the dynamics of organizational change, the results support recommendations for a variety of school- and district-based strategies and send a clear message to policymakers, educators, and others concerned with the education of rural youth, rural families, and rural communities: the need is real and growing in intensity, and there is a role and responsibility for all stakeholders to play.

The Ohio PSEO Program is a legislated dual enrollment curricular offering. The program provides higher educational courses that are also credited at the high school and funded at state expense for qualifi ed students. Although individual and institutional benefits of the program abound (i.e., accelerated postsecondary completion, decreased expenses, articulation agreements, seamless education, and reduction in developmental college courses), the utilization rate has not appreciably increased, with competition from other programs being a major reason. A designed instrument and focus group interviews were utilized to determine Advance Placement (AP) students' rationale for their lack of participation in the program. Included in the study were AP and PSEO students and five guidance counselors from five large high schools. Quantitative results and qualitative responses concluded (a) AP students are satisfi ed with their courses and believe the curricula are comparable to college classes; (b) counselors and teachers are not program proponents; (c) AP students desire to remain with their peers; (d) AP students trust their qualifying courses will transfer to postsecondary institutions; (e) AP students' parents are not program proponents; (f) AP students are not concerned about course duplication or expediting their collegiate experiences; and (g) AP students are more concerned about educational quality than cost. (Contains 5 tables.)

The battle between creationists and evolutionists has waxed and waned in American culture and education for decades. This conflict is evident in the contemporary debate between the proponents of intelligent design and its opponents. This article illuminates the intelligent design movement by describing major proponents' beliefs, goals, and tactics, and explores the controversy over a high school science textbook and the 2002 debate over Ohio's academic content standards in science.

Although there is limited research related to the effectiveness of educational courses delivered using an online format in the American prison system, there is evidence that indicates providing education to prisoners reduces recidivism. Reductions in state funding and the need for cost-effective programs to reduce recidivism support the use of technology as a means to bring effective rehabilitation programs to the forefront. The purpose of this study is to explore the effectiveness of a newly developed, online educational training program offered to inmates sentenced to one prison located in the midwestern United States. This study sought to examine inmates' (1) technology skills, (2) experience with training, (3) beliefs/thoughts on the quality of the training, and (4) future career plans. Findings from this study indicate that inmates had adequate technology skills, they had positive experiences with the training, and they had positive beliefs about the quality of the training. In addition, participants shared that they plan to seek employment in the oil and gas industry. A summary of the findings is presented in this paper.

Nationally, racial and gender disparities persist in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. These disparities are most notable at the doctoral level and are also found in the doctoral outcomes of Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program participants (Scholars) despite opportunities designed to promote their doctoral success. Scholars from three McNair Programs were surveyed. The survey included items related to Scholars' perceptions of their McNair Program experiences, graduate advisor relationship, and experiences with stereotype threat. Scholars overwhelmingly reported their McNair Program experiences as beneficial to their STEM graduate studies and their graduate research advisors as supportive. However, Black female Scholars also overwhelmingly reported experiences related to stereotype threat. Improvements for survey items and the need for STEM education research to explicitly link educational experiences with institutional oppressions such as racism and sexism are discussed.

Background. The family and home environment is an influential antecedent of childhood obesity. The purpose of this study was to pilot test The Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) intervention; a newly developed, theory-based, online program for prevention of childhood obesity. Method. The two-arm, parallel group, randomized, participant-blinded trial targeted mothers with children between 4 and 6 years of age. Measures were collected at baseline, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks to evaluate programmatic effects on constructs of social cognitive theory (SCT) and obesity-related behaviors. Process evaluation transpired concurrently with each intervention session. Results. Fifty-seven participants were randomly assigned to receive either experimental EMPOWER (n = 29) or active control Healthy Lifestyles (n = 28) intervention. Significant main effects were identified for child physical activity, sugar-free beverage consumption, and screen time, indicating that both groups improved in these behaviors. A significant group-by-time interaction was detected for child fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption as well as the SCT construct of environment in the EMPOWER cohort. An increase of 1.613 cups of FVs (95% confidence interval = [0.698, 2.529]) was found in the experimental group, relative to the active control group. Change score analysis found changes in the home environment accounted for 31.4% of the change in child FV intake for the experimental group. Conclusions. Child physical activity, sugar-free beverage consumption, and screen time improved in both groups over the course of the trial. Only the theory-based intervention was efficacious in increasing child FV consumption. The EMPOWER program was robust for inducing change in the home environment leading to an increase in child FV intake (Cohen's "f" = 0.160).

Although observational protocols have been developed that assess different aspects of science teaching, none of the protocols existing in the literature address the principles of effective chemistry instruction guided by Johnstone's triangle of macroscopic, symbolic, and particulate representations of matter (Johnstone, 1991). We developed our own protocol, the Representations in Chemistry Instruction (RICI) protocol, to meet this need. RICI's research-based indicators include: (1) who used the representations (teacher or student) during instruction; (2) the role of representations in improving conceptual understanding; (3) the quality of discourse around the representations; and (4) the degree to which different representations (macroscopic, symbolic and particulate) were integrated in the lesson. The protocol was evaluated for face validity by a panel of chemistry education researchers and for reliability with evaluation of paired observations by two researchers, resulting in a Cohen's kappa of 0.71. The RICI protocol, used with an inquiry-based instruction observation protocol, like the similarly formatted EQUIP (Marshall et al., 2009), can evaluate the quality of secondary chemistry instruction for education researchers and professional development leaders, provide feedback to chemistry teachers for professional growth, and serve as a model for effective use of representations in chemistry instruction.

A number of U.S. higher education institutions are converting from quarter-to semester-based academic calendars; in fall 2012, seventeen Ohio institutions did so. Over a two-year time period, college student samples were recruited from a large, public, urban, Midwestern university that was undergoing a transition from a quarter-based to a semester-based calendar. Results indicate that during their last year on the quarter calendar, most students favored that system and predicted little to no change in their motivation heading into semesters; but after their first year on the semester calendar, their favoritism of quarters decreased. This mixed methods study assessed college students' favoritism of quarters and semesters; their predicted and perceived changes to their motivated behaviors; and their self-reported motivation. Even though most students perceived little to no change in their motivation after the conversion to the semester calendar, there was a noticeable increase in the percentage of students who reported having adopted maladaptive behaviors and becoming de-motivated. Despite this increase, a statistical increase in students' self-efficacy toward their coursework was also observed. Implications of these findings and directions for future research are discussed.

This study investigated how three factors impacted performance on cost-volume-profit homework problems: language, formula use, and instruction. Students enrolled in Introduction to Financial Accounting (the first principles of accounting course) and Managerial Accounting (the second principles of accounting course) from eight different US colleges completed homework problems presented in everyday language or accounting language, with or without a formula "cheat sheet" on the screen, and with or without prior instruction. Scores on formula-facilitated questions (those solvable by use of traditional cost-volume-profit formulas) were contrasted with scores on application questions, novel word problems requiring students to apply their knowledge about how cost behavior and sales impact profits. Students performed better on assignments phrased in everyday language. Students with formulas provided during homework completed more formula-facilitated questions correctly but some evidence indicated that they did worse on application questions; more work is needed in this area. Instruction effects were very small. Participants without instruction performed just as well as instructed students when problems were presented in everyday language or if formulas were provided.

A study involving 33 stakeholders from nine early intervention state departments and three private social services agencies in Ohio investigated factors related to successful and unsuccessful collaborations. Significant differences were found between program chiefs and program specialists in two areas, factors jeopardizing interagency collaboration and areas of needed change. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

The purpose of this article is to describe the characteristics and effectiveness of a telepractice speech-language therapy program for school-age children. Outcome data related to the caseload, type and amount of intervention, and student progress from a school-based telepractice therapy program were compared with the K-12 Schools National Outcomes Measurement System (NOMS) of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. NOMS provides data for students receiving intervention through direct, in-person service delivery models. The findings suggest many similarities between the characteristics of the telepractice and direct, in-person service delivery models. The telepractice service delivery model was effective for most students included in the study. Results of this study support the described telepractice service delivery model as a viable option for speech-language therapy services delivered to public school students with communication impairments. Limitations of this study are discussed with guidance provided for future research studies exploring the efficacy of speech-language therapy delivered via telepractice.

Telepractice has the potential to provide greater access to speech-language intervention services for children with communication impairments. Substantiation of this delivery model is necessary for telepractice to become an accepted alternative delivery model. This study investigated the progress made by school-age children with speech sound impairments in side-by-side intervention compared with telepractice intervention. Fourteen children aged 6 through 10 years with identified speech sound disorders were randomly assigned to intervention delivered in a side-by-side or telepractice service delivery model. Intervention was provided twice a week for 30-min individual sessions during a 5-week summer intervention program. Children in both service delivery models made improvement in their speech sound production during the program. There were no significant differences between the two groups on postintervention assessments including standardized assessment and listener judgments of word productions. Measurements of treatment fidelity were also reported. The results of this study support the use of telepractice in the intervention of children's speech sound disorders. (Contains 3 tables.)

The purpose of this study was to establish the content, construct, and predictive validity of the Effective Board Leadership Practices Survey (EBLPS). The EBLPS was designed to measure the leadership practices of boards of education that support student achievement. A literature review identified 12 board leadership practices supportive of student achievement. These practices formed the content basis of the 33-item EBLPS. A factor analysis approach to construct validity revealed six significant factors underlying the EBLPS, while a t test revealed a significant difference between the mean EBLPS scores of high- and low-achieving school districts.

Background: Body image refers to an individual's thoughts and feelings about his or her body and physical appearance. To date, several qualitative and quantitative findings implicate sociocultural influences, such as the media or parental pressure, in shaping female adolescents' body image perceptions. Overall, there is not much quantitative inventory of male attitudes toward elements of body image. Purpose: The present study investigated several attributes associated with body image among male and female middle school students in a diverse suburban middle school. Further, it briefly explored qualitative indicators to supplement the data set. Methods: A sample of 334 middle school students from Hopewell (OH) Junior School (approximately 50% male and 50% female) completed a 2-page survey assessing level of agreement toward various attributes associated with body image. Two open-ended responses regarding body health and body ideal were also captured. Results: The data indicate high levels of agreement (nearly 80%) among the total population that appearance is an important part of middle school children's personas. For many attributes, data for boys were parallel to the data for girls, setting a precedent for insight into boys' attitudes toward health and body image. For other attributes, girls had significantly higher levels of agreement (based on percentage of "strongly agree + agree" and mean response) for dieting (44%), depression over appearance (32%), and an inclination toward risky eating behaviors (10%) compared to their male counterparts. Discussion: Health and physical education professionals should not only maintain awareness of girls' desire to look their best physically and related influences and behaviors but acknowledge boys as having similar dispositions. Translation to Health Education Practice: Learning modules that review typical development of middle school children's bodies, how to become advertising savvy, types of dieting (e.g., binge eating), and how to recognize "at risk" groups should be developed to keep pace with the evolving societal definitions of body image and how students can take a defensive position in controlling their own definitions of a healthy body image. (Contains 4 tables, and 2 figures.)

The following pages present an account of practices developed at the University of Dayton, a Catholic university in the Marianist tradition, to help faculty more intentionally integrate liberal learning and business education by focusing on ways the Catholic Intellectual Tradition can shape the context in which this integration takes place. The first section describes a series of seminars, looking particularly at how these seminars have led to a focus on "educating for lives of reasoned action." The second section sets out several elements, including practical reasoning and Catholic social thought, that faculty agree are fundamental for educating for this focus. Section three summarizes collaborative structures and practices that have been developed to further curricular revision. The fourth section outlines insights that have been gleaned from this work, including an emerging framework for curricular change. (Contains 3 tables, 1 figure, and 10 footnotes.)

Using logistic regression, this study sought to understand the relationship between district characteristics, district finances, levy characteristics, and campaign expenditures with new operating levy outcomes. We found that employee benefits as a percentage of the district's budget were negatively associated with levy outcomes, while salaries were positively associated with levy outcomes, suggesting that voters may be more sensitive to retirement and healthcare benefits than salaries when voting. While campaign spending was related to levy success, types of expenditures were largely insignificant. School district personnel must be cognizant of the local conditions in crafting campaigns and recruiting community stakeholders. (Contains 4 tables, 1 figure, and 6 notes.)

Background: In Ohio, levy campaigns are a burdensome task for district administrators and stakeholders alike. To date, there is little research on the districts' role in crafting school budget referenda campaigns. Purpose: This study asked three research questions: How did the macropolitical contexts shape stakeholders' decision making in terms of campaign strategizing and participation? How did the micropolitical contexts shape stakeholder decision making in terms of campaign strategizing and participation? How did successful districts differ in political strategies from districts that were not successful? Research Design: Qualitative case studies. Data Collection: Twenty-three informants from five Ohio school districts with levies on the November 2008 ballot. Using a snowball sampling technique, initial informants (i.e., superintendent, treasurer) were asked to identify additional stakeholders who participated in the campaigns. Data Analysis: Coding was initially guided by multiple theoretical frameworks, including macro/micropolitics, Johnson's 21 campaign strategies and Anderson's framework of "authentic" participation. After coding, an iterative team memo-writing process was used. Findings: This study offers important insight into the complexities of the environments and strategies used in levy campaigns. Four macropolitical themes were identified--state campaign policies, state education finance policy, the high-profile nature of the Presidential election, and the state of the economy. Despite a small sample, districts varied greatly in strategies used and community involvement. Districts that heavily engaged community members and created a sense of urgency yielded greater success at the polls than "central office campaigns." Adequate message training for campaign participants was also integral to success. (Contains 7 notes and 4 tables.)

Peer Assistance and Review (PAR) is a local labor-management initiative designed to improve teacher quality. In PAR, expert "consulting teachers" mentor, support, and evaluate novice and underperforming veteran teachers. Evaluations under PAR can lead to dismissals. The authors examine the costs and benefits of PAR, both financial and organizational. Although PAR is an expensive reform, costing US$3,000 to US$10,000 per teacher served, it affords the district a range of financial savings and organizational benefits that offset program costs. The authors argue that limiting the scope of an educational cost-benefit study to only quantifiable elements artificially constrains understanding what a reform actually requires and offers. (Contains 4 tables and 10 notes.)

Since 1976, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has relocated low-income children of color from public housing communities to less racially and economically isolated neighborhoods in an effort to improve their developmental opportunities. This article provides the first comprehensive evaluation summary of seven relocation programs and the reasons why six of them failed to replicate the educational successes of the inaugural Gautreaux program. The author argues that children were not able to convert potentially greater opportunities to learn into educational success after they resettled due to four complications, including an absence of threshold effects in destination neighborhoods, the existence of cultural discontinuities, incompatibilities between HUD and educational policy and between educational institutions, and the uncertain relevance of neighborhoods and schools as sites of educational production. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)

This article examines the pervasive difficulties experienced by first-generation students in their quest to attend postsecondary settings. A change in the profile of the undergraduate student body has changed dramatically with respect to first-generation students' age, enrollment status, and family conditions. These students are likely to enter college with less academic preparation and have limited access to information about the college experience. Low-income, minority, first-generation students are especially likely to lack specific types of college knowledge, which includes knowing how to finance a college education and complete basic admissions requirements. For these students to be successful, it is imperative to understand the pervasive obstacles they may encounter. The article identifies the challenges that first-generation students experience and their perceptions regarding the postsecondary experience, and it concludes with recommendations for successful academic practices. (Contains 4 tables.)

Educational reformation has proceeded slowly despite the many calls to improve science and mathematics for our students. The acronym STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) has been adopted by numerous programs as an important focus for renewed global competitiveness for the United States, but conceptions of what STEM entails often vary among stakeholders. This paper examines the conceptions of STEM held by faculty members from a public Research I institution in the middle of a regional "STEM movement." Faculty members responded to two open-ended questions: (1) What is STEM? and (2) How does STEM influence and/or impact your life? Although 72% of these faculty members possessed a relevant conception of STEM, the results suggest that they do not share a common conceptualization of STEM. Their conception is most likely based on their academic discipline or how STEM impacts their daily lives. STEM faculty members were likely to have a neutral or positive conception where non-STEM faculty members often had negative feelings about STEM. (Contains 2 tables.)