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Southern Connecticut State University conducted its first year of excavations at the Henry Whitfield State Museum in Guilford, Connecticut in July, 2018. This research was a continuation of nearly fifty years of intermittent archaeological research at the Whitfield Museum property. The 2018 field season was spent exploring a previously uninvestigated locus. While we did find some evidence of 17th, 18th, and 19th century activities at this locus, the most exciting finds were related to the neocolonial revival of the museum property in the first half of the 20th century. In addition to a general report on findings from the 2018 excavations, we explore the historical context of the Whitfield House in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, especially its perceived emblematic association with colonial English descendant communities in light of the period’s social anxieties about immigration, shifting racial dynamics, and economic and religious change.

This chapter presents a case study from an American university’s partnership with a Polish university. The case involves an assignment to international students studying for their master’s degrees: translating “key concepts in intercultural dialogue” for publication on the Center for Intercultural Dialogue’s website. There were several problems of translation of the task assignment. One problem is the translation of expectations. Learning outcomes occur for professors, too, and the chapter offers reflection on what lessons were realized for future teaching in the international classroom.

There has been a heightened awareness of an increased risk of suicidality among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to high rates of suicidal ideation (SI) in this population (11–66%). The current study investigated the rate of parent-endorsed SI and associated clinical features in 48 youths with ASD (Age; M: 12.97 years, SD: 2.33). SI was endorsed in 18.75% of participants. Youth with SI exhibited significantly higher levels of affective problems, externalizing problems, feelings of humiliation and rejection, and symptoms related to perfectionism. Results indicate that co-occurring mental health problems are associated with suicidal ideation and provide relevant targets for psychotherapeutic intervention. This preliminary study in a modest sample suggests the value of further research in larger samples to replicate and generalize these findings.

The syndrome of infantile autism was identified in 1943 (although cases clearly were present earlier). Very quickly there began to be a debate about the nature of autism and the boundaries of the autism phenotype. In the 1970s multiple lines of evidence emerged to suggest that autism should be recognized as a disorder in its own right and this happened in 1980. Since that time there has been an explosion of research and the debate about the boundaries of the diagnostic concept has continued. It does appear that individuals on the autism spectrum present special issues and challenges in terms of their interactions with the legal system at all levels. In this chapter we summarize the state of scientific knowledge and highlight some important areas relevant to those who deal with individuals with autism in legal settings.

An ongoing debate continues at universities surrounding whether or not to raise minimum grade standards. Because of an inherent risk that enrollments may decline as a result, it is important to examine whether minimum grade policies are associated with improved student performance. To address this issue, the current study examines the relationship between higher minimum grade requirements in introductory accounting and student grades. The new minimum grade requirement of “C” was established beginning with the fall 2015 semester for introductory accounting to strengthen the quality of the program for an AACSB application. The research design included modeling introductory accounting grades over a ten-year period to examine any effect of the increase in the minimum grade on students’ grades in the course. The multivariate regression equation considered variables previously found associated with introductory accounting grades (i.e., status as accounting major, grade point average, mathematics preparedness and previous experience taking the course). An additional dichotomous variable was introduced to capture the impact of students on the new program. All students were taught by the same professor, using the same textbook, teaching philosophy and examination format to enhance the comparison. Results suggest average grades in introductory accounting did not improve as expected.

Defined benefit pension plans are a bedrock of the U.S. economy providing guaranteed payment streams at pre-established amounts. Results suggest public plans, sponsored by State and Local governments, and private plans, sponsored by public corporations, are unfunded. State plans were found to have the largest pension and unfunded pension liabilities. Examination of relationships between unfunded pension liabilities and fiscal or financial stability of sponsoring organizations suggests unfunded State pension plans are more likely to be sponsored by financially struggling sponsors measured by general obligation bond ratings. Local governments and Corporations with unfunded pension plans are less likely to be struggling financially. Fiscal distress of Local governments was measured by survival analysis. Corporation financial distress was quantified by a model designed to predict bankruptcy. Financially stable organizations failing to fund pension plans, in this case local governments and corporations, suggests a lack of social responsibility.

It is likely that accountants will face pressure to act unethically during their careers. We offer 10 practical steps to help financial professionals prepare for and respond to the pressure to act unethically.

According to a 2020 survey of 600 senior executives conducted by Harvard Business Review, 55% of organizations agreed that data analytics for decision making is extremely important and 92% asserted data analytics for decision making will be even more important in two years (bit.ly/3PBRENs). Organizations that strategically deploy tools across their finance and accounting functions have an opportunity to better structure manual processes into more stable, accurate, repeatable, and readily auditable procedures (see Gregory Kogan, Nathan Myers, Daniel J. Gaydon, and Douglas M. Boyle, "Advancing Digital Transformation," Strategic Finance, December 2021, bit.ly/3V45v0h). [...]financial decision makers are increasingly expected to engage data analytics to enhance decision making and create more efficient processes. Deployment/communication It's very important to assign responsibilities to team members (e.g., business analysts establish requirements, IT specialists gather required data, and data scientists develop and test advanced modeling techniques) with the requisite skills that vary among the phases. [...]unstructured data is data that has no uniform structure and typically isn't text-based, for example, image or sound files.

This case describes the difficult financial situation of Danbury Fair Mall, which is the second biggest shopping mall in Connecticut. After World War II, the shopping mall business had grown fast especially in suburban areas of the U.S. However, the increasing popularity of online shopping caused extensive damage to shopping malls. This case will provide students the chance to think about the past, the present, and the future of the shopping mall industry in the U.S