Assessment Event Documentation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Assessment Event Documentation - Essay Example The event is titled â€Å"An Investor-Consumers Forum for a Cancer-free Abu Dhabi’’ and will be hosted in Zayeed cricket stadium in Abu Dhabi owing to its large parking area on the west and east side of the stadium and athletic lane. The event is supposed to portray Abu Dhabi especially, western region as an investment hub while increasing awareness about breast cancer by running for cancer awareness. The previous year’s occasion for Abu Dhabi Investor Consumers Forum/Exhibition drew in more than 500 investors both internationally and locally. The event was welcome by the stakeholders and the sponsors which included the Fairmont Hotel, and Abu Dhabi distribution company (ADDC). Marketing of the event was done as an exhibition for entrepreneurial abilities and a forum for networking professionals, businesspersons and consumers alike. The event yielded much income from the purchase of wares by attendees. We therefore extend our special invitation to Baynounah Institute to be exclusive sponsor of this year’s event that will include women marathon to increase cancer awareness. It will represent free investment workshop and women marathon for breast cancer awareness. This will come with additional rights to the sponsors like being included in the advertisements both print, oral and view as the main sponsor. It will also give Baynounah Institute a chance to strategically position its tent and get mentioned in by every usher during the event to any new visitor. We are already working on increasing our social media presence as a way of doing publicity of the event. We have also designed banners bearing this year’s theme together with a portion we are locating to the name of the sponsor. Once we get a confirmation of the sponsorship, we will just place the institute’s name and print them in bulk. The same also applies to the print and television advertisements, which we have set aside

Role of Port Authorities Essay Example for Free

Role of Port Authorities Essay Ports usually have a governing body referred to as the port authority, port management, or port administration. Port authority is used widely to indicate any of these three terms. The definition of port authority has been defined in various ways. In 1977, a commission of the European Union (EU) defined a port authority as a State, Municipal, public, or private body, which is largely responsible for the tasks of construction, administration and sometimes the operation of port facilities and, in certain circumstances, for security. This definition is sufficiently broad to accommodate the various port management models existing within the EU and elsewhere. (http://www.ppiaf.org/sites/ppiaf.org/files/documents/toolkits/Portoolkit/Toolkit/module3/port_functions.html#2) Ports authorities may be established at all levels of government: national, regional, provincial, or local. The most common form is a local port authority, an authority administering only one port area. However, national port authorities still exist in various countries such as Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and Aruba. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Handbook for Port Planners in Developing Countries lists the statutory powers of a national port authority as follows (on the assumption that operational decisions will be taken locally): (http://www.uctc.net/research/diss131.pdf) * Investment: Power to approve proposals for port investments in amounts above a certain figure. The criterion for approval would be that the proposal was broadly in accordance with a national plan, which the authority would maintain. * Financial policy: Power to set common financial objectives for ports (for example, required return on investment defined on a common basis), with a common policy on what infrastructure will be funded centrally versus locally, and advising the government on loan applications. * Tariff policy: Power to regulate rates and charges as required protecting the public interest. * Labour policy: Power to set common recruitment standards, a common wage structure, and common qualifications for promotion; and the power to approve common labour union procedures. * Licensing: When appropriate, power to establish principles for licensing of port employees or agents. * Information and research: Power to collect, collates, analyze, and disseminate statistical information on port activity for general use, and to sponsor research into port matters as required. * Legal: Power to act as legal advisor to local port authorities. Increasingly, central governments implement seaport policies through the allocation of resources rather than through the exercise of wide-ranging regulatory powers. While central governments should pursue macroeconomic objectives through an active seaport policy, port authority objectives should be more narrowly focused on port finances and operations. It is a widely accepted opinion among port specialists that a port authority should have as a principal objective the full recovery of all port-related costs, including capital costs, plus an adequate return on capital. The full recovery of costs will help a port authority to: (http://www.businessnz.co.nz/file/1947/100813%20Port%20Performance%20and%20Ownership.pdf) * Maintain internal cost discipline. * Attract outside investment and establish secure long-term cash flows. * Stimulate innovation in the various functional areas to guarantee a long-term balance between costs and revenues, especially when faced with innovations by terminal operators, port users, rival ports, and hinterland operators. * Generate internal cash flows needed to replace and expand port infrastructure and superstructure. * Compete according to the rules of the market system, without excessive distortions of competition. * Put limits on cross-subsidization, which may be rational from a marketing point of view (market penetration, traffic attraction), but which can undermine financial performance. * Avoid dissipation of the port authorities asset base to satisfy objectives of third parties (for example, port users demanding the use of land in the port area without regard to the lands most economic use or port and city administrations using port authority assets to pursue general city goals). Ownership of the Port of Koper The port of Koper is the largest and the only public cargo port in the Republic of Slovenia. The ownership transformation of the port of Koper was finalized in 1995. Before the ownership transformation, the government of the Republic of Slovenie brought a decree that the shores, land and water territory around the port are also a public asset in the sense of state ownership. The value of the port infrastructure was set at the amount of USD 180 million. A part of the port infrastructure was defined as infrastructural bases, and they included: * Haulage roads, * Railroad tracks, * Entryways, * Partitions, * Sewage * Water supply systems, * Electric power facilities, * Lighting and telecommunication facilities The mentioned part of the port infrastructure, the port superstructure, machinery and other assets were evaluated in 1995 in the amount of USD 220 million. The total capital was divided into 14,000,000 shares at a nominal value of Sit. 1000. The Republic of Slovenia is the owner of 6,860,000 shares, which is a 49% ownership in priority shares and 2% in ordinary shares. The ownership structure of the Port of Koper; 51% the state, 17.33% government funds, 7.65% municipality of Koper, 7.48% internal distribution to employees and pensioners, 10.20% internal buyout from employees and pensioners, 6.34% public sale. In addition to shares in ownership of the state, the Port of Koper deals with shares on the Ljubljana stock market, hence its ownership structure is subject to daily changes The state has decided to sell its share in the ownership of the Luka Koper d. d. in 2003. During the transitional period the state, with its 49% ownership has decreased its ownership share down to 25% + 1% but in the form of ordinary shares, which enables it to gain control of functions connected to certain more important business decisions that are in close association with status changes of the enterprise. Luka Koper d. d. is the manager of the port. On Nov. 21,2002 a Decree was issued according to which the Government Administration allocated concessions, and the decision was reached that the first concession be given to enterprise Luka Koper d. d. for a period of 35 years. Luka Koper d. d. does not have Port Authority in the classical sense of the term. According to the Statute of the Luka Koper d. d., the enterprise has a single-member management supervised by a supervisory board of 9 members in the structure of which there are three representatives of the state, a representative of the local administration of the municipality of Koper that is itself a 7% owner of ordinary shares, a member representing small shareholders, a representative of the funds that the Luka Koper d. d. holds in its portfolio and three representatives of the employees of LukaKoper d. d. Such a structure of the supervisory board that chooses the president of the management of the joint stock company does not allow the predominance of state power over the management of the port. The state has minimal rights in bringing decisions on occasion of shareholder assemblies of the enterprise Luka Koper d. d, with merely 2% of votes. From this we may assess that the autonomy of port management in the Luka Koper d. d. is very high. Managerial responsibility of the port ofKoperLuka Koper d. d., as the sole port operator manages the entire port. The Management of the enterprise Luka Koper d. d. has complete freedom in conducting its economic policies, policy of superstructure development, and the right of bringing forth a medium- term plan of development of the port infrastructure that is previously acknowledged by the Government of the RS. The port management is also responsible for maintenance of the port infrastructure. The Port of Koper can be evaluated as a Full service port.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place and The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall

Katherine Porter's The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall and A Clean, Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemmingway What are the thoughts that go through the minds of those who near death? These are the questions at the heart of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemmingway and Katherine Porter's The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall. The main focus of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is on the pain of old age suffered by a man that we meet in a cafe late one night. Hemingway contrasts light and dark to show the difference between this man and the young people around him, and uses his deafness as an image of his separation from the rest of the world. Similarly, in The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall, Porter discusses the regrets of an old woman revealed by her reactions to her being left at the altar and her slow death sixty years later. Near the end of both stories, the authors show us the desperate emptiness of a life near finished without the fruit of its labor, and the aggravation of the old restless mind that cannot find peace. Throughout the stories stark images of desperation show the lives of the two main characters at a point when they have realized the futility of life. In the story, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, written by Katherine Porter, Granny Weatherall is a character of depth. Her name is synomonous with her character. Three main qualities of her character are her strength, her endurance, and her vulnerability. Her strength is not so much physical but mental. She lies upon her bed contemplating all that she needs to do. Her daughter Cornelia does not even come close to handling affairs as well as she does in her own mind. In addition, she tell the Doctor Leave a well women alone...I'll call you when I need you. She does not like the patronizing position that she finds herself in. The fact that she has already avoided death once seems to add to her image of strength. As we follow her mental ramblings we obtain insight to her character as a woman that has endured heartache as well as hardship. A Clean, Well-Lighted Place and The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall :: The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall Katherine Porter's The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall and A Clean, Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemmingway What are the thoughts that go through the minds of those who near death? These are the questions at the heart of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place written by Ernest Hemmingway and Katherine Porter's The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall. The main focus of A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is on the pain of old age suffered by a man that we meet in a cafe late one night. Hemingway contrasts light and dark to show the difference between this man and the young people around him, and uses his deafness as an image of his separation from the rest of the world. Similarly, in The Jilting Of Granny Weatherall, Porter discusses the regrets of an old woman revealed by her reactions to her being left at the altar and her slow death sixty years later. Near the end of both stories, the authors show us the desperate emptiness of a life near finished without the fruit of its labor, and the aggravation of the old restless mind that cannot find peace. Throughout the stories stark images of desperation show the lives of the two main characters at a point when they have realized the futility of life. In the story, The Jilting of Granny Weatherall, written by Katherine Porter, Granny Weatherall is a character of depth. Her name is synomonous with her character. Three main qualities of her character are her strength, her endurance, and her vulnerability. Her strength is not so much physical but mental. She lies upon her bed contemplating all that she needs to do. Her daughter Cornelia does not even come close to handling affairs as well as she does in her own mind. In addition, she tell the Doctor Leave a well women alone...I'll call you when I need you. She does not like the patronizing position that she finds herself in. The fact that she has already avoided death once seems to add to her image of strength. As we follow her mental ramblings we obtain insight to her character as a woman that has endured heartache as well as hardship.

How Islam responds to issues about Equality Essay

Introduction Throughout this project, the intention of the information is to answer the question: How does the religion of Islam respond to issues on equality? All through this Booklet, I have kept in mind to focus on the ideas of Islamic equality and what this means to a Muslim, in the Islamic definition. In Islam a definition of equality means evenness, uniformity, impartiality, parity etc. Therefore, if applied to Islam in liaison to the now modern everyday life this would involve issues such as * Racism * Sexism * Forgiveness * Religious attitude Which are the subjects I will be talking about and looking over at the Islamic perspective on these topics of concern. To portray the view Islam has over these issues I will be using: * The genuine teachings from the word of our God `Allah` himself, doing this through the Qur’an. * Referring to important hadiths (lessons) and quotes from the prophet Mohammed (pbuh) * The message given out today by the most knowledgeable top scholars. These should give a clear message of what, the view on these issues used to be like, how they have progressed and possibly altered over the years, the differences on these matters from today in contrast to when the religion began, and how it is today, right now in Muslim houses and nations across the world. Racism Constantly throughout the world today and especially in the history of humans since the beginning of civilisation. There has a been a power struggle between those trying to gain power and have authority over others whether it is because of their skin colour, lineage, education, origin or physical disabilities. Islam has extinguished the discrimination which subsisted in the land of Arabia, the roots of the religion and the main reason it was created was to give equality among men and women of all races. It punished those who lowered women to the level of slaves and transferable goods. It also punished those who took advantage of their privileges. Being the 1st kind of religion to truly do this won the hearts of nations and the admiration and respect of its enemies. In the Qur’an Allah even shames those who cannot understand the purpose of the variation in skin, colour and language. `And among those His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the Earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours; verily in that are Signs for those with sound knowledge` In some societies those who are poor and live a life in poverty are considered lower class, with less intelligence and the worst company. But it is these people who the prophet of Allah was asked to seek for their company. At this the idol worshippers (Quraish) began to make mockery of how the majority of the people following Islam were poor, lower class people. Allah then sends down this verse to the prophet: `And keep yourself (O Mohammed) patiently with those who call their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking his face, and let not your eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of life of the world; and obey not him whose heart we have made heedless of our remembrance, one who follows his own lusts nd whose affair (deeds) have been lost` The verse meant that a new society would be built with no racism and equality at its base such as justice and equal opportunity. No one is Islam should ever be judged by his skin, colour or any part of his physical appearance or origin whatsoever. Also no man should be bale to judge another only Allah is the judge. `Allah does not look at your appearance, or wealth, rather he looks at you hearts and deeds. ` Sexism It is disputed by some non-Muslims that in Islam, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the image of women is one of sexism and lower class and it is quite clear that Islam has become very male dominant and women are shown to be inferior and of less-importance. Or possibly as Muslims are allowed to have more than one wife it’s thought they are mis-treated. In fact, this is not how Islam has placed the role of women. In Islam there are very precise guidelines relating to the equality of men and women. They are both looked upon as being equal in soul and in mind and in religious responsibilities. Of course, they are not looked upon as the same but merely different. The importance of the mother has the same importance of the father. Although they play a different role. But one cannot say that one is inferior to the other. As regards the care of children, the mother cares for a child a lot more than the father does and this sort of motherly love is held in the highest regard in Islam. The father is expected to supply the family with care, food and money and can only have more than 1 wife under the condition that he has the wealth to pay for them. The Prophet Mohammed one day was questioned by a follower whom should he treat with more affection, he asked the prophet 4 times one after the other who are the most important. The prophet answered; ` Your mother, ` then `Your mother, ` then `Your mother, ` at the forth time `Your father,` he went onto say `Paradise lies at the feet of your mother.` Such is the treatment and respect given to women in Islam, from my own personal experience when I am in Jordan and I am with my grandmother; everywhere she goes, people call her grandma/mother and treat her with the utmost respect and courtesy. When anyone comes to visit, they immediately enter the room and kiss her hand three times, such is the respect men in Islam have towards women. Violence against women is extremely wrong and is not allowed. A women’s honour is held in high regard and no verbal or physical abuse is permitted at all, to the extend where our prophet said; `Those whom so ever beat their wives, in the eyes of Allah are no Muslim` Any crime against women especially rape etc. is treated very seriously and in the Islamic Shari’ah court the punishment for such a crime is severe. During the month of Ramadan, women are given leave from having to fast, if their menstruation cycle is kicking in, this also applies to their praying. Men whoever always have to fast unless they are ill and are incapable. However women do still have to pray, have to perform Hajj, they must render Zakat; all Muslims must perform these duties; there are no differences between them, and both shall be held accountable by God in the life of the here and after. `Whoever does deeds of righteousness, be they male or female, and have faith, they will enter paradise and not the least injustice will be done to them` Attitudes towards other Religions Muslims have a very open view to other religions, and they are the only religion that have kept strict to the instruction of their holy book. Muslims are given a duty to lead other people into their faith, and making people revert (Every human is born Muslim) back to Islam is very important and held in high regard, so much so that in one of the hadiths (lessons from the prophet) he says; `One who changes the faith of another towards Islam and helps him unto the righteous path, will be rewarded in heaven most greatly` Allah also said `Strongest among men in enmity to the believers wilt thou find the Jews and the Pagans; and nearest among them in love to the believers wilt thou find those who say, We are Christian`: because amongst these are men devoted to learning and men who have renounced the world and they are not arrogant.` Islam also teaches that all people have the natural instinct to be Muslims- the term for this in Arabic (as mentioned before) is `fitrah`. People may be born into another religion, but this is due to the way they are brought up and the will of Allah, as he tests your strength and willpower (a.k.a as one’s `iman` in Arabic) If someone does convert back to Islam, they are reverting back to the religion into which they were born as. Allah also rewards those who turn back to Islam tremendously. Also to try and avoid any kind of conflict between Islam and those who follower other faiths, Allah did send down a message to Mohammed, clearly showing there is no wilful approach to any other religion for trouble or arguments. `Follow your path, let me follow mine and there shall be no conflict between us` Islam does not bring out clashes with other religions but only wishes for there to be peace. From the above quote it clearly states, the Muslim intention not to have any fight/conflict with those of any other religion. However should any Muslim be attacked by one of another religion they are permitted to fight back and to stand up for themselves as long as they are in the right. Forgiveness/Reconciliation Allah has granted human beings with intelligence, this intelligence demands responsibility. Therefore, the more intelligent a person is the more he/she is responsible. When the intelligence is missing, the responsibility is neither there. This also means that little children are not held responsible for their actions or words, because their intelligence has not developed. The insane are not responsible, because they have lost the rational capacity. However, part of us being Human, is also that we make mistakes, nobody’s perfect. Sometimes we make mistakes without thought and intention. But sometime we knowingly and deliberately commit sins and do wrong to others. It is said that `To err is human and to forgive is divine`. Both parts of this statement are very true. As human beings we are responsible, but we do also make mistakes and we are constantly in need of forgiveness. Two Types of forgiveness: * Forgiveness from Allah * Forgiveness from other people Both are important as we do wrong to both our God and towards other people. Allah’s Forgiveness Allah is the most forgiving, of all. There is a hadith recited by the prophet that talks about the mercy of Allah. `Allah has written down the good deeds and the bad ones. Then he explained it {by saying that} he who has intended a good deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as a full good deed, but if he has intended and has done it, Allah writes it down with Himself as from ten good deeds to seven hundred times, or many times over. But if he has intended a bad deed and has not done it, Allah writes it down as a full good deed, but if he has intended it and has done it, Allah writes it down as one bad deed.` There are many names given to Allah in the Qur’an, some of these names are related to His mercy and forgiveness. Here are some of them, with their meanings. Al-Ghafoor: The most forgiving. This name appears in the Qur’an more than seventy times. There are other names from the same root, such as Ghafir and Ghaffar. The meaning of the `ghafara` is to cover, to hide and from it comes the meaning `to excuse`, `to pardon`, `to remit` and `to forgive`. Allah does all these things. In the Qur’an it is mentioned that Allah does not forgive however without `Shirk` repentance but he may forgive every other sin for whomsoever he wills. Al-Thawwab: The Acceptor of repentance. This name of Allah is mentioned in the Qur’an about eleven times. Allah accepts repentance of those who truthfully and whole- heartedly repent and turn to him. The word `thawwab` gives the sense of `often returning` which means that Allah again and again accepts out repentance and forgives us. We commit sins and mistakes then we repent and he forgives us, then we go and commit more sins and repent and accepts our repentance again and gives us another chance. The Qur’an teaches that Allah is a Judge and He also punishes but Allah is not bound to punish. The justice of Allah, according to Qur’an is that Allah does not and will not inflict undue punishment on any person. He will not ignore the good of any person, but if He wishes to forgive any sinner, He has the full freedom to do so, His mercy is unlimited as shown in the hadith above and his love infinite. Human Forgiveness in Islam: It is very important to believe in the mercy and forgiveness of Allah but it is also necessary to base relationships on forgiveness. We cannot expect Allah’s forgiveness unless we also forgive those who do wrong to us. Forgiving each other, even forgiving one’s enemies is one of the most important Islamic teachings. In the Qur’an Allah has described the believers as: `Those who avoid major sins and acts of indecencies are those who when they are angry they forgive. ` `The reward of the evil is the evil thereof, but whosoever forgives and makes amends, his reward is upon Allah. ` Even in another Hadith, the Prophet once said that Allah had commanded him nine things, one of which he mentioned was: `That I forgive those who do wrong to me` The Prophet of Islam was the most known truthful and especially forgiving man. He was always ready to forgive his enemies even the very worse ones. When he went to the town of Ta’if to preach the message of God with his adopted son Mahmood, its people mistreated him, they abused him and hit him with stones. He left the city upset and wounded, then when he took shelter under a tree; the angel of Allah visited him and told him that Allah sent him to destroy the people of Ta’if because of their sin of mistreating the prophet. The prophet [rayed to Allah to save the people of Ta’if, because what they did was out of their ignorance. He said, `Oh Allah, guide these people, because they did no know what they were doing. ` When he entered the city of Mecca after the victory, the Prophet had in front of him some his most terrible, hateful enemies. Those who had fought ruthlessly against him, plotted to kill him for many years, persecuted his followers and killed many of them. Now he had full power to do whatever he wanted, to punish them for their crimes. It is then described that the prophet asked them: `What do you think I shall do to you now? ` They pleaded for mercy The Prophet returned `Today I shall say to you what Prophet Yusuf (Joseph and his 11 brothers) said to his brothers, `No blame on you today. Go, you are all free. ` Such was his immense mercy that they all came to finally realise the greatness of Islam and accept it with their hearts. He even forgave the previous rulers wife Hind who had caused the murder of his uncle Hamza. After killing him she had his body cut open wide and chewed on his lever leaving him to bleed. Despite this atrocious crime, when she accepted Islam and submitted herself to Allah, the prophet still forgave her. Conclusion Overall, all in all in my total truthful opinion, I do believe that Islam the true words from Allah does promote equality among society. `O Mankind! I have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one from another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is he who has the most taqwa among of you. Verily, Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware. ` With this verse, Islam declares its equality among people, that is because Islam respects a human for being a human not for any other reason; Islam does not distinguish between two races or two groups of people or between two colours and the Prophet Muhammad spoke to the people signifying that concept during his last pilgrimage, saying: `O People! Your God is one; your father is one; no preference of an Arab neither over non-Arab nor of a non-Arab over an Arab or red over black or black over red except for the most righteous. Verily the most honoured of you is the most righteous. ` Despite the teachings of our Lord and Prophet, these are all empty words if people do not listen to them and use them as their guides, and unfortunately when conflict does arise it is not because Muslims are fighting for their freedom in Jihad, No it is an extremely small minority of people who using Islam as a cover, go against the word of Allah and commit crimes. However, the majority of Muslims emphasize the equality in their religion, practically and theoretically. When all are praying whoever comes to the mosque 1st, can sit down in the front row regardless of his financial state or position and whoever comes last takes his place in the last row regardless of his position or importance. If you look along each row, one can see a diversity of people all kneeling down together sitting on the floor, the rich and poor, the knowledgeable and the unknowledgeable. There are no differences among these people as they are all the same in the sight of Allah, their direction during prayer, as well s their holy book, as their Lord is one and also their movements during the prayer follow one imam. Especially in Mecca and Medina, when hajj or umrah is performed, equality there is at its highest, everyone side by side all wearing the same clothes all bowing to the same God, only thing differing among them is the strength of their belief and the good they have done. An example of such was when some of the companions talked to Osama Bin Zaid, the favourite of Prophet Muhammad, to intervene for the sake of the well reputed woman from the Quraish tribe who deserved punishment for stealing (that is having her hand cut) Osama talked to the prophet, the prophet got angry and said: ` Those before you were districted, that is because the renowned is untouched when he steals, and the poor is punished, verily if Fatima (daughter of Muhammed) stole, I would have her hand cut. ` Islam is emphasizing the equality and applying it into the society since 1400 years ago, when during that time mankind used to suffer the worst distinction among people and individuals in culture and prepared the enslaving o humans. This is where the secret to Islam’s great real power, strength and past triumph lie. One is mistaken to think that Islam prevailed only because Muslims like dying in battles as others like to live, no!. Islam did not win through battles only, but because Islam is a complete unique guidance for life, unique in its rituals, beliefs, dealings and ethics and from all in all that is the religion of Allah. Â   Bibliography The holy qur’an the companions of the prophet book2 al-nawawi’s 40 hadiths Religion & equality booklet www.islamonline.net www.islam101.com www.bbc.co.uk/gcse/bitesize www.islamicforums.com

Pros and Cons of Using a Plus-Minus Grading System

Student and Faculty Views of Plus-Minus Grading Systems Working Paper Series—07-11 | December 2007 Jim Morgan (928) 523-7385 James. [email  protected] edu Gary Tallman Robert Williams All professors at: Northern Arizona University The W. A. Franke College of Business PO Box 15066 Flagstaff, AZ 86011. 5066 Student and Faculty Views of Plus-Minus Grading Systems Introduction Many colleges and universities have adopted or are considering adopting a grading system that provides a larger number of marking choices than the A through F whole-letter system. This usually takes the form of a plus-minus (+/-) grading system in one version or another.While a variety of reasons have been put forth for the move to +/- grades, a key motivation is the belief that a +/- grading system can either reverse the progression of grade inflation or counter its effects by establishing more grade choices so that performance can be more effectively differentiated. This paper first reviews studies of th e prevalence in American colleges and universities of +/- grading systems and, perhaps more importantly, the prevalence of schools not using +/- systems who could potentially benefit from a shift to use of this form of grading system.Because of limitations found in available data, a targeted analysis of grading systems of a selected set of universities has been conducted. The results of this secondary research are briefly reported in the second section below. Results of the first two sections indicate that there remains a substantial set of schools that do not currently utilize +/- grading and might be considering a shift to this form of grading system. Next the paper reviews literature dealing with faculty and student perceptions of +/- grading systems and the effects of these systems on the level and distribution of grades and on student effort.Substantial differences in the perceptions of the two groups are found. The major focus of this paper is the analysis of how faculty and s tudent perceptions of the benefits of a +/- grading system differ and what the motivations for these differences might be. The technique used to explore these questions is a survey of both faculty and student reactions to a hypothesized change to a +/- grading system at a mid-size public university in the Southwest. The results indicate that the faculty is much more supportive of a change than are students.Insights as to why each group views the effects of the hypothesized change differently are explored in the paper with possible explanations for the differences found in expectancy theory, a popular theory of human motivation that suggests students and faculty will each react to the change in a way that is likely to produce positive benefits for them, and in resistance to change theory which seeks to identify the factors causing resistance among groups affected by a change. Our study shows that each group perceives the effects of the change differently and that some students and fa culty members have very strong commitments to their views.Examination of the Extent of Use of +/- Grades A study by the American Association of College Registrar and Admissions Offices reported that 36% of institutions (both 2 and 4 year) in 1992 used pluses or minuses in grading whereas 56% of such institutions did so in 2002 [Brumfield, 2005]. Thirty-two institutions moved to a +/- system over the ten year period. Private schools were much more likely to use a +/- system than public schools. This continues the trend noted in the prior ten year period when a 12% increase in institutions using a +/system was noted [Riley, Checca, Singer, & Worthington, 1994].In order to further evaluate the use of +/- and other extended category grading systems, on-line catalogs of a representative sample of one fourth of all AACSB accredited business schools were reviewed to determine each school’s undergraduate grading policy. A total of 99 schools were surveyed, 71 of them public and 28 pr ivate. Table 1 shows the distribution of grading systems used. Three basic grading systems were identified: systems using pluses-minuses, systems using a single intermediate grade and traditional whole-letter grading systems of A, B, C, D, and either E or F.Note that about one third of the schools continue to use whole-letter only grading systems. Among public schools, 30 of 71 (42. 5 percent) use only whole-letter grading. Plus-minus grading systems are clearly the most prevalent type of grading system among this group of schools. To clarify the notation used below, the A+ to C+ system would use the grades A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C , D, F, while an A+ to D- system would use A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F and so on. The plus or minus typically raises (lowers) the grade by . or . 33 grade points. As the table indicates, many schools 1 do not allow pluses and minuses across their full range of grades. The grade of A+ creates the possibility of a GPA greater than 4. 0 and, probably for this reason; only 9 of the 60 schools with a +/- system include an A+. Four of the 9 schools using the A+ resolve the GPA problem by recording the A+ as a 4. 0 when calculating GPAs, so that the A+ becomes just a notation on individual course grades. Schools also differ with respect to the bottom of the +/- range.Most frequently, pluses and minuses are used all the way down through the D-, however, due to issues relating to transfer grades and determining the grade required for satisfying prerequisites, a number of schools terminate the use of pluses and minuses with the D+ (they do not use a D-) and others stop at the C+ or even C- level. TABLE 1 Distribution of University Grading Systems Number of Schools Using 60 1 8 4 3 16 27 1 7 4 3 32 32 Plus and Minus Grades A+ thru C+ * A+ thru DA- thru C+ A- thru CA- thru D+ A- thru DB+ thru DSingle Intermediate Grade AB, BC & CD AB and BC Whole-letter Only A thru F The A+ grade is counted as a 4. 0 for 4 of the schools us ing an A+ Systems using a single intermediate grade are far less prevalent than the +/- systems. The single intermediate grade is typically listed either as the concatenation of the two grades it lies between, such as AB for the grade between an A and a B, or as a plus without a corresponding minus. In these systems the grade points awarded for the intermediate grade are half way between the two related whole-letter grades (a 3. 5 for an AB or a B+). Why the Movement to +/- Grading?The proportion of institutions using +/- grading systems increased by 12 percent from 1982 to 1992 [Riley, Checca, Singer, & Worthington, 1994] with the trend continuing. There are three reasons typically cited as motivation for universities to change to a +/- grading system. They are concerns over grade inflation, ability to differentiate between students and ability to motivate students to aspire to learn more. A substantial body of literature details the existence of grade inflation in American college s and universities.One study [Levine, 1994] surveyed 4,900 college graduates from 1969 to 1993 and found that the number of A’s awarded had quadrupled and the number of C’s had dropped by two thirds. +/grading shows some promise in reducing grade inflation. In a recent article the author cites evidence of other studies plus his own analysis of the experience of Berry College to conclude that the implementation of a +/- system halts and in some cases produces a minor reversal in grade inflation [Bressette, 2002]. This effect is not equal over all majors.Majors that traditionally have low GPA’s are affected less by a change to a +/- system than majors in a high GPA major [Bressette, 2002]). 2 Proponents of a +/- system also believe it better differentiates students and that it is fairer or more precise. Researchers have found that grades are more reliable indicators of student performance as the width of a grade interval is narrowed [Singleton & Smith, 1978]. The existence of grade inflation in combination with the traditional A-F grading system effectively reduces the grades available and widens the range of student performance represented by each grade.The introduction of +/- grades increases the grades available and narrows the interval for each grade. In majors where grading is more holistic however, faculty believe the additional grade choices create less precision in student evaluations [Quann, 1987]. It is also argued that students are motivated to work harder under a +/- system. Anecdotal evidence in the form of student quotes indicates that they must continue to work through the entire semester to earn a grade under the more refined +/- system.The chance of earning a higher grade may be a motivator (plus) but the risk of earning a lower grade (minus) might be an even stronger motivator according to one study [Cullen et al. , 1975]. Evidence to the contrary is present in a study of economics classes at a mid-size Midwestern universit y that concluded students who chose +/- grading were not significantly more motivated than students who did not [McClure & Spector, 2005]. Student and Faculty Attitudes Toward +/- Grading As noted above, the momentum is toward adoption of a +/- grading system.However, fully one third of all schools currently use a whole-letter grading system. As these schools contemplate a change to their grading system it will be important for them to recognize the differing perceptions of benefits and costs that major stakeholders have. The major focus of this paper is the analysis of how faculty and student perceptions of the benefits of a +/- grading system differ. A recent study of business school faculty and students identified a substantial gap between the expectations and perceptions of the two groups with respect to grading and academic rigor [McKendall et al. , 2006].In addition, articles and editorials in student newspapers of universities considering adopting +/- grades suggest that this type of change in grading policies is always controversial. Such changes are typically proposed by the faculty and often opposed by students [Brown Daily Herald, 2006]. Students have noted that the use of a +/- system that does not include an A+ grade tends to lower the GPAs of the best students since they potentially have many current A grades that could become A minuses, but relatively few B and lower grades that could be raised by the plus grade [Storelli-Castro, 2006; Daily Athenaeum, 2006].Perhaps the clearest evidence of how students view +/- grading versus traditional grading occurs when students have a choice in a particular class. Humboldt State University made the +/- system optional. Student choices were tracked in six introduction to programming classes. Students overwhelmingly chose the traditional grading system over the +/- system, although students who chose the +/- system earned more pluses than minuses [Dixon, 2004]. Students from another university were quoted as arguing that the +/- system would increase the intrinsic value of an ‘A’ and help in identifying the very best students [Bressette, 2002].A survey of faculty documenting their actual use of a voluntary +/- grading system conducted at Ball State University provides evidence of variation in faculty support for such a grading system [Malone, Nelson & Nelson, 2000]. The survey asked graduate faculty how extensively they used the +/- system. Seventy-six percent indicated it was used considerably with assistant professors and those at the university for 1-4 years indicating the heaviest usage. Full professors use it less as did those with over 15 years service.The colleges that used it most were Architecture, Communication Sciences and the Humanities. The colleges that used it the least were Business, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences and Psychology. Business used the +/- system far less than any other unit in the University. No explanation was proffered for the differences b y college. The differing perceptions of faculty by disciplines were noted in another study that concluded â€Å"Faculty believed that the meaning of a grade varies more across disciplines than across institutions† [Ekstrom & Villegas, 1994]. While the studies noted above point to a variety of student and faculty attitudes toward +/grading, for the most part these studies have not examined the conceptual bases for student and faculty attitudes. There are at least two theoretical perspectives that may be useful in explaining these attitudes. The first is resistance to change theory and the second is expectancy theory. Resistance to change theory is quite intuitive and simply states that affected parties tend to resist change to their environment, work or otherwise.Literature describing reasons for resistance to change is well established and many of the major elements cited today were identified many years ago. A 1966 American Management Association keynote presentation identif ied a number of factors that cause people to resent and resist change [Burns 1966]. While this presentation dealt with the work environment, many of the factors identified also apply to the type of change dealt with here. Here in paraphrased form, is a partial list of the factors identified: 1.The change was poorly communicated and the parties involved do not understand the purpose of the change. 2. The parties involved lacked any involvement in planning the change. 3. The belief that the cost of the change is too high versus the potential benefits to be received from the change. 4. The pervasive belief that the current way of doing things is perfectly adequate. 5. The fear that the new system will fail. 6. The failure to consider the habit patterns of those affected by the change and the impact of the change on those habit patterns.In a more recent study, Goltz and Hietapelto [2002] found that employees (or students in our most likely case) resist change when it decreases their pow er or degree of control over stimuli affecting them. A second theoretical explanation of why evolution to a +/- grading system would be resisted can be found in expectancy theory. Expectancy theory, first conceptualized by Vroom [1964] and relying on the work of earlier scholars such as Tolman [1932], Rotter [1954], and Atkinson [1956], represents a cognitive approach to explaining human behavior.The models picture human beings as active, thinking, learning and predicting creatures. People learn to perform certain behaviors (or at least increase the chance of performing the behavior) that they expect would lead to positive outcomes. Consequently, humans are not just products of their environment but they are active in attempting to understand the environment in terms of threats and opportunities. For example, students may perceive a change to +/- grading as a threat. Some of the studies cited above suggest that +/- systems not including an A+ grade do tend to reduce the grades of th e best students.More generally, students may believe that +/- grades serve to reinforce the importance of grades, that lower overall GPA’s will result from the change and that higher levels of incremental study time will be necessary to prosper under a +/- system. The expectations of lower GPA’s, also carries with it graduate school acceptance concerns as well. Finally, the issue of +/- grading is much more personal to students as they rightly understand that the effect of the change applies directly to them. Faculty, on the other hand, do not take the change nearly as personally.Faculty may perceive greater flexibility and greater justice in grading with a +/- system and they might also expect that the +/system would be more motivational to students which would cause them to have a favorable attitude toward a +/- grading system. Survey Methodology This section describes a survey of student and faculty opinions about the introduction of a +/grading system at a mid-size d university in the Southwest. The university currently uses a whole-letter grading system with only the grades A, B, C, D, and F.The variant of +/- grading system being considered is one that adds grades of A-, B+, B-, and C+ to the set of potential grades with + grades being recorded at . 3 points higher than the base grade (e. g. 3. 3 for a B+) and – grades being recorded at . 3 points less than the base grade. 4 Respondents were asked whether they Favored, Opposed or Didn’t Know About or Care About a change to the grading system that would utilize the +/- grading scheme described above. Those who either Favored or Opposed were then asked to rate the strength of their opinions as either: care only slightly, care somewhat strongly or care very strongly.The results of these two questions were combined to produce a 7 point scale with values ranging from Very Strongly Support to Very Strongly Oppose (see Table 2). Respondents were also asked to describe the reasons for their support or opposition. Results of this open ended question were recorded and categorized with up to two reasons being recorded for each respondent. In addition respondents were asked to provide additional information that might be related to their views of the proposed system. Students were asked to indicate their class standing, their GPA, and the college of their major.Faculty members were asked to indicate their college and their length of service at the university. The survey of students opinions was collected by a group of Marketing students who randomly solicited responses from students entering and leaving commonly used buildings across the campus. The survey of faculty was collected on-line through an e-mail solicitation. Examination of the demographic distribution of responses suggests that the respondents are broadly representative of the students and faculty respectively.The 1433 student responses represent just over 10 percent of the count of student on the surveye d campus, while the 433 faculty responses represents over 50 percent of the eligible pool of faculty members. Hypothesized Relationships Based upon the literature reviewed in the previous sections, the following hypotheses about faculty and student attitudes toward the introduction of +/- grades are proposed. H1 – Faculty are more supportive of a +/- system than students. There is some evidence that a move to a +/- grading system may reduce the progression of grade inflation or perhaps reverse it.Therefore, faculty who are concerned about the effects of grade inflation would be expected to be supportive of a +/- grading system. Based upon expectancy theory. Both students and faculty may have resistance to change reasons for opposing the new system, but these reasons are likely to be stronger for students. Students may view any change in the grading system imposed by faculty as a potential threat to their GPA. Students also are likely to feel less involved in the change and ha ve less understanding of the purpose for the change.Thus, students would be expected to resist the change to a +/- grading system. H2 – Freshmen will be more supportive of +/- grades than upperclassmen. Class standing can also be expected to affect student responses to a change in grading system. Upperclassmen have more experience with the current grading system. They may feel that they have learned how to work within that system effectively to optimize their grades. Resistance to change tends to increase, as individuals have more experience with and more of a stake in an existing system.Thus, we hypothesize that freshmen will be more favorable toward +/- grades than upperclassmen. H3 – As a student’s GPA increases, support for +/- grades decreases. Since most +/- grading systems, including the one described to our respondents, do not include an A+ grade, expectancy theory suggests that students with very high GPAs have a rational reason to believe that +/- grad es are more likely to lower than raise their GPAs. For example, consider a student who has earned As in 80 percent of her/his courses and Bs in the other 20 percent leading to a 3. 8 GPA.For that student, the new grading scheme could only lower and not raise 80 percent of her grades while, for the remaining 20 percent, the grade could be either higher (a B+) or lower (a B-). On the other hand, since the system proposed in this survey does not include a C-, a student who has earned 80 percent Cs and 20 percent Bs under the whole-letter system has 80 percent of his/her grades that could only be increased by 5 the +/- grading system. Therefore, we hypothesize that students with higher GPAs will be less favorable toward the use of +/- grades than student with lower GPAs.H4 – As the average grade issued in a student’s college increases, support for +/grades decreases. The average grade in the college where a student is majoring can also be expected to affect responses to +/ - grading. Students in colleges where a very high proportion of As are currently given would have reason to fear that +/- grades would lower average GPAs issued in their unit. In a college with a 3. 2 average grade we might expect that 40 percent or more of the grades issued are As and that 40 percent of grades could not increase, but could only be lowered by the introduction of a typical +/grading system.By comparison, a college with a 2. 7 average grade would be expected to be issuing much fewer As, so that use of +/- grades could potentially either raise or lower nearly all of that unit’s grades. In addition, at least one empirical study [Bresette, 2002] found this type of effect as discussed above. For this reason, we hypothesize that students, in keeping with the predictions of expectancy theory, will be less favorable toward +/- grades the higher the average grade issued by their college. H5 -Faculty support for +/- grades will become less favorable as tenure at the sch ool increases.Faculty views of +/- grades might be expected to vary with the length of time that a faculty member has taught under the current grading system. As a faculty member’s experience with using the existing grading system increases, they, like students, may become comfortable with that system and therefore may be more resistant to change. In addition this type of effect was found in one of the empirical studies cited above [Malone, Nelson, & Nelson, 2000]. H6 – Faulty support for +/- grades will be more favorable as average grades issued in their college increase.The grading culture of the college in which a faculty member teaches may also impact their views of +/- grades. Faculty in colleges with high average grades might logically feel a greater need for additional grading options to better reflect student performance, whereas faculty in colleges with lower average grades might feel that the current system provides adequate assessment of student performance. On the other hand, since faculty are responsible for issuing grades, differences in current grading practices across colleges tend to reflect the grading preferences of the faculty in those colleges.Faculty in colleges with high average grades may be less likely to feel that grade inflation is an important issue. Thus, faculty support for +/- grades may be either stronger or weaker in colleges with high average grades. We believe the desire for additional grading options will be the stronger of the two effects. Survey Results In analyzing the survey results, we will first look to see whether student and faculty opinions about the use of +/- grades differ. Table 2 below shows summary data about student and faculty opinions. There is a strong divergence between student and faculty opinions about the proposed use of +/- grades.Over half of faculty respondents support +/- grades at least somewhat strongly while only 15 percent of students share this level of support. Almost half of the student respondents oppose +/- grades at least somewhat strongly, and many of the remaining students are relatively indifferent to, rather than supportive of, +/- grades. A Chi-squared test of the null hypothesis that the distribution of faculty opinions and student opinions do not differ has been conducted and the null hypothesis is rejected at the . 0001 level, indicating that there is a significant difference between the opinions of the two groups thus supporting hypothesis one. TABLE 2: Distribution of Opinions of Students and Faculty About Use of +/- Grades Students Count Percentage 64 4. 4% 148 10. 3% 145 10. 1% 289 20. 0% 129 8. 9% 332 23. 0% 336 23. 3% 1443 100. 0% 0. 0001 Faculty Count Percentage 126 27. 0% 123 26. 4% 48 10. 3% 26 5. 6% 18 3. 9% 57 12. 2% 68 14. 6% 466 100. 0% Support Very Strongly Support Somewhat Strongly Support Slightly Don’t Know / Care Oppose Slightly Oppose Somewhat Strongly Oppose Very Strongly Chi-Square test p-value The next set of tables provides an analysis of the degree to which student opinions about +/grades vary across different categories of students.First we look at the effect of class standing, that is, do views differ between freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Table 3 presents these results. The Chisquare test indicates that the distributions are significantly different and inspection of the table shows very clearly that sophomores and juniors tend to be most strongly opposed to use of +/- grades. Freshmen and seniors do not support use of +/- grades, but are less strong in their opposition and more likely to be indifferent or care only slightly about the grading alternatives.Sophomores and juniors may feel comfortable with the current grading system and be more reluctant to change, while freshmen have less familiarity with the existing system and seniors feel that they would not be personally affected by any change providing support for hypothesis two. TABLE 3: Student's Class Standing vs Student' s Opinion of Use of +/- Grades Freshman 5. 4% 11. 6% 13. 2% 22. 1% 7. 8% 19. 8% 20. 2% (258) 0. 0045 Sophomore 3. 2% 10. 3% 10. 6% 20. 1% 7. 1% 28. 0% 20. 6% (339) Junior 5. 3% 8. 2% 7. 4% 15. 6% 10. 3% 22. 5% 30. 7% (417) Senior 4. 1% 11. 5% 9. % 22. 1% 9. 9% 21. 9% 20. 7% (416) Support Very Strongly Support Somewhat Strongly Support Slightly Don't Know / Care Oppose Slightly Oppose Somewhat Strongly Oppose Very Strongly Students in Category Chi-Square test p-value Table 4 summarizes the distribution of opinions among students in different grade point average categories. Since, the +/- grading system does not include an A+, students with very high GPAs might rationally assume that they personally have more to lose (through A-s and perhaps B-s) than they have to gain (through B+s), and thus oppose the change.The results of Table 4 support this idea, the Chi-square test indicates that students with differing GPAs do differ in their views of +/- grades and students with higher GPAs ar e systematically more inclined to oppose using +/- grades thus supporting hypothesis three. Student respondents were asked to indicate the college of their major. Since the classification of colleges differs substantially across universities this information is not directly comparable to other 7 universities. However, it would be of interest to know whether the grading rigor of a student’s college affects student opinions about +/- grading.Students in colleges which currently give many high grades may feel that they have more to lose from the use of +/- grades than students in other colleges. The university in question has six colleges. Two of them have issued grades which, on average, were below a 2. 8 over the last 3 academic years, two issued grades which were on average between 2. 8 and 3. 1 over that period, and two issued grades which were on average above a 3. 1 for that period. TABLE 4: Student's GPA vs Student's Opinion of Use of +/- Grades 2. 00 or Less 8. 7% 8. 7% 13. 0% 39. 1% 0. 0% 13. 0% 17. % 100. 0% (23) 0. 0001 3. 50 or More 3. 5% 9. 8% 9. 5% 15. 0% 8. 1% 26. 6% 27. 5% 100. 0% (346) Support Very Strongly Support Somewhat Strongly Support Slightly Don’t Know / Care Oppose Slightly Oppose Somewhat Strongly Oppose Very Strongly Students in Category Chi-Square test p-value 2. 00-2. 49 5. 8% 9. 1% 9. 1% 33. 9% 10. 7% 16. 5% 14. 9% 100. 0% (121) 2. 50-2. 99 4. 3% 10. 6% 11. 1% 24. 7% 10. 6% 20. 1% 18. 5% 100. 0% (368) 3. 00-3. 49 4. 7% 10. 7% 9. 4% 15. 6% 8. 4% 24. 8% 26. 4% 100. 0% (572) Table 5 shows the distribution of student opinions across these categories.The Chi-square test for equal distribution does indicate that there is a significant difference in the distribution of responses. Opposition to +/- grades is strongest and support for them weakest among students in colleges issuing the highest average grades thus supporting hypothesis four. This result should be interpreted somewhat cautiously however, because of the natural co rrelation of average grade with the student’s own GPA examined in Table 4. That is, in general, students in colleges issuing high grades are more likely to have high GPAs.Next we examine how faculty opinions about +/- grades vary across different faculty categories. First the length of service at the university is examined. Much like the situation described for students, it might be hypothesized that faculty who have been at the institution for a long period of time will be less likely to support a change in a grading system that they are used to and comfortable in using. TABLE 5: Average GPA Issued in Student’s College vs Student’s Opinion of the Use of +/- Grades Average GPA Issued in Student’s College ;lt; 2. 2. 8-3. 1 ;gt;3. 1 6. 0% 3. 8% 2. 6% 11. 6% 10. 5% 8. 5% 9. 6% 11. 7% 7. 6% 19. 8% 22. 0% 16. 3% 9. 1% 10. 5% 5. 8% 24. 9% 19. 8% 27. 1% 19. 1% 21. 7% 32. 1% (450) 3. 1 21. 0% 28. 6% 31. 5% 35. 3% 21. 4% 23. 8% 11. 8% 11. 4% 8. 8% 2. 5% 5. 7% 7. 2 % 3. 4% 4. 3% 3. 9% 16. 8% 12. 1% 9. 9% 9. 2% 16. 4% 14. 9% (119) 0. 1329 (140) (181) Support Very Strongly Support Somewhat Strongly Support Slightly Don't Know / Care Oppose Slightly Oppose Somewhat Strongly Oppose Very Strongly Faculty in Category Chi-Square test p-valueThe reasons given by students and faculty members for supporting or opposing use of +/- grades are summarized in Tables 8 through 11. These tables were assembled by categorizing open-ended responses. In the case of respondents opposing +/- grades, there were a number of somewhat distinct 9 responses that were still logically related in an overall category. In those instances the overall number of occurrences in the general category is presented, but the distribution of responses within the subcategories is also presented.Table 8 summarizes reasons given by students supporting the use of +/- grades. The predominant reason given was that the system would provide grades that are more accurate and provide a more refin ed measure of performance. The second most prevalent reason – that +/- grades provide a more appropriate reward for the effort is somewhat related. Other rather frequent reasons given were the feeling that +/grades will raise GPAs and the belief that they will increase incentives for students to work hard in classes.In contrast to the 35 students who felt that +/- grades would raise GPAs, Table 9 indicates that 10 times as many students (352) believe that +/- grades will have a negative impact on grades. It seems clear that fear of lower grades was the most important factor in the overall negative view of students toward the +/- grading system. Just over 100 students indicated that they oppose +/- grades simply because they prefer the current system and either see no reason to change or do not like the new system.Students also criticized the new system as being overly complicated, increasing stress and placing too much focus on grades, requiring more work of them to receive t he same grades, and having a potential negative impact on employment, scholarships, and/or getting into graduate school. TABLE 8: Students' Reasons for Supporting +/- Grades Number of Comments Grades are More Accurate/Refined Provide More Appropriate Reward for the Effort Will Raise GPA's Increased Incentives to Work Harder Will increase the Reputation of the School Other Schools Use Them 145 43 35 21 7 5Reasons for faculty support for +/- grades are summarized in Table 10. The two most prevalent reasons cited closely parallel the top two reasons for support provided by students. First, that grades will be more accurate and refined under a +/- system (identical to the students’ top response) and second that they are fairer or better for the students (similar to the students’ response of – provides more appropriate reward for effort). Other prominent reasons for support included the belief that +/- grades will help combat grade inflation, and that they will impro ve student motivation. 0 TABLE 9: Students' Reasons for Opposing +/- Grades Number of Comments In SubIn Category Category 352 164 145 32 11 104 54 50 38 34 21 16 15 9 8 5 Negative Impact on Grades An â€Å"A† is an â€Å"A† (is difficult enough) It will lower my GPA Achieving 4. 0 is More Difficult Heard from ASU / Lower Grades Prefer Current System Like current System / no reason to change Don't like the change System is more Complicated Too much pressure / stress Will require more study time for the same grades Puts too much focus on grades Negative Impact on Scholarships/Employment/Grad.School Doesn't motivate me more Like high School/Grade School Changes School's Atmosphere TABLE 10: Faculty Reasons for Supporting +/- Grades Number of Comments Grades are More Accurate/Refined Grades are Fairer/Better for Students Will Combat Grade Inflation Will Improve Student Motivation Better / Easier for Faculty (Feel better about grades given) Will Improve Student Feedback 173 50 26 23 12 10 Reasons for opposition to +/- grades among faculty were varied (see Table 11). Most commonly cited is the idea that the change poses more costs than the benefits it provides.The next most frequent concern was the belief that grade challenges and arguments over grades would be increased since more students would be near a boundary between grades. Somewhat related to this are concerns that grades will be more difficult (physically and emotionally) for faculty to construct and compute and that the particular grade given will be arbitrary. Interestingly almost as many faculty believed that +/- grades would have no impact on or would increase grade inflation (17) as believed that +/- grades would reduce grade inflation (26). Finally, 10 faculty members expressed concern that +/- grades would overemphasize grades. 11TABLE 11: Faculty Members' Reasons for Opposing +/- Grades Number of Comments In SubIn Category Category 39 14 9 9 7 24 21 17 17 10 7 10 6 4 3 2 Cost versus Be nefit Current System is OK (no need for change) No Benefit to Change No Benefit to Students High cost to change with Little Benefit Will Increase Grade Challenges/Arguments Grading Will be More Difficult for faculty Grades are More Arbitrary Grade Inflation Impact Will Encourage Grade Inflation Won't Reduce Grade Inflation Overemphasis on Grades Emphasizes Grades versus Learning Adds to Student Anxiety over Grades Not used by Employers / recruiters May Hurt Student Grad School chancesConclusions This study examined the extent of use of +/- grades in AACSB accredited business schools by collecting data from 99 such schools. Sixty percent of the schools use some variant of a +/- grading system, 32 percent use only whole-letter grading and the remainder use a single intermediate grade. A survey of faculty and student opinions about a move to +/- grading at a mid-sized university in the Southwest provides a number of interesting insights. There is a strong divergence between student and faculty opinions.Over half of faculty respondents support +/- grades at least somewhat strongly as compared to only 15 percent of students. Nearly half of student respondents oppose the change at least somewhat strongly. Students and faculty supporting the +/- grading system cited very similar reasons for their support – the belief that grades will be more accurate and refined and the belief that grades will be fairer or better for students. Some students also indicated the change would provide incentive to work harder. Some faculty felt it would combat grade inflation and improve student motivation.Students who oppose the change believe there will be a negative impact on GPA’s (352 students believe this versus 35 who believe grades would improve). The next most prevalent student comment was that they prefer the current system and see no need for a change. Faculty who opposed the change commented most frequently that there is little benefit from the change and next th at it will increase grade challenges or make grading more difficult for faculty. Opposition to the change was strongest and support for +/- grades was weakest among students in colleges issuing the highest average grades.In addition, sophomores and juniors and students with higher GPAs tend to be most strongly opposed. This suggests that student opposition to a +/- grading system could be reduced by implementing it in a phased manner (starting with the freshman class) and by finding a way to incorporate a grade of A+. In addition, resistance to change theory suggests that it is important that the reasons why the use of +/- grades might be in the best interest of students be effectively communicated throughout the process and that students groups should be involved early in any proposal to institute +/- grades.

Windows NT essays

Windows NT essays Windows NT is a multitasking, 32 bit operating system. It was invented to make todays processes run more efficiently. More than one version has been brought into the industry to work well with the changing technology of computers. The two versions are known as Windows NT Workstation and Windows NT Server. The Windows NT Server is designed to be used on a computer that is specifically made to withhold information and to be used as a central office. This means that all commands will go through this one computer. Windows NT workstation is designed to be used on a computer that is connected to the server. It has only the necessary applications installed on it and uses the server to save files, and to access files. Both operating systems use the same kernel and operating system code and can act as an application server on NetWare and Microsoft (page 717). Microsoft started in the mid- 1980s when it was in cooperation with IBM. They created the OS/2 operating system, which was written in assembly language for a single processor 80286 system. Microsoft decided it wanted to fly away from the nest by developing new technology (NT). NT was originally supposed to be was supposed to use OS/2 as a native environment however it managed to become a 32 bit Windows architecture. Features play an enormous part in an operating system. There are specific features that will make an operating system unique and will be beneficial towards ones usage. A few features, which are a necessity in any growing business, are extensibility, reliability, and performance (pp 717-718). Extensibility gives you the ability to make expansions on your operating system so that it can grow with technology. NT is a layered architecture, which allows you to change certain features of the O/S without changing the basic code. NT executive runs on a kernel and provides the basic system services. This is a simple example of ...

The Architecture of the Log Cabin

The Architecture of the Log Cabin Todays log homes are often spacious and elegant, but in the 1800s log cabins reflected the hardships of life on the North American frontier. The roomy log cabins we build today are likely to include skylights, whirlpool tubs, and other luxuries. However, for homesteaders settling the American West, log cabins fulfilled more basic needs. Wherever timber was readily available, a log cabin could be built in just a few days using only a few simple tools. No nails were needed. Those early log cabins were sturdy, rainproof, and inexpensive. Some of the first buildings constructed in a colonial frontier were log cabins like the Chicken, Alaska Post Office. Log cabin construction came to North America in the 1600s when Swedish settlers brought building customs from their home country. Much later, in 1862, the Homestead Act influenced the design of Americas log cabins. The Act gave homesteaders rights to open land, but required that they cultivate it and build homes at least ten by twelve feet in size, with at least one glass window. The PBS television series, The Frontier House, documented efforts of three modern American families to build and live in frontier style log cabins. Deprived of modern comforts such as indoor plumbing and kitchen appliances, the families found life harsh and exhausting. Examples of Log Homes and Cabins Log cabins are examples of building with local materials. When pioneers encounter trees, they cut them down and built shelter. A log cabin built by homesteaders on the Alaskan frontier would be something to be proud of c. 1900-1930. How might they have constructed it? A frontier style cabin would often have notches cut with an ax on the ends of each log. The homesteaders would then stack the logs and fit the notched ends together at the corners. The log cabin of poet Robert W. Service (1874-1958) may have been built this way. Called the Bard of the Yukon, in Dawson City, Canada, this retreat was ahead of its time with what today is called a green roof. The Revolutionary War shelters at Valley Forge in Pennsylvania probably had wooden shingle roofs. Log Cabin Construction Facts Do you think you could build and live in a frontier style log cabin? Before you answer, consider these log cabin facts: The frontier style log cabin was introduced to the New World by Swedish settlers in the early 1600s - pioneers who perhaps had lived in cabins in the Swedish Lapland. It used no nails; contained only one room; was only 10 feet wide; measured 12 to 20 feet long; had at least one glass window; included a loft area for sleeping. To build a frontier style log cabin: lay a rock or stone foundation to keep logs above the damp soil; square off each log; cut notches on the top and bottom of each end; stack the logs and fit the notched ends together at the corners; chick (or stuff) sticks and wood chips in the gaps between the logs; fill remaining spaces with mud; cut open a door and at least one window; build a stone fireplace; rake the dirt and gravel floor smooth. Does this sound too rustic? If you prefer your cabin to have all the modern amenities, there are plenty of ways to learn the craft - week-long schools, training videos, and plenty of books have been published by people in the know. Log Home Affordability Theyre not called cabins anymore. And theyre not made from the timber growing behind your lot. The Log and Timber Home Council of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) suggests that anyone who can afford to build a home can afford to build a beautiful log home. Here are some of their secrets: Choose stock plan kits with pre-cut and pre-drilled timber.Choose a simple, rectangular design.Go small and simple, with an open floor plan.Think like a pioneer and build only what you need at first, then add on porches and extras.Do the start-up work yourself. As much as 35 percent of your budget will go to clearing your home site, excavating a foundation, creating a driveway and installing utilities, claims the NAHB Council.Keep the design of the roof simple.Choose a builder trained in log home construction. Sources 16 Secrets of Affordable Log Home Design! Log and Timber Home Council of the National Association of Home Builders [accessed August 13, 2016]Chicken, Alaska Post Office photo by Arthur D. Chapman and Audrey Bendus at flickr.comFrontier Log Cabin, Alaska Homesteaders, photo LC-DIG-ppmsc-02272, Carpenter Coll. Library of Congress Prints Photographs Div. (cropped)Photo of man notching log by Thinkstock/Stockbyte/Getty Images (cropped)Photo of Robert Serivce cabin by Stephen Krasemann / All Canada Photos / Getty ImagesPhoto of cabin at Valley Forge by Aimin Tang / Collection: Photographers Choice / Getty Images (cropped)Photo of Swedish cabin by Cultura Travel/Philip Lee Harvey/Photolibrary Collection/Getty Images (cropped)

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities

Challenges Versus Constants Weighing Workplace Opportunities While author and business journalist Suzy Welch warns against complacency in what she calls a professional â€Å"Velvet Coffin,† arguing instead for the importance of taking risks in search of new challenges, writer and employment branding professional John Feldman responds with a more pragmatic point of view. According to Feldman, who describes himself as â€Å"neither an optimist nor a pessimist, but rather a realist,† before taking a plunge into a new career just for the sake of avoiding the ennui of the everyday, you should take stock of the variables and constants of your current position. If you don’t know for sure that another opportunity would provide a better salary, more convivial coworkers, and more challenging work, are you still willing to take the risk, or might it make more sense to trust the constants of the workplace you know? He suggests instead waiting out the inevitable fallow periods where work becomes predictable, or even making your own cha llenges by taking on more responsibilities, earning a new certification, or opening a conversation with your manager about pursuing other opportunities closer to home.Nobody should stay mired in a job that they find unsafe or unsatisfying, but there may be choices besides starting over from scratch that are right for you and your career. Good luck as you consider and pursue them!

The Mass - An Obligation Or Joy Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

The Mass - An Obligation Or Joy - Term Paper Example The primary objective of this paper is to establish that the Mass is a feast of joy and not an obligation. This research paper will compare and contrast the Old and New Testament viewpoints of the Mass and illustrate how different parts make the Mass a joyful feast. The paper will also highlight the significance of active participation during progress of the Mass makes it a feast of joy. The concept and process of the Mass are similar in the both the New and Old Testaments, although there are some differences in viewpoints of the Mass between the two Testaments. The New Testament mass comprises of two main parts: the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist2. These major parts are further divided into subsections to make a whole Mass. The standard duration for a Catholic Mass is two or three hours, and two or three Mass services may run on a Sunday. The Mass is a symbol of Jesus’ sacrifice, which makes present the passion of Christ through the priest and joins huma n beings as partakers of His meal. Most people believe that the Mass is an obligation for all Catholics; however, the Mass is a joyful and voluntary activity among the Catholics. The Celebration of the Mass in the Old Testament and Comparisons to the New Testament Concept of the Mass The fundamental nature of the Mass is contingent upon the venue and functions that participants perform. The Mass in the Old Testament was celebrated in Tents and Temples. There existed the Holy of Holies that housed the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of the Covenant was covered with the Propitiatory or Mercy Seat. The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s staff and the vessel containing Manna. The Holy of Holies also contained the Cherubim, which was a winged creature supporting the throne of God and acting as a guardian Spirit. The Holy of Holies and the Ark of the Covenant were kept in the Temple. Old Testament priests were allowed to access the Tabernacle and the Ark of th e Covenant during feasts and sacrifices. The Ark of the Covenant and the Holy of Holies are similar to the Tabernacle in the New Testament. The Old Testament Temple and Tents of Worship housed the sanctuary. The sanctuary was the Altar of incense, which contained ten candlesticks. The sanctuary also contained the table of loaves, which was also referred to as the bread of the presence. The frankincense that the New Testament priests spray to the congregation during the Mass commemorates the Old Testament incense. The Catholic Church has an altar table from where the priest prepares the Eucharist before distributing it to the congregation3. This table holds the Eucharist bread and the wine that symbolizes the blood of Christ. The candles keep burning on the sanctuary throughout the church service. These candles are similar to the ten candlesticks in the Old Testament. The New Testament, however, burns two candles while the Old Testament used ten candlesticks to represent the Ten Comm andments. The table for the loaves in the Old Testament is similar to the Eucharist table in the New Testament. Another component of the Old Testament Temples was the Vestibule. The Vestibule was the bronze altar of sacrifice. The Vestibule contained the bronze sea of water for purificatio

Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Report - Essay Example The emerging consumer concerns are likely to corner the operations and business prospect of the company if the necessary actions are not taken. In order to survive the economic downturn and counter the emerging challenges in its business line, Nature Foods Ltd has to effectively and efficiently manage changes within its business. 1. Terms of Reference Nature Foods Ltd UK markets Manufacturing and packaging Consumer concerns Raw food Retailers Imports and importation Competition Breakfast cereals Snack bars Dried fruits and nuts Food industry trends Environment Global business Low food mileage Natural and artificial ingredients Economic downturn Business operations and performance Business change management Economic future Contemporary times Purpose of research 2. Procedure Research aiding the compilation of this report was conducted on observation basis, focusing on the food industry in the UK and its players. Secondary research was specifically employed, using both primary and secon dary sources of information. References are cited accordingly throughout this report. 3. Findings 3.1. UK Food Markets Environment The UK food markets environment is highly competitive, characterized by manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers (Fox, 2005, p.19). Nature Foods Ltd is a retailing firm that engages in processing imported raw food. The company’s product line deals with breakfast cereals, snack bars, and dried fruits and nuts. Food markets in the UK food industry depict as aspect of the need to design, redesign, and integrate change in business operations to ensure that consumer needs are met and that consumer concerns are timely addressed (Jack, 2009, p.201). Economic downturn combined with a number of consumer concerns, tastes and preferences have posed substantial operational challenges to Nature Foods limited. The economic downturn has significantly influenced the business portfolio of the firm. Consumers’ preference to go local in terms of product cons umption threatens the company’s business continuity due to the fact the company only manufactures and packages its products after importing raw food from foreign countries. Note that this aspect is also influenced by global business trends both locally and internationally. Advocacy for low food mileage has increasingly become prominent as consumer shift to relatively less transported food. This has necessitated the need for change management in manufacturing and packaging procedures, thereby influencing business operations and performance (Coles & Kirwan, 2011, p.167). In this respect, the performance and success of an enterprise is influenced by the strategic plans adapted to suit the operations of the firm. Natural and artificial food ingredients have also been put to test. The tastes and preferences of the consumers are increasingly becoming oriented towards natural ingredients as opposed to artificial ingredients. In the light of these findings, Nature Foods Ltd has to re -evaluate and restructure its business processes. 3.2. Impacts on the Business Consumers have increasingly become cautious about environmental issues, resulting in preference of locally produced products to those imported from foreign countries. This concern directly cuts into the operations and product line of Nature Foods Ltd. Most importantly,

Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Genetically Modified Foods - Essay Example enetic engineers have been successful in producing genetically modified crops and animals, although there are several limitations in their work due to the complexity of identifying genes that yield the desired traits. This paper seeks to examine the ethical implications of genetically modified foods. The pros of doing the research is because there are numerous published materials regarding the topic, which can be used for the research. However, there are cons that arise due to the fact that genetic engineering is still a recent development, dating back in the late 1960s compared to the old biotechnology which dates back in the 6000 B.C. This creates the possibility of lack of significant information in regard to the subject. Generally, genetically modified foods are significant in solving the problems of hunger that many nations are facing today (Buzzell and Nourse 1966). There is controversy whereby people try to look at food in different perspectives. Some view it as an important and sacred item that sustains life. This is true and therefore the assertion that living organisms that are used as food need to be allowed to grow naturally without interfering with their genetic makeup. However, it needs to be understood that these organisms are dependent on various natural factors for growth. Climatic changes have occurred due to global warming, leading to the occurrence of draught which was not a problem before. In order to counter such problems, genetic engineers are developing organisms that are draught resistant as well as fast growing, which are also significant in satisfying the rapidly increasing population globally. On the other hand, the society needs to be empowered economically in order for people to improve their standards of living. The fast growing genetically modified organisms are a major source of income for producers. (Buzzell and Nour se 1966). Even though growing genetically modified food is a solution to hunger, there are issues that arise due

Marketing concept of British Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing concept of British Gas - Essay Example nsive sales team for the company to increase the sales by cover larger areas geographically These philosophies were used extensively in the past but with time the trends of the industry have evolved. The consumers have become conscious of what they buy and are in constant search for the products which cater their needs in the most appropriate manner (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009). Marketing concept is a theory to support the customer oriented philosophy. It aims to cater the customers in the most effective and efficient manner as compared to the competitors. This method of attracting customers and increasing sales aims at increasing the profitability of the customers in the long-run rather than in the short-run (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009; Vargo, & Lusch, 2004). The marketing concept has evolved with the passage of time. The relevance of the concept has increased in the 21st century because of the increasing number of competitors. Entities have to ensure that the products which the y are offering to the customers must deliver more value to them then the value that was delivered when they used a competitor product. The marketers are of the view that maximizing the quality of the product and is increasing the product offering is not sufficient to gain popularity with the customers. The competitors can also somehow manage to offer the same offerings, so in the 21st century the sellers require ensuring that they acquire a competitive edge on the product of the competitor and offer something beyond to exactly cater the requirements of the customers. This practice will attract the customers towards the product (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009; Drucker, 2007). INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH GAS British Gas Group is a global business which deals with diversified tasks related to...Amongst the utility providers British Gas is a lot more diversified. This is because the company adapts to the change in environment. It has distinctive capability to sustain the commercial agility. T he management of the company sticks to the vision that is set by the decision making of the company. The operations of the group are significantly stable because the group has a set direction and it also has the resources which are required for sustaining the company. CONCLUSION Application of the Marketing concept in the 21st century emphasizes on the importance of satisfying the customer needs to ensure that the marketing process is effective. The competition between the competitors is increasing in the industry. This requires for the companies to strive for excellence and acquiring cost advantage that will benefit the company in accomplishing its goals. The traditional concept of marketing comprised of targeting on improving the quality of products which spoke for themselves and improved the productivity of the company. British Gas is a company which operates as a utility provider in more the 20 countries. The group is showing renowned for its excellent services and this is a major contributor to the edge which it has acquired. It is renowned to offer the services precisely tom cater the needs of the customers which shows the application of Marketing concept by the company.

The Role of the Piligimage of Grace in the Henrican Reformation Essay

The Role of the Piligimage of Grace in the Henrican Reformation - Essay Example The consequence of the separation from the Catholic Church was the birth of the Protestant denomination. This change was not without challenge however, and in 1536 an uprising of more than 40,000 insurgents in Yorkshire. This uprising, known as the Pilgrimage of Grace, was the largest that the King had faced and as a consequence he was forced to respond to it carefully, resulting in the Pilgrimage having a significant role in the Henrican Reformation. The Pilgrimage of Grace The title the Pilgrimage of Grace is used to refer to one of two things. First, it can refer to the series of revolts that occurred between 1936 and 1937. The revolts are well-documented and were rebellions against Henry VIII and his rule, specifically the dissolution of monasteries and charities. From October to December of 1536 there was a revolt specifically titled the Pilgrimage of Grace which bore a banner with the five wounds of Christ. Technically, the term Pilgrimage of Grace only refers to the second exa mple, but the use of the term to refer to the general revolts of the period is common. In the Yorkshire uprising, lawyer Robert Aske organised and led the men, with the aim of making the uprising appear more legitimate and encouraging other nobles to join. The aim of Aske and many of the other insurgents was to get the King to reconsider the way in which he was handling the country. Specifically, the nobles of the company presented a document that the King was to see, which contained 24 articles, which were religious, economical, social and political. They agreed to dissolve the revolt, if their demands were considered in a parliament and they were pardoned for their role . The pilgrimage was a significant threat to the King. Not only were his own men significantly outnumbered, but he was limited in who he could use to fight the insurgents for fear that any local soldiers that were hired would join the cause. An additional source of concern was that Henry VIII was not able to call o n the nobles for support, as he would normally have, because the nobles were part of the uprising. The promised pardon was never given, and instead Henry VIII heavily prosecuted those who were involved in the rebellion. Effect on the Henrican Reformation The reformation was already well underway by the time that the revolts began. The causes for the revolts are often assumed to be of economic basis, or as a result of conflict occurring between the nobles and the common people. An alternative proposal is that the revolts were essentially religious in nature, spurred on by members of the clergy in the North. Throughout England, but especially in the North, the church was a very important part of the community. The reforms that Henry VIII was instigating represented a large threat to these values . The Pilgrimage was for the most part ineffective at its goals, England did not return to the Catholic Church but instead pressed on towards Protestantism, and the dissolution of monasteries and churches continued. The articles that the insurgents presented to the King were largely ignored, and despite the promise of a pardon, those that played a role in the revolts were prosecuted heavily and often

Marketing concept of British Gas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing concept of British Gas - Essay Example nsive sales team for the company to increase the sales by cover larger areas geographically These philosophies were used extensively in the past but with time the trends of the industry have evolved. The consumers have become conscious of what they buy and are in constant search for the products which cater their needs in the most appropriate manner (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009). Marketing concept is a theory to support the customer oriented philosophy. It aims to cater the customers in the most effective and efficient manner as compared to the competitors. This method of attracting customers and increasing sales aims at increasing the profitability of the customers in the long-run rather than in the short-run (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009; Vargo, & Lusch, 2004). The marketing concept has evolved with the passage of time. The relevance of the concept has increased in the 21st century because of the increasing number of competitors. Entities have to ensure that the products which the y are offering to the customers must deliver more value to them then the value that was delivered when they used a competitor product. The marketers are of the view that maximizing the quality of the product and is increasing the product offering is not sufficient to gain popularity with the customers. The competitors can also somehow manage to offer the same offerings, so in the 21st century the sellers require ensuring that they acquire a competitive edge on the product of the competitor and offer something beyond to exactly cater the requirements of the customers. This practice will attract the customers towards the product (Reibstein, Day, & Wind, 2009; Drucker, 2007). INTRODUCTION TO BRITISH GAS British Gas Group is a global business which deals with diversified tasks related to...Amongst the utility providers British Gas is a lot more diversified. This is because the company adapts to the change in environment. It has distinctive capability to sustain the commercial agility. T he management of the company sticks to the vision that is set by the decision making of the company. The operations of the group are significantly stable because the group has a set direction and it also has the resources which are required for sustaining the company. CONCLUSION Application of the Marketing concept in the 21st century emphasizes on the importance of satisfying the customer needs to ensure that the marketing process is effective. The competition between the competitors is increasing in the industry. This requires for the companies to strive for excellence and acquiring cost advantage that will benefit the company in accomplishing its goals. The traditional concept of marketing comprised of targeting on improving the quality of products which spoke for themselves and improved the productivity of the company. British Gas is a company which operates as a utility provider in more the 20 countries. The group is showing renowned for its excellent services and this is a major contributor to the edge which it has acquired. It is renowned to offer the services precisely tom cater the needs of the customers which shows the application of Marketing concept by the company.

Curriculum Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Curriculum - Essay Example Mark Smith (1996) is one of the theorists who studied various definitions of curriculum as described by many educationalists. He described curriculum in a range of approaches. One of them is linked to syllabus or a body of knowledge to be transmitted to the students. Smith also stressed that curriculum is a set of objectives, where there is a drawn-up plan to apply intended objectives with a measurable outcome. Another alternative definition is that curriculum is a student’s total experience. It comprises teachers’ and students’ communication and relationships between them. Smith also recommends that curriculum is one’s ability to apply theory to practice. Language Arts is one essential subject area that hones communication skills of students. Being knowledgeable in literature, grammar and writing is one important goal for them that will greatly benefit them in their growth and development. This paper will compare 7th Grade Language Arts curriculum guides of three district schools in New Jersey, namely the Hillside, Union and Orange Public Schools. The comparison will only be based on the guides acquired from these schools and not from how their curriculums are implemented. Of the three schools, Hillside Public School provided the most comprehensive curriculum guide. Next was the Orange School which also provided a clear outline indicating the goals of the Language Arts program and how its assessment strategies. Union School provided the least comprehensive guide, with just the use of cue words in enumerating its curriculum content and suggested activities. Demographics The district of Union had the biggest population at 62,629 followed by Orange at 31,165 and Hillside at 21,229. Of these populations, Hillside had the highest number of children of school age (5-17 years) at 18.27%, closely followed by Union at 16.01 % and Orange at 15.29%. Union had the highest number of Caucasians at 71.15%. Hillside had 30.64% and Orange had the lo west number at 9.72%. Its majority is the Black population at 72.96%. Hillside has 53.3% share of the Black population and Union had the least number at 4.95%. Hillside had the highest population of Hispanics at 79.60%. Orange only had 19.73% followed by Hillside at 17.86%. Hillside had the most number of literate people with 83% high school graduates followed by Orange at 77.1%. Union had 64.4% high school graduates. With college graduates, Hillside has the highest number again having 23.2% graduates, followed by Union at 17.3% and Orange at 16.6%. Union had 49.54% of its people speaking one other language other than English. Hillside and Orange are closely tied at 19.04% and 19.85% respectively. In terms of family income, Hillside had the highest median family income at an average of $73,816.00. Orange follows at $48,873.00 and Union at $41,988.00. Consistently, Hillside had the lowest poverty at only 9.6%. Orange has 16.5% and Union had the highest poverty at 19.6%. (New Jersey S chool District Demographic Characteristics, 2013). Curriculum structure (Understanding by Design vs. Pacing guide) One of the widely adopted curriculum design is the ‘Understanding by Design’ Planning Framework (UbD) by Wiggins, Grant and McTighe (1998). This is also known as the Backward Design Model wherein the teacher starts with the end, the desired results, and then derives the curriculum from the evidence of learning called for by the expectations and the teaching needed to equip students to