Classroom Assessment Essay

Introduction Assessment is the process of obtaining information about a student academic status in school. According to Gronlund and Waugh (2009), assessment is a continueous process, and an integral part of the classroom instruction process. â€Å"It helps in determining learning readiness, in monitoring and improving learning, and in grading or clarifying students achievement † (p. V). The purpose of assessment is to obtain information about a student academic status in order to make decisions on how to help students, teachers and school improve. Proper interpretation of the assessment result is key component in deciding the implication for both the student and teacher. Interpretation of the results For the purpose of this assignment, the assessment results are based on a formative reading assessment used to measure the extent to which students have mastered a specific learning outcome for vocabulary unit in a hypothetical remedial reading class of struggling readers. According to Gronlund & Waugh (2009), formative assessment is used to monitor student progress during instruction and is designed to measure mastery of the learning outcomes of a limited segment of instruction. The test is a criterion- referenced because Assessment Development and Use According to Gronlund and Waugh (2009), careful consideration must be given in planning and preparing the assessment. Specific questions concerning the goals of the curriculum, instructional objectives, learning outcomes, and procedures for the assessment were major focus in developing the assessment (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). The institution provided guidelines of what the students should know and able to do. As a result, reviewing the specific instructional objective outcomes and constructing relevant test items were keys in developing the assessment. In constructing each test item, addition, focus was given to the selection type and matching items to specific learning outcomes. Gronlund and Waugh (2009) stated, â€Å" Use the item type that provide the most direct measures of student performance specified by the intended learning outcome† (p. 76) Assessment Interpretation and Grading Gronlund and Waugh (2009), described two types of assessment interpretations. Norm-referenced interpretation compares an individual performance with others. Criterion- referenced interpretation compares the individual with himself and tells what and how each individual performs without comparison to others (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). The assessment is criterion-referenced, and is one of many assessments throughout the course. The result from the assessment will be used to indicate the extent of which each student master the specific knowledge and skill taught in the unit. Grades assigned to the students work will represent the extent to which the instructional objectives have been achieved (Gronlund and Waugh, 2009). Students will be assigned a letter grade (A, B, C, or D) according to their performance on the assessment. Gronlund and Waugh (2009) stated, â€Å"letter grades are typically assigned by comparing a student’s performance to a prespecified standard of performance† (p. 192). The results will not be used to compare student performance against others, but will aid in planning instruction for future lessons. I chose criterion-referenced assessment as a means of helping students achieve mastery of the instruction, and improve learning by determining what they know and what they don’t know. Grading Rubric References Angelo, T. A. , & Cross, K. P. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: a handbook for college teachers (2nd ed. ). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Gronlund, N. E. , & Waugh, C. K. (2009). Assessment of student achievement (9th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

Abraham Lincoln, Melungeon or Myth? Essay

Some historian believe that Abraham Lincoln was born an illegitimate child to Abraham Enloe and Nancy Hanks. It is possible that Abraham Lincoln could be tied to the Melungeon heritage through both of his parents? Many growing number of historians believe that Abraham Lincoln possess many qualities that distinguishes him as a Melungeon, and in fact believe that he is a direct descendant. The questioning of his parentage generates much interest and theories in regards to this great Presidents past. Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1908. His father was â€Å"said to be† Thomas Lincoln and his mother Nancy Hanks. He was born in a log cabin in Sinking Springs, in Hardin County Kentucky. After the death of his mother, his father remarried a wonderful lady named Sarah Bush. Abraham loved his step-mother and became very close to her and her 3 children. Despite his relationship with step-mother Sarah, Abraham did not maintain a good relationship with his father because of his resentment he held towards him having to turn all his wages over to him by some sort of law. Because of Lincoln’s hatred of slavery, which denied to slaves the â€Å"fruits of the labor† (McPherson 3), some people believe it may have influenced Thomas Lincoln expropriation of Abrahams’ earnings. Their relationship became so strained that when his father called him to his death bed, Lincoln refused to make the 80 miles trip to see him. His father died with no goodbyes given. Despit e Lincolns troubled and humble beginnings, he was able to self-educate himself, mainly by reading lots of books and became a very successful lawyer. In the American peoples’ eyes, Lincoln’s tale of â€Å"rags to riches†, is the ultimate â€Å"American† success story (Steers, Edward). There have been many myths, hoaxes and misconceptions regarding one of our greatest President throughout the years. During his early political career there was lots negative campaigning that was used to the taint his  campaign, just like we see and hear of today. Charges of illegitimacy were often hinted at because of the negative effect it had on the accused. â€Å"Illegitimate† people were considered defective. Lincoln’s paternity has long been in question due to the knowledge that a bastard son was born to a man named Abraham Enloe (Barton 18). The mother of the baby boy was a servant girl who worked in the Enloe household name Nancy Hanks (Lincoln’s mother). The question of his parentage generated much interest because of this claim and because Lincoln himself was reluctant to comment on his father and mother. Folks believed that it served as some sort of evidence of his knowledge and shame of his illegitimate birth. Authors Kennedy, N. Brent, and Robyn Vau ghan Kennedy. The Melungeons: the resurrection of a proud people: an untold story of ethnic cleansing in America. 2nd, rev., and corr. ed. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1997. Print. Presents the question of whether or not Abraham Lincoln was Melungeon himself, making him the first Melungeon (tri-racial) President. According to Ely Gallegos (a research team member), there is a great deal of circumstantial evidence that Lincoln shared a Melungeon heritage, possibly through both parents. Lincoln’s family fits the Melungeon model very well. Lincoln’s paternal grandfather also named Abraham Lincoln, immigrated with his wife Bathsheba Herring and their 5 children to Kentucky. Why would an established settler leave the beautiful Shenandoah Valley for the wild, untamed lands of Indian-dominated Kentucky? Money? Possibly a Melungeon movement? Lincoln’s father features also fit the description of a Melungeon. His mother, Nancy Hanks was born an illegitimate child to Lucy Hanks. H istory has no record of the identity of Nancy’s father. Nancy also had many characteristics of a non-Anglo (Sandburg 30). Her hair dark, dark brown, keen little gray eyes, outstanding forehead, somewhat accented chin and cheek bones and a body of slender build. Because of the geographical location of the Lincoln’s family and outstanding questions of Lincoln’s heritage, this leads to the theory of many researchers that Lincoln could possibly be a Melungeon himself. If true, this would make Abraham Lincoln the first (tri-racial) President. Brent Kennedy, an author who wrote the book â€Å"The Melungeons†, a spent a great deal of time writing about a time of â€Å"ethnic cleansing in American† and shares details on how the Melungeons seemed to disappear during the time of the first â€Å"census taking†. Because of their tri-racial ethnicity, they  did not fit under any category listed on the Census, so for â€Å"recordkeeping† purposes, they were categorized as either melotos/white/Indian/Africa Am erican, when in fact they were â€Å"all†. Melungeons were suggested to be descendants from â€Å"tri-racial isolates† (Los Angeles Times), a mixture of whites, blacks and American Indian who historians say interbred along Appalchia’s ridges during the 18th centuries. Old documents and stories passed down throught the generations tell a tale of â€Å"Portugese† Berbers, â€Å"sheperd-like† people who came to American in ships. They were proposed to be decendants of early Portuese, Spanish, Sephardic Jewish Mulims, Moorish, and/or Gypsy/Roma colonish in the southeastern United States (Kennedy 1997; Hirschman 2005; Price 1953), that were exiled from Spain and Portugal through a religious witch-hunt know as the â€Å"Spanish Inquisition†. Many of them settled in the hills of the Appalachian Mountians. Over time The Melugeons, were pushed off their lands, denied their rights, murdered, mistreated and became an embittered and nearly defeated people. They tried to fit in with Anglo neighbors, but lost their heritaage, their culture, their names and their original religion, but not their genetic structure. Many folks who believed themselves to be of Melungeons decendant, have become a part of â€Å"on-going† research which even includes giving blood samples. There continues to be actual on-going Melungeon DNA studies still taking place still today. Lincoln’s paternity has long been in question due to the knowledge that a bastard son was born to a man named Abraham Enloe (Barton 18). The mother of the baby boy, was a servant girl who worked in the Enloe household named Nancy Hanks (Lincoln’s mother). The question of his parentage generated much interest and because Lincoln himself was reluctant to comment on his father and mother. Folks believed that served as some sort of evidence of his knowledge and shame of his illegitimate birth. During his campaign many people tried to use this information against him. They tried to discredit him, by calling him â€Å"illegitimate†. Many people still today are interested in the fact that Abraham Lincoln may been the fir st â€Å"tri-racial† President. A couple hundred years later after his birth, there are still many unanswered questions regarding Abraham Lincoln. â€Å"Robert Ingersoll said it best. â€Å"Lincoln, he proclaimed† was a not a-type, He stands alone-no ancestors, no fellows, no successors†. Even the word Melungeon became a most disparging term. To be legally classified as a  Melungeon, meant to be â€Å"Nobody at all†. What would it have meant for Abraham Lincoln, a â€Å"self-educated†, depressed human being, born in a one room cabin to illegitmate parents to be labeled a â€Å"Melungeon†? Would the American people have voted for him? Did Lincoln’s passionate spirit to â€Å"free the slaves† come deep from within or did it come from darker place then anybody could ever have imagined? Just how different would the pages of our history books read, if people would have truly believed that Abraham Lincoln was a â€Å"Nobody†, a Melungeon? Work Cited Alexander, J. Trent, Chad Berry, Beth Bissmeyer, Donna Corriher, Rodger Cunningham, Damon Falke, Steve Fisher, William Gorgy, Jesse Graves, Margaret Gregor, Elizabeth Hirschman, John Lang, Robert Ludke, Irene McKinney, Lindsey Martin, Phillip Obermiller, Eric Rademacher, Mark Roberts, Emily Satterwhite, Barbara Smith, Shilah Turner, Jennifer Westerman, David Whisnant, and Donal Yates. â€Å"Appalachian Journal: A Regional Studies Review.† Toward a Genetic Profile of Melungeons in South Appalachia 38 (2010)111. Print. Kennedy, N. Brent, and Robyn Vaughan Kennedy. The Melungeons: the resurrection of a proud people: an untold story of ethnic cleansing in America. 2nd, rev., and corr. ed. Macon, Ga.: Mercer University Press, 1997. Print. McPherson, James M.. Abraham Lincoln. Oxford: Oxford University Press,2009. Print. Sandler, Martin W.. Lincoln through the lens: how photography revealed and shaped an extraordinary life. New York: Walker Pub. Co., 2008. Print. Steers, Edward. Lincoln legends myths, hoaxes, and confabulations associated with our greatest president. â€Å"Lincoln’s Father: The Paternity of Abraham Lincoln†. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2007.14-28 Print.

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN THE CHURCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT IN THE CHURCH - Essay Example nt and as such cannot cause conflict, in most cases, disregarding these sources creates bigger conflicts that could even contribute to bother breakup of the church. Although the church embraces morals in its operations, understanding the differences in the backgrounds of the members and leaders is important in dealing with conflict whenever they arise. Church attendance is one of the most important sources of conflict in the church. An increase and a decrease in people’s attendance in the church both have similar effects. They have a high likelihood of creating conflicts. While an increase in the number of people in the church raises an alarm to individuals holding leadership positions in the church, as they risk competition, a decrease in the attendance levels is an indication of poor leadership skills among the leaders (Turner 1991, p. 6). This could thus lead to a conflict between the members of the church and their leaders. Annual budget is yet another source of conflict in a church. Some of the people could have diverse views especially in the allocation of the total income of the church. Money, now more than ever, is a highly sensitive issue in the church. Budgeting should receive the approval of most of the members of the church, if not all (Spann & Wheeler 2010,  p. 241). Time changes for the leaders especially in addressing the members of the church is an important consideration too. Some of the leaders feel superior to others and thus regard them as coming later in the protocol. Time allocated to the leaders of the church to address the members of the church could also be a good breeding ground for church conflicts. When new influential people join the church, conflict is bound to arise. In most cases, these new people appear to receive more attention than the leaders of the church, something that would not go well with the leaders. Finally, the fear of the organization being out of control could be a source of conflict as the members deliberate on the

Democracy and Public Agenda Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Democracy and Public Agenda - Essay Example health insurance program for poor individuals and families, would undergo expansion to cover more low-income Americans. States that declined to take part in this expansion would lose federal subsidy for their existing Medicaid projects (Smith & Moore, 2011). The proposed expansion of Medicaid is consistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 25, which states that â€Å"everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services† (The United Nations, 1948, para 25). It is also compatible with the democratic principle that all individuals have specific basic rights, such as access to health care services. The main objective of democracy is to safeguard such rights (Machan, 2005). However, the opinions of numerous Americans on this issue are conflicting, which suggest that the public has not yet reached a ‘collective self-determination’. However, what is evident here is the existence of a ‘public discourse’. Majorities believe that the health care system has to undergo comprehensive reforms, and many argue that it is the obligation of the governm ent to make sure that everybody has sufficient access to health care. However, opinions differ when it comes to the possible costs of an expanded Medicaid (Smith & Moore, 2011). If we use the term public discourse to refer to the communicative processes by which public opinion is formed, we can say that the public discourse continuously but unsuccessfully strives to mediate between individual and collective self-determination to produce â€Å"a common will, communicatively shaped and discursively clarified in the political public sphere† (Habermas, 1987, 81). However, through public discourse Americans were able to reach a collective perception that lack of sufficient access to health care is the most

The Greek Island Crete Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Greek Island Crete - Essay Example The Islands contains rich folk traditions and cultural heritage despite economic growth, globalization and tourism. The famous dances are still conducted at every opportunity in most celebrations. Crete boasts of exceptional artistic phenomena such as poetry, embroidery, jewelry and Cretan music which are played with the violin, lyre and laouto (Duke, pg.89). The major diet consists of cuisine made of extra virgin olive oil, vegetables and legumes. The economic state of the island mainly depended on farming and stock breeding but has changed to incorporate tourism. Most of the agricultural goods produced include potatoes, grapes, oranges and olives. Other forms of industry active in the island include packaging and shipping industries as well as real estate. The region boasts of temperate climatic conditions with snow on the mountains thus making visits better in autumn and spring (Georgiou, pg.56). The flora is rich in herbs and pharmaceutical plants like thyme and labdanum and a variety of flowers like tulips and orchids. It also has varied fauna like wild goats, tree frogs and

Emotional Intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Emotional Intelligence - Essay Example According to Goleman, emotional intelligence is the management of feelings so that they are expressed appropriately and effectively in order to allow people to work together for a common goal (Leadership Organization 2012: 42). Additional definitions given include one that calls it the capacity to understand and use emotional information, either from others or from one’s own, accordingly. The concept of emotional intelligence is tied around the ability to be aware and express emotions; moreover, it is the ability to be aware of other people’s feelings, establish interpersonal relationships and the ability to manage and regulate emotions. The other two aspects of emotional intelligence are the ability to realistically and flexibly cope with the immediate situation and solve problems of personal and interpersonal nature as they arise, as well as generate positive feelings that allow one to be motivated adequately in order to achieve personal goals. In addition, emotional intelligence is known to affect the personality traits that an individual exhibits, which include sociability, extraversion, self-esteem, persistence and optimism. This is because, by people understanding their own, and other people’s feelings, people can manage relationships appropriately. Therefore, emotional intelligence is crucial in influencing people and leading them to achieve certain goals that in which one has an interest. In leadership, it is crucial to have emotional intelligence and apply it to all situations that involve relationships with people in order to affect the outcome that people under one’s leadership. This is particularly so in transformational leadership styles. Moreover, in this form of leadership, a leader operates at the emotional level of transforming people and their outcomes (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). Therefore, in transformational leadership, emotional intelligence is used to inspire involvement, loyalty, commitment and performa nce (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). In addition, this is done by leaders identifying themselves as a force and commissioners of change through taking up that role and embodying with it (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). This is concerning the behavior they portray and the influence they seek to mount on their followers. Thus, leaders using the transformational style of leadership are able to motivate their followers to do more than what they intend to do, and that which they consider themselves capable of achieving by providing a sense of belonging (Deloitte 2012: 10). Emotions are expressed in offering meaning and offering challenging tasks to followers in order to motivate them. This shows the role of emotional intelligence in offering motivation in leadership by letting one’s followers own the goals of an organization and create, and the leader creates an enthusiastic environment in which to work. In addition, transformational leaders and emotional intelligence go han d in hand owing to the leaders characteristics. This is because transformational leaders conduct themselves in ways that are admirable, respectable and that can be trusted by their followers. Thus, they are role models for their followers by portraying the goals and needs of an organization as their own. Moreover, this behavior works on the emotions of the followers by provoking a desire to achieve together with a formidable leader. An additional way in which transformational leadership and emotional intelligence are related is in the opportunities offered by a leader concerning furthering the ideas of their followers. This occurs by leaders engaging their followers in exploring ideas, which builds the relationship between the two parties (Brady et al. 2008: 58). Therefore, the relationship between leaders and followers gets a boost by interacting, exchanging ideas, challenging assumptions and developing new ideas for the betterment of the organization (Leadership Organization 2012: 18). Furthermore, on leadership styles, emotional intelli

Internet Banking Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Internet Banking Security - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that the three major techniques are used by Banks to provide security to the customers Password Encryption Firewalls/Server. For the online security, the passwords or usernames pays an important role. The password is an important element that ensures verified customers to log in to their accounts. On the contrary, the hackers can seize a username or password while transmission and can utilize to access the customer’s account. A research states that an added authentication method is required because in financial services trust is now redefined. In addition, trust is identified as a significant factor that influences a customer’s presence in web-based commerce. Security threats are the main factors that work as a barrier to online banking. The customers are disturbed about the security and safety issues while using Internet banking options. The improved security measures can re-build the trust in customers that influence them to u sed Internet banking. II. Internet Banking Security for SME’s For discussing the SME industry in terms of Internet Banking Security, we have utilized a typical SME as an example. A. Centralized Database access for sales/customer databases The sales database and customer database are connected to the switch. Every request from the users is redirected to the router, where the router checks the Access Control List (ACL). In this scenario, the accounts staff has permissions to access these servers. However, all the other users on the network are restricted to access these servers. B. Email An SME has configured an email server to provide email facility to the employees. It is connected to the switch. The router analyzes all the email requests, from the inbound network, to decide whether to send it to the LAN interface or the WAN interface. The security factor is handled by the firewall and IDS C. Internet Access Internet access is only provided by the Internet Security and Accele ration (ISA) server. The network administration staff can create access policies on the ISA server to allow or deny Internet access by providing MAC address and IP address of the specific user. In a domain environment, as the SME has a domain environment, usernames that are created on the domain server are sufficient. D. Company Website and Intranet The intranet is available to everyone who is associated with the network. E. VOIP To support VoIP functionality, the VoIP architecture is connected to the public switched telephone networks (PSTN).

River Island Strategic Marketing Report (Russian Federation) Research Paper

River Island Strategic Marketing Report (Russian Federation) - Research Paper Example Conclusions 14 Works cited 15 Name of the student Name of professor Course name Date River Island Strategic Marketing Report (Russian Federation) 1. Introduction & Overview River Island is one of the renowned and popular high street brands that operates internationally and has its stores in different countries. This company is headquartered in London and has its presence in many countries, including, many European countries, Russia and the countries in the Middle East. The company has a strong brand presence in Russia due to several factors; the rising interest of the Russian customers in international brands, the quality of products offered by the company and affordable range of prices (Karadakis, Kaplanidou and Karlis 175). Certain subtle changes are visible in the characteristics of the Russian market for consumer products. In recent years, Russian customers are becoming more interested in consuming products of brands have an international presence. This provides the opportunity t o the global brands to increase their operations in Russia (Bacon, â€Å"Reaching Russia’s lucrative layer†). River Island is considering certain strategic changes in order to utilize the new developments in customers’ preferences (Riverisland, 2013). ... River Island provides a good opportunity to make a marketing analysis of the company and develop a marketing plan that would help the company to make further progress in its growth path. 2. Marketing Audit Macro environment Analysis – PESTLE PESTEL analysis of Russian Federation would help in understanding the external macroeconomic environment of the country. This would facilitate understanding of the strategies and business policies of the company. Political Economic Social Technological Environmental Legal Internal conflicts Corruption Different political divisions External conflicts with several powerful economies; like the USA and the UK Rich natural reserves Export oriented economy; depends on export of oil and natural gas One of the largest GDPs in the world in terms of size of GDP Volatile exchange rate High price inflation Unequal income distribution Low foreign direct investment Higher proportion of skilled work force than unskilled work force Diversity in work force is high Presence of social unrest due to diversity in workforce as well as political diversities Existence of class divisions and social discrimination Low level of life expectancy Russia has strong industrial background Possess some of the most powerful scientific research frameworks in heavy industries and defence sectors (Carlsen and Andersson 86) However, IT communication processes are not well developed in all regions within the vast expanse of the country (Helms and Nixon 220) Displays low awareness regarding environment and ecology Industrial activities within the country creates various environmental concerns Unfavourable climatic conditions can sometimes act as barriers to trade Wide geographical territory is sometimes unmanageable New legal obligations Laws

Sustainable Energy and Power Systems Coursework

Sustainable Energy and Power Systems - Coursework Example The advantage of Gauss’s law over Coulomb’s law lies in the facts that, in a faraday cage, the electric field inside get demonstrated. The law makes use of Ampere’s law dealing with magnetism. On the other hand, Coulomb’s law requires not only Gauss’s law in its derivation but also makes use of other Maxwell’s law (Fleisch 3). 3. Given that relative permittivity =3, and radius r3=2 cm. And permittivity of vacuum=8.85 pF/m, the potential difference between the surface of the conductive cylinder and the outer surface of the dielectric cylinder can be determined as follows  ; This refers to an electrical device designed to transmit power through the barriers of electrical apparatus. This apparatus may include transformers and circuit breakers. Also, be defined as an insulator, which refers to a barrier preventing conduction of electricity from one device to the other. Any bushing designed must be able to withstand high voltage generated by the electric power. In addition to this quality, the bushing must also be capable of withstanding mechanical forces and seal the conducting parts of a conductor well. As the current flows through a conductor, high electrical stresses act on the conductor and these can lead to breakdown in the electrical insulation (Fleisch 16). There exist different shapes of bushings with varying sizes and designed in different techniques. Two of the types include solid bushings and capacitance graded. The solid bushing consists of a cylinder made of an insulating material, for example, porcelain or rubber. At the centre, a ground barrier covering the conductor with a high voltage exists and its attachment done to the ground. The figure below shows the arrangement of the bushing explained above. The cylinders, which conduct the electric current, spread out the change in voltage evenly. The distribution of voltage in the conductor varies depending with the material. The graded capacitive voltage in bushings,

Explaining the Goal of Financial Management and the Role of Ethics Essay Example for Free

Explaining the Goal of Financial Management and the Role of Ethics Essay It has always been the goal of the financial managers to maximize the wealth of the shareholders of the firm. That is to say, we maximize the potential benefits that the firm’s stakeholders get by increasing the value of the firm in which these shareholders have taken the risk of investing to. According to Ingram (1992), the worth of a company is dependent on the capacity of the assets to produce cash flows over a period of time. This means that if the firm is able to generate a positive net cash flow including a reasonable dividend to its owners, then it said that value is created. Firms face two kinds of profits. They are accounting profits and economic profits. Maximizing accounting profits normally refers to the general corporate goal of maximizing profits as maximizing economic profits generally refers to maximizing the shareholder’s wealth. Ingram (1992) has distinguished them by defining accounting profits as the income accumulated after the overall cost is deducted from the overall revenue before the payment to shareholders is considered and economic profits as the income accumulated after compensating for the factors of production such as capital, labor and others. Moreover, she differentiated the two by saying that accounting profit does not consider all the factors of production as economic profit does and that it also does not consider compensating the shareholders for taking the risk in investing in the firm. Maximizing wealth does not consequently mean that the firm has to face an unethical decision making. It is still up to the firm as to how it will perform this task. As according to Goizueta (1997), everyone in the company would be better of if it plans for a long-term goal rather than a short-term goal. Through this, the firm can still plan on how it will maximize the wealth and at the same time be consistent with ethical standards.

European Telecommunications Policy on Liberalisation

European Telecommunications Policy on Liberalisation Introduction This paper critically discusses the European telecommunications policy which is mainly intended to liberalise all telecommunications goods and services. Telecommunications policy is concerned with fixed telephone network, telephone (voice) service, other services based on the telephone network, mobile telephony and electronic information network services such as the internet. Communications technologies services serve as a vital link between industry, the services sector and market as well as between peripheral areas and economic centres.[1] There is therefore no question as to the importance of having a telecommunications policy in place to ensure industrial competitiveness and economic and social cohesion. What cannot, however, escape comment is the kind of telecommunications policy introduced in Europe by the European Union. Background information European telecommunications policy started with a Council Decision and Resolution on standardisation of in the field of information technology which was adopted in 1987.[2] The aim of the Decision and Resolution was to create a European market in telecommunications equipment. This was meant to ensure that competition prevails across member states and also to ensure exchange of information, the convergence of industrial strategies and the creation of exploitation of a vast European information technologies and telecommunications market. A Directive was issued in 1999 to establish a single market for radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment. The Directive also prescribes the mutual recognition of their conformity based on the principle of the manufacturer’s declaration.[3] In order to succeed in creating a single market in telecommunications services it was realised that telecommunications markets had to be liberated so that user would be able to procure and connect terminal equipment without the obligation of applying to a single national telecommunications authority. To this end, member states are therefore required to bring an end excusive and special rights remaining in the telecommunications, the restrictions on the installations used for mobile networks as well as the interconnection between such networks. Suppliers of telecommunications services are also entitled to use capacity on cable television networks for all communications services, main data communications, closed corporate networks and multimedia services. Complete liberalisation of voice telephony and telecommunications infrastructure was are intended to be achieved. National regulatory authorities are also required to contribute to the development of the internal market by way of co-o peration with each other and with the Commission to ensure the consistent application in all member states. In 2002, a Directive[4] was issued for the establishment of a harmonised regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services throughout the European Union. The Directive takes account of all electronic communications networks and services within it scope. The electronic communications networks and services include transmissions system and routing equipment as well as other resources which permit the conveyance of signals by wire, by radio, by optical or by other electromagnetic means. They also include satellites networks, fixed and mobile-terrestrial networks, electricity cable system networks used for radio and television broadcasting, and cable television networks. There is also what is known as the â€Å"telecoms package† under which four specific directives were issued. One of these Directives concerns access. It is intended to provide a framework for rules that are applicable to specific products or service markets in particular geographical area. It is also intended to address identified market problems between access and interconnection suppliers.[5] For example, it gives operators of public communications a right and also impose obligation on them to negotiate interconnection with each other for the purpose of providing publicly available electronic communications services, so as to ensure provision and interoperability of services throughout the European community. One of the specific Directives also concerns authorisation. It is intended to implement an internal market in electronic communications networks and services through the harmonisation and simplification of authorisation rules and conditions in order to facilitate their provision throughout the community. [6] The Directive requires member states to ensure the freedom to provide electronic networks and services, subject to certain conditions set out in the Directive. Member states are therefore obliged not to prevent an undertaking from providing electronic communications networks or services without proper reasons.[7] The Directive also stipulates that the general authorisation system should apply to all such services and networks irrespective of their technological characteristics and should limit administrative barriers to entry into the market to a minimum. Another of the specific Directives concerns universal service and users. It is intended to ensure universal service provision for public telephony services in an environment of greater overall competitiveness, with provisions for financing the cost of providing a universal service in the most competitively neutral manner and for ensuring a maximum of information transparency.[8] Also, the Directive is intended to ensue the interoperability of digital consumer television equipment and the provision of certain mandatory services. Furthermore, the Directive establishes the rights of users and consumers of electronic communications service. The fourth specific Directive concerns the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communication sector.[9] It harmonises the provision of member states required to ensure an equivalent level of protection of fundamental rights and freedoms and in particular the right to privacy. It also ensures the free movement of such data and of electronic communication equipment and services in the community. There is an axis of the European telecommunications policy called the â€Å"technological development in telecommunications, which is pursued by research in advanced communication technologies and services. European research technological development policy is directed towards strengthening the scientific and technological basis of community industry and encouraging it to become more competitive at international level, while promoting all the research activities considered necessary by virtue of other chapters of the Treaty.[10] Other axis is known as â€Å"trans-European telecommunications network†. The networks are national digital networks which aim to introduce innovative trans-European services in the general interest. They also aim to contribute to the development of the information society in terms of growth, employment, social cohesion and participation for all in he knowledge-based economy.[11] Assessment of the policy The European telecommunications policy is said to have contributed greatly to the development of the telecommunication industry.[12] A member of the European Union Commission responsible for information society and media also claims that: â€Å"†¦ good implementation of the EU framework is paying off. EU countries that have applied the EU rules in a timely and efficient manner, following the principle of competition, have clearly achieved the best results in terms of investment in new networks and take-up of new innovative services It is rare for issues to arise where social justice and economic reality go hand in hand. I believe this is the case for the Information Society. All countries will have to liberalise their telecom networks in the end. This is unavoidable. Those that fight against it often do so in the name of social justice. They argue that liberalisation will reduce economic and social cohesion. The rich will get richer and the poor will be poorer. However, there is no inherent conflict between liberalisation and social justice in the field of the Information Society.†[13] According to the Commissioner, Variations of regulatory approach are today an obstacle to the internal market and to effective competition: If a national regulator in country A applies the EU rules vigorously to the operators on its market, while the national regulator in country B adopts a more lenient policy towards the dominant operator by adopting remedies later or in a less efficient way, this gives companies in country B an unfair competitive advantage over companies in country A. In Europe’s internal market, this is unacceptable. The Commissioner expressed belief that the Commission should be able to ensure consistency in remedies proposed by national regulators to enhance competition in market dominated by one or more operators. This, the Commissioner said was a logical adjunct to the Commission’s current role as regards market definitions and market power assessments. The Commission has three functions within the telecommunications area: the promotion of European telecommunications policy; regulation of competition and as a watchdog on the application of the Treaty of Rome. The commissioner’s remarks show that the aim of the policy has not been fully achieved. It is correct to say that, the European telecommunication policy has its shortcomings. First of all, one wonders how a policy which has separate national regulators for each member country can be said to be effective. There is no doubt that if the EU wants to achieve a real level playing field where telecommunication operators can compete satisfactorily with one another then there must be an independent telecommunications authority whose duty would be to ensure efficient implementation of the rules across member states. Such an authority would have the authority to require national regulators to co-operate with it. It is argued that the creation of a centralised authority was successf ully prevented by member states even though centralisation was regarded as a necessary step in the process of liberalisation and promotion of an integrated enfrastructure.[14] One criticism directed at the policy is that the regulatory regime has evolved which is framed and instructed by European guidelines but varies from member state to member state in several respects without a short-term or medium-term perspective to converge on a single regulatory model.[15] Alabau (2006) also argues that one does not have to analyse it very hard to realise that what the Commission wanted to do was simply to impose a single European licence, making services subject to the same policy that it applied to the free movement of goods. That was why the Framework Directive referred to Article 8 of the Treaty. In his view, the Member States were not going to give way on the mutual recognition of licences. Granting licences for operating telecommunications services in their territory represented an area of sovereignty that they simply were not prepared to give up. This situation, which might have made sense in the case of value added services, verged on the unreasonable when the decision to liberalise voice telephony services and infrastructures was made.[16] It was revealed during the EU telecom conference in Geneva in 1999 a number of issues could be identified. The first was the degree of independence enjoyed by national regulators. At a minimum, regulated authorities must be independent of the telecommunications operator(s) if any liberalisation of services is to be successful. Competitors should not enter a market unless the dominant operator is subject to independent regulation to ensure that monopoly services are provided to competitors at a price that allows them to compete effectively. Second, it was observed that notwithstanding the progress that has been made in many market segments, incumbents still largely dominate national markets. The biggest problem in this respect is their overwhelming dominance in local access networks. Some member states are believed to have already responded to this by forcing the incumbent to unbundle the local loop. Third, wide variations in the degree of competition between Member States are inevita ble, given their different starting points. However, this is also the result of differences in the regulatory framework, which in some areas is not consistently applied. It is for European Commission to set an overall telecommunications policy framework in the distribution of licenses. The duty of the National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) was to implement such objectives through specific legislative measures. All member states awarded more than one license in accordance with EU competition rules. However, while some states preferred to award licence through auction, others opted for what is known as the â€Å"beauty contest†. There are a number of flaws associated with either of these options. In any member state where auctioning was preferred, it emerged that the auctioning was problematic. The licence fee is said to be extremely high. â€Å"The danger of an open-ended auction is that the companies, in trying to outdo each other, will drive up the costs ridiculously.†[i] The ‘ridiculous costs’ of licenses may generate a chain of events with profound implications on 3G services and on overall economic welfare. One argument against auctioning states that due to the high cost of spectrum, telcos are forced to pass these costs on to consumers via higher prices, which in turn, retards the development of mobile data services due to lower mobile uptake by consumers). Ultimately, the deceleration in development will have wide-ranging implications for national economies as a whole†.[17] Auctions is also said to favour well-capitalised incumbent telcos which can afford to pay high premiums for spectrum, while smaller, possibly more innovative telcos who may be able to develop products faster while providing it at a better service, are left out due to capital constraints. Consequently, fewer competitors will exist in the market, keeping prices higher and products and services less innovative.[18] With regard to licence fee, the British Government has been criticised. It observed that higher prices to the consumer and the threat of investment stifling in 3G networks were both risks that might delay the rollout of 3G services and ultimately, adversely affect a country’s economic development. Many governments, including Ireland, have chosen not to use an auction to avoid the aforementioned risks. According to Professor Peter Cramton from the University of Maryland, beauty contests suffer from several problems. First, they are extremely slow and wasteful.[19] Second, beauty contests lack transparency. It is difficult to see why one proposal won out over another. Worse yet, the ability of the regulator to successfully identify the best proposals is limited.[ii] The Radio communications Agency, which manages the UK’s radio spectrum, admits it considered various options for 28GHz, including a beauty contest. But in a report on the two processes, it concluded that with a beauty contest it would be difficult to keep the selection procedure 1) objective, 2) non-discriminatory and 3) transparent, as required by the EC Licensing Directive.[20] It argued that the danger of utilizing beauty contests as a basis for assigning licenses for 3G mobile networks is that the criteria may be influenced by subjectively biased national factors that may prejudice open decision making.[21] Conclusion It will be unfair to say that the European telecommunications policy has not achieved any success. One may to a large extent agree with the assertion that the policy has contributed greatly the development of the telecommunication industry. However, as seen above, the policy is far from perfect. The entire blame cannot be shifted to the European Commission. The unwillingness on the part of member states to have an independent European telecommunications authority has contributed to the problem. Having identified this as a problem herself, the EU Commissioner responsible for information society and media stated at the 2006 European Competitive Telecommunications Association conference that the most effective and less bureaucratic way to achieve a real level plying ground field for telecom operators was to replace the present system by an independent authority that will act like European Central Bank. One cannot but only that in future member states will realise the need to have such a system in place. References Chapman, Matt. â€Å"Auction of Radio Spectrum Comes Back to Haunt Telcos,† Network News,  Sep 6, 2000 Eliassen, Kjell, A. and Sjovaag, Marit. European Communication Liberalisation. London:  Routledge. 1999 Lehr, W. and T. Kiessling. (1999). Telecommunication Regulation in the United States,  Europe: The Case for Centralized Authority. In S. Eisner Gillett and I. Vogelsang,  eds, Competition, Regulation, and Convergence. Current Trends in Telecommunications Policy Research. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 105-20. Reding, Viviane, Review of the EU Telecom Rules: Strengthening Competition and Completing  the Internal Market†. 27 June 200http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/422> Schneider, Volker and Werle, Raymund, Telecommunications Policy. In Graziano,  Paolo, and Vink, Maarten, eds Europeanization: New Research Agendas. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2006). Chapter 20  Nourafchan, Raphael. The Political Economy of European Telecommunications Policy: auctions  versus Beauty Contests Footnotes [1] Moussis, Nicholas, Access to European Union: Law, Economic Policies. Rixensart, Belgium: European.  Union Services [2] Repealed, see Council Decision (1999/468 EC) [3] Directive 1999/5/EC [4] Directive 2002/21/ EC [5] Directive 2002/19/EC [6] Directive 2002?20/ EC [7] The reasons are set out in Article 46(1) of the Treaty [8] Directive 2002/22/EC [9] Directive 2002/58/EC [10] Decision 182/1999/EC [11] Decision 336/97/EC [12] Liikanen, Erkki, Telecom 1999 Conference, Geneva, 1999. 07 August 2007. http://ec.europa.eu/archives/commission_1999_2004/liikanen/media/speeches/19991010.htm> [13] Reding, Viviane, Review of the EU Telecom Rules: Strengthening Competition and Completing the  Internal Market†. 27 June 2006. http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=SPEECH/06/422> [14]  Lehr, W. and T. Kiessling. (1999). Telecommunication Regulation in the United States,  Europe: The Case for Centralized Authority. In S. Eisner Gillett and I. Vogelsang, eds,  Competition, Regulation, and Convergence. Current Trends in Telecommunications  Policy Research. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 105-20. [15]  Schneider, Volker and Werle, Raymund, Telecommunications Policy. In Graziano,  Paolo, and Vink, Maarten, eds Europeanization: New Research Agendas.  Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan (2006). Chapter 20 [16] Alabau, Antonio, â€Å"European Union and its Electronic Communications Policy; Thirty Years In Perspective† [17]Nourafchan, Raphael. The Political Economy of European Telecommunications Policy: auctions versus Beauty  Contests [18] Ibid. [19] Even with streamlined hearings, it took the FCC an average of two years to award thirty cellular licenses. Competitors  Spend vast sums trying to influence the regulator’s decision (Peter Cramton 2001). [20]  Chapman, Matt. â€Å"Auction of Radio Spectrum Comes Back to Haunt Telcos,† Network News, Sep 6, 2000 [21] Telecoms Standards Approvals Review, â€Å"3G Licensing: France to Use Selection Process,† Jun 20, 2000 [i] [ii]

Essay --

Personal Behavior Change For this paper I decided to take a second and evaluate my life and think about what were some of my current lifestyle habits and behaviors and which out of these habits would I like to change. After sitting down and evaluating all of my main habits I categorized them into groups of which ones were helping to lead me to a long healthy lifestyle and which ones were likely to lead me to an unhealthy life and lifestyle. After narrowing these unhealthy habits down to my top three I decided to focus this paper and my attention on my current nutrition and most of all on my negative eating habits. After evaluating my lifestyle and all of my unhealthy habits I felt that my current nutrition level and eating patterns were in need of the most improvement and change. One of the reason’s why I felt my nutrition needed to changes is because nutrition is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle, the way that we eat and what foods we consume can have a huge impact on our everyday lives. Nutrition plays a huge role in multiple facets of a person’s life energy, health, skin, weight, confidence, and more making having a good control on your eating habits extremely important. How we eat over the years and what foods we routinely choose to eat can eventually have a lasting effect on use and what we consider to be most appealing and appetizing at any given moment. Having these craving and routine habits makes eating, diet, and nutrition both a behavior and a lifestyle choice that can be changed over time with help from the theories learned in this class. I felt that with the behavior that I was trying to change the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) would be most effective for me. The reason I decided to choose this model was because... ... currently in. By reassesses your progress and where you are currently you allow yourself to keep from relapsing and falling from one stage back down to another. In this particular article they reassessed their participants commitment and current stage every six and twelve months (Geoffrey 2012 p.256) I feel for me moving forward reassessing my current commitment every three months would be most effective. Reason for this is at the 60 days is when you need to start making a move from preparation into the action stage, also after 6 months of being in the action stage you can consider yourself within the maintenance stage. By evaluating every three months I can have a solid idea of when I have left my preparation stage and finally entered action and after two assessments in the action stage I can start to consider myself firmly within the maintenance stage of change.

Essay --

Health Care Models Analysis A 26 year old white female presented to her physician’s office complaining of chronic abdominal pain. The pain appeared to be more intense 30 minutes after eating. The patient reported no unusual bowel activity. The patient had a normal body temperature and blood pressure. The patient was of normal weight and height for her age and body structure. The patient underwent an abdominal ultrasound, Hepatobiliary Scan, Upper GI, Small Bowel Series, and an Upper and Lower Endoscopy. The lower endoscopy study revealed abnormal mucosal patterns and was suggestive of Celiac disease. The patient was then tested for Celiac disease and the results were positive. Celiac disease is the inflammation of the small bowel, particularly the upper small bowel resulting from a gluten sensitivity. The inflammation may lead to malabsorption of key nutrients such as iron, folic acid, calcium, and fat soluble vitamins. Symptoms can range from abdominal discomfort to diarrhea. In patients with the malabsorption issue, anemia or osteoporosis may be manifest. The main medi...

Gulf War :: essays research papers

Controversial Issues: Justifying the Persian Gulf War On January 16, 1991 the Gulf War had officially started, and for good reason. In August of 1990, Saddam Hussein sent armies to Kuwait, to take it over. When the United States had unwittingly given Saddam help when fighting against the Iranians, we had also given him a military that was one of the world’s largest and most lethal. And so, when Saddam did not comply with the ultimatum that the U.S. had given him, Congress voted for the use of force.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Oil was the major reason that Saddam wished to take over Kuwait. In 1962, Kuwait was finally recognized as an independent country, the U.S. wanted it back that way. August 3, 1991, just one day after the invasion, the U.N. Security Council demanded the immediate and unconditional withdraw of Iraq’s troops. Later, the Council proclaimed an economic restraint against Iraq. Saddam still would not yield.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The major concern about Saddam was his weapons that he had the power to start a biological warfare. Ironically, it was the U.S. that had supported him with these weapons, helping him build his massive military. The idea of a biological war brings great anxiety to most people, so it was, of course, up to the U.N to stop it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  However, people still remembered Vietnam and didn’t like the idea of it happening all over again. When Saddam would no relent, the Council took action by sending him an ultimatum: leave Kuwait by January 15, 1991, or U.N. forces would use all necessary means to drive out Iraq. Of course it held no sway over Saddam, so the next day, the U.N. sent over its forces and in three days had liberated Kuwait, though Saddam was not dislodged from power, and is still there to this day.

“Allocating Merit Raise” Case Analysis

Abstract Small State University is facing the dilemma of how to allocate the $17,400 that the state agreed to give to the management department. Each qualified candidate’s employment information is given to help determine the merit raise decision. Before the decision can finalize, research and analysis will be conducted. A case solution will include the implementation of management approval, budget recommendations, communication and essential steps of the new policy to the university, and fair distribution of merit raise. Keywords: merit raise, human resources, performance evaluation, merit raise procedures Introduction Small State University has 40 full-time and more than 30 part-time faculty members and enrolls about 8,000 students. There are five departments within the university, which include management, marketing, finance, and accounting, decision sciences, and information technology. The state agreed to give raises of $17,400 to the management department. The faculties in the department are evaluating yearly and their performance is based on teaching, research, and service. The department chairs utilize Far Exceeds Standards, Exceed Standards, Meets Standards, and Fails to Meet Standards are to use judge a faculty’s performance. At Small State, teaching and research are more important than service. A two year student course evaluation is used to measure a faculty’s teaching performance. The number of articles published over a three-year period is use to evaluate a faculty’s research performance. Lastly, service is based on the accomplishments of service to the university, college, profession, and community within a two-year period. As the department chair, it is my responsibility to divide the $17,400 fairly among the faculty members within the law. As an educational institution, merit pay is designed to encourage high effort by rewarding productivity. However, there are times that merit pay is overly awarded, which cause employees to think of it as an incentive. The decision of who deserves the merit pay can be a complication. There are six recipients who are equally qualified for the $17,400 that the state is willing to issue. First, it is important to look at the individual’s profile. Policy The annual faculty evaluation considers teach, research, and service to evaluate a faculty’s performance. To provide the department chair with the information, each eligible member is requiring submitting an Anticipated Activities Plan (See Appendix A) and an Annual Activities Report (See Appendix B) each year. Both reports are due in the month of June each year and will be kept in the member’s file. The department chair will consult members to insure that the scope of the effort and distribution among the criteria is appropriate. How it is determine is based on the nature of the member’s appointment and their anticipated activities report. Procedures Evaluation The department chair will conduct an evaluation by comparing the two reports. When comparing, the report is view as the goal of the plan. In addition, the department chair will use the student and peer evaluations. After the evaluation, each member will be given the opportunity to review the decision and have five days to appeal. After the time is due, the department chair will submit an official written evaluation to the Dean for determination. Determination Merit raises are derived from the evaluations using the four category rating scale in each of the three performance areas. Rating Scale: Far Exceeds Standards 3 Exceed Standards 2 Meets Standards 1 Fails to Meet Standards 0 For Small State University, there are a total of six faculties and an incremental merit of $17,400, which made the merit increment to $2,900. Each member will received as followed: | | Review Cycle Ending: | Be as specific as possible describing anticipated activates in Teaching, Research and Service for the upcoming academic year. Address your plans for the following two years in a more general manner. Identify any major change of emphasis since the last reporting cycle. Emphasize major goals, expected changes in status of ongoing projects, or new initiatives. Indicate what department resources you anticipate are required to accomplish your plan. For example, if you are planning a sabbatical, are considering retirement, see a semester with heavier than normal research demands, envision changing space needs, and list this in as much detail as possible. Context: Major Career Goals In this section, describe the vision you have for your career. Indicate the broad interests or goals that guide your anticipated activities and bind your work into a coherent whole. Provide a context for the anticipate activities listed below so that the way in which each activity supports the common thread is apparent. | | Upcoming Academic Year |Teaching | | |Research | | |Service | | The Academic Year after next |Teaching | | |Research | | |Service | | Two Academic Years from Now Teaching | | |Research | | |Service | | Appendix B Department of business management annual Activities REPORT Faculty Member: |For the Period : | | |June 16, 2010 – June 15, 2011 | All responses go into tables and nearly all responses require that you put your name with each entry. This greatly facilitates the compiling of the information into a department summary for the annual report. All entries below should be in 10 point type to ensure uniformity when compiling. TEACHING A. Classes. For each academic session of the reporting period (Summer, Fall, Spring) list all courses and sections taught. Put one section per line and give the enrollment for that section. Fall Semester | |Course designator, number and full title |Section number |Enrollment | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Spring Semester | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Summer Semester | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | B. Significant contributions. Describe any significant teaching contributions related to these courses (include development of new courses, substantive revisions in content, new instructional techniques, etc. ). If there are anomalies that affect your teaching (for example: extended absence for research or health, unusually high or low teaching l oads, unique teaching assignments, etc. ), discuss them here. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | C. Self-improvement. List changes you have made in your teaching that are the direct result of feedback from students (via evaluations or otherwise) or colleagues. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | D. Independent study/research. This includes PHYS 297, 298, 397, 398, 497, 498, 499, and research not associated with a formal course. This includes students who registered for the class and received credit and for students who worked on a research project and received wages. Include the topic, the student’s name, whether the work is for credit hours or salary, the approximate number of hours per week worked by student, and the outcome(s) for the student. For example, was a paper, a poster, an internal report, an oral presentation, etc. produced? If the student is participating in part of an ongoing project and there is not yet an outcome, indicate this. If a refereed paper was written, a presentation given by the student (oral or poster), or the student simply attended a workshop or conference, note this here and give full information in sections IIC – IIF as appropriate. Fall | |Course and |Student Name |Credit or Salary |Student hours/wk |Student Outcome | |Topic Title | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Spring | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |Summer | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | E. Significance of student research. Discuss the significance of these student independent study/research contributions to your research program and to the students. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT A. Grant applications submitted. Put all submitted and newly funded grants here. Provide complete information. The â€Å"life of grant† should give beginning and end dates. Any co-PI’s in other departments at JMU should include the name of their respective departments; co-PI’s from other institutions should list their institutions. In any event, all PI’s and co-PI’s are to be listed. Grant Title |PI |Co-PI |Agency |Life of Grant |1st Year Amt |Total Request |Funded | | | | | | | | |Yes/No | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | B. Ongoing Grants. List here all multi-year grants that are in their second or subsequent years. Here, â€Å"single year amt† refe rs the amount for the current year. Grant Title |PI |Co-PI |Agency |Life of Grant |Single Year Amt |Total Amt | | | | | | | | | C. Publications. List here all papers published in refereed journals. Give complete citation information. In the case of large collaborations (more than ~10), you need list only the name of the collaboration and the JMU collaborators (although you may list all collaborators if you wish). However, it is important that at least the names of all JMU authors are listed so that a unique list of the department’s publication record can be generated. For smaller collaborations, always list all authors. Title |Author |Co-Author(s) |Student(s) |Journal / Volume/ Page |Year | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | D. Published Abstracts. As for publications, always list all JMU authors. Also list student abstracts for which your name does not appear but you supervised the work as listed above in section ID. Title |Author |Co-Author |Student |Jo urnal / Number |Year | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | E. Scholarly presentations. List all presentations given, both on and off campus. Under the â€Å"Meeting/Venue† heading indicate either the meeting (full meeting name and location) or the on-campus function (give specific class, event or symposium). Indicate whether you, your student or collaborator presented the paper in each case by putting the presenter’s name in bold. Title |Author |Co-Author |Student |Meeting/Venue |Date | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | F. Presentations given to a general audience. List all presentations given, both on and off campus. Presentations given to school groups should be listed under outreach (section IIID). Under the â€Å"Meeting/Venue† heading indicate either the meeting (full name and location) or the on-campus function (class, event, etc. ). Indicate whether you, your student or collaborator presented the paper in each case by putting t he presenter’s name in bold. Title |Author |Co-Author |Student |Meeting/Venue |Date | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | G. Conferences Attended. Make entries here if either you or your student(s) or both attended a conference, workshop or collaboration meeting. Conference Title |Faculty |Student(s) |Date | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | H. Professional Workshop/Short Course Participation. |Workshop |Faculty |Where |Dates | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | I. Membership in Professional Organizations. Please give the full organization name, not just the abbreviation or acronym. Organization |Faculty name |Office Held | | | | | | | | | | | | | J. Membership in Research Collaborations. List the collaborations to which you belong. Under â€Å"Leadership Role(s)† indicate the collaboration activities for which you are a leader. Under â€Å"List of Projects† list your responsibilities/contributions as a collaboration member. If you are a leader or spokesperson for more than one experiment/project, make a separate entry in the table for each. Collaboration name |Faculty name |Primary research location |Office held |Leadership Role(s) |List of Projects | |or collaborator list | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | K. Honors and Special Recognition Received. Faculty name |Honor /Award |Honoring Organization |Date | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | L. Reviewing/Editing Manuscripts for Scholarly Journals. Include JMU Publications but clearly indicate them as such. Faculty name |Manuscript Title |Journal | | | | | | | | | | | | | M. Reviewing Manuscripts for funding agencies. If the review is done as a member of a panel, give the panel dates, give the number of proposals you read and the subject area of the panel. Faculty name |Manuscript Title |Agency |Dates | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N. Other significant contributions. List any other scholarly achievements hat you feel are significant but do not fit into the above categories. For example, indicate contributions to funded research for which you are not listed as a PI or co-PI or patents granted. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | O. Significance of your scholarship. Discuss the significance of the items listed in IIA through IIM. Particularly discuss your contributions to collaborative efforts and put these in context. Indicate which items are particularly noteworthy and explain why. For efforts that are part of an ongoing program, put this year’s work into a context. Indicate which, if any, items represent the conclusion of a particular component in your work or the initiation of a new direction. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | PROFESSIONAL SERVICE A. Committees. List the name of the committee chair and indicate the level of the committee. Your name will appear twice if you are the chair of the committee. |Level | Your name |Committee Title |Chairperson |Dept |College |University | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | B. Exceptional contributions. If your contributions to any of the above ommittees are significant (beyond the usual work load and/or of particular importance to the department, college or university), please explain. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | C. Professional consultations. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. At a minimum, include the name of the person/entity/organization with whom you consulted, the dates and outcomes. | | | D. Community and public school outreach activities. Be specific about your role in these activities and put your contribution in context. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | | E. Other professional service. List here anything that does not fit into any of the above categories. Explain why these are noteworthy and how they impact your scholarship, teaching or service. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | THIS YEAR’S MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT Indicate what you feel is your single most significant accomplishment this year. Explain why it is particularly important to you, your students or the department. Describe how it has or will impact your scholarship, teaching or service. If you expect this accomplishment to have a continuing impact and appear in your anticipated activities report, note this and explain. If this will have a broader impact on the department, discu ss this. Put your name in the left hand cell and the information in the right hand cell of the table. | | |

Columbus City Schools Policies Essay

The reason I don’t like the rule about fire arm look-alikes is because, if you have a toy gun that your younger sibling has asked you to hold for them in your bag and you forget about it is an instant 5-10 day suspension. I understand why you would suspend someone for that reason; it is because you have to insure the person’s safety and the rest of the schools. But if someone leaves the toy or look-alike in your bag and you forget about its unfair we have to get suspended for that amount of time I get a day or two but 5-10 it’s not fair that is the only reason I have to have a problem with that policy. Insubordination is another one. When a teacher asks you to do something unfair for instance give up your phone when it has fallen out your pocket and they say you have been texting while doing an assignment or cheating is also unfair. Not everyone cheats on their work if our phone happens to slip out why get punished it was an accident not intentional. But I get why you do it, it’s only to insure we aren’t cheating or texting during class. The last one is possession, sale or distribution of drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. If someone has a massive headache and can’t concentrate in class and the student asks you for an Aspirin or Tylenol and you give it to them why put it as possession, sale or distribution of drugs other than tobacco or alcohol. That in my mind is unfair you’re just helping someone out with a legitimate problem that they are having. We are keeping them out of the nurse’s office and having them in class longer so what is the problem with that? The reasons for this and I know why are because of Marijuana, Cocaine and crack or other narcotics you should put narcotics as its own punishment instead of Aspirin or another type pain reliever. If you would only make the slightest change I would greatly appreciate it. also the drug problems we have and leaving the school without permission. Those are the only few changes I would make about the CCS policy.

Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned or Not? Essay

Nowadays a problem of genetically modified food is widespread all over the world. GM foods are genetically modified using biotechnology. More and more GM foods appear on the shelves of our stores and supermarkets nowadays, and make their way into our kitchens. GM foods are designed for greater resistance to viruses and pests, higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. However, their safety, potential risks and ethical concerns are still being debated. So, should genetically modified crops be banned or not? Proponents of GM foods ensure that these foods are safe for human consumption, but critics argue that their effects have not been studied long enough. First argument for banning GM foods is that it badly affects our health and well-being. Some studies have linked consumptions of GM foods to liver and kidney problems. The antibiotics and hormones given to cows and chickens are found in our bodies and we don’t know yet the extent to which these cause chronic disease. Moreover genetic engineering could introduce allergens into foods, causing allergic reactions in people who eat the foods. Another argument is that GM food does not benefit people, just large corporations that produce and sell them. In the most cases the vegetables are modified to look better and be larger so that these companies can make more money. They do not add to the taste or freshness of nutrition of the food. On the other hand GM products along with disadvantages have their benefits too. A lot of people believe that genetically modified foods can help to solve the food crisis in future, and so help humanity to survive. Firstly, all of sorts of GM plants are stable against illnesses and mean weather. Also, GM food is cold tolerant. An antifreeze gene has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings. Secondly, they ripen fast and keep longer than usual plants. It is easier to transport them and keep fresh for a long time. In my opinion, genetic engineering should be banned because young generation will have different diseases because of eating unhealthful food. Of course, this is a huge industry nowadays that obviously can’t be stopped, but I believe that there are other ways to save people from hunger. References: 1. â€Å"Genetically Modified Crops Should be Banned† 2. Murphy, Tom. â€Å"The Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified (GM) Food. † N. p. , 15 06 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. 3. Gray, Louise. â€Å"Ten tweets for and against GM†. Environment Correspondent 4:04PM GMT 24 Jan 2011 4. â€Å"Should Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) Be Banned? – Facts & Infographic†.

Style Analysis

Cassidy Carter 3/19/13 Engl 1302- Prof. Evans Style Analysis Firoozeh Dumas' essay, â€Å"The F-Word,† addresses the very relatable struggle every person with an ethnic name faces in the American culture. Her prime example being herself, Dumas humorously and realistically depicts the trauma a person endures from constantly having to educate people about your name. She also uses the names of her siblings to provide a comparison of the names' meaning in Persian versus their American mispronunciations. Dumas' seamless use of analogies, word choice and quotations assists in her goal of making the reader understand and sympathize with her frustration.The analogy used throughout â€Å"The F-Word† that assists Dumas with explaining how people's refusal to say her name correctly, involves, interestingly enough, spices. Paralleling different linguistic sounds with uncommon spices, Dums jokingly suggests that common sounds like ‘cinnamon and sumac. ‘ Dumas later retur ns to her analogy toward the end of her piece while referencing a particularly annoying parent at her children's school who refers to Dumas as â€Å"F-Word,† the title of the piece non-coincidentally.This parent eventually is transferred to another school where Dumas hopes she â€Å"might have to make some room in her spice cabinet. † This analogy connects and ends the story while making it humorous to the reader and more relatable. Dumas' word choice also relates to adding humor to the piece as she dissects the names of her family and how they are abused in American culture. Her explanations of how Farbod became ‘Farthead' amongst his peers as well as how Farshid became the abhorrent ‘Fartshit,' not only exposes the silly cruelty of children.Such instances also express a humorous exasperation with her American peers who refused to even try to pronounce their names. Further in the essay, Dumas regales the reader with a tale of an unfortunate encounter with a hematology technician that she has an appointment with. â€Å"Having been called Froozy, Frizzy, Fiorucci and Froozy and just plain ‘Uhhhh.. ‘ I am highly accommodating. I did not however respond to Fritzy because there is not in my name. † This bit of humor at her own expense makes the piece all the more personable and relatable.Dumas' use of quotations as she sarcastically impersonates her offenders also adds humor to her essay. Her references to what she believes are her offenders’ excuses for mispronouncing her name were particularly humorous as they effectively allow the user to understand her point of view. â€Å"My name, Firoozeh, chosen by my mother, means ‘Turquoise’ in Persian. In America, it means ‘Unpronounceable’ or ‘I’m Not Going to Talk to You Because I Cannot Possible Learn Your Name and I Just Don’t Want to Have to Ask You Again and Again Because You’ll Think I’m Dumb of You Mig ht Get Upset or Something. â€Å" Dumas’ word choice in choosing to explain the Persian meaning of her name aids in her use of quotations because by giving the correct meaning of the name she further ridicules the people who refuse to use her correct name. â€Å"The F-Word† is a witty essay that makes relatable the struggle of having an ethnic name in ‘this land of Joes and Marys. ’ The essay should allow the reader an opportunity to focus on their own name faux pas’ and hopefully make a change in their behavior in the future when dealing with people with names that require a little more spice in their linguistic ‘spice cabinet. ’

Millwood Affair Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Millwood Affair - Essay Example Clause f of the policy does state that "any employee not following the foregoing procedures will be subject to disciplinary action ranging from suspension to termination." Besides, he has endangered public safety. Furthermore, some hardliners felt that an exception to policy would create a dangerous precedent and send employees the wrong message. On the other hand, other committee members were of the opinion that given the extensive praise that Millwood had received in the media, disciplinary action would damage the credit union's reputation within the community. The decision that the union needs to make is if any action is to be taken against Matt. And if action is to be taken, what is the appropriate action The final solution will be one that is within the bounds of the law, will not set a dangerous precedent for other employees, and preserve the union's reputation within the community. The first solution-take no action against Matt-will preserve the union's reputation within the community. However, it would set a dangerous precedent and send the wrong message to employees that the union condones violation of company policies. The last solution-terminate or dismiss Matt-is in accordance with company policy. But the union's reputation is at stake. Though at stake, it is not against the law to terminate Matt. Matt might have violated his duty of diligence, that requires an employee to act "with reasonable care and skill" in the course of performing work for the employer (Bogardus, 2004). But whether he has acted "with reasonable care and skill" or not is up the court to decide, since he is a Golden Hawk linebacker. However, he has definitely violated the duty of obedience, which requires employees to act within the authority granted by the employer and to follow the employer's reasonable and legal policies, procedures, and rules (Bogardus, 2004). A more middle-of-the -road solution is to take disciplinary action against Matt by issuing him with a letter of warning. RECOMMENDATION The second, middle-of-the-road solution of issuing Matt with a letter of warning is recommended. After all, Matt has followed the company's policy from clause a through to clause d, which are the main clauses that govern the safety of the employees and customers. Termination or dismissal would be too heavy a punishment. However, employees should be sent the correct message. Moreover, Matt did endanger public safety. The shots fired by the robber narrowly missed a young mother and her daughter. Hence, mild disciplinary action has to be taken. IMPLEMENTATION The Director of Human Resources will issue Matt a warning letter after the approval of this report by the Executive Committee. REFERENCES Bogardus, A.M. (2004). PHR/SPHR: Professional in human resources certification study guide. San Francisco:

Idea Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Idea - Essay Example ss corporations alive and successful today is innovation, though this innovation needs to be successful the first time around if the company wants to see positive results with it. The innovation of products does not only depend on the proper research but also on the creativity and imagination that helps a business to continue to grow (Cooper & Edgett, 2007). A list of possible new product ideas from our brainstorming session is as follows: 1. Eyeglasses with 3-D capabilities - The successful 3-D movie â€Å"Avatar† is proof as to how popular 3-D is, and how people are willing to pay extra money to see a film in 3-D. Unfortunately, movies take away the glasses once the movie is over and reuse them for the next showing of the film. This can be potentially dangerous to other people, as their are diseases that can be passed on from glasses that were already used by somebody. The proposed 3-D device will consist of just an attachable piece that can easily be attached to eyeglasses with a grade, similar to the eye glare attachments that are available today, making it easy to take the pieces on and off. After people are done using them, they can take them off and keep them until they need them again. 2. Kindle with Braille reading capabilities - Kindle has already released a product with special sound capabilities, like the text-to-speech, for people that have hearing or seeing problems. What Kindle needs to do next is make their devices friendly for those who cannot see at all and need to read with braille. Indeed, four South Korean researchers have already done a prototype on this product (Wright, 2009). 3. Cigarettes with Champix (anti-smoking drug produced by Pfizer) - Although it may seem like an oxymoron that a tobacco company would be offering a product that would essentially stop people from smoking. However, to prove that they really want to help people to quit smoking, decreasing the amount of smokers, tobacco companies can start making their cigarettes with

Vulnerable Population and Self- Awareness Research Paper

Vulnerable Population and Self- Awareness - Research Paper Example Primarily, intellectual disability is associated with many stereotypes and myths by many individuals. The culture has engraved some biases and stereotypes on the condition, as well as on the individuals suffering from the condition. Moreover, some families are reluctant to seek medical intervention for fear of being stigmatized by the rest of the community, while other families have resulted in uncouth way of dealing with the sufferers. The result of this is that the sufferers of intellectual disabilities have agonized in this condition, which can otherwise be managed, treated or even reversed. One of the biases associated to intellectual disability sufferers is that they have a lower life expectancy compared to other normal people. However, studies have shown that there is no clear link between severity of intellectual disability and survival of individuals. In addition, research shows that â€Å"the average life expectancy were found to be 74.0, 67.6, and 58.6 years for people with mild, moderate, and severe levels of handicap† (Bittles, et al. 2001). On the other hand, the mild cognitive disability is said to be three times common than the other types. Moreover, there are diseases that are linked with people with mental retardation they include cerebral palsy, seizure disorders, vision, and hearing impairments and hyperactivity disorder. The number of people living with ID, getting married and raising a family has been rising in the recent years. This is unlike in the past when people with cognitive disability where thought to be unfit for this role, especially parenting; however, â€Å"with proper support, adequate education, counseling programmes, social and government support they can sustain meaningful enriching relationships† (May, 2000, p. 121). Despite this happening, compared to normal people, the couples with ID generally have lower family sizes, with

Are Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Effective Research Paper

Are Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Effective - Research Paper Example Notifying the public about sex offenders whether they are imposing high or low risks, will lead to meddling with the treatment of the sex offenders, as a result deteriorating safety of the public. This also wastes funds which can be spent on those sex offenders who are precarious and are most likely to rebel. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 (SORNA) all the states need to take on a unsympathetic policy that is the same for every sex offender regardless how dangerous they are or what the consequences may be, or else they will lose Byme Grant funds. The SORNA laws were passed with no hearings. This act was passed without consulting all the states and the laws in progress in the states were not thought about. Institutes that had knowledge in regard of sex offenders were not given any consideration; one can believe that it is not too late to review this faulty law. (Baron, 2008) Under the third part of the Adam Walsh Act which is a part of the Sex Offender Resgistration and Notification Act a cataloguing system was created for the sex offenders. A Tier I sex offender is different from the Tier II or Tier III sex offender. Sex offenders who come under Tier II are those offenders who are found guilty of committing such crimes that are against a minor, for example sex trafficking, bullying, transporting with the intention to get the minor involved in some criminal sexual activity, violent sexual contact, using the minor to perform some sexual presentation, asking a minor to get involved in prostitution or using the minor for pornography. Tier III sex offenders are those offenders who are found guilty of committing criminal acts of maddened sexual violence, sexual abuse, violent sexual contact against a minor below the age of thirteen or kidnapping of the minor. (Wright, 2008)

Critical research paper on the book Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid

Critical on the book Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid - Research Paper Example We notice this trend of having an autobiographical base in nearly all of Kincaid’s books, where stories have been taken from the writer’s own life. In the novel ‘Lucy’, we find the main protagonist is an immigrant who comes to United States form Antigua in West Indies, like Kincaid herself. When compared to Kincaid’s other works we find that the chief character Lucy at nineteen is a slightly older character representation than the main characters in her previous works. This gives a more mature outlook to the novel which is interlaced with a cynical note. This work by Kincaid though retaining the piqued nature of her previous work ‘A Small Place’(1988) does not have the surrealism and repetitive nature of the latter, making ‘Lucy’ a far simpler story to read. The novel is a journey where a young girl slowly transcends into a mature woman as she explores her feelings, her loneliness, her sexuality and her conflicts with her mo ther. This novel in a non-linear manner moves smoothly and effortlessly between the past and the present through various dreams, dialogues and flash backs and the whole book bears a testimony to the strength of Kincaid’s narrative prowess. Like other American literatures based on the tales of immigration, this book too talks about the experiences of an immigrant who is new to the American way of life and is slowly adjusting to it. Identity crisis which forms a basis of many a colonial immigrant literature is not presented vividly here. Instead, we find this problem to be represented quite intrinsically in her relationships with her own country, her white employers and her new surroundings. Jamaica Kincaid was born in 1949 in Antigua in West Indies which was then under British colonial rule and her childhood was not a very happy one. However, at a very young age, she developed a liking for books and literature and soon this became an escape route for the young Jamaica

Sexual Harassment in the Work Place Research Paper

Sexual Harassment in the Work Place - Research Paper Example The industrial uprising and its transformation was found to bring in certain alterations in terms of the customary roles played or undertaken by both the genders. The altering responsibilities or tasks triggered the significance related to gender specialization along with giving rise to a fresh sort of workplace with regard to the Western society. The role of women remained no more restricted in just family affairs which increasingly specialized roles related to both the genders. The requirement of economic security began soaring as individuals started relocating in other cities. This growing need of economic security accelerated the need for specialization in the field of jobs. Thus, the role of men and women began to be comprehended more lucidly which gave a proper understanding regarding the kind of behavior that was predicted along with the manner of carrying it out. Subsequently, the responsibilities of both men as well as women became typecast (Lightle & Doucet, 2007; Boland, 2 005). Women who were found to be working generally indulged in certain variety of jobs which majorly involved other women. Women who belonged to the upper class were regarded as the â€Å"weaker sex†, as they were considered to be essentially supported by men. Therefore, women became gradually more dependent which endowed men with greater supremacy. As the aspect of power balance was found to support men, they considered themselves free to indulge in activities which are presently regarded as sexual harassment. The absence of such increased supremacy with regard to women hardly left them with choices other than accepting such behaviors. Sexual harassment mainly took place due to the encouragement of managers at work place. The reason behind such troubling acts were measured to be owing to the altering role of women as significant number of women started being a part of the workforce by accepting responsibilities and positions that were customarily male oriented (Lightle & Doucet, 20 07; Boland, 2005). Hereby, the paper intends to provide a detailed description of the current scenario of sexual harassment in the workplaces of United States following a comprehensive definition of the aspect. Moreover, the changing trend of workplaces in the US with this regards shall also be taken into concern in this study. Sexual Harassment and its Aspect It was found with regard to the above mentioned context that the discrimination of sex often leads to sexual harassment. Sexual harassment can be defined as, â€Å"the unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment† (Equal Rights Advocates, 2012). Harassing a person sexually is regarded just as a section or part related to sexual harassment and is considered to be unlawful. For instance, passing an illegal comment on women may be defined as sexual harassment as it can lead to mental torture of that particul ar person. Moreover, it is not necessary that while harassing anyone, the harasser has to be of opposite sex as to the victim. The harasser and the victim both can also be of same sex (U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, n.d.). Sexual harassment law is an integral part of Employment Discrimination Law and sometimes may relate to Civil Rights Law in the United States (US). Therefore, it can be stated that sexual harassment is an unwanted attempt and an activity that is subject to the court of law. There are two categories into which sexual harassment has broadly been categorized; they are Quid Pro

Identity fraud its impact and the case for prevention Essay

Identity fraud its impact and the case for prevention - Essay Example The paper describes and shows identify fraud from all sides. Identify fraud could be said to be crimes committed through impersonation. The most common bad act is the crime of credit card fraud, but mortgage fraud, and also gaining access to the finances of a specified targeted person or a frame of a targeted person falls within what mass media reports of identity theft have included. Identity fraud is one of the crimes which spread widely. For every one identity is important. In the present time it is a valuable commodity. Importance of identity protection needs to be reinforced with time. That means the introduction of internet banking, debit or credit cards, E-commerce etc. need to be doubly protected against infiltrators or fraudsters who design to commit large scale fraud through misuse and misrepresentation of true identities. Though the internet creates milestones in the milieu of information technology, it could often fall prey to criminal brains and their perpetrations. Thus, the propensity for thefts is on the increase and the chances of detection are also on the increase. So the user must be aware of identity fraudsters and the scam in their field. Users need to stake their true identity to prove who are authorized to use credit cards, operate bank accounts, and obtain bank loans, or to claim any other benefits. Lack of proper and due care with respect to identity protection could make one an unsuspecting victim of identity theft, and even when this is detected, it may be too late to remedy.

Understanding The Federal Reserve System Essay Example for Free

Understanding The Federal Reserve System Essay Operating Federal Reserve System through Stocks. The Federal Reserve System (Fed) is the principal monetary authority or the central bank of the United States of America. Its primary role is to conduct monetary policy, supervise federal and state banks and maintain stability in the system by providing payment services to depository institutions. It is made up of a seven member Board of Governors in Washington DC, 12 regional Federal Reserve Banks and their 25 branches. The Board is appointed by the President and approved by the Senate. Federal Reserve issues monetary policy guidelines and carries out stabilization activities which are particularly important in times of financial crisis such as stock market decline in 1987, the international debt crisis of 1998 and the terrorist attacks in September 2001. The principal instruments at the disposal of the Federal Reserve for maintaining stability are interest rates for loans, reserve ratio stipulations for commercial banks thereby determining liquidity and regulating circulation of new currency. The latter is carried out by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) by buying securities in the open market thereby increasing money supply. This will simultaneously decrease the federal funds rate, reducing interest on mortgages and loans and generating demand. The price of bonds and securities operate within a narrow margin as these are long term instruments pledged by the government. During such times, it would be seen that the price of stocks which are volatile instruments will undergo large fluctuations as opposed to bonds and securities. Similarly an increase in money supply also results in people putting more money into the stock market. In case the economy is growing too fast, Fed can sell Treasury securities and reduce the money supply, marking higher interest rates. Stocks construe ownership of shares in the assets of a company. The price of shares is determined by the market. The New York Stock Exchange provides a facility for trading shares. Stocks are guaranteed to the extent of the liquidity of assets of the company and unlike federal bonds are not direct instruments of liquidity. There is a possibility of default in stocks unlike bonds. The US Fed will not be able to ensure stability through regulation of money supply by holding stocks. The aim is also to ensure sustained long term growth in the economy; this is achieved through investments in long term instruments as mortgages, insurance and loans. Stocks are relatively short term instruments which provide market marked returns and thus are not suitable as a policy instrument for the US Federal Reserve. Impact Open Market Purchase of Gold or Foreign Currency. Purchase of gold or foreign currency by the Federal Reserve will increase money supply in the domestic market. Buying gold or foreign exchange is similar to outright purchase of government securities from the open market. In this case money supply is altered permanently rather than temporarily. The purchase of gold or foreign currency is carried out in very few cases merely to send an appropriate signal as the impact is considerable. Similarly theoretically speaking if the Fed sells gold and foreign currency it will be decreasing money supply in the domestic market. The gold and foreign exchange markets are beyond the control of the Federal Reserve as there is no regulatory authority unlike the bond market. Thus fluctuations can be substantial and impact the domestic economy gravely. Instability in the Gold and Forex market has not been defined and can cause speculation which is related to fluctuations in the exchange rates as well as trader’s reluctance to buy and sell the commodity or foreign exchange. Maintenance of stability in the economy is the principal role of the Federal Reserve. This has to be done through specific instruments which are provided for the same and the controlling organization for it, which is the Federal Open Market Committee, the federal and the state banks. The Federal Reserve has been intervening from time to time in a small way in the foreign exchange market merely to send an appropriate signal to the investors. In this case Federal Reserve sells dollars and buys foreign currency to exert downward pressure on the price of the dollar while it buys dollars and sells foreign currency to exert an upward pressure.