Auditing research paper on Apple Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Auditing research paper on Apple Inc - Essay Example Another notable strategy that Apple has adopted is product diversification. Some notable quality brands that the company has initiated in the market include Macbook, Mac pro, Mac Mini, iPad, iPod such as iPod Nano and iPod Touch, iPhone, and Apple TV among others. Apple, which was established by the three pioneers in 1976, established its production lines in 1970s by introducing Apple III product in its effort to face the competitors including Microsoft and IBM. The company went public in 1980 whereby it sold its share at $22. Another notable aspect that made Apple to enjoy strong support from the consumers was the rebranding strategy initiated by Steve Jobs. For example, in 2007, Steve noted that the company, which was referred to as Apple Computer, Inc, would be known as Apple Inc, due to the shifting of the company activities to mobile devices from emphasizes on computers. As the result, Apple TV and iPhone were launched in the market. Despite the death of Steve in 2011, the company in its post-Jobs era has introduced quite a number of competitive brands such as iPhone 5, fouth generation Ipad, OSX Mavericks and seventh iOS As mentioned earlier, Apple is an information technology company with wide range of products that it sells in the international market. Apart from the smartphone, computer software and mobile devices the company produces, it has introduced Apple watch in its brand portfolio. The smartwatch, which was launched in 2014, is used together with an iPhone for it to work effectively. Apple has a culture of developing an ecosystem of suppliers who offer assistance to the company and who supports their business activities. Through the procurement website, Apple requires that all the suppliers must meet the highest standard of their services and goods. In addition, the suppliers are required to be very committed just like Apple on the matters of social responsibility. The suppliers are also required to notice the dynamic and

Academic Performance of College Students Essay Example for Free

Academic Performance of College Students Essay The lack of adequate background and/or preparation, among other things, causes many students to withdraw from college or to graduate with low grades, which often makes it difficult for them to obtain suitable jobs. This paper examines the academic performance and efforts to seek assistance for academic and related problems of undergraduate students at North Carolina AT State University. To that effect, the grade reports of business and economics majors and responses to a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses were qualitatively analyzed. See more: Foot Binding In China essay The results of the analyses indicated that many students experienced academic deficiency and did not seek assistance when faced with problems. The results also revealed that many of the students who sought assistance rated the services they received as ineffective and indicated their preference for school-level advisement services. The development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center would alleviate these problems. Such a center, with a comprehensive and extended advisement and counseling program, will be more effective than university-wide services in improving student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. ********** Teaching, research and service are usually used as a yardstick to measure faculty contributions to higher education institutions. Major universities have long stressed the importance of research activities relative to teaching. Over the last two decades, many of smaller teaching institutions, including the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where research activities were recognized only to the extent that they would keep educators and the knowledge they transmit to students current, have been under pressure to acquire external funds for scholarships, faculty development, and meeting accreditation standards (Fielding 1985). As these institutions, particularly the HBCUs, placed more emphasis on faculty research productivity, they are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between teaching and research activities. Nevertheless, most colleges and universities recognize that teaching is the ultimate goal of their institutions (Wiley 1993). The main factors considered for improving teaching effectiveness among other things, include teaching approaches and techniques and faculty availability for student assistance and advisement. However, students in higher education institutions must be motivated and committed to make reasonable efforts toward handling various activities, such as reading, written assignments, class discussion, presentation and examinations, effectively. Accordingly, the students commitment to attain a good education, their study habits and cooperation, their motivation and efforts to seek assistance, when needed, are equally critical for learning. Thus, since the provision and consumption of education service occur simultaneously, the students active participation in the process is a necessary condition to transform teaching to effective learning (Norales and Addus 2003). This paper assesses the academic performance and efforts of undergraduate students to seek assistance for academic and related problems at North Carolina AT State. The paper (1) examines the academic performance and deficiencies of the students in terms of their overall grade point averages; (2) identifies the relative magnitude of student academic and related problems from freshman to senior classifications; (3) presents student evaluation of the effectiveness of advisement and counseling services available to students; and (4) recommends the development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center to improve student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. Methods and Instrumentation The 1998 grade point averages (GPAs) of undergraduate business and economics majors were used to determine the levels of student academic performance and deficiencies, with the application of chi-square statistic test to the relevant data. The student grade reports (the most recent data available) were obtained from the North Carolina AT State Universitys School of Business and Economics. In addition, data from students were collected through a student survey of 2002. The sample for the student advisement and counseling effectiveness questionnaire consisted of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The questionnaire items were designed to elicit responses from students to determine the magnitude of student academic and related problems, efforts to seek assistance to solve their problems, evaluation of effectiveness assistance they received, and preference for the location of advising and monitoring services within the University. The results of this study can be used as a source of data that can provide information on the curriculum effectiveness at North Carolina AT State and other universities. Such data can assist educators in curriculum planning and development so that they can better meet the needs of students. Student Academic Performance and Survey Results The results of this study are based on the examination of the School of Business and Economics student GPAs and the student advisement and counseling survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University. The results are centered around (1) the student academic performance levels and deficiencies; (2) the magnitude of student academic and related problems; (3) the students efforts to seek assistance to solve problems; (4) the student evaluation of effectiveness assistance received; and (5) the student preference for the location of advising and monitoring services. The following are the findings of the study based on student grade point averages and student advisement and counseling services questionnaire responses. Student Academic performance. The school of Business and Economics at North Carolina AT State University consists of accounting, business administration, business education and economics and transportation/logistics departments. The distributions of grade point average of students enrolled in the School during the 1998 fall semester are presented in Table 1. For the data in the Table, the chi-square test statistic is significant. This indicates that grade distributions by classification are statistically different. Generally, the number of students with low grade point averages decreased from freshman to senior classifications. In other words, more freshmen maintained lower grades relative to seniors, and more seniors maintained higher grade point averages than freshmen. More specifically, the data indicates that, in the School of Business and Economics, 55% of freshman, 14% of sophomore, 16% of junior, and 6% of senior students maintained below 2. 00 grade point averages. The decline in the proportion of students with lower grades from the freshman to senior levels is an indication of either grade improvements, transfer from one program to another or withdrawal and/or suspension/dismissal from the university. In their senior year, 41% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 23% below 2. 25, and 6% below 2. 00. For all classifications, 53% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 39% below 2. 25, and 26% below 2. 00. The School of Business and Economics cannot afford to ignore 23% students who may graduate with a GPA of lower than 2. 25 and 41% below 2. 50, only to find it difficult to find professional jobs of their choice in their respective fields. Apparently, students need to be monitored, encouraged and assisted to play an active role in their pursuit to achieve their education and career objectives. Student Survey Results Of some 206 students who responded to the survey, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 10% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 23% senior students. In terms of general fields of study, 68% majored in business and economics and 32% in other areas, including arts and sciences, education and engineering (Table 2). These figures suggest that the survey represents a balanced coverage on gender, student classification, and various fields of study. Magnitude of Student Academic and Related Problems: Of 154 who sought assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 9% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 25% were senior students (Table 3). The data in the Table is indicative of the fact that the number of problems faced by students generally declined from freshman to senior year of their study. Of 52 students who did not seek assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 17% were freshmen, 30% junior, 37% sophomore and 19% senior students. A total of 56% who did not seek help were junior and senior students. The reasons indicated for not seeking assistance are that 19% did not have any problems, 17% did not have time to seek assistance, 19% did not know the availability of assistance, 14% did not believe such assistance would be useful, and 15% indicated a combination of the above factors (Table 4). Student Efforts to Seek Assistance: Out of 206 students who sought assistance, 60% consulted with their academic advisors and 30% with course instructors or respective departments. Only 4% indicated to have sought assistance with the University Center for Success (Table 5). Student Evaluation of Assistance Effectiveness: Of 154 students who sought help, 72% indicated that the assistance they were offered was effective resulting in grade improvements, enhanced self-confidence, remaining in major for the better, and changing major for the better. However, 28% indicated that the assistance they received was not effective at all (Table 6). Student Preference for Advising and Monitoring Services: Of 206 survey respondents, 147 (71%) indicated their preference for student monitoring and counseling services at school/college level (as opposed to counseling at the university level); and 92% indicated that they would seek assistance more often if such services were available at school/college level (Table 7). The Case for Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study reveal that relatively low grades and high failure rates were maintained by upper level undergraduate students with the possibility of marketability problems. The findings further show that 28% of survey respondents said the assistance services they received were not effective. Another 28% of the respondents, of which 56% were juniors and seniors, did not seek help to resolve their academic and related problems. In addition, 71% of respondents indicated their preference for a school-level assistance services, and the overwhelming majority (92%) said they would seek help more often if such services were available at the school level. It follows that a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center (AMAC), with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The need for the AMAC is underscored by other studies. The main problems affecting student academic performance include inadequate background, working long hours, lack of time to study and seek advice, lack of time management skills, bad study habits and skills, and lack of self-confidence. Many students are also faced with various impediments in their pursuit of higher education and career objectives, including financial problems, family responsibilities, and social and extracurricular activities. Some of these activities do not only take away from the time needed for sleeping, attending class and studying, but they also cause considerable stress resulting in negative effects on academic performance as measured in terms of GPA (Womble 2001). The results of a survey of 239 university students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University indicated that most students did not have sufficient time to read the textbook and study, and that their absence from class was work related. The majority (56 %) of the students stated that they could not take lecture notes while listening, and 29 % said they could not understand the lecture (Norales and Addus 2003). Kelly et al (2001) classified college students into short sleepers (individuals who slept six or fewer hours a day), average sleepers (individuals with seven or hours of sleep a day), and long sleepers (individuals sleeping nine or more hours a day). They found that the individuals who represented long sleepers reported higher GPAs than the first two groups. Many students are admitted to a university as a result of their performance in examinations that do not demand the same preparation levels required to succeed in higher education. Thus, one of the main factors affecting the academic performance of college and university students is the lack of adequate preparation skills (Beswick and Ramsden 1987). Entwistle et al (1989) studied the academic performance of electrical engineering students and found that low course grades were associated with inadequate study skills, and that many students had not established adequate independent study strategies required to succeed in higher education. Eikeland Manger (1992) looked into factors affecting student achievement, especially those factors related to high failure and dropout rates. The findings showed that organized study habits had a positive impact on self confidence during the students first semester, but such study habits did not have a direct effect on grades until as late as their fourth semester in college. In a survey of close to 350,000 students attending four-year public and private colleges, over 70 items related to the students educational experiences on the survey instrument were grouped into 12 factors. (1) The survey results indicated that out of these factors, public college/university students rated academic advising as the most important aspect of their educational experiences. Private college/university students rated academic advising second to only instructional effectiveness in importance. When students were asked to rate five items (2) comprised academic advising, both public and private college/university students rated the academic advisors approachability and the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements as strengthsmeaning most important and most satisfying (Noel-Levitz 2003). In general, the success or failure in higher education are not explained by the student attributes or faculty teaching efficiency in isolation, but by the complex interactions between students and the learning environments they experience (Entwistle 1990). Thus, students are in need of comprehensive advisement, counseling and support services including time management, stress management, efficient study style, habits and skills, reading, writing, and lecture note taking skills, and other support services. These must help students enhance their capacity to master the relevant subject, self confidence, verbal and written communication, academic performance, and to be competitive and productive members of the community. Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study, along with the discussion of relevant literature, suggest that a school-specific AMAC, with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The primary purpose of the AMAC is to enhance student academic performance and produce marketable graduates by providing extended assistance and guidance to students in academic activities and related areas. At North Carolina AT State University there are university-wide student support services, including the Center for Student Success (which is focused on student retention) and school-level academic assistant services. In addition, there are programs which are designed to mentor students with high academic standing, in collaboration with potential employers, to prepare them for the real world work environment upon graduation. However, many students who for various reasons fail to perform to their potential levels deserve to be uplifted through a similar program provided by the AMAC. Compared with university-wide academic counseling services available for students, the AMAC will be more effective for needy students can be given individual and unique attention suited to their specific needs by their respective schools. In addition to regular advisement provided by academic advisors, the AMAC will provide counseling services for students who fail to reach a minimum GPA of 2. 50 during each semester. To start with, such students will be able to discuss issues regarding specific courses and their course loads with an advisor from the AMAC, and receive advice on how to successfully manage their time and handle their course loads. Also, the AMAC if necessary, can suggest changes in course, course loads and schedule to help the students balance their time between school and work. As mentioned above, one of the biggest problems that many students have is lack of time and time management skills. If this problem is solved early, students will be able to maintain a more marketable GPA. The AMAC will continuously monitor students and evaluate their grades throughout each semester to insure that these students continue to do well in the school, and graduate within a reasonable period of time. Students who need assistance must be identified at the appropriate time and be given intensive advice and counseling. It will maintain a data base for all students in the School of Business and Economics with an overall GPA of 2. 50 or less. The data can be collected from student applications, academic records, and surveys (Seidman, 1996). The AMAC will coordinate its activities with university programs designed to provide remedial services to students with deficient backgrounds. It will refer students to other departments and and University support services for problems outside its responsibilities. Such intensive intervention will likely help not only improve academic performance, but also retain students and enable them to graduate with decent grades. Student participation in the AMACs program shall enhance their capabilities to improve their academic standing through sound advice and counseling which will positively influence their attitude toward learning and grades, time management skills and study habits. The AMAC will further facilitate development of university policies and programs designed to overcome academic deficiencies and encourage students to stay in school and achieve their academic and career objectives. Conclusions Academic advising is a very important aspect of students educational experiences in higher education. In order to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness, higher education institutions must listen to their students unique needs and priorities by assessing assistance services available to students. The results of such assessments can be used to develop targeted action plans for serving specific student population. The results of the analyses of data obtained from the School of Business and Economics grade reports and a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina AT State University, along with other relevant literature, imply that many college students need a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement services at an early stage of their college career. It is apparent that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for junior and senior students to make meaningful grade improvements due to the short span of time available to them during their last years of study before graduation. This may pose a serious marketability problem for some of the graduates of these programs with low grades. In the real world of ever increasing globalization and more competitive job market environments, college students need to acquire higher skills and GPAs. The proposed AMAC is certainly a first step to guide needy students in this direction. References Beswick, D. and Ramsden, P, (1987). How to Promote Learning with Understanding. Working Paper 87:1. Melbourne: Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. Eikeland, O. J. and Manger, T. (1992). Why Students Fail During Their First University Semesters. International Review of Education 38(5), 489-503. Entwistle, N. J. (1990). How Students Learn and Why They Fail. Paper Presented at Conference on Talent and Teaching, University of Bergen. Entwistle, N. J. , Hoursell, D. , Macaulay, C. , Situnayake, G. and Tait, H. (1989). Success and Failure in Electrical Engineering Courses in Scotland. Summary of a Report to the SED. Edinburgh: Department of Education and Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University of Edinburgh. Fielding, G. J. (1985). Transportation Education, Part Two. Report of Joint Conference, Eno Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Consultants. Transportation Quarterly, 39(2), 207-233. Kelly, W. E. , Kelly, K. E. and Clanton, R. C. (others) (2001). The Relationship between Sleep length and Grade-Point-Average among College Students, College Student Journal. Noel-Levitz Research (2003). Academic Advising Highly Important to Students, www. noellevitz. com. Norales, Francisca O. and Addus, Abdussalam A. (2003). University Students Learning Efforts, Texas Business and Technology Educators Association Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1. Seidman, A. (1996). Retention revisited: R = E, ID + E In, Iv. Journal of College Student Retention. 71(4), 18-20. Wiley, III, Ed (1993). Re-Emphasizing Teaching. Black Issues in Higher Education. Womble, Laura P (2001). The Impact of Stress Factors on College Students Academic Performance, Working Paper, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, N. C. ABDUSSALAM A. ADDUS Associate Professor DAVID CHEN Associate Professor ANWAR S. KHAN Professor Emeritus Department of Economics and Transportation/Logistics North Carolina AT State University Notes. (1) the factors are: academic advising, campus climate, campus Life, campus Support Services, concern for the Individual, instructional Effectiveness, recruitment and financial aid effectiveness, registration effectiveness, responsiveness to diverse population, safety and security, service excellence, and student centeredness. (2) the items are: the academic advisors approachability, the academic advisors knowledge about major requirements, the academic advisors concern about the students success as an individual, the academic advisors assistance to set goals and work toward, and the clearness and reasonableness of major requirements. Table 1 Grade Distribution of Students in the School of Business and Economics by Classification, Fall 1998 Grade Range Classification Freshman Sophomore Junior No. % No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 20 6 46 19 20 10 3. 00-3. 49 26 7 44 18 32 16 2. 50-2. 99 45 13 62 25 45 23 2. 25-2. 49 33 9 33 13 33 17 2. 00-2. 24 37 10 28 11 34 18 Below 2. 00 200 55 35 14 31 16 Total 361 100 248 100 195 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Grade Range Classification Senior All No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 18 7 104 10 3. 00-3. 49 42 17 144 13 2. 50-2. 99 90 35 242 24 2. 25-2. 49 47 18 146 14 2. 00-2. 24 44 17 143 13 Below 2. 00 14 6 280 26 Total 255 100 1059 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Note: * Statistically significant at 5 percent probability level. Source: School of Business and Economics, NC AT State University. Table 2 Profile of Survey Respondents Item Frequency Percent Gender (n = 206): Male 99 48. 1 Female 107 51. 9 Classification (n = 206): Freshman 21 10. 2 Sophomore 61 29. 6 Junior 77 37. 4 Senior 47 22. 8 Major Area Unit (n = 206): Business and Economics 140 68. 0 Other Areas * 66 32. 0 * Include Arts and Science, Education, and Engineering. Table 3 Distribution of Number Problems for Students who Sought. Assistance * (n = 154) Classification Number of Problems and Gender One Two Three Four Five Six Total Plus Classification: Freshman 4 1 3 2 1 2 13 Sophomore 16 4 7 9 8 2 46 Junior 14 14 12 6 4 7 57 Senior 6 7 14 7 3 1 38 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 Gender: Male 19 15 15 11 8 6 74 Female 21 13 19 13 8 6 80 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 * Problems include adding/dropping courses, choosing major, changing major, improving grades, time management, internship opportunities, personal problems which affect academic performance. Table 4 Distribution of students who did not Seek Assistance (n = 52)  frequency Percent of Total Classification: Freshman 9 17. 3 Sophomore 14 29. 9 Junior 19 36. 5 Senior 10 19. 3 Total 52 100. 0 Gender: Male 25 48. 1 Female 27 51. 9 Total 52 100. 0 Reason for not Seeking: Did not have problems 10 19. 2 Did not have time 9 17. 3 Did not know availability of assistance 10 19. 2 Did not believe it is useful 7 13. 5 Combination of last three 8 15. 4 Other reasons 8 15. 4 Total 52 100. 0 Table 5 Student Efforts to Seek Assistance for Academic Problems (n = 154) Assistance sought from Frequency Percent Academic Advisor 89 59. 7 Department/Course instructor 44 29. 5. University Center for Success 6 4. 0 SOBE resource Lab 3 2. 0 University Counseling Service 3 2. 0 Career Counseling 2 1. 4 Financial Aid 2 1. 4 Table 6 Student evaluation of Effectiveness of Assistance Sought (n = 149) Item frequency Percent Grade improved 13 8. 7 Enhanced self-confidence 4 2. 7 Remained in major 15 10. 1 Changed major for better 16 10. 7 Two or more of above 60 40. 3 No effect 41 27. 5 Table 7 Student Preference for Counseling/Monitoring Services Location (n = 206) Item Frequency Percent Prefer student Counseling at school level Yes 147 71. 3 No 44 21. 4 Indifferent 15 7. 3. Would seek assistance more often if Available at school/college level) Yes 92 44. 7 No 15 7. 3 Not sure 45 21. 8 Indifferent 54 26. 2 Gale Copyright: Copyright 2007 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Economic Scene Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates Top of Form Bottom of Form †¢ Share By DAVID LEONHARDT Published: September 8, 2009 If you were going to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you’d probably have to start with the Wall Street firms and regulatory agencies that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to Wall Street’s fellow bailout recipients in Detroit, the once-Big Three. Multimedia [pic] From the Most Selective Colleges, More Graduates Related The College Dropout Boom Economix: Which Colleges Are Doing Their Job? Reader Responses: Failing Colleges Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts and read responses to readers comments from David Leonhardt on the Economix blog. †¢ Read All Comments (113)  » But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public universities. At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing. Only 33 percent of the freshmen who enter the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduate within six years. Less than 41 percent graduate from the University of Montana, and 44 percent from the University of New Mexico. The economist Mark Schneider refers to colleges with such dropout rates as â€Å"failure factories,† and they are the norm. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college, but only half of students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree. Among rich countries, only Italy is worse. That’s a big reason inequality has soared, and productivity growth has slowed. Economic growth in this decade was on pace to be slower than in any decade since World War II — even before the financial crisis started. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis matters enormously, and a new book tries to do precisely that. It is called â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line,† and its findings are based on the records of about 200,000 students at 68 colleges. The authors were able to get their hands on that data because two of them are pillars of the education establishment: William Bowen (an economist and former Princeton president) and Michael McPherson (an economist and former Macalester College president). For all the book’s alarming statistics, its message is ultimately uplifting — or at least invigorating. Yes, inadequate precollege education is a problem. But high schools still produce many students who have the skills to complete college and yet fail to do so. Turning them into college graduates should be a lot less difficult than fixing all of American education. â€Å"We could be doing a lot better with college completion just by working on our colleges,† as Robert Shireman, an Education Department official who has read an early version of the book, says. Congress and the Obama administration are now putting together an education bill that tries to deal with the problem. It would cancel about $9 billion in annual government subsidies for banks that lend to college students and use much of the money to increase financial aid. A small portion of the money would be set aside for promising pilot programs aimed at lifting the number of college graduates. All in all, the bill would help. But it won’t solve the system’s biggest problems — the focus on enrollment rather than completion, the fact that colleges are not held to account for their failures. â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line† makes it clear that we can do better. †¢ The first problem that Mr. Bowen, Mr. McPherson and the book’s third author, Matthew Chingos, a doctoral candidate, diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that’s closer to home or, given the torturous financial aid process, less expensive. About half of low-income students with a high school grade-point average of at least 3. 5 and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. Many don’t even apply. Some apply but don’t enroll. â€Å"I was really astonished by the degree to which presumptively well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,† Mr. Bowen told me. They could have been admitted to Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus (graduation rate: 88 percent, according to College Results Online) or Michigan State (74 percent), but they went, say, to Eastern Michigan (39 percent) or Western Michigan (54 percent). If they graduate, it would be hard to get upset about their choice. But large numbers do not. You can see that in the chart with this column. In effect, well-off students — many of whom will graduate no matter where they go — attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. These are the places where many students live on campus (which raises graduation rates) and graduation is the norm. Meanwhile, lower-income students — even when they are better qualified — often go to colleges that excel in producing dropouts. â€Å"It’s really a waste,† Mr. Bowen says, â€Å"and a big problem for the country. † As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen somewhat since the 1970s. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Tellingly, net tuition has no impact on the graduation rates of high-income students. Yet it does affect low-income students. All else equal, they are less likely to make it through a more expensive state college than a less expensive one, the book shows. Conservatives are wrong to suggest affordability doesn’t matter. But they are right that more money isn’t the whole answer. Higher education today also suffers from a deep cultural problem. Failure has become acceptable. Students see no need to graduate in four years. Doing so, as one told the book’s authors, is â€Å"like leaving the party at 10:30 p. m. † Graduation delayed often becomes graduation denied. Administrators then make excuses for their graduation rates. And policy makers hand out money based on how many students a college enrolls rather than on what it does with those students. There is a real parallel here to health care.

Human Resource Management in Healthcare

Human Resource Management in Healthcare Anna Marie Bià ±as BUSINESS FACTORS THAT UNDERPINS HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING IN HEALTHCARE ORGANISATION I.I BUSINESS GROWTH In order for an organisation to succeed, it needs to have a â€Å"map†, that will give direction to the business, and this is the strategic plan created by experts in human resource management. The human resource department needs to clearly understand where the organisation is headed. Familiarisation with the strategy, vision and values is essential for them to make HR strategies that can support business growth and development. Human resource managers need to work hard to show that well-thought out people can play a critical role in structuring the high performance the organisation needs to uphold a long term growth. Human resource department must have a full awareness of what is going on inside the organisation from knowing the number of staffs to the type of available skills, so they can make strategies that can fully utilise the abilities of the employees to support the growth of the business. It is significant that the organisation is flexible to change. As the business prosper, it’s important not to be too much attached to the previous strategies used and let go of the aspects of the organisation that no longer in line with its vision. I.II DECLINE Business decline is an indication that an organisation has poor performance and different areas need to be evaluated to determine what needs to be improved. When the business is not prospering the most common response of the HR department is to reduce its workforce. However, the consequences of this type of scheme can be very distressing for the employee, their families and the whole communities. While workforce reduction is sometimes inevitable, there are reasons why it should be the last resort when managing business decline. For example, after a yearly audit to a particular rest home, the results show that number of residents died because of infection and falls increased tremendously and so with cases of medication error resulting to decrease number or admissions for that year. The HR managers can used those results to devised programs like Health and Safety Seminars, Medication Competency, Infection Control Programs for the staffs instead of reducing the workforce. I.III CHANGE Flexibility and adaptability are traits that an organisation should have. The organisation should be able to adapt to the constant change that occurs in the market. The human resource management plan should contain procedures, standards, policies and processes that are not too overdone or underdone. In making this type of plan, there will be an area for revision or improvement without totally affecting the operation of the organisation. I.IV COMPETITION All organisation faces competition. Competition exists when various organisations offers identical products or services. There are two types of competition; direct and indirect competition. Direct competition occurs where organisations create similar products that appeal to the similar group of customers (Studies, n.d.). For example, in New Zealand there are hundreds of nursing homes that provide similar service to the aged population. On the other hand, indirect competition occurs when different businesses produce or sell products which although not in head to head competition still compete for the same money in the consumer’s pocket. For instance, a shop that sells contemporary CD’s may be indirectly competing with a movie house that attracts young consumers to spend their money on leisure activities. I.V IMPACT OF TECHNOLOGY In the contemporary world of business, the HR departments are facing the challenge of standardising human resource processes by means of improving HR information. One way of achieving this is by moving away from â€Å"the way we’ve always done thing’ towards an innovative and modern technology that requires a giant step into unfamiliar aspect of the organisation. Modern technology can be advantageous to the organisation. For instance, when operational costs and spending are questioned and scrutinised, integrating HR and Payroll technology can be considered due to its efficiency. In addition to that, the current war for skills, employee experience, retention and employee engagement are more challenging now that they are increasingly mobile and assigned in various locations; however this can be handled by modernising the means of communication and coordination in the organisation. I.VI LABOUR MARKET COMPETITION Labour market can be understood as the mechanism through which human labour is bought and sold as a commodity and the means by which labour demand (the number and type of available jobs) is matched with labour supply (the number and type of available workers) (Sagepub, 2005). When numerous organisations produce similar services and products they will be competing in hiring for people with the excellent and relevant qualifications. In order to achieve the objectives of the organisation the HR department is now challenge on how to hire and attract the right people with the right skills, knowledge and attributes in the appropriate positions despite of the existing competition in the labour market. In dealing with this business factor, the HR manager can opt to design and improve HRM activities to achieve the organisation’s human resource requirements by developing existing staff and retaining their services over the long-term. I.VII EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT There are four resources that all organisations should manage well: money, equipment/machines, information and people. Investing in the development of the employees can result in their increase productivity which will directly contribute to business growth. The goal of the employee development is to improve the capabilities of the staffs and improve the organisation itself. Employee development programs may focus on individual staff or as a team. The HR managers can create and implement development programs based on the identified needs of the organisation so that the time and money invested is in line with the objectives of the business (Patton, 2002). HUMAN RESOURCE REQUIREMENT AND FACTORS THAT UNDERPINS HRM PLANNING IN A HEALTHCARE ORGANISATION II.I INTERNAL PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS If there is any job vacancy in the organisation there’s an instance when managers fill the available position with current staff. Frequently, the company will permit any current employee to apply elsewhere in the company. This type of internal recruitment will be able to help the organisation retain highly-skilled employee. Moreover, it may include reassessing the best structure of the vacancy in a specific area, and/or relate to the desirability of developing, sustaining, and retaining valued and talented member. There is also no need to promote a role if there is an acknowledged career development path within a department and the department desires to assign that role to a current staff that has developed over recent times, has the suitable experience, and is the best internal person to fulfil the specific requirements of the role. II.II INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL FACTORS IN MATCHING PERSONNEL TO ORGANISATIONAL REQUIREMENTS Employee Relation Internal rules and procedures influence HR activities. For example, if the firm is dedicated to promoting from within, HR must ensure staffs obtain suitable training and development to be prepared for promotion when the time comes. HR should monitor the number of staffs qualified for retirement and ensure possible replacements or other staff members are trained to avoid an unexpected departure of business knowledge. External influences, political factors and organizational culture all influence the amount of grievances and complaints HR must attend to. Compensation Labour supply drives the extent of payment a business must offer to entice employees. In an oversaturated market, when unemployment is high and many more qualified applicants exist than job openings, the amount of compensation you must provide is less than when a shortage of candidates exists and you are competing against numerous other companies to hire workers. HR must frequently assess the compensation structure by conducting industry- and location-specific salary surveys to ensure wages remain competitive enough to attract and retain key staff members but low enough that the business remains financially competitive. HR must also ensure that the internal compensation structure is fair for example, experienced workers with specialized qualifications should earn more than recent college graduates performing the same tasks. Legislation Legislation influences all HR activities. Government and state legislation normally dictate how long an organisation must maintain personnel records and other employee information, what can be kept, and how. HR specialists must stay well-informed of legislation and train managers on their responsibilities. Human Resources are directly related to Labour and Employment law and encompass the various laws and guidelines specific to human resource professionals. It deals with the issues that HR professionals must contend with in the majority of their work functions, mainly in supervising and managing duties related to hiring, firing, employee benefits, wages, pay checks, and overtime. It may also pertain to workplace safety, privacy; and preventing discrimination and harassment. Furthermore, other common legislation matters of concern to the human resource managers include staff handbooks/manuals, creating policies and procedures, confirmatory action programs and policies, contract and salary laws, compliance audits, confidentiality agreements, substance abuse and drug testing laws, and unemployment compensation. 1

Ted Hughes Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow Essay -- Crow Fr

Social Issues and Creation Stories in Ted Hughes' Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow      Ã‚  Ã‚   There are many mythological stories that exist in this age.   Within these different myths, there are many answers to how our world was created.   Yet, one must become open-minded to other myths that do not necessarily discuss creation; Crow: From the Life and Songs of the Crow can be seen to fall into this category.   This collection of Ted Hughes' poetry is intertwined with social issues and creation stories.   Throughout this collection, the poems not only involve Classical and Christian related ideas they also include several twentieth century advancements.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The myths that Hughes creates have the central character as the crow.   In the book Myth in the Poetry of Ted Hughes, Hirschberg gives a brief statement of how crows are viewed in different mythologies, "In folk mythology the crow is an animal figure predominantly associated with the twin motifs of death and guilt, a stark figure who embodies boldness, intelligence, adaptability to change and a twisted vitality" (126).   This description is widely evident throughout Ted Hughes' collection.   Crow goes through many phases and meditations.   Among the topics found in Crow   are views of religion, human actions, and destruction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Throughout Crow, there are many references to Christianity.   Yet, in each poem that includes this topic, the original stories are altered to give a new style of myth.   "A Childish Prank" is one of the poems that Hughes begins altering the original biblical references.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A Childish Prank" is a poem about a malicious trick that Crow plays on Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.   This poem is about Adam and Eve l... ...en though we hear ideas from different sources, we must still make our own interpretations. Crow is a great mythology that has unique parallels with society and human struggles.   A mythology is meant to relate to people, and give them warnings and answers.   Through looking at the religious, emotional, and destructive implications in the collection, we see that it is a mythology; thus, if we are open-minded enough to study and accept other mythologies, why not accept the life, songs, and philosophy of Crow as well? Works Cited Hirschberg, Stuart.   Myth in the Poetry of Ted Hughes:  A guide to the poems .   Totowa, New Jersey: Barnes and Noble, 1981. Hughes, Ted.   Crow:   From the Life and Songs of the Crow.   New York:   Harper and Row, 1971. Scigaj, Leonard M.   The Poetry of Ted Hughes:   Form and Imagination.   Iowa City, Iowa: U of Iowa P, 1986.

Best Business Tips

When producing minutes for a business meeting it is required that formal language is used. This is because minutes are records that are stored for business use. Minutes could be later used by an employee, as evidence to show a meeting has taken place or used in another discussion with other professionals. Formal language makes minutes of a meeting clear and make sense. The tone required for meeting minutes must be serious and formal. They do not need to be persuasive or intriguing, as they are a set record of the discussion within a meeting so they just need to be clear and understandable. The image of a set of minutes should include in the organisations set logo, colours and themes. This is so that it is easily recognisable as the organisations document. The presentation of a set of minutes must be structured into different agenda items, which may be in a table or just simple paragraphs so that the document is clear and people can easily navigate the parts they need to read.When writing an email, the language should be formal. This only tends to vary when the audience changes. For example, if an employee was to email another colleague, they may be friendlier and slightly informal. Formal language should be used to internal and external business people, so that it gives a good impression of the sender as an individual and shows professionalism of the company they work for. The tone required for emails are dependent on the recipients. For instance, when writing a sales email, a more persuasive tone will be used. When writing a complaint response, a more sympathetic and helpful tone will be used. However, a professional tone should be maintained in emails to keep up an organisations reputation and professionalism. The image of an email should have the organisations particular style of font and email signature to make it easily identifiable by other companies. It also makes the email look more professional to make people take the company seriously. The presentation of an email is required to be structured into paragraphs with a professional greeting and closing message. When integrating images into documents it's important to use the format and theme to use that is the same as the businesses. It is important to think about what the business needs to accomplish and what impression needs to be given to the reader. Whilst creating the image of the document that we want to reflect well on the business, it is also important to make sure copyright laws are not being breached. Therefore images and themes should be checked to make sure it is not that of another brand or business. A good image has to be unique and professional as it will be used often for all kinds of documents being sent to external customers and internal workers.An image can be inserted into a word document or PowerPoint by attaching an image saved onto the computer by clicking on the insert tab and pressing pictures. To easily locate the desired picture it is best to save it somewhere and name it something memorable. Another way of integrating images into documents is to copy and paste them by right clicking on the image and pressing the copy function, then right clicking where the image needs to be copied to and pressing paste. This is the quickest option however sometimes it doesn't always work and we have to save images to the computer instead. Corporate identity allows documents to have their own trademark. Corporate identity makes a businesses documents look professional, draws in more customers and makes them easily recognisable. This includes the company's logo, header and footer styles, theme colours, personalised document templates and font choice. When this is changed and updated it could affect previous documents with the outdated corporate identity by making them not recognisable as that company. It is important the corporate identity is only amended slightly and still maintains it's unique theme so it is always recognisable. It's also important to notify all staff members of these changes so that everyone is using the same corporate identity to avoid confusion. To avoid breaking copy right laws, a company must ensure they have their own corporate identity that is not the same as another company. To avoid breaking copy right laws, a company must ensure they have their own corporate identity that is not the same as another company. When designing or creating a document you must follow corporate identity by using the businesses fonts, logos and themes etc. If another businesses fonts, logos or themes are used in your businesses documents, it could appear as though your business is stealing another businesses identity. This looks like your business is trying to commit fraud or frame another business. In regards to the Data Protection Act, it is important that a persons personal information isn't included in letters or emails unless permission is given by that person. Data stored on documents about a person must be stored safely and securely and only accessed by permitted persons. Documents including data with someones personal information must not be shared with any one other than permitted persons and must be kept strictly confidential, else this is a breach of the act. To avoid breaching the Copyright laws, a company must not use images, ideas, or work etc. that is copyright protected. A document producer must check this before integrating images or information on to their documents. The same goes for intellectual property. Any original idea owned by someone or a company cannot be used by another person when protected by copyright.Intellectual property is something unique created by an individual or a group. To avoid breaching intellectual property legislations when producing business documents, it is important to make sure other peoples creations, e.g. names or brands are not included in the documents. This means documents must be strictly the creation of the company itself and not copied from another company's. Version control is when changes that are made to a file are traced with the details of who changed them, when they traced them, why they did and any problems enhanced or resolved when the change was made. Organisations do this to ensure that previous versions of a document are accessible as well as current ones to follow up problems occurring or to compare them. Organisational procedures for version control are that employees must always record their name, the date and what changes they have made to a document so that other employees are aware. This is crucial for tracing back to old documents and comparing them to recent versions. Other organisational procedures for version control is that old documents must be maintained in case newer versions may contain errors or having missing information. Security requirements for documents are having set passwords to gain access into a file so that only particular people have access to it. Other requirements are read only settings so that the author only has permissions to make changes to the document so that other people cannot edit and make unwanted changes to it. A document created for external use needs to have the recipient checked if any personal data is included within it to prevent breaching the data protection act if the email was to be sent to the wrong recipient. If personal data included on a document is being sent by mail, it is important the mail is stamped with ‘private and confidential' on the front to ensure safe delivery.

10 Latin Abbreviations You Might Be Using Incorrectly

10 Latin Abbreviations You Might Be Using Incorrectly 10 Latin Abbreviations You Might Be Using Incorrectly 10 Latin Abbreviations You Might Be Using Incorrectly By Mark Nichol Abbreviations deriving from Latin terms and phrases can be troublesome for us non-Latin speakers. Here’s the long and short of the most common short forms adopted into English from the classical language: 1. e.g. This abbreviation of exempli gratia (â€Å"for example†) is not only often left bereft of its periods (or styled eg.), it’s also frequently confused for a similar abbreviation you’ll find below. Use e.g. (followed by a comma) to signal sample examples. 2. etc. This sloppily formed abbreviation of et cetera (â€Å"and so forth†) is often misspelled ect., perhaps because we’re accustomed to words in which c precedes t, but not vice versa. (Curiously, Merriam-Webster spells out etcetera as such as a noun, but at the end of an incomplete list, retain the two-word form, or translate it.) A comma should precede it. Refrain from using etc. in an e.g. list; the abbreviations are essentially redundant, and note that etc. is also redundant in a phrase that includes including. 3. et al. This abbreviation of et alia (and others†), used almost exclusively to substitute for the names of all but the primary author in a reference to a multiauthor publication or article but occasionally applied in other contexts, should have no period after et, because that word in particular is not an abbreviation. Also, unlike as in the case of etc., refrain from preceding it with a comma, presumably because only one name precedes it. Fun fact: We use a form of the second word in this term alias to mean â€Å"otherwise known as† (adverb) or â€Å"an assumed name† (noun). 4. i.e. This abbreviation of id est (â€Å"that is†) is, like e.g., is frequently erroneously styled without periods (or as ie.). It, followed by a comma, precedes a clarification, as opposed to examples, which e.g. serves to introduce. 5. fl. This abbreviation of flourit (â€Å"flourished†) is used in association with a reference to a person’s heyday, often in lieu of a range of years denoting the person’s life span. 6. N.B. This abbreviation for nota bene (â€Å"note well†), easily replaced by the imperative note, is usually styled with uppercase letters and followed by a colon. 7. per cent. This British English abbreviation of per centum (â€Å"for each one hundred†) is now often (and in the United States always) spelled percent, as one word and without the period. 8. re This abbreviation, short for in re (â€Å"in the matter of†) and often followed by a colon, is often assumed to be an abbreviation for reply, especially in email message headers. 9. viz. This abbreviation of videlicet (â€Å"namely†), unlike e.g., precedes an appositive list one preceded by a reference to a class that the list completely constitutes: â€Å"Each symbol represents one of the four elements, viz. earth, air, fire, and water.† Note the absence of a following comma. 10. vs. This abbreviation of versus (â€Å"against†) is further abbreviated to v. in legal usage. Otherwise, the word is usually spelled out except in informal writing or in a jocular play on names of boxing or wrestling matches or titles of schlocky science fiction movies. (â€Å"In this title bout of Greed vs. Honesty, the underdog never stood a chance.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Types of Narrative ConflictHomogeneous vs. HeterogeneousPhrasal Verbs and Phrasal Nouns