Accreditation in Higher Education free essay sample

Accreditation is one of the most intricate and confounding issues in advanced education. It is likewise one of the most abused ideas †both purposefully and inadvertently. In its most straightforward sense, accreditation implies approval †an announcement by a gathering of people who are in any event hypothetically unprejudiced specialists in advanced education that a given school or division inside a school has been completely researched and seen as deserving of endorsement. The procedure of accreditation is anyway an intentional procedure which implies that no school is required to be certify. Likewise accreditation isn't an administration procedure as the authorizing offices may be, at any rate in United States, private offices and are free associations. As referenced, this is an unconventionally American procedure. In each other nation on the planet, the legislature either works the schools and colleges or legitimately gives them the option to concede degrees, so an autonomous office doesn't have to state that a given school is alright. We will compose a custom paper test on Accreditation in Higher Education or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Returning to United States, there are several certifying offices, some of which are commonly perceived as genuine while others are definitely not. Likewise as referenced before there is no requirement for a school to be certify. Indeed there are few satisfactory schools and some of the time divisions inside schools that are not licensed either willingly (since accreditation is an intentional and frequently costly method) or in light of the fact that they are excessively new (all schools were unaccredited at once) or excessively test (some would state unreasonably creative) for the for the most part preservationist accreditors. Then again, there are likewise a couple of not exactly awesome schools that are authentically authorize, however it is very uncommon. A much normal situation is the place numerous terrible schools guarantee to be certify †yet such accreditation is consistently by unrecognized, here and there nonexistent, authorizing affiliations, frequently of their own creation.Accreditation is a disputable theme in advanced education. Indeed the last two US secretaries of instruction expressed beyond all doubt that the authorizing organizations are not carrying out their responsibilities, particularly regarding nontraditional schools, for example, a portion of the separation learning offices. As will likewise be talked about in the later areas of this report, having accreditation isn't a similar thing as being authorized, contracted, affirmed, approved or recognized.Introduction to AccreditationAccreditation is a procedure of outside quality survey utilized by advanced education to examine sch ools, colleges, and advanced education programs for quality affirmation and quality improvement (Forest, Kinser, p. 29). It is essentially a procedure by which a program or establishment is perceived as being in congruity with some formal composed settled upon standard. Another meaning of accreditation is â€Å"a process by which a foundation of postsecondary training assesses its instructive exercises, in who or partially, and looks for and free judgment to affirm that it is considerably accomplishing its goals and is commonly equivalent in quality to similar establishments of post auxiliary education† (Bogue, Hall, 2003, p. 22).According to American Psychological Association APA, the accreditation procedure of is â€Å"a process that includes making a decision about how much a program has accomplished the objectives and objectives†. The Oxford English Dictionary characterizes accreditation as â€Å"the act or procedure of giving authority authorization†. It is imperative that the definitions don't allude the degree of execution of an individual or an association. It incidentally implies that, accreditation could be applied to an association whose degree of execution is deficient. Albeit each state and country certifies schools and expert projects and distributes arrangements of endorsed, guaranteed, perceived or enlisted establishments, the term accreditation all the more regularly alludes to endorsement affiliation and certifying offices as opposed to state endorsement (Williams refered to in Drake, 2003, p. 64).The accreditation process is one in which, as indicated by Council for Higher Education Accreditation CHEA,  ccreditation is â€Å"the personnel, overseers, and staff of the organization or scholastic program direct a self-study utilizing the certifying association’s set of assumptions regarding quality as their guide. A group of friends (from inside the advanced education framework that are) chose by the certifying affiliation audits the proof, visits the grounds to talk with workforce and staff, and composes a report of its assessment† (Asher, 2000, p. 254).An foundation or program looking for accreditation must experience various a dvances specified by a certifying association. These means include a blend of planning of proof of achievement by the establishment or program, examination of these materials by staff and regulatory companions, activity to decide the accreditation status by the certifying associations. Of the few advantageous motivations behind accreditation, the two viewed as most crucial are to guarantee the quality and to aid the improvement of the organization or program. In particular, the accreditation of an organization or program says to people in general when all is said in done and to institutional electorates specifically that is has suitable strategic purposes, assets important to accomplish those reasons, and a history and record inferring that it will proceed to accomplish, and a history and record suggesting that it will keep on accomplishing its motivations. The requirements of a few voting demographics are filled when accreditation satisfies its needs of value confirmation and institutional or program improvement. The overall population is served by being guaranteed that the foundation or program has been assessed inside and remotely and complies with general desires in higher education.Accreditation benefits understudies in a few wyas. It guarantees them that an a uthorize establishment has been seen as palatable and fit for addressing their requirements, encourages the exchange of credits among organizations, elevates admission to advanced education projects and fills in as an essential, at times for entering callings. Establishments additionally advantage from accreditation. There is first the upgrade for intermittent self-assessment and consistent improvement. Accreditation empowers establishments to pick up qualification for themselves and their understudies in specific projects of governments and private guide to advanced education and causes foundations to forestall parochialism by setting desires that are national in scope. One more advantage is the upgraded notoriety of an authorize establishment, principally due to the for the most part high open respect for accreditation (Bogue, Hall, 2003, p. 23).Accreditation of foundations and projects is continuous: Initial accreditation isn't an assurance of inconclusive certify status. Occasional survey is an unavoidable truth for certify establishments and projects. Self-accreditation isn't a choice (Forest, Kinser, 2002, p. 30). The open advantages when it very well may be guaranteed that the authorize establishment is progressing and express exercises considered satisfactory to empower the foundation to develop itself constantly and to made fundamental alterations to oblige changes in information and practice in different fields of study. Accreditation diminishes the requirement for intercession by administrative organizations since establishments are themselves required to accommodate the support of value (Bogue, Hall, 2003, p. 23).Accreditation depends on the assessment of institutional or program execution against a lot of insignificant gauges. There might be, in this manner a justifiable variety among authorize organizations. Be that as it may, without accreditation, the level of variety would be a lot more prominent, and the public’s capacity to observe the contrasts between the establishments of sufficient quality and those of deficient quality would be genuinely harmed. Without accreditation, the impulses of reputational concentrates additionally would be extraordinarily exacerbated (Bogue, Hall, 2003, p. 23-24).Usually accreditation and quality confirmation in different nations is commonly completed by the administration. An exemption to this case is United States, where accreditation is completed by private in-benefit associations intended for this particular reason. Outside quality audit of more excellent training is a non-legislative exercise in United States.The word accreditation is regularly and mistakenly utilized reciprocally with confirmation and licensure. While accreditation is a status credited to an organization or one of its parts, confirmation normally applies to an individual or suggests a procedure that establishes that the person has satisfied necessities gone ahead in a specific profession and may rehearse in that field of work (Bogue, corridor, 2003, p. 22). Licensure is likewise a term material to an individual as opposed to an organization. Regularly related and at some point sneaked to both accreditation and affirmation, licensure is the procedure by which an individual is conceded the power to rehearse in a specific field. It runs the range from vehicle activity to mind medical procedure, from barbering to flying kind sized jets.Generally Accepted Accreditation PrinciplesGAAP is essentially a bookkeeping idea for example Proper accounting rules. These standards are commonly acknowledged: not completely, not generally, not all around, yet for the most part. A similar idea bodes well in the realm of accreditation: GAAP †Generally Accepted Accreditation Principles. The term was first utilized casually at the national show of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers AACRAO in

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Example for Free

The NFL Strikes of 1982 and 1987 Essay Presentation The National Football League (NFL) strikes of 1982 and 1987 were viewed as historic occasions in the NFL however not on the grounds that it prevailing in its points. In actuality, they can legitimately be called horrifying disappointments. In its disappointments, the two occasions picked up reputation and a spot in history as: the most limited season throughout the entire existence of football; the first run through substitutions were utilized in an expert football match-up; and concentrated on the issue of free office among football players. This paper will give an outline of the genuine occasions and talk about the how it turned out badly. Foundation So as to comprehend the NFL strikes of 1982 and 1987, it is imperative to give a foundation on the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). The association framed with the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns consented to sign up in 1956 to request the lowest pay permitted by law and different advantages of NFL players. They were helped in getting the remainder of the players of the 28 groups in the NFL sign in by Don Shula (Baltimore Colts), Frank Gifford and Sam Gifford (New York Giants) and Norm Van Brocklin (Los Angeles Rams). (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) The NFLPA was not honored with much impact with the proprietors of the alliance, and were essentially inadequate in pushing their points and objectives through. An endeavor to strike before the beginning of the 1956 season didn't get off the ground. Before 1982, players worked under an exceptionally free course of action with group proprietors; marking rewards were unfathomable and frequently there were no agreements. The compensation scale was a long way from standard; new kids on the block could be gaining more than players of quite a while standing, unbeknownst to either player. Ordinarily, it was not a problem, until players got some answers concerning, generally during shower discussions. (Forbes, 2001) Players likewise had the most simple of medical coverage and preparing support as far as accounts from the group proprietors. It was anything but a given that player outfits were paid for by the group proprietors and that they were paid in any event, when harmed and incapable to play. Since group proprietors would not accept the assembles of the NFLPA for conferences truly, declining even to appear, the association heads took steps to document an antitrust claim against the NFL, encouraged by the an ongoing decision the Supreme Court wherein it precluded resistance from claiming the NFL from antitrust laws. The association drained this for all it was worth in the resulting years, prevailing with regards to winning little triumphs, for example, annuity and wellbeing plans. Notwithstanding, it was not until 1968, twelve years after it was first shaped that it got perceived as the official worker's organization of the NFL. Players took to the streets duriong preparing drove by the Cleveland Brown’s Bernie Parrish at the induction of a significant trade guild, and the group proprietors fought back by securing the preparation camps. Afyet a short interim, a trade off was rached the NFLPA picked up its association contract, for example, it was (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007). The agreement was uneven, best case scenario, leaving players with next to no use during resulting strikes in 1970, 1974 and 1975 and they were tormented by players crossing the picket line, separating the solidarity (Staudohar, 1988). III. The strike of ‘82 The impulse for the 1982 strike was a blend of a few elements. After the prematurely ended 1974 strike, legal advisor Edward Garvey assumed control over an official executive of the NFLPA. Once in the past from the firm speaking to the NFLPA, Garvey was not new to aggregate bartering, and he was resolved that the players would get the concessions they have been requesting. It was additionally as of now that the news spread about a concurrence with a TV channel would nearly significantly increased the owners’ TV incomes contrasted with the earlier year. In addition, the United States Football League (USFL) was scheduled to begin in 1983, successfully breaking the imposing business model of the NFL and giving football players all the more haggling influence. Every one of these components prompted the assertion of a strike by the NFLPA on September 19, 1982 and it would most recent 57 days until November 16 of that year. The association requested that players get 55% of the gross incomes of the group. (â€Å"National Football League Players Association,† 2007) In spite of the strong front showed by the players, the NFL wouldn't surrender, selecting to shave 7 games off the 16-game season, which was the period wherein the strike was continuous. Meanwhile, association pioneers sorted out a few â€Å"all-star games† however these didn't passage well with the fans nor did it produce adequate enthusiasm for TV inclusion. At long last, with the systems neglecting to help the players and the NFL standing quick, the strike finished without the players getting their 55%. At the point when the USFL began in 1983, players had the option to can foresee better terms or leave the class. (Staudohar, 1988) The 1987 strike In the meantime between the 1982 and 1987 strike, advancements in the pro game prompted the requests for better compensation just as the option to free office. The agreement between the NFL and the association was set to lapse on August 31, 1987. In 1986, the USFL stopped to work, encouraging the NFL to permit the strike to occur unafraid of the players setting off to the USFL. The NFLPA had additionally figured out how to distribute the first NFLPA Base Salary Directory, which gave the premise to pay arrangements for players. (Forbes, 2001) The genuine strike was again activated by a TV contract, this time expanding the NFL owners’ incomes to $17,000,000. This time, the association mediators, Jack Donlan and football player Gene Upshaw have had involvement with aggregate dealing before the strike, and functioned admirably with one another. In any case, the mediators had managers, and the there were a great deal of contradicting voices. This isn't astonishing thinking about that there was one agent from every one of the 28 groups, framing them union’s work strategy making group called the Management Council drove by official chief Jack Donlan and another six representatives to shape the Council Executive Committee. It was Donlan’s obligation to advance attachment in the requests of the association just as guarantee that exchanges keep to limits set by the Council individuals. A portion of the association requests were as per the following: least compensations severance pay option to free organization end of counterfeit turf (Staudohar, 1988) A football player’s proficient life is short, under four years before getting too harmed to even think about continueing playing. In this way, it is intelligent that they attempt to get as much cash as they can during their profitable seasons. Be that as it may, the 1987 strike didn't generally stress this. What was underscored by the players who were met and in the resulting arrangements of association pioneers was the option to free organization. Free organization is about an expert player’s option to haggle with any number of groups for the offer of their administrations once their agreement terminates gave they had satisfied a few states of residency. There are five classes of free organization: unlimited (UFA); limited (RFA); select rights (EFA); establishment (FFA); and transitional (TFA). In UFA, a player with in any event four years of experience can change groups without limitations. RFA directs that a player of at any rate three years standing can haggle for his exchange to another group, yet his past group has the option to coordinate the different team’s offer and hold rights to the player on the off chance that they do as such. In the event that the past group decreases to coordinate the offer, the new group should offer pay to the past group as draft picks. EFA players have under three years with the alliance and his group should make a proposal before the NFL cutoff time or the player turns into a UFA player. A player assigned as FFA is a UFA player for whom another group, if the past group decreases to coordinate the offer, must dispatch pay to the past group. The TFA player get a proposal from the past group for least higher sum dependent on last compensation for example 120% of compensation and the past group has seven days to make the offer. On the off chance that the offer isn't made, the player can join up with the new group which doesn't have to repay the past group. (â€Å"Free organization definitions explanations,† 2004) The strike was declared on September 22, 1987 and very quickly, things began to go amiss. Since Upshaw as one of the association moderators was not constantly present during the anticipating the new agreement, NFL authorities grumbled to the National Labor Relations Board this was an intentional ploy to legitimize a strike due to non-movement in the discussions, and asserted dishonesty. This reinforced the situation of the group proprietors, and they chose to confront the strikers by acquiring substitution players to play in their stead. The season’s games proceeded as arranged. Substitution players, additionally alluded to as â€Å"scabs† are typically previous school football players, or those players who got cut during the draft. This was an extraordinary move by the NFL group proprietors and was viewed as a â€Å"dirty† stunt. (Farsnworth, 2002) However, the advertising of the NFL got occupied in speaking to the NFL as being morally justified, and the way that by the principal seven day stretch of the strike significant players crossed the picket line appeared to strengthen this impression. The break in solidarity, and the disappointment of association pioneers to get the group proprietors to conform to their terms, prompted the closure of the strike on October 15, 1987. That day, the NFLPA recorded an antitrust claim against the NFL group proprietors, a field wherein they have been progressively fruitful previously, significantly more than on the picket line. In the long run, however the 1987 suit was excused, another claim documented in 1989 which was progressively fruitful and the courts decided for th

Kevins Room

Kevin’s Room You’ve probably heard this a million times in various iterations, but MIT is a kaleidoscope of vastly different people, all of us united by this one weird thing or set of things that keeps us moving (it could be robots or math or cheesecake or Netflix. Mmmm, cheesecake). The MIT campus is defined and elevated by its people, and for this blogpost, I sat down with one of them, Kevin, to talk about his room, which I think in many ways reflects his individuality and personality, and is a fitting microcosm of the larger spectrum of things MIT tries to capture. I previously mentioned Kevin in my blog about  snow  antics.  I built my first and only snowman, Olaf, with him in January 2015. Nearly two years later, I’m a senior, and he’s a junior. We still live in the same floor of Random Hall, a dorm that lets its inhabitants personalize their room however they want. Kevin has found a way to capitalize on this freedom to make his room as him as possible. ** Kevin Vincent Morrow 18 became a member of MIT in August 2014 (yes we share a name; his middle name is my first name, and this was a fun fact we bonded over the first time we met). He comes from Riverton, Kansas, a town of slightly under 1000 people, and attended a high school of about 300 students. His graduating class consisted of about 60 people. Ever since his high school years, he’s been interested in “making stuff”. He tinkered with and flew remote-controlled planes for fun, often building them from scratch (some of which he featured in the optional Maker Portfolio of his admissions application). MIT was one of few places he was interested in, although he admits to not expecting to get in. Other places he applied to include Caltech, which turned him down (their loss), and the Naval Academy, a place whose application process is incredibly more rigorous and demanding, both physically and mentally, than the typical college admissions process (you can read more on it  here). He had to choose between MIT and the Naval Academy; his engineering side won out and he’s on track to completing his third year here. Reflecting on this difficult choice, he said that on some days he wondered, not quite certain that choosing MIT was the right thing. But lately, his doubts have been vanishing, and he’s finding fulfillment in his classes and his environment. Part of this initial inertia came from the usual freshman-year jolt MIT is known for. He admits to feeling like hot stuff, leaving high school and entering the world of MIT. 4.0 GPA, captain of his school’s varsity soccer team, ran track for a while, fair amount of experience with electronics and building stuff. Then his first semester at MIT was like a rude jolt. In his words, it was a “brutal transition”, “turned my world upside down”. He found some classes very difficult, and the experience of intense struggling knocked him down a few pegs: “I had to find humility, and that was hard, but I found it.” He recalled something his dad had told him about military training: they break you down, to build you up. MITs unofficial motto. Ever since then, he’s gotten used to the demanding groove, and is currently taking classes he enjoys (his major is course 2, Mechanical Engineering). This semester, he’s taking 2.05 (Thermodynamics), 2.051 (Intro to Heat Transfer), 2.086 (Numerical Computation for Mechanical Engineers), 6.002 (Circuits and Electronics), and 4.021 (Intro to Architecture Design). It’s a demanding load, but he’s found fulfillment in the hands-on components.  4.021 is a HASS (Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences) class in which he gets to create multiple design sketches, capped off by a final design project that brings them to life. He’s also enjoying 6.002, whose professor he describes as big-hearted and kind of silly, and rattled off some of the topics theyve covered this semester. Transistors, mosfets, inductors, capacitors, resistors, circuits, current meters, complex differential op-amps. As a Computer Science major, those words fill me with nightmarish terror, but my nightmare is Kevin’s paradise, and he’s on track to acing the class. His love of “making stuff” follows him even outside of classes. He’s still interested in drones, although he says it’s harder to work on them in the city, and lately, his attention has shifted to rockets and robotics. He’s on the MIT Rocket Team, a small but highly active team that builds rockets out of a room in Building 17 of MIT. He says the team actively teaches its members how to do things, but also grants them a lot of autonomy. Because he loves building things, and always want to get working on a project with ease, he decided to ensure his room reflected this desire. ** Random Hall is a mix of traditional singles and doubles and “uneven doubles”. The uneven double is a bit interesting, comprising two rooms collectively large enough to create a traditional triple, except one room is twice the size of the other. Kevin was originally in the smaller uneven double, but moved to the bigger one at the end of his freshman year, courtesy of Random Hall’s annual room lottery, and upon learning that he was allowed to do whatever he wanted with his room, decided he would transform it quite a bit. Kevin’s door was originally red, but he painted it black, aiming for a “bunker-like” feel. He’s a big fan of sci-fi and militaristic games and movies, and wanted a bare door that somehow reflected that. Opening this door reveals his nearby work desk, dominated by a TV. And a work monitor he built himself (using stuff he knew from high school, plus online research, plus Andrew’s help, Andrew being the sophomore that lives in the smaller “half” of their uneven double, and also a member of Rocket Team). Kevin does most of his problem sets from this desk. Right next to it is a wall-spanning work bench, comprising everything he might need: drills, screws,  screwdrivers, pliers, wires etc. Kevin’s mom shipped most of the items to him from Kansas in two flat-rate boxes that weighed seventy pounds. He unpacked, built the work bench and organized the tools over a period of weeks. Staring at them, I got the sense of a one-man industry. He said the work bench was inspired by a typical scene from action movies, in which a hidden wall vanishes, or a hidden door swings open, revealing a room full of high-tech weapons. He wanted something similar for his room, except for drills and drones in place of auto-rifles and grenades. Next to the work-bench hangs what appears to be an action-movie setpiece. It’s actually the second fully-autonomous, GPS-equipped multirotor he ever built. He explains a dazzling array of its technical specs, while I just flashback to the time he flew it around the kitchen and I kept hiding from it with tiny shrieks. From getting the parts he needed to having a fully assembled piece took him a month, but most of his time was spent in the former stage. A 3D printer sits to the right of the multirotor. He bought this printer at the start of last year (after his internship with 3D Robotics in which he got to work with sophisticated printers) and spruced it up with 200 dollars worth of upgrades, effectively creating a high-end printer at a much cheaper rate. He’s 3D-printed iron man helmets, rocket avionics bays, custom parts for the printer itself, handles for simple things. The iron man helmet was an especially interesting one, so we dwelled on that for a bit. Kevin is a huge fan of the Iron Man movies, and Iron Man being an MIT alum was part of what drove him here. In high school, he always talked about how he’d build a fully functional Iron Man suit to anyone who would listen, and in particular to Kyle Dannelly, his high school’s main IT specialist. Kyle would listen to Kevin go on about all his ideas, about things he’d built and the more sci-fi contraptions hed someday invent. Kyle was a very patient listener, and an influential force in Kevins curiosity.  As it turns out, having someone who listens to you that intently, pushes you deeper into the world of your ideas. ** Hanging opposite Kevin’s multi-rotor is a guitar. He can only play two chords, and has no idea how to transition between them (hint: anyone knowledgeable about catchy one-chord songs should send him an e-mail).  He hopes to learn how to play someday, but MIT hasn’t left him with enough time to. He believes it’s symbolic of how busy the Institute is, and represents what he’s working towardlife after graduation, where some of his wilder dreams have greater power to take shape, and where he can maybe have enough time to learn how to play. There’s a massive bed next to the guitar. Random Hall’s freedom in letting you design your own room also comes with a slew of other “you-bet-you-can”s, which includes adding extra furniture and items (like his marker board), and dragging up a twin-size bed from the collection of the spares in the basement, if you so desire. Kevin did, and transformed a small twin into something more comfy. It’s safe to say that if you want to get to know Kevin, as an MIT student and as a person, there’s no better place to start than his room. ** Kevin isn’t entirely sure what comes after he graduates from MIT. He’s considering grad school in Course 2 or Course 6 (EECS), but he also hasn’t taken being an officer at the Naval Academy off the table. He believes there’s a lot of unexplored aspects of life he could discover in the military world. But he does recall when it became real for him that he was really in MIT. It was the start of his freshman year, and he was strolling down a sidewalk. To his side, the MIT dome loomed large, standing in front of Killian Court, green and alive (in a few months, it would turn white under the wintry fury of snow). As he stared at the dome, it finally struck him that this wasn’t a dream, that he was really here at MIT. In his own words: “it wasn’t anything like sadness or happinessit was awe. I made it. I did it.” He’s still doing it.

Groundwater Pollution - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 3 Words: 1026 Downloads: 4 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Ecology Essay Level High school Tags: Water Pollutions Essay Did you like this example? Groundwater Pollution Despite being one of the most prominent issues in our world, water pollution is commonly overlooked in our society, particularly groundwater pollution. Even environmental activists can have very little knowledge on how impactful this problem really is, but the fact remains that groundwater pollution is a terrifying reality lurking just beneath our feet. By ignoring this issue, multiple societies hace allowed themselves to pump the pure groundwater full of nitrates and other harmful chemicals. Payal Sampat, a senior researcher at World Watch Institute, puts it best by saying: Numerous studies have tracked the extent to which our increasing demand on water has made it a resource critical to a degree that even gold and oil have never been. Its the most valuable thing on Earth. Yet, ironically, its the thing most consistently overlooked, and most widely used as a final resting place for our waste. And, of course, as contamination spreads, the supplies of usable water get tighter still (Payal). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Groundwater Pollution" essay for you Create order The biggest questions people have when approaching the topic of groundwater pollution are Why does this matter? and Is it really that bad? These questions can be best answered by the Weldon Springs incident from 1980s. In the 1940s, soldiers would clean off nitrates from TNT in the fields of Weldon. Years later in the 1980s, it was found that nitrates were bubbling up in springs branching out miles away from the site, and was relatively undrinkable due to this. After knowing of this incident and the many others like it, it becomes much easier for people to accept that groundwater pollution is something that should be researched properly. In order to properly delve into the topic, it must first be discussed exactly where the groundwater contaminates come from and how they affect the environment. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the top contaminate in groundwater pollution is sewage. It is easy for people to pass over this factor because it is out of our sight. However, sewage systems often are cracked and allow harmful pollutants to mix with the clean groundwater. Jim Davis, a contaminants taxologist who does research for MarineBio, has looked into this topic. He found that a good portion of sanitation plants do not put the water through a filter thorough enough to remove all of the waste and chemicals before it reaches the environment. Davis quotes, According to the EPA, 40 percent of all waterways in the US do not meet national water quality standards, due in large part, to leaking sewer systems (Davis). Another one of the biggest contributors are nitrates. This is because nitrates are elements in many other harmful pollutants such as pesticides and fertilizers. In addition to this, home purification systems do not work to filter out nitrates, and even boiling the water increases their affect. The EPA marks it mostly harmless so long as it is 10mg/L in drinking water, but higher rates have been known to harm infants under six months. Some interesting research comes from S.M. Rhinds academic journal Effects of environmental pollutants on the reproduction and welfare of ruminants. In this journal, Rhind looks into the health risks that come from groundwater pollution. Nitrates that find their way into the earth from pesticides, sewage leaks, and toxic metals, have often been speculated to affect the reproduction system in animals. Rhind proved this theory somewhat true with his experiments on ruminants, or sheep. The nitrates attack the endocrine system, which does play a part in repro duction. However, his experiment also included sewer sludge in the diet of the sheep, and Rhind stresses the need for further, more detailed experiments in the future. He quotes, In these studies, the concentrations of chemicals to which animals were exposed, and the specific mixture of chemicals involved, were not comprehensively defined because this would have been logistically impossible (Rhind). Toxic metals such a lead and barium also play a large role in groundwater pollution. Many of these metals are natural, and in fact healthy to drink, but others can provide serious health risks. Paul Tchnounwou, a researcher for the National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI, gives just a few examples of the effects of extended exposure to these toxic metals when he quotes, These metals are systemic toxicants known to induce adverse health effects in humans, including cardiovascular diseases, developmental abnormalities, neurologic and neurobehavioral disorders, diabetes, hearing loss, hematologic and immunologic disorders, and various types of cancer (Tchounwou). Unlike nitrates, toxic metals can be filtered out of water, but it can be expensive and often more beneficial to connect to another source of water. Among these pollutants lies another man-made threat to the quality of groundwater, the depletion of natural aquifers. Aquifers are deposits underground where large bodies of groundwater are stored. With the growing population of humans, society has recently begun to well up this underground water as opposed to only drinking surface water. However, this habit has made groundwater pollution even more prominent in our society. Payal quotes, Unlike rivers, which flush themselves into the oceans, aquifers become sinks for pollutants, decade after decade-thus further diminishing the amount of clean water they can yield for human use (Sampat). After depleting an aquifer in Ludhiana, India, the groundwater became so polluted that the well water was undrinkable. It can take an estimated 1,400 years before it may return to normal. A final question to be asked is How do we fix this issue? It seems as though the first place to start is in the sewage systems and septic tanks. The government funding for these things is severely under what it should be, and in turn results in faulty systems that allow waste to slip through the cracks into what was once drinkable water. The next step would be to stop depleting the natural aquifers for drinking water. Finally, taking the time to test the water supply once a month can be a clear indicator of when the drinking water is unhealthy and in need of treatment. By focusing on slowing down the heavy impact humans have on groundwater pollution, we may be able to make the world a better, healthier place to live.

An Analysis of the Israeli-Palenstinian Conflict Essay

The thesis of this article is an examination of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and both the things that have prevented it from being resolved as well as potential solutions or measures directed at establishing peace. The Author’s major arguments in this article start with Israel and how they feel that they have a Biblical right to occupy the areas of the West Bank. The author then goes on to discuss how the Palestinians also feel that they have a right to this land as a birthright because they have occupied this land over time as their own. After discussing why both sides feel as if they deserve to call the land in conflict their own he discusses neither side is happy with what is going on. In this section he discusses how the Israelis†¦show more content†¦I feel that the author makes a strong point in his next argument when discussing the Palestinian justification to land rights and their feelings surrounding this topic. The author discusses how because the Palesti nians feel as if they are under occupation that they have the right to resist in a violent manner. He points out how this viewpoint and occupation has helped to create violent movements such as Hamas. In addition to this the author continues this argument by stating that this violence only breeds more violence as it creates a desire for revenge. I feel that this is a strong point because it not only addresses the mindset of Palestinians but also provides an explanation for why the violence in the area continues. The next issue of the choices faced is also a strongly supported one as is shows how various solutions would and have been seen over time. The first potential choice is to expel Palestinians but the viewpoint that has come over time is that this is not only an immoral thing to do but it would also create very negative international backlash. The second point is that over time those living in the area have come to realize that violence has created hardships that affect everyo ne involved and because of this maintaining occupation over an extended period will not be doable. The third, and potentially strongest point, is that by simply granting Palestinians the territories they desire it would either take away Palestinian

Key Success Factors in Online Ventures Free Essays

The chaotic development of the Internet has left many attempts to route commerce through it stranded. Icons of the brick-and mortar age have often been the most hapless victims, floundering in vain attempts to attract the attention of browsers, and to deliver value. This makes the eminent online success of Office Depot especially worthy of study. We will write a custom essay sample on Key Success Factors in Online Ventures or any similar topic only for you Order Now The business-to-business model has been especially difficult for middle-aged industrial and corporate buyers to comprehend. Those who have never learnt to write in code feel threatened by the very mention of a web site, and take refuge in the exaggerated risks of buying online (Tillinghast, 2002). The first key success factor of Office Depot lies in the simplicity of design of its web site, requiring no familiarity with computers or programming to place orders, pay for them, and to receive supplies. Office Depot, by virtue of the variety of products and services on offer, tempts customers to become frequent web site visitors (Office Depot, 2006). Office supplies for coffee are positioned in the upper left quadrant where it is likely to catch first attention. The lay out is inviting, and is bound to generate curiosity and interest even in the minds of skeptical browsers. Overall, Office Depot scores through a web site, which is akin to the shop windows of the most popular retail outlet in the physical world. A third success factor is that Office Depot makes it easy to return goods purchased on incorrect impulses, even arranging to pick them up at the door (Johnson, not dated). This must alleviate natural fears about making buying decisions without seeing and feeling products, and meets most objections of electronic commerce head-on. Office Depot respects customer choice, emphasizing the availability of trusted brands (Office Depot, 2006). Generic products, new brands, and the most established ones such as Hewlett-Packard are offered with even prominence. This is in contrast to the online business forays of some others, which are blatant efforts to promote particular brands at the cost of customer degrees of freedom. Broadly, Office Depot has succeeded in online business, because it has put customer needs ahead of technological innovation in electronic communication, ensuring that the Internet serves business needs rather than dictate terms to it. Lessons from the Office Depot Online Success Conventional marketing promoted the targeting of relatively narrow segments. This made sense as long as a business offered its products and services within the confines of a segregated area. An over-riding feature of the Internet is that the whole world becomes a single market place. Conventional marketing which is highly focused on a spatially limited segment pays the costs of existence on the World Wide Web, but without the attendant market potential and size benefits. We can learn from the success of Office Depot that online marketing has to address clusters (Payne, 2002) rather than narrow segments. Office Depot defines its customers as enterprises of all sizes, from the small to large corporations, and has combined its Internet foray with international operations. It is therefore able to use the full power of the medium. The Internet makes the Process element of the Marketing Mix (Payne, 2002) a key determinant of success. Office Depot has a prominent promise on the web site of deliveries, without extra charge, within one business day. The enormous planning and investment efforts made to make this promise come true over incredibly large numbers of transactions everyday, has to be appreciated if anyone wishes to repeat the Office Depot success story. Perhaps the facility of the medium makes other enterprises offer commitments which they are not geared to meet, leaving customers disillusioned. There is a large and complex operation of logistics behind the Office Depot success, to keep adequate inventories of such a large number of items within a day’s reach of all customers. The sophistication of online business tempts many enterprises to segregate Internet operations from conventional business. A lesson from Office Depot is that the medium should be integrated in to the mainstream in manners which lend synergy (Johnson, not dated). Office Depot treats customers on its web site just as it would if some one walked in to one of their conventional stores. Finally, Office Depot enhances its physical and generic products with useful services (Johnson, not dated). The articles and discussions on small business and commercial resources must be particularly valuable for customers. Competitive Advantage in Marketspace Scale matters in marketspace (Johnson, not dated). Office Depot is successful because of the breadth of its product and service offers, because of the vast territory it serves, and the sheer weight of over a billion dollars of revenue, which is growing rapidly as well. These dimensions act as barriers to new entrants, and strengthen the company’s competitive strength from day to day. Marketspace is first about customer needs, and not about the elegance and creativity of software engineers. Other enterprises have web sites with flash, multi-media, and other features which delight programmers, but which take time to load, and can even scare away customers. Web sites should have clear objectives (Tillinghast, 2002), and serve the business, rather than drive it. It is important for enterprises to avoid being overwhelmed by the aura of the Internet, and to keep it tightly within the reins of customer needs. Limits to Online Business Success and the Office Deport Experience There are 5 important limitations to online business in general, and to the foregoing account of the success of Office Depot in this regard: firstly, credit card and related payment frauds plague most electronic commerce ventures. The case does not mention the actual experience of Office Depot in this regard, and even if the company has not suffered any significant losses in this regard, it remains vulnerable for the future. Secondly, products such as copiers and facsimile machines may require considerable product demonstration and after-sales-service, which the online business model is not geared to provide. The decision-making for pins and staples is certainly not the same as for equipment such as filing cabinets: Office Depot runs the risk of building revenues faster in low value-addition lines, as opposed to modern office products of the future. Thirdly, Office Depot has tasted success during the halcyon years of a global economic boom. The serious fixed cost growth which it has encountered in terms of warehousing and logistics could become a serious drag on profitability during a future economic downturn. Fourthly, the practice of offering products in kiosks which are not available or offered online, may rebound on the company. Customers may move away from the company’s web site once they realize that more choice is available in real stores. Finally, the Office Depot experience lacks universal relevance. Many competitors, and companies in other lines of business may realize better returns from conventional business channels, and failures if they copy the high fixed cost and infrastructure-intensive online business model of Office Depot. References Johnson, W. C. (not dated) Case 13: Office Depot Goes Online-E-Service Quality, publication details not available Payne, A. (2002) Services Marketing, Prentice-Hall Tillinghast, T. (2002) Tactical Guide to Internet Marketing, Xlibris Corporation Office Depot, (2006) Company website, retrieved January 16th 2007 from: http://www.officedepot.com/ How to cite Key Success Factors in Online Ventures, Essay examples

Poem Hurricane Essays - Atlantic Hurricane Seasons,

Poem: Hurricane The evil hurricane destroys the landscape by snapping the trees The depressed rain sounds like a baby crying because he did not get his way The corrupt winds hurl the timber around The stern winds sound like a mother yelling angrily at her child The loud thunder sounds as if a baseball is being hit hard by a large baseball bat The crack of trees snapping caused the hurricane to roar There was a low moan of pain traveling through the air The screeches of the hurricane sent shrills down our spines The twirling witch threw rain at our house The stormy clouds were running away from the disasterous battle field The yelping cars were tumbling and somersalting across the freeway The upset hurricane threw down the blazing lightning The tremendous hurricane was a thundering, swirling cloud of death as it spun off baby ice cream cones of terror The terrifying hurricane whistled an unsteady tone as it uprooted our crops and had a tasty snack The gigantic hurricane swept up our homes and left them where they were and didn't bother to use a dustpan The horrifying hurricane weakened our houses with its powerful and terrifying smelling breath The destructive hurricane blew the ocean waves into a wild rage to destroy our unsafe homes The hurricane was a sinister villain destroying beautiful land The noisy hurricane screams and howls like an upset baby Hurricanes are angry grandmothers with gray hair spinning and falling out everywhere The powerful storm was throwing branches like major league baseball pitchers The winds were rushing across the water while whistling a creepy tune with the trees snapping along The hurricane was so angry, she ripped off the barn roof, while her whipping winds chased the cows The repulsive eye sternly watched me as it began to leave Poetry Essays