Motivation of Employee - 2476 Words

Motivation of Employee People join and work in organization to satisfy their needs. They are fascinated to organizations that have the funds of rewarding their wants. These wealth are called â€Å"incentives (compensation, benefits)† (M. Maccoby, 9) of rewards; organizations use them to initiate people to contribute their efforts on the way to achieve organizational goals. The continued existence of an organization depends on its capability to attract and stimulate people to accomplish these individual and organizational goals. Motivation is defined as a goal-directed behavior. It concerns the level of endeavor one exerts in pursuing a target. Managers are concerned with this concept because it is directly connected to employee satisfaction†¦show more content†¦Bruce McAfee have named this as â€Å"existence†. â€Å"This includes the need for food, clothing, safe working conditions, and economic security†. (p139) The next group of employee needs is affec tion, companionship, and influence. The mentioned above authors called it â€Å"relatedness†. â€Å"This involves the need for meaningful social and interpersonal relationship†. (p139) And the last group is consummation and self-topical also called â€Å"growth, and includes the need for personal growth and being creative on the job†. (p139) 2. Organizational stimulus. Organizations have a set of rewards that very close to and can please employee’s needs. These consist of several system of rewards, such as: substantive reward describing by pay, job security, and physical working conditions; interactive rewards that include co-workers, supervision, praises and recognition; and intrinsic rewards depicting as achievement, challenge, and accountability. These organizational factors influence the way of performance. 3. Palpable outcomes. People grow a set of perceptions relating to the significance of managerial rewards, the link between performance and rewards, and the likehood that their labors may result in duty presentation. The second part of the model, motivational decision, explains the procedure by which people generate motivational choices and decisions. This procedure describes the motivational hard work involved in deciding to implement productively. The faithful component implicated isShow MoreRelatedThe Motivation And Employee Motivation1584 Words   |  7 PagesThe central problem that always employers and employees face is the employee motivation. The workers who put no effort to do their best in their jobs which will lead to low quality of work and give no benefit to the organization are the one who are not motivated (Amabile 1993). On the other side, employees who are apparently to be very intelligent, action oriented, ambitious, autonomous and always put an effort and sacrific e their time to put the organization at the ease are the one who feel motivatedRead MoreEmployee Motivation886 Words   |  4 PagesThis is a dissertation abstract on Employee Motivation: Why study motivation? To state it simple you need to know motivation to be a better leader to accomplish your business goals. Employees are like sheep you need to lead them to accomplish the mission. It is much easier to lead a group of individuals when they have a vested interest to accomplish it. You create that interest through motivation. The key to a successful organization in many ways is motivation. It is one of the most difficult tasksRead MoreEmployee Motivation 1164 Words   |  5 Pages Bauer and Erdrogen (2009) define motivation as â€Å"the desire to achieve a goal or a certain performance level, leading to goal–directed behavior† (p.97). McConnell (2006) argues that true motivation is self motivation. Today, health care organizations place a lot of emphasis on production and performance. However, motivating employees is a common challenge faced by health care managers and Bauer and Erdrogen (2009) state it is also one of the factors that greatly affect performance. McConnell (2006)Read MoreEmployee Motivation1256 Words   |  6 PagesEmployee Motivation Ali joined CVS Caremark project at TCS-Noida in November after a successful stint at Aviva in TCS-Bangalore, where he had worked as a trainee. He had always wanted to go back to his hometown and live with his parents and when he got a transfer to Delhi he didn’t waste a single moment in saying yes to the new project and heading towards Delhi. Many of his friends were also moving out from Bangalore at the same time which only made his decision easier. He felt that Caremark offeredRead MoreEmployee Motivation2339 Words   |  10 PagesEmployee Motivation A question often asked by first-line supervisors and managers is â€Å"How do we motivate our employees?† Effectively motivating employees to achieve a desired outcome is one of the most important functions as a supervisor or manager. There is evidence to show organizations are facing challenges retaining employees due to limited opportunities for advancement and the current competitive labor market. It does not appear things will get any better in the future. The loss of employeesRead MoreEmployee Motivation9463 Words   |  38 PagesInsights Into Employee Motivation, Commitment and Retention Barbara J. Kreisman Ph.D. Research/White Paper Insights Denver February, 2002 The Leadership Journey is a supervisory, management, and leadership training system consisting of 24 courses delivered on DVD, CD-ROM, VHS, and Online. Call 1-800-541-7872 or visit www.btedemo.com to preview courses. Page 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.3 W hy Employee Retention and Motivation Is Important†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.5 Turbulence In The Work Environment†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreEmployee Motivation3336 Words   |  14 PagesContents BACKGROUND OF THE COMPANY 2 History of Genting Highlands 3 Content 4 Maslow’s hierarchy of needs 5 Physiological Needs 5 Safety needs 6 Esteem 8 Convenience 8 McClelland’s acquired needs theory 9 Pros of Employee Motivation 10 Self-Esteem 10 Health 10 Recognition 10 Safety 10 Cons of Motivating Staff 10 Will Not Last and Employees become greedy 10 Over competitive 11 Job description oriented 11 Over dependence 11 Recommendation 12 Remove Demotivators 12 Pinpoint each employee’sRead MoreMotivation Theories And Motivation Of Employee Motivation Essay1517 Words   |  7 Pagesour control and some that are not. Employee motivation is something that can directly affect an organizations production. It is no secret that un-motivated employees equates to un-productive workers, but how can we combat this? In order to better understand this concept we will look at the definition of employee motivation, some of the motivation theories and some motivation techniques that could be useful in our organizations. What is employee motivation? Motivation is a word used quite often in manyRead MoreMotivation And Efficiency Of Employee Motivation Essay2331 Words   |  10 PagesMotivation is defined as â€Å"the process that account for an individual’s intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Robbins Judge, 2016, p. 126). It is a flat out need to keep employees motivated in the workplace and boost them to perform beyond expectations. In addressing what elements of employment result in both motivation and efficiency, this paper briefly sketches some of the theories of motivation applied in workforce and analyses how these theories are appliedRead MoreEmployee Motivation And Motivation Theory1878 Words   |  8 Pagesvaluable resources for companies and them could be competitive advantages for modern companies. It is important for modern companies to improve employee satisfaction and performance so that they can improve their organisational performance and competitiveness (Armstrong, 2006). As a result, Employee’s motivation management is significantly for companies. Motivation is a cognitive process to guide, initiate, direct and maintain goal-oriented activities. It can also be defined as the driving forces directing

Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness - 1900 Words

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These are the three rights granted to every American, however, this did not seem to apply to the poor during the Gilded Age. The poor lacked opportunities to climb the ladder of social class to escape poverty, and the wealth of America was so concentrated in an individual few that one man, J.P. Morgan, was able to end the Financial Panic of 1893, preventing an economic depression. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. The disparity between the wealthy and those facing poverty was ever growing, which makes one question, what should be done, if anything at all? This was a major problem during the time and was the topic of many debates. Figures like William Graham Sumner,†¦show more content†¦He believes that the poor cannot be simply given things, for if a man is given fish, they are fed for a day, but if that man is taught how to fish, they will be fed for a lifetime. The only way for the poor to become prod uctive members of society is to provide them the chance to succeed. In Carnegie’s, Wealth, 1889, he shares a similar view with Sumner. Carnegie sees the rich as, â€Å"the trustee and agent for his poorer brethren, bringing to their service his superior wisdom, experience, and ability to administer, doing for them better than they would or could for themselves†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Carnegie, 54). Unlike Sumner, Carnegie believes that the ever widening gap between the rich and poor is a problem and that action should be taken. Carnegie views the poor as almost helpless, unable to provide for themselves and overcome poverty, but he also sees that not all are unable. There are those who are capable of prevailing against the odds and that it is the duty of the rich to help lead these people towards prosperity. However, like Sumner, Carnegie also believed that the poor cannot simply be given wealth for it is a waste. â€Å"Of every thousand dollars spent in so called charity to-day, it is probable that $950 is unwisely spent†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Carnegie, 55). He even goes on to say how it would be more beneficial for mankind ifShow MoreRelatedLife, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness789 Words   |  4 Pagesshould declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We reaffirm today these truths to self-evident, that all people are created equal, that they are endowed by creation with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That these rights are secured by Governments instituted among Men and deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - And when Government has become destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alterRead MoreLife, Liberty, The Pursuit Of Happiness1852 Words   |  8 Pages Life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness; this is one prime reasons why America is so great. Very few places can you go and get what America has to offer. ‘Of, relating to, or characteristic of the United States or its inhabitants†, this is the definition of ‘American’ according to Google. Why is this ‘relevant’, you might ask? Lets take a look back, Apollo 13 and Argo films showed just what its like to represent America, and embodied what the American dream is made of, and what it is like to comeRead MoreLife, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness902 Words   |  4 PagesAs a citizen of the United States, you are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This is a VIRTUE that everyone embarks on; however, what if you were told you were doing it wrong? Aristotle begins his STORY stating that â€Å"EVERY art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has r ightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.† He goes on to say then, because these ends at which we aim are onlyRead MoreLife, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness2397 Words   |  10 Pages Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. These are the three unalienable rights that, as per the Declaration of Independence, are granted to all humans and which governments exist to protect. The United States of America is a land of opportunity and success, the land of the free. It is in this country where these ideals are upheld and followed by every citizen. Everyone hopes for success and prosperity in life, and achieving these aspirations through hard work is what is known as the AmericanRead MoreEssay on Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness620 Words   |  3 Pagesthe â€Å"unalienable rights† of the American people. Among these are â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.† Probably one of the most famous lines in American history, I have chosen to focus on this phrase and what those three things might have meant to Thomas Jefferson and the other Founding Fathers as they prepared this document, as well as what they mean to us today. First, Jefferson states that every man has the right to life. This is a pretty basic concept, but at the time the King wasRead MoreSecurity For Liberty : Freedom Of Life, Liberty And Pursuit Of Happiness1101 Words   |  5 PagesSecurity for Liberty For the sake of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, American citizens crumple up their own desires and follow laws such as the speed limit and paying taxes. These laws are given by the government, created by citizens to protect all residences. After all, one would give up a few priorities for the name of common good too, right? But there is a borderline between what an individual should and shouldn’t give up. For example, privacy rights. In most cases, people would claimRead MoreFalse Truths, Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness1538 Words   |  7 Pages False Truths Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The motto and the foundation of American democracy. If life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are the key to a long and stable governing power, then, would non-vitality, imprisonment, and censorship do the same? George Orwell’s, 1984, a bleak, yet compelling novel answers this question. In this dystopian version of 1984, asides from discos and neon leggings, Oceania, a mega-continentRead MoreThe American Dream, Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness915 Words   |  4 Pages The American Dream, â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness,† is a reason why my parents migrated from Yemen to United States of America in the late 70’s and early 80’s. My father was a hard working citizen, who spent little time at home and iced his back and feet when he did; he endured strenuous work before retiring from the railroad. My mother had the difficult duty to raise a boy basketball team and two daughters . My parents have always taught us, that if you want something, you workRead MoreThe Declaration Of Independence : The Rights Of Life, Liberty, And The Pursuit Of Happiness854 Words   |  4 Pagesendowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.† Many groups of Americans such as African Americans, Native Americans, and women have been denied the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness – which is why the phrase â€Å"all men are created equal† is a phrase that has been used loosely, as it was often contradicted throughout history. Liberty is the power to freely do and chose what one wants to do. As mentioned beforeRead MoreEveryone Has the Right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness876 Words   |  4 PagesRights laid out the liberties and rights of its citizens. We are allowed to speak badly about our government. We are able to protest when we feel we have been w ronged or we want something changed. We can bear firearms freely. We have the right against being detained without a speedy trial. We have the right not to self-incriminate ourselves. We have the to right to vote for our government leaders. Most or all of these rights we often take for granted. I would not know a life where I could not speak

Evaluate the Usefulness of a Range of Criteria Available for Measuring Free Essays

Development is ‘the use of resources and the application of available technology in order to bring about an increased standard of living within a country’. *1 There are variations in the economic development of different countries; this has lead to the formation of the ‘Development Gap’. In 1980, the Brandt Report divided the world into rich (North) and poor (South) sectors and found that in developing countries more than 800 million are impoverished and 17 million die needlessly before they are five years old. We will write a custom essay sample on Evaluate the Usefulness of a Range of Criteria Available for Measuring or any similar topic only for you Order Now 25 per cent of the world’s population live in the north but consume 80 per cent of all the goods made. Over the years there has been a wide range of criteria used for measuring development. These measures have included GNP which is used when looking at the wealth of a country and GNP per capita which looks at the wealth of a country when divided by the number of people. There are specific measures, for example number of people per doctor, adult literacy, food intake and birth death rates. These are useful measures when looking at specific areas of development but are too specific when dealing with development as a whole. HDI is also used to bridge the gap between GNP and the other specific measures. It is made up by using a range of data. This report will investigate which measures are the most useful at giving a true and fair view of how fast development is taking place in a sample of countries and the reasons for this. The countries used (as shown on appendix 2: a world map) were selected by choosing every seventh country from appendix 1, The World: Social and Economic Statistics) *1 Source: Letts, A2 in a week: Geography. Analysis The Gross National Product (GNP) of a country is one of the most recognisable measures of development. It is an estimate of the value of the countries production and measures the value of goods and services provided in a country, plus the balance of income from abroad. Until it is split by the population of the country (creating GNP per capita) GNP it is not an accurate measure of development. This is because one country with 7 million people could have the same output as a poorer country with 700 million people. HDI was devised by the United Nations and ranks all countries, taking into account their national income, life expectancy, adult literacy and year’s people spend in education, which in themselves could be used as measures of development. It is a measure of national human progress. It is measured on a scale of between 0 and 1 with the more developed countries near 1 and the least developed countries nearer 0. Food Intake is the average number of calories a person consumes per day. The more developed a country is the more calories are person is likely to intake, as food is more readily available. Adult Literacy is the percentage of males and females that are unable to read or write a simple sentence. Again, the more developed a country is the lower this figure will be. In more developed countries there tend to be more doctors per a smaller section of society, so health care tends to be better, this could lengthen life expectancy of a country. The semi-log graph shows that countries with a high GNP per capita tend to have a low doctors per population figure but for those countries with a low GNP there is no pattern for doctors per population, with Burkina Faso having a GNP of US$ 180 and having 34804 people per doctor where as the Gambia has a GNP per capita of US$ 320 but Gambians have 1400 people per doctor. The only apparent anomaly on this graph was for the data for Mozambique that has a GNP of US$ 2000 and 36225 people per doctor. In relation to Togo, they have fewer doctors per person but a higher GNP. This could have been because in 1975 the government, nationalized health services and so doctors that were practicing for profit may have stopped practicing as they did not want to practice in a nationalized health service. In 1985 Mozambique, was effected by drought leading to a loss of 25% of all grain produced, leading to mass starvation, so people with specialist qualifications such as doctors may have found employment in other countries in order to keep their families from starving. This is likely to have been similar in 1991 when the country was affected by drought again. The Gambia The Gambia is a LEDC in West Africa. The Gambia has a GNP of US$ 354 million, this is extremely low when compared to US$ 1094734 million but when split between the 1.2 million inhabitants equaling a GNP per capital of US$ 320 million, where as Britain’s GNP per capita when split between its 268 million inhabitants is US$ 18700 million, so Gambia’s GNP per Capita is relatively very low as well. The Gambia’s GNP is split, 1.8% spent on health (Britain sends 2.5 times this amount on health care), 2.7% spent on education (half of what Britain spends) and 3.8% spent on the military (which is 0.7% more than Britain, but of a smaller figure so Britain is spending more money on its military, just a lesser percentage). Gambians take in approximately 2360 calories per day and have 1400 people per doctor. This compares to 3732 calories per day and 421 people per doctor in Britain. In the 1980’s there was a sudden drop in the production of agricultural exports due to several severe drought. This led to an increase in unemployment, migration to the capital and an increase in foreign dept to import food. In 1993 agriculture and tourism was hit by the consequences of the European economic crisis. The Gambia’s trade with Senegal was also damaged when the Central Bank of Western African States decided to stop financing trade. The economy is now improving due to a developing tourist industry with new hotels being built to capitalize on the European tourist. Cuba Cuba has a GNP of US$ 13700 million but with a population of 11.3 million its GNP per capita is US$ 1250 million. Although Cuba has a higher GNP than Gambia, it also has a larger population to share it between, although Cuba’s GNP per capita is still high. Cuba’s GNP until 1990 relied on highly upon the former Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries and so with the fall of communism, Cuba’s GNP will have fallen. Its 1994 Cuba’s HDI position was 0.723, this in relation to The Gambia is high because the Gambia’s HDI is only 0.281, but in comparison to Sweden Cuba has a low HDI as Sweden’s HDI is 0.936; while Cuba’s population food intake (in calories per day) is 2833. There are 275 people per doctor; this could be because Cuba spends 7.9% of its GNP on health services. In the 1960’s the Cuban government, under their leader Castro, ran campaigns to free Cuba of illiteracy and improve health services and by 1964 the illiteracy campaign was complete and Cuba was free of illiteracy. Cuba could remain free of illiteracy today because they spend 6.6% of their GNP on education. The military budget will have been gradually reduced over recent years after the threat from the United States of America had subsided after the Cold Was finished, and now only 2.8% of the GNP is spent on the military. Now Cuba is been advertised as a tourist destination, this will help to raise their GNP as there will be more money coming into the country, which can then go into services such as health, benefiting the whole of the country. Ethiopia Ethiopia (an LEDC in Africa) has a GNP of US$ 5722 million, this figure is lower than that for Cuba but higher than that for the Gambia (another LEDC in Africa) and a GNP per capita of US$ 100 million when split between the 58.5 million inhabitants. The Gross National Product has been split 1.1% on health, 6.4% on education and 2.1% on their military. Ethiopians take in approximately 1610 calories per day, this shows that many people in Ethiopia suffer from malnutrition. There are 32499 people per doctor, which is very high compared to Cuba, which only has 275 people per doctor; this is possibly because not much of the GNP is spent on health care. In 1984 Ethiopia was badly affected by drought and famine, this had started 2 years earlier and caused hundreds of thousands of people to die from starvation. It also caused the crops for those years to fail and so there was nothing to sell causing GNP to fall dramatically. In the late 80’s Ethiopia was involved in a civil war that consumed more than 60% of Ethiopia’s national budget and agriculture was still slumping. United States With a GNP of US$ 7100007 million, the United States of America has the largest GNP of all countries (22187 that of The Gambia’s) but when split between its 268 million nationals its GNP per capita equates to US$ 26980 million, this is lower than that of Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Japan. This GNP is then split down into 14.3% on health services, 5.5% on education and 3.8% on its military forces. The US has a HDI rating of 0.942 and the American people consume 3732 calories per day, which is the most after Ireland and Cyprus. American’s have 421 people per doctor, which is double the number of people per doctor in Austria. A high GNP could be as a result of American Transnational companies which spread around the world in the post Second World War period. In 1991, 15% of the US population lived below the poverty line. Those most affected were those citizens from African and Latin American origins. In January 1994, the US joined with Mexico and Canada to form The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which reduced trade with Europe as Americans found it cheaper to buy and sell to Canada and Mexico. Tourism is the biggest industry in the US but after the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, visitor numbers fell dramatically, having a significant effect on the American economy as people were scared to travel in case of reprisals. More recently, visitor numbers have fallen as a result of the conflict in Iraq as people feared more terrorist attacks to revenge the invasion of Iraq. 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Supermodel by Foster the People free essay sample

Foster the People has become one of the biggest names in alternative music as a result of its breakout single, â€Å"Pumped Up Kicks.† The song topped the charts, and the album â€Å"Torches† was critically acclaimed across the board. Now, three years later, Foster the People is back with a sophomore album, â€Å"Supermodel.† It’s clear that the band has aged, but the question is, have they aged well? â€Å"Supermodel† does start strong: â€Å"Coming of Age,† the lead single, is a driving summer rock anthem. Its highlights include piano sections sprinkled throughout and the killer bass guitar solo that comes after the first verse. The second single, â€Å"Pseudologica Fantastica,† is drenched with shoegaze and psychedelic guitars and synths. This track is one of the longest on the album but has an interesting hook. â€Å"Best Friend,† the third single, is easily one of the band’s best to date. It has a funky beat and a melody that is sure to get stuck in your head. We will write a custom essay sample on Supermodel by Foster the People or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The best part is the choirlike layered vocals that ring out at the end of the phrases. The dark lyrics contrast with the upbeat tone artfully, making this a thoughtfully constructed pop tune. Other notable tracks include â€Å"Are You What You Wanna Be?† – the fun opener with an African-inspired beat – and â€Å"A Beginner’s Guide to Destroying the Moon,† in which the band takes a darker, heavy metal route. On â€Å"Supermodel,† Foster the People experiments with a variety of sounds and ideas from across many genres. Because of this, though, it is hard to find links between the tracks, so the album lacks cohesion. It’s full of smart social commentary that pokes fun at capitalist consumption, but falls into the trap of mimicking other groups’ sounds and struggles to find its own identity. That said, Foster the People delivers an album with several standout tunes that won’t make you press skip. If you enjoy fun yet thoughtful indie pop, â€Å"Supermodel† is the album for you.

Effects of Earth Motions

The Location of the Sun At different times of the year, the sun appears at different locations at the same time of the day. Although it is quite easy to locate these positions during the course of the day, it is difficult to locate the differences between weeks or months. Different factors affect the position of the sun when viewed at the same time and at the same place year long.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Earth Motions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effects of Earth Motions Rotation– the earth rotates at 15o per hour. This is equivalent to complete rotation within 24hrs. Rotation of the earth causes the sun to move in an arc across the sky (Denecke Carr 46). As the earth rotates on its axis, the sun appears to move from East to West. As a result, at sun rise (6 A.M) an observer in the North Pole positions the sun to the east and low in the horizon. At around 9 A.M. when the earth has r otated 45 degrees, the sun has moved to the south East and is much higher up in the sky. At 12 noon, the same observer will realize that the earth has rotated another 45 degrees from the west to East and the sun is now to the south and above the horizon. At 3 P.M., the sun appears at the southwest and is much lower in the horizon than at noon. The sun finally set to the west and low in the sky. In Allentown PA, for example, the sun will never be directly overhead. On the first day of winter, the sun appears far down south of the equator and it is seen at an altitude of 26o at noon. On the first day of summer, the sun takes 15 hours to cross the sky and finally sets in the North West. This ultimately affects its position when viewed from the town. This makes the sun change daily in its rise and set with respect to the horizon. At the poles, at the beginning of spring, the sun only rises to 0.4 degrees into the sky everyday taking 30 hours at sunrise. The sun set also takes 30 hours a s it moves around the horizon. This means that if you turned towards the sun all this time, you will have moved your head 360 degrees. Someone viewing the sun from the Netherlands and Belgium, the sun is seen from the south; consequently, if you are in Australia, the sun is due north. The sun will be overhead to someone in the equatorial region.Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Revolution Assuming that the months of the year are on an axis, January in the beginning and December at the end of the axis, and the hours of the day placed on a vertical axis. The earth revolves around the sun once a year. The length and the position of the suns path are dependent on the seasons and latitude. Because suns path determines the length of time that sunrays reach the earth, a longer sun path mean a longer time is taken to reach the earth and consequently a longer day. This path also determines the position of the sun in different parts of the earth. When observed on different days, an observer will notice that the earth follows paths that are different. This arises because the sun’s position changes in response to the changes in the earth’s orbit. In December, a person observing the sun from the US will realize that the sun is south of East and sets on south of west. In June, the sun rises at the North of East and sets at the North of west. It also rises very high at noon. This results in very long daylight. During the Equinoxes in March and September, the sun rises due east and sets due west. The days are as long as nights. In December and in June, the suns path is much longer as days go by and the sun is even higher in the sky. Summer solstice (sun stop) occurs in June 21 when the altitude of the sun ceases to increase. As December approach, the sun’s path becomes progressively shorter with the altitude of the sun at noon decreasing. Precession This is an alteration in the orientation of the rotation axis of the earth. The Earth’s rotation is not fixed in space. It slowly executes a slow precision over a period of 26000 years. This motion may not necessarily exert any visible changes in the location of the sun.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Effects of Earth Motions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Can You Locate The Anti-Solar Point? Where Is It? The anti-solar point is the point at the extreme end of the shadow 180o away from the sun. The anti-solar point keeps on changing depending on the position of the sun. When the sun is high up in the sky, the anti-solar point falls below the horizon, when the sun has already set, the anti-solar point appears above the horizon (Beeson Mayer, 106). The anti-solar point helps predict where the rainbow is likely to form. This is because the colored light from the raindrops exit from the raindrops at particular an gles measurable with respect to the anti-solar point. The presence of a rainbow in the sky is an indication that raindrops at 40.6o and 42o from the anti-solar point are present in the sky. These raindrops reflect colored light onto our eyes. On a rainbow, the anti-solar is on the outer rim. What Color Is At The Top Of The Rainbow, Red Or Blue? Rainbows are formed during rainy seasons as a result of the refraction and total internal reflection of rays falling on suspended water droplets (Singh 110). The different colors appear when sun’s rays hit rain drops, the rain drop then disperse the light and the different colors emerge due to internal reflection and refraction seen by the human eye. An observer is then able to see different colors of the spectrum at different angles. To see the rainbow, the sun must be behind you, the center of the rainbow is opposite the sun while the rain droplets are in the direction of the rainbow. Traditionally, it has been common description tha t the rainbow is made up seven colors; Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. The red is said to be at the top. However, in the actual sense, the rainbow is a whole continuum of colors from red to violet and beyond. Colors of the rainbow are based on two facts;Advertising Looking for essay on astronomy? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Sir Isaac Newton, in 1666, discovered that sunlight is made up of a wide range of colors that when combined looks white to the human eye. When light of different colors pass from one medium to another, it is reflected in different amounts. This aspect of bending of light (refraction) as it traverses media of different densities was determined by Descartes and Willebrord. If one traces the paths of red and blue light in a rain drop, it becomes clear that the angle of deviation is unlike for both the colors. Blue tends to be refracted more than the red light. Therefore, when looking at a rainbow, what we see is reflection and refraction of light by different raindrops. Some of these raindrops are viewed at 42 degrees while others are viewed at an angle of 40 degrees. The 42 degrees is the angle of deviation between the incoming light rays from the sun and that refracted onto the observer’s eyes for the red light. The angle of the blue light, which is made up of shorter wavele ngths, is less than that of the red light meaning that it appears in the base of the rainbow. These angles are in relation to the suns original ray. The blue color thus appears in the inner circle while the Red appears at the top. Conclusion The location of the sun depends on the motions of the earth and changes depending on location, time of the day, and time of the year. The color at the top of the rainbow is red although in the actual sense, the rainbow is made up of a continuum of colors. The anti-solar point appears at 180 degrees opposite the sun. In a rainbow, this point appears at the farthest end of the sun’s rays and thus occurs at the tip of the rainbow. Works Cited Beeson, Steven, and Mayer James. Patterns of Light: Chasing the Spectrum from Aristotle to LEDs. New York: Springer, 2008. Print Denecke, Edward, and Carr William. Let’s Review: Earth Science. Hauppauge NY: Barron’s Educational Series, 1995. Print Singh, Ajay Pratap. Excel With Fundamental s Of Physics Vol.I – Optics. New Delhi: Golden Bells, 2008. Print This essay on Effects of Earth Motions was written and submitted by user Gibson Gilbert to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Slant Your Résumé Toward Success

Slant Your Rà ©sumà © Toward Success There is no job harder than selling yourself. Therefore, it is vital to focus the skills and experience on your rà ©sumà ©, so that document will do a good job for you in the marketplace.Rà ©sumà ©s today need a new approach. The level of competition in the job market is intense. Sending a canned rà ©sumà © does not work as well anymore because there is too much information circulating in the Information Age and too many people with excellent credentials chasing the same positions.Writing a good rà ©sumà © can be tough as nails, or it can be an ongoing learning experience. Always remember that a rà ©sumà © is a marketing document. Company recruiters task is to look for what they need, rather than trying to fulfill your personal career ambitions.Also, remember that for most managers, time is an enemy. You must sell yourself not only well, but also quickly. If you can succeed at that twos of good subsections are Professional Qualifications; Technical Skills, Computer Skills; Internships and Seminars, Certifications; Communication Skills, Management Skills, Publication; Teaching Credentials, Research Experience, Consulting Expertise. (The topics here are as broad as your imagination.)Mine your background for the unique details in your life that have prepared you for this positionFinally, mine your background for the professional skills and experiences that are hidden or forgotten or not presented fully on your rà ©sumà ©. Such skills can be volunteer work where you managed people or handled money; part-time jobs where you learned people skills; school activities where you learned self-discipline; or travel that expanded your view of the world. Always work to communicate your special qualities, those that make you uniquely able to handle the job you want.Its important to design your rà ©sumà ©, so it reflects you as a person and a future, valuable employee. In order to do this, consider using the following as guidelines:Use your rà ©sumà © to speak for you, a mentor that will communicate a precise, exciting picture of who you are and what you can do.Use your rà ©sumà © to focus on the opportunity you want right now, not a job you want ten years from now.Use your rà ©sumà © to slant your experience and training, so it best fits your next employers most urgent needs.If necessary, design several focused rà ©sumà ©s, each of which applies to a certain job arena. Make a list of the industries where you have competence and pick the most appropriate experiences and details for each field.Use your rà ©sumà © to focus on the lemonade in your background, not the lemons of past disappointments. Be careful of age references, track experience timelines to be sure that are representative, and dont include names and contacts for references (they change and you want to know whos talking to whom).Todays rà ©sumà © should be a creative, living document, a helpmate that changes and grows with you, as you move through the job search pro cess to career success.

Most Effective Communication Interpersonal Communication Essay

Most Effective Communication Interpersonal Communication - Essay Example In this paper we are going to discuss effective interpersonal communication and how it helps in developing effective communication in our lives. We are also going to study roles of self-disclosure, non-verbal communication and listening in building effective interpersonal communication. For this purpose we will be considering three aspects of interpersonal communication and how these branches of communication are connected to have an effective communication. What is interpersonal communication? McCornack (2012) defines interpersonal communication as a dynamic form of communication between two (or more) people in which the messages exchanged significantly influence their thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. It is a process of give and take and is extremely impactful. Communication is multi-dimensional. Various aspects such as nonverbal communication, self-disclosure, and listening impact interpersonal communication great deal. To understand correlation of these key concepts, we have to understand definitions of these concepts. Self-disclosure –Revealing private information about yourself to others is known as self-disclosure (McCornack, 2012). How much information you are willing to share about yourself plays a pivotal role in building relationships with people. We are not very comfortable about sharing our personal experiences and life events with anyone as we fear that it could alter the image I have created in the mind of the listener. However it is also observed that in interpersonal communication, effective self-disclosure along with implicit trust has often helped strengthening relationships and mutual understanding. Wood (2007) states that one way to get information about yourself is through self-disclosure, which is revealing information about ourselves that others are unlikely to discover on their own. Self-disclosure is an important way to learn about ourselves. Wood suggests that as we reveal our hopes, fears, dreams, and feelings, we get responses from others that give us new perspectives on who we are. In addition, we gain insight into ourselves by seeing how we interact with others in new situations. Nonverbal communication – communication that happens without saying a word written or oral is nonverbal communication (McCornack, 2012). We say so many things with the help of gestures, eyes and body language. As nonverbal cues keep giving away what is going on in our minds, it is often said that we c annot communicate. Hence we do not believe only on words said in communication, and it becomes imperative that it is accompanied by appropriate body language. Knapp and Daly (2002) state that interpersonal communication scholars have probably always recognized the vital contributions of proxemics, kinesic, olfactory, vocal, and verbal signs to the understanding of interpersonal communication, but the early emphasis was clearly on verbal behaviour. As the number of scholars studying non-verbal behaviour increased, it gradually became a separate area of study. Moreover, Knapp and Daly (2002) report that the study of verbal behaviour and non-verbal behaviour appeared, for practical purposes, to be independent of one another. Listening – listening is not hearing words. It is hearing words, understanding their context, processing them and reacting or offering

Adult Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Adult Communication - Essay Example In the United Kingdom if one to ask for a rubber, the individual would receive an erasure made of rubber. Across the Atlantic in the United States of America, if one were to ask for a rubber, the individual would receive a rubber condom. Exchange of the same information has produced different results. Hence for a better understanding of what communication stands for it needs to be defined as the process of managing messages with the intention of creating meaning. Having understood the more realistic meaning of communication, communication competence has more to it then just the ability to exchange information clearly with another individual using a common system of symbols, signs or behaviour. There is an element of a goal in communication, which is sharing of meaning and this has a connection with the thoughts and feelings of another individual. The acceptance that communication is goal driven also suggests that communication is strategic. This understanding of communication provides us with the means for abetter understanding of communication competence, as now it suggests that communication competence is not just communicating with accuracy, clarity, comprehensibility, coherence, expertise, effectiveness and appropriately. Communication competence is better expressed as the situational ability to set attainable and appropriate goals for achievement and to maximise the achievement of these goals through employing strategies of the knowledg e of self, others, context, and the elements of communication theory to bring about adaptive communication performances. As communication competence involves competence there is a need for measurement. Communication competence can be measured through the determination of whether the goals of interaction have been achieved and the extent to which they have been achieved. This in my view is the meaning of communication competence (Rueben, 1976). Teams are made up a small number of individuals different in

Informatics and Framus Computers Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Informatics and Framus Computers - Case Study Example In order for this situation to be arrested, an external intervention is necessary. Â  The structures of the two companies do not align with the overall goals of the businesses. In order for such businesses to work together as a single unit, the businesses need to remove structural hurdles through ensuring that both structures support the shared operations (Mills 2007). In this case, the two businesses do not have clear structures. For instance, Informatics is more formal, bureaucratic, and hierarchical compared to Framus. This affects the flow of information between the two firms. Â  The strategies by the two businesses are not based on the competitive advantage of both firms. On the contrary, the two firms are almost competing with each other. This is affecting the relationship between the two firms which depends on each other for existence. Â  The systems of the two companies have not been laid properly in order to enhance coordination. As a result, there is no trust among the two organizations, an aspect that is affecting the overall quality of computer components being delivered to Informatics. Â  The staff and their style of work are different. Both sides blame each other for the challenges facing the organizations. For instance, the top-level managers of Framus feel that the other companies that use their products do not raise similar complaints that are raised by Informatics. However, on the other hand, Informatics Company’s management feel that the other firm is not doing enough to address the quality issues that have been raised by the business. The push and pull are affecting the overall performances of the businesses. Â  In order for both businesses to work together effectively, they need to have similar organizational structure. This would make it easier for the top-level managers to communicate easily with the rest of the subordinates (Mills 2007).

Cross-Cultural Differences

Cross-Cultural Differences Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, facts and figures from one person to another. The term cross cultural implies interaction with people of different cultural, ethnic, age and class backgrounds. Cross cultural communication is a form of global communication which describes how people of different culture communicate and interact with each other in different ways among themselves. Cross cultural communication is a field of study that draws various ways that we have learned to speak and gives non-verbal messages. Communication is interactive in nature and is greatly influenced by our relationship with others. Different words may mean different meanings to different people. In addition to this what makes cross cultural communication really difficult is the difference in language even the same word can mean different things. Thus miscommunication is likely to happen when it involves significant cultural differences among the communicators. This is what known as Cross Cultural difference. CULTURAL DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES For understanding cultural issues in an organization it is essential to understand employee behavior. Five conclusions that can be drawn about cross cultural impact on employee behavior are discussed as follows: Firstly, individual behavior varies across cultures. Employees based on India, Japan, U.S and Germany is likely to have different perceptions, attitudes and patterns of behavior. Secondly, culture itself is an important variable. Various other factors like standard of living and geographic conditions also causes change in behavior of people. Thirdly, behavior of people within organization remains quite diverse across cultures. Though organizations themselves appear to be increasingly similar but the people who work within organization differ markedly. Fourthly, the managerial behavior also differs from culture to culture. A manager may adopt one set of behavior when working in one culture but may change those behaviors when moved into a different culture. Lastly, cultural diversity can be an important source of energy in enhancing organizational effectiveness. Today many organizations are realizing the virtues of cultural diversity. FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES There are six different cultural patterns that tend to vary from one person to another person. These are discussed as follows: Different communication styles The way people communicate varies widely within people of different cultures. What may mean to one person may have a different meaning to other person. This aspect of communication style is known as language usage. Some words carries different meaning across different cultures. Another aspect of the communication style is the degree of importance given to verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication not only includes gestures and facial expressions but also involves seating arrangements, sense of time, personal distance etc. Different attitudes towards conflicts Some cultures see conflict in positive manner while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S conflict is not considered to be desirable however people often are encouraged to directly face conflicts as they arise. In eastern countries conflicts are considered to be embarrassing; a written exchange might be favorable means to address the conflict. Different approaches to completing the tasks Approaches to completing tasks vary from culture to culture. The reason behind this is different judgments of the rewards associated with the accomplishment of the task, different notions of time and access to resources available. For example Asian culture tends to give more importance to the developing relationships and emphasize more on the task completion towards the end as compared to the European-American culture. Different decision making styles The role played by an individual in decision making process varies from culture to culture. For example in US decisions are frequently delegated i.e. an official assigns the responsibilities to the subordinates associated with the task while in Japan consensus is the preferred mode. Different attitudes towards disclosure In some cultures it is not considered appropriate to be open about emotions, personal feelings and information or a conflict or misunderstanding. When you are working with others or dealing with a conflict questions like what was the conflict about? Or what was your role in the conflict may seem natural to you but may seem intrusive to others. Different approaches to knowing Differences are likely to occur among cultural groups when it comes to knowing things. For example European culture tends to consider information acquired by measuring and counting rather than the other ways of coming to knowing things. Compare that to African cultures preference for affecting ways of knowing things including rhythm and symbolic imagery. EXAMPLE Mr. A went for an interview in a Japanese firm named ABC Electronics Ltd. On selection he was told that after a months training he has to visit Japan for a five years project. Mr. A also accepted the opportunity for working with MNC and was looking forward for the project. During his visit to Japan that is one of the largest economies in the world he observed various cultural differences not only at workplace but even in the society also. Some of the common aspects and challenges that he observed in Japanese culture are discussed as follows: Rules and etiquettes Japanese adheres closely to rules and regulations. It was clearly evident from the low crime rates. Aspects of etiquettes include vocabulary, grammar for polite conversation, Principles for exchanging gifts and greeting others. This made him aware that Japanese are very certain about their rules and regulations. Hierarchy In Japan a strong hierarchical structure still exists with respect, responsibility and authority being rewarded based on age, status and experience. When communicating with Japanese it is considered wise to pay attention towards the face. Face is closely linked with personal pride and forms the basis for an individuals status and reputation. Damaging face through over confrontation can be disastrous for business relationship in Japan. Concept of time Time is one of the major challenges while working in Japanese culture as Japanese are very strict regarding the punctuality. While working being early or on time for all appointments, meetings whether formal or informal is a show of respect and sincerity towards the task while any event of being late requires an apology. Communication styles Understanding communication style is another biggest challenge that is often faced while working in Japanese culture. Japanese have a preference for indirect and high context communication. They emphasize more on the impact of body language, developing relationship, emotions and other non-verbal communication. Harmony In Japan there is more emphasizing on collectivism rather than individualism. They place significant emphasize on loyalty towards the group. In Japanese culture it is important to understand that praising or prioritizing any one individual over others is likely to be embarrassing. OVERCOMING CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES No matter whom you are or where you live or which culture you come from it is important to recognize that although other people may dress like you or even work for the same company they are not just like you. Some of the common aspects that Mr. A observed and decided to follows in order to overcome cross cultural differences are discussed as follows. The key to effective cross cultural communication is knowledge. It is very essential for people to understand the potential problems of cross cultural communication and to be prepared to adjust your behavior accordingly. Try to learn from generalizations about other cultures, but do not use those generalizations to oversimplify your ideas about other persons. One should practice and practice because the more effort you put in observing and learning about other culture more easily you can overcome cross cultural difference. One should not assume that his way of communicating is the only right way of communication in fact one should keep questioning about his assumptions about the right way to communicate. Try to listen actively and empathetically. By putting yourself in the other persons shoes especially when other persons perceptions and ideas are completely different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. Another key ingredient that helps in overcoming cross cultural difference is developing awareness about an individuals culture. This is because if you dont have understanding about different cultures than how do you communicate to someone who understands and relates to the world differently to you. Reflective listening plays an important role in overcoming cross cultural differences. It is very helpful in checking out the meaning of what someone says by repeating back what you have heard which in turn helps you to confirm what has been said accurately. Another important point that one must keep in his mind at workplace is to be wise. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. One must show maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. CONCLUSION Thus working across different cultures requires a diverse skill set and a different business approach from business in general. When bridging the cultures both similar and foreign to our own certain strategies are crucial for the success of international project which are briefly described as follows. Learning about the project beforehand This helps to get a feel for the atmosphere, attitude and the angle that the business has. Observing new environment One must carefully observe how people act, dress and treat each other. This will keep a persons observation skills engaged and alert to elements that will help you to adjust in new environment easily. Allow more time Working across different culture takes more time to adjust. Communication may be slowed and logistics may be different. Give yourself more time to process information before taking any decision. Learn to tolerate uncertainty Definitive and concrete answers may not always be given especially when you working with Japanese culture with high tolerance for uncertainty.

The Legalization of Marijuana in the USA Essay -- Argumentative essays,

Legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in American society today. Surveys done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive showed that 95 million Americans have used marijuana. There are two opposing sides that have strong stances on whether it should become legal or should remain illegal. We have one side that is anti-marijuana and the other is pro-marijuana. Each side provides valid and strong arguments supporting their views. The purpose of this paper is to carefully examine each opposing side and try to find some way to come to a compromise. First, let’s carefully look at the views of the anti-marijuana groups. There are several groups that are against marijuana legalization. To name a few are the Drug Enforcement Agency, law enforcement offices, and some religious groups. The anti-marijuana view suggests that there are more negative effects that will come from the legalization than keeping it banned. First, they argue that marijuana is the so called gateway drug to harder more addicting drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Another valid dispute is that driving while high will steadily increase and even though there are strict punishments against drinking and driving, it is hard to recognize if someone is high. Like they say unless the person has just smoked cannabis in the car, it won’t have a strong odor like the fumes coming from someone who has been drinking alcohol. Next, there are the disagreements that if cannabis is made lawful people are afraid that it will land up in the hands of children. It has been said that if children can get their hands on alcohol and cigarettes, they will be able to find the way to getting marijuana. When this happens children will start ... ...d place them into stores where someone would have to show proof of age just like if they were buying a pack of cigarettes or alcohol. Plus, by allowing the government to take control of the production, they could place a hefty tax on the price to help pull our economy out of a slump. If this resolution is executed properly each of the individual desired outcomes could be achieved. The first outcome that would be achieved is it would get the United States out of recession by producing a source of tax revenue, more job opportunities and which then would allow society to go out and spend more. Second, by keeping drugs off the streets it would make it harder for children and teens to get a hold of it and become addicted. The final goal that can be achieved is the crime rate would go down because there would not be arrests and imprisonment on simple marijuana charges. The Legalization of Marijuana in the USA Essay -- Argumentative essays, Legalization of marijuana is one of the most controversial topics in American society today. Surveys done by the US Government’s Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive showed that 95 million Americans have used marijuana. There are two opposing sides that have strong stances on whether it should become legal or should remain illegal. We have one side that is anti-marijuana and the other is pro-marijuana. Each side provides valid and strong arguments supporting their views. The purpose of this paper is to carefully examine each opposing side and try to find some way to come to a compromise. First, let’s carefully look at the views of the anti-marijuana groups. There are several groups that are against marijuana legalization. To name a few are the Drug Enforcement Agency, law enforcement offices, and some religious groups. The anti-marijuana view suggests that there are more negative effects that will come from the legalization than keeping it banned. First, they argue that marijuana is the so called gateway drug to harder more addicting drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Another valid dispute is that driving while high will steadily increase and even though there are strict punishments against drinking and driving, it is hard to recognize if someone is high. Like they say unless the person has just smoked cannabis in the car, it won’t have a strong odor like the fumes coming from someone who has been drinking alcohol. Next, there are the disagreements that if cannabis is made lawful people are afraid that it will land up in the hands of children. It has been said that if children can get their hands on alcohol and cigarettes, they will be able to find the way to getting marijuana. When this happens children will start ... ...d place them into stores where someone would have to show proof of age just like if they were buying a pack of cigarettes or alcohol. Plus, by allowing the government to take control of the production, they could place a hefty tax on the price to help pull our economy out of a slump. If this resolution is executed properly each of the individual desired outcomes could be achieved. The first outcome that would be achieved is it would get the United States out of recession by producing a source of tax revenue, more job opportunities and which then would allow society to go out and spend more. Second, by keeping drugs off the streets it would make it harder for children and teens to get a hold of it and become addicted. The final goal that can be achieved is the crime rate would go down because there would not be arrests and imprisonment on simple marijuana charges.

Academic Performance of College Students

Academic performance and advisement of university students: a case study. Ads by Google Online University Online University programs 100% Online, 100% Supported! WaldenUniversity. com Subject: Academic achievement (Analysis) College students (Case studies) Student guidance services (Analysis) Authors: Addus, Abdussalam A. Chen, David Khan, Anwar S. Pub Date: 06/01/2007 Publication: Name:  College  Student  Journal Publisher:  Project  Innovation  (Alabama) Audience:  Academic Format:  Magazine/Journal Subject:  Education Copyright:  COPYRIGHT  2007  Project  Innovation  (Alabama) ISSN:  0146-3934 Issue:Date:  June, 2007 Source Volume:  41 Source Issue:  2 Topic: Canadian  Subject  Form:  School counselling Product: Product  Code:  E197500 Students, College Geographic: Geographic  Scope:  North Carolina Geographic  Code:  1U5NC North Carolina Ads by Google Chevening English Test Sit Your PTE Academic Test Now Easy Sign Up & Results In 5 Days! Pearsonpte. com/Chevening Become a Doctor in the US Study at Offshore Campus, Practise Medicine in the U. S. Apply Today! www. AUAMed. org Harvest West Christian Leadership Training Certificate, Diploma and Degree www. harvestwest. edu. au Online MBA Course at LSBF UK Global MBA degree, 100% online.Choose MBA specialisation now! www. LSBF. org. uk/MBA-Online Learn Financial Modeling Step-by-Step, Self Study & Classes Buld DCF, LBO, M&A, Comps Models www. WallStreetPrep. com Accession Number: 163679000 Full Text: 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 A&T State University.To that effect, the grade reports of business and economics majors and respon ses to a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses were qualitatively analyzed. 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.O ver 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 m otivated 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 A&T 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 freshm an 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 A&T State University's 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 A State Univers ity. 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 A 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 A State University.The results are centered around (1) the student academic performanc e 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 performanceThe school of Business and Economics at North Carolina A 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 2 5% 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 Succes s (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 fi ndings 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. M any 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 A 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, especial ly 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 advisor's approachability and the academic a dvisor's knowledge about major requirements as strengths–meaning 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-speci fic 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 A 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 counselin g 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. 0 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 s tudents 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. 0 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 AMAC's program shall enhance the ir 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 A 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 M elbourne. 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). â€Å"The Relationship between Sleep length and Grade-Point-Average among College Students,† College Student Journal. Noel-Levitz Research (2003). â€Å"Academic Advising Highly Important to Students,† www. noellevitz. com. Norales, Francisca O. and Addus, Abdussalam A. (2003). â€Å"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). â€Å"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 A State University Notes 1) the factors are: academic advising, campus climate, campus Life, campus Support Services, concern for the Individual, instructional Effectiveness, recruitmen t and financial aid effectiveness, registration effectiveness, responsiveness to diverse population, safety and security, service excellence, and student centeredness. (2) the items are: the academic advisor's approachability, the academic advisor's knowledge about major requirements, the academic advisor's concern about the student's success as an individual, the academic advisor's 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 16Total 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. 5 0-2. 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 A&T 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. * 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 38Total 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 3 6 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. 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. 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. 3No 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. 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. 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 in crease 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 bes t 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 bookâ€℠¢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.We pay doctors and hospitals for more care instead of better care, and what do we get? More care, even if in many cases it doesn’t make us healthier. In education, the incentives can be truly perverse. Because large lecture classes are cheaper for a college than seminars, freshmen are cheaper than upperclassmen. So a college that allows many of its underclassmen to drop out may be helping its bottom line. If you look closely, you can still find reasons for optimism. A few colleges, like the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, have intensive programs that have raised graduation rates.The State of West Virginia has begun tyin g student aid to academic progress, and graduation rates there have risen. Washington Monthly magazine has published a new college ranking based in part on graduation rates. (Kudos to Penn State, among others. ) When students fill out an online form for federal financial aid, the Obama Education Department now informs them of the graduation rate at any college in which they express interest. But an enormous amount of work remains, and it’s hard to think of any work that’s more important to the American economy.Last year, even in the grip of a recession that has spared no group of workers, the gap between what a college graduate earned and what everyone else earned reached a record. Workers with bachelor’s degrees made 54 percent more on average than those who attended college but didn’t finish, according to the Labor Department. Fifty-four percent — just think about how that adds up over a lifetime. And then think about how many students never cros s the college finish line. E-mail: [email  protected] com Public blames students for their failure at college By Eric Gorski Associated Press Published: Monday, Dec. 3 2010 12:39 a. m. MST | | | | | | | | | | | | |Share | |Twitter |Pinterest | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |0 | |0 |0 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | [pic] †¢ View 2 photos  » Summary The public pins most of the blame for poor college graduation rates on students and their parents and gives a pass to colleges, government officials and others, a new Associated Press-Stanford University poll shows.Nov. 16, 2011 [pic] The public pins most of the blame for poor college graduation rates on students and their parents and gives a pass to colleges, government officials and others, a new Associated Press-Stanford University poll shows. All sectors of American higher education received high marks for quality. That extends to for-profit colleges, despite recent criticism of dubious recruiting tact ics, high student loan default rates and other problems at some schools. â€Å"As is often the case, the truth lies somewhere in between,† said William A. Sederburg, Utah's Commissioner of Higher Education. We know higher education campuses can really do a lot more to improve retention. †¦ It is also true that a lot of students show up on campus without direction in their lives and without focus on what they want to do. Those are students that are most likely to drop out. † But a belief that students are most at fault for graduation rates may be a troubling sign for reformers who have elevated college completion to the forefront of higher education policy debates and pushed colleges to fix the problem, said Michael Kirst, professor emeritus of education and business administration at Stanford. The message is, ‘Students, you had your shot at college and failed and it's your fault, not the college,'† Kirst said. When asked where the blame lies for graduat ion rates at public four-year colleges, 7 in 10 said students shouldered either a great deal or a lot of it, and 45 percent felt that way about parents. Others got off relatively easy: Anywhere between 25 percent and 32 percent of those polled blamed college administrators, professors, teachers, unions, state education officials and federal education officials. Taking a closer look at the numbers:Republicans are likelier than Democrats to blame federal officials for today's college graduation rates — 34 percent of Republicans and 25 percent of Democrats point at them. There's a small partisan difference on the student blame question: Seventy-seven percent of Republicans and 68 percent of Democrats fault students heavily. Minorities are more prone than whites to blame professors and teachers for college graduation rates, with 40 percent of minorities but just 29 percent of whites doing so. Fifty-seven percent of minorities blame parents for college graduation rates, while just 40 percent of whites do.Sara Goldrick-Rab, assistant professor of educational policy studies and sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said the results are deeply troubling and mean elite colleges and universities have succeeded in diverting blame from themselves. â€Å"Those supporting the completion agenda need to push back — hard — and emphasize the role colleges play in supporting or undermining student success,† she said. Such a push back may not be necessary in Utah, however, judging from Sederburg's attitude: â€Å"It's clearly not just students' faults. I think we have a significant role to play. After long emphasizing access to college, higher education policy debates have shifted only recently to focusing on getting students through. The Obama administration has called for the United States to again lead the world in number of college graduates by 2020. The goal in Utah is to increase retention rates by 8 percent on average over the next decade, Sederburg said. The Utah System of Higher Education's 2020 Plan for Higher Education, found at www. higheredutah2020. org, contemplates several strategies to increase retention — such as enhancing advising and intervention advising if a student is off track to graduate.Getting students into the right courses is also important. Midterm feedback may give students a chance to correct their trajectory. â€Å"It's a different approach if you are a Salt Lake Community College than if you are at the University of Utah,† said Cameron Martin, the office of the commissioner for higher education's associate commissioner for economic development. Each institution has to look at its strategies to see what works for them. BYU, for example, encourages students to graduate by providing a clear map for each program of study. It also tries to help students understand what the credit limits are to enter each program. If students are in danger of exceeding the appropriate amount o f credits and have yet to declare a major, our University Advisement office will reach out to them to help provide further direction,† said BYU spokesman Todd Hollingshead. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Lumina Foundation and others have directed money and attention to states and colleges to improve completion rates, and several states are taking action. Stan Jones, president of Complete College America, which championed such efforts, disagreed that the poll spells trouble for reform. This will play out like the high school dropout issue,† he said. â€Å"The more it becomes a subject of public discussion the more advances we will make on confronting the college dropout problem. † Just over half of first-time students who entered college in 2003-04 had not earned a degree or credential within six years, the Education Department reported recently. That's slightly worse than students who started in 1995-96. Experts caution it is tricky to measure success and co mpare graduation rates because today's older, less-traditional college tudent population takes more time to finish school and is harder to track. The AP-Stanford poll found most people were happy with the quality of higher education in their states. Despite severe budget cuts and spiraling tuition at many public four-year colleges, those schools received the highest marks: Seventy-four percent in the poll called them excellent or good. But others institutions got strong marks, too: Four-year private nonprofit colleges (71 percent), two-year public colleges (69 percent), private for-profit colleges (66 percent) and private for-profit trade schools (57 percent).That's a rare glimpse at public opinion about for-profit colleges, which have been fighting proposed regulations that would that would cut off federal aid. The poll also found overwhelming agreement that there is a link between the nation's prosperity and the quality of its education system. Overall, 88 percent say economic pro sperity and quality education are closely entwined. Nearly 80 percent said that having all Americans graduate from a two- or four-year college would help the economy.Yet most in the poll are unwilling to invest more in the nation's school systems in order to obtain that economic payoff — just 42 percent favor raising taxes to pay for better education. The poll was conducted September 23-30 by Abt SRBI Inc. It involved interviews on landline and cellular telephones with 1,001 adults nationwide, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3. 9 percentage points. Stanford University's participation was made possible by a grant from the Gates Foundation. Contributing: Michael De Groote, Deseret News, and Alan Fram of the AP