Everything you wanted to know about SIPAs language proficiency requirement COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Everything you wanted to know about SIPAs language proficiency requirement COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog At SIPA, all MIA students (and MPA students concentrating in Economic and Political Development) must fulfill a foreign language proficiency requirement by graduation. Since you can satisfy this requirement in a number of ways and students come from a variety of backgrounds, figuring out how you should personally fulfill the requirement can sometimes be confusing for first-year students. This post is to provide an overview of the requirement and answer some frequently asked questions about the process. Who must fulfill the language requirement in order to graduate? All MIA students, as well as MPA students concentrating in Economic and Political Development What exactly is language proficiency? SIPA defines language proficiency by achieving a grade of B (3.0) or better in an Intermediate Level II (4th semester) language course at Columbia, or by passing a language proficiency exam (the grading process varies by language). By meeting these minimum requirements, students are able to prove proficiency in writing, speaking, listening and reading in the foreign language of their choice. In general, a proficiency test is an exam, which measures how much of a language a person knows or has learned. A proficiency test is not bound to any curriculum or syllabus, but is intended to check the learner’s language competence. How can an incoming SIPA student who is fluent in a language other than English fulfill the language proficiency requirement to graduate? There are two ways students may prove proficiency without enrolling in additional coursework: Students with a native language other than English who can demonstrate that a substantive part of their education (e.g., high school, college, or a prior graduate degree) has been in that language can bring a translated diploma from the institution to the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) to prove proficiency. Along the same lines, admitted international students may confirm with the Office of Student Affairs evidence of taking the TOEFL or IELTS as proof of proficiency in English as their second language during the first two weeks of school. These policies may change so it is best to check with OSA within your first couple weeks at SIPA if you would like to use one of these options to fulfill the language requirement. Students can also demonstrate proficiency by passing a language proficiency exam. SIPA offers proficiency exams in French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Proficiency exams are offered during orientation week and the first week of classes each semester. To demonstrate language proficiency in languages other than these listed, students can arrange appointments with individual departments.  SIPA recommends that students take the exam in their first year in order to plan ahead if they do not pass the exam. Keep in mind that you can take a proficiency exam only once. See below for more information on the difference between a proficiency exam and a placement exam. Information about SIPA proficiency exams can be found here. How can an incoming SIPA student who is not fluent in a language other than English fulfill the language proficiency requirement to graduate? If you do not arrive at SIPA speaking a language besides English fluently, you can take a placement exam in a language you’ve previously studies to determine which course level at Columbia would be appropriate for you to enroll in. Or if you would like to learn a new language, you can register for a beginner level course. Keep in mind that elementary-level courses will not count toward the 54 credits required for the degree, but intermediate-level courses will count as electives. To prove proficiency for graduation, you must achieve a grade of B (3.0) or better in an Intermediate Level II (4th semester) language course at Columbia. When should I start my language classes at SIPA? If you begin at the elementary level, you should start your language courses in your first semester in order to get to the Intermediate Level II course in your final semester. What is the difference between a proficiency and placement exam? A proficiency exam is taken to demonstrate fluency in a language and to completely fulfill the language requirement. You take this exam during the first two weeks of the semester. It is recommended that students who want to use a proficiency exam to fulfill their language requirement should take the exam in their first year in case they do not pass the test. In the case that you do not prove proficiency through the exam, you must still fulfill the language requirement by enrolling in language classes. Keep in mind you can only take a proficiency exam once. Spanish, French, German and Portuguese proficiency exams are administered by SIPA. Proficiency exams in another language may be arranged through the department teaching in that language. A placement exam is taken by any student who has had exposure to a language, but may not be fluent. Language placement tests allow academic advisors to identify the appropriate language course in which students are most likely to succeed given their current level of proficiency. Keep in mind you can only take a placement test for a language once. An example of someone who might take a placement exam is someone who took several years of a language in high school or college and does not speak the language fluently but might be able to test out of the elementary level courses. A placement exam might place a student into an intermediate level course whereby that student would have to take fewer semesters to reach the Intermediate Level II course with a grade of B or above to complete the language requirement quicker. Placement exams should be arranged through the department teaching in that language. For additional information on SIPA’s exam policies and procedures, click here. Can an incoming SIPA student who is not fluent in a language other than English take a proficiency exam? While any student may sign up to take a proficiency exam, it is not recommended that anyone take a proficiency exam in a language they know they are not fluent in. If the student has some experience in the language but knows they are not fluent, it probably makes more sense to take a placement exam. Does undergraduate coursework in a foreign language count toward SIPA’s language requirement, or is it taken into consideration for the placement or proficiency exams? Undergraduate coursework will not be considered in evaluating a student for either a placement or proficiency exam. The student must display their level of command of the language through the exams. How many languages are offered at Columbia University? How many of those languages have proficiency and/or placement exams? In any given semester, Columbia offers upwards of 50 languages either on the Morningside campus, or through collaborative agreements with NYU (the NYU-Columbia Exchange) or with Yale and Cornell through the Shared Course Initiative. In the former case, students have to travel downtown to the NYU campus. In the latter, instruction is conducted through a videoconferencing arrangement. SIPA offers proficiency exams in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese. Exams for other languages may be arranged through the specific language department. You can find a complete listing of language departments at Columbia here. What languages are offered to SIPA students to take? All language courses offered at Columbia University are available for SIPA students to take. In any given semester, Columbia offers upwards of 50 languages either on the Morningside campus, or through collaborative agreements with NYU (the NYU-Columbia Exchange) or with Yale and Cornell through the Shared Course Initiative. In the former case, students have to travel downtown to the NYU campus. In the latter, instruction is conducted through a videoconferencing arrangement.   The Columbia Language Resource Center also has a partnership with New York University through which students may take courses at NYU. The NYU Exchange offered Akkadian, Aramaic, Cantonese, Ancient Egyptian, Haitian Kreyol, Irish, Quechua, and Filipino to Columbia students in 2015. Check the website for updated course offerings each semester. If a student wishes to enroll in a course other than what is listed on the NYU Exchange website each semester, they may petition for the course to be added (while this is possible, do not assume that any class will be automatically added). Can I take a proficiency exam if the language isn’t offered at Columbia? If you would like to take a proficiency exam in a language that is not offered at Columbia, please visit the Columbia Language Resource Center to see a list of exams offered by the Language Resource Center or by New York University through their partnership. What do language classes look like at Columbia? Language classes meet more often than other SIPA courses for the simple fact that learning a language requires consistent practice throughout the week. The formats vary depending on the language, course level and instructor, but generally they meet three to four times a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes per class. Advanced courses generally meet three times a week. Certain languages considered particularly hard to learn, like Arabic and Chinese, meet 5 times a week. Homework will also vary depending on the level and instructor, but often elementary courses consist of vocabulary and grammar practice while intermediate and advanced level courses focus more on composition, speaking, presenting, and doing research in the language. You can search specific class meeting days and times by looking at the language department’s course listings.   Many of the language departments also offer extracurricular opportunities to practice the language through informal chats or to learn more about different cultures that speak the language.   Where can I read more about SIPA language policies and languages offered at Columbia? MIA Language Proficiency Requirement   FAQ page for the MIA program   SIPA Exam Policies Procedures Columbia Language Resource Center Proficiency Testing Information Now that you know all about SIPAs  foreign language proficiency requirement, do you have questions about what to include in your Language Resume for your application? See our recent post about the Quantitative and Language Resumes here.  And remember that applications for Fall 2016 are due by January 5th for fellowship consideration, and the final deadline is February 5th!

Everyman As A Morality Play - 1413 Words

â€Å"Everyman† is regarded as a morality play that was written in late 15th century. According to Michael A. Babcock, author of the story of Western culture, â€Å"Morality plays can be explained in best ways because of allegories figure out efforts made between seven virtues and seven vices contained in heart of man†. The play is a picture of what Christians should do or how they should spend their lives to save their souls from being convicted by death (Yaw Adu-Gyamfi P.265). The understanding of death in â€Å"Everyman† play is influenced by how people live their lives. The play brings out an idea of how people struggle to choose between worldly things and the ultimate spiritual judgment. The conflict between riches, relationship and the spiritual enrichment, heaven and hell and God’s verdict seems to be on the rise in the play. Babcock also states, â€Å"Everyman is a struggle between good and evil, between seven virtues as well as seven vices† . (167). we see how life is a transitory, when the play documents Everyman’s journey from sinful life to sin free life and finally to a holy death. Everyman tries to talk to his friends to accompany him on the long journey, but they abandon him in time of need. In fact, Fellowship responds to Everyman by saying, â€Å"Whether ye have loved me or no, by Saint John, I will not with thee go† (Line 287). Even a close cousin also not willing to go along with you, she makes excuse of having a pain in her toe (Lines 356). In this respect, Julian Paulson notes,Show MoreRelatedThe Morality Play Everyman 1383 Words   |  6 PagesThe morality play â€Å"Everyman† is a play during the medieval period that represent all mankind while dramatizing evil characters and good characters. The play upholds Christian virtues as the characters are presented with abstract qualities. The play starts with God talking to Death to convey a message to Everyman a pilgrimage he must take because of the sins that everyman has commented. God is upset with everyman because of unkind acts, plentiful sins, and worldly riches that man has comment ed whileRead MoreEveryman as a Morality Play1112 Words   |  5 Pagesfind the stimulus which leads to the rebirth of drama. Such was the popularity that most of the performances had to be taken to the streets. The Catholic Church started the Dramatized form of familiarizing the stories of the Bible through the Miracle Plays where all the miracles that were in the Bible were acted out Especially in the Mass, were developed as part of the elaborate ceremonial of great religious feasts such like Easter. The Authorities were quick to appreciate the instructional value ofRead MoreEveryman Is A Morality Play1720 Words   |  7 PagesEveryman is a morality play that was written in the late fifteenth-century, by an unknown author. It is unknown who originally wrote the play. It has been said that maybe Monks and Priests of that time wrote these types of plays. Therefore, it is believed that the play was probably written by multiple people. Morality plays were written to show people how they should act in the eyes of God and how the way they live their lives will affect them after death. Everyman seeks to persuade the audienceRead MoreEveryman As A Medieval Morality Play1684 Words   |  7 PagesEveryman is a example of a medieval morality play.1 The play is a work portraying how God in heaven sends death to call forth every creature to present itself before him to answ er for every action in this world. It shows the audience and readers what goes on in life and ending of it all through death. From the very beginning, the play classically shows that it deals with human experiences with the focus on morals. Everyman is a Christian play written to promote Christianity as a religion. At theRead More English Morality Play Everyman Essay2045 Words   |  9 PagesIn the English morality play â€Å"Everyman†, whose author is unknown, characters of the play try to find what Everyman really values in his life. When Everyman realizes that he has not been living a life focused on God. Instead, Everyman has been focusing more on worldly issues and riches than he should have. Once the play goes on further, Everyman is then approached by a character, whose name is Death. At that time, Everyman notices that he is about to die. However, he also realizes that all the earthlyRead MoreEveryman Is An English Morality Play By An Unknown Author1493 Words   |  6 Pagesas â€Å"The Summoning of Everyman†, â€Å"Everyman† was writing sometime during the late 1400s. â€Å"Everyman† is an English morality play by an unknown author. This play first appeared in England in the 16th century. â€Å"Everyman† can be considered as a play of transience because it shows a protagonist who is during the whole play. It also illustrates the way Christians are expected to live and the endeavors that should be made in order for their lives to be saved. The morality play â€Å"Everyman† is about a man whoRead MoreEveryman Is A Late Eighteenth Century Morality Play1614 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"Everyman is a late fifteenth-century morality play† (Adu-Gyamfi Schmidt, 2011, p. 265). It is also an allegory play, which is â€Å"a description†¦in which the literal events (persons, places, and things) consistently point to a parallel sequence of ideas, values, or other recognizable abstractions† (Kennedy Gioia, 2012, p. 696). This is otherwise known as an allusion. â€Å"This allusion is perceived as the writer’s compassion for everybody who experiences universals fear of death, pain and ageingRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Everyman As An English Morality Play1277 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Everyman† is an English morality play whose author is unknown. It dates back to the 16th century and was first seen in England. The play depicts a man who is caught up in a secular world and is more concerned with worldly riches than nurturing his spiritual life. He seems content until Death is sent to tell him his life is over and he must now give an account to God of how he lived his life. The author uses allegory characters to describe moral qualities and abstractions in Everyman’s life. (AllegoryRead MoreEnglish Research Paper1622 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Death in Everyman† Research Paper ENG102_D27: Literature Fall D 2010 Peggy Jean English, ID#3591339 APA Format Title: â€Å"Death in Everyman† Thesis Statement: The message of death in Everyman is associated with the search of the reasoning of life. Outline: Paragraph 1: Introduction and Thesis Statement Paragraphs 2-13: Explains the play, its characters, the author’s interpretation of the play, and the author’s perception of death and the treatment of death. Paragraph 14: Conclusion Read MorePerspective on Death in the Play Everyman Essays1344 Words   |  6 PagesThe play Everyman may have been written many years ago, but its lessons are still relevant today. Generally, the facts of death are very traumatizing and in fact unthinkable. This leads the modern day Everyman to ignore its significance, dying without acknowledging or reflecting on their lives here on earth. It is based on this fact that this paper aims to show the position of the author of the play â€Å"Everyman† regarding death. History of the Play Like many other morality- allegorical plays, Everyman

Essay on Psychology The Mozart Effect - 1332 Words

Psychology is a formative science that has led to revolutionary discoveries as to how the human brain functions, develops and in some instances, can be enhanced. Although these fundamental objectives are a valuable resource within our community, it is vital that they are of verity and can be replicated; if not they are redundant to the field. Unfortunately, due to its youth, psychological science does not have a strict system of checks and balances to ensure that remittance procedures can consistently be undertaken for false claims. To this end, this essay will evaluate the questionable validity of the â€Å"Mozart Effect†. The Mozart Effect implies that playing Mozart to a baby will increase its cognitive abilities, a claim which has†¦show more content†¦This an area of the brain, associated with cognitive arousal and complex visual transformation processes involved with mental rotation of three-dimensional shapes and similar difficult spatial tasks (Chabris, C. 1999 ). Thus extrapolating that the Mozart effect does not ‘make babies smarter’, it only marginally improves a participant’s spatial intellect immediately after music stimuli. This collaboration of studies provides a broad scope of multiple findings which can account for any anomalies or outliers within individual study findings, however it also inhibits specificity of the results as there is no control of experimental procedures. Further limitations are the varying ages of participants and measurement of results. Ultimately, however, this meta-analysis significantly indicates that even if listening to Mozart was an effective cognitive enhancement, the benefits would only have a moderate effect of a short duration. A more detailed study supported this meta-analysis via its focus on child development and the lack of validity and longevity with the Mozart effect. Dubbing the Mozart effect â€Å"another quick fix† it concluded that Mozart, whether played to or ta ught to children does not exhibit any long term benefits for cognition (Jones, S. 2002). Although the original study (Rauscher, F., Shaw, G., Ky, K.Show MoreRelatedClassical Music: The Mozart Effect Essay1402 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mozart effect is a phenomena whereby listening to ten minutes of Mozart’s music, a person’s spatial IQ is boosted by 8-9 points (on the Stanford-Binet IQ Scale), in comparison to listening to ten minutes of a relaxation tape or silence (Rauscher, Shaw and Ky, 1993). This literature review critically assesses the key works and concepts concerning the Mozart effect, specifically its methodologies, its limits, and finally, alternative theories. While some academics argue that ‘listening to MozartRead MoreDoes Playing Mozart to Babies Make Them Smarter? Essay1374 Words   |  6 PagesThe Mozart Effect Resource Centre website, music educator Don Campbell made the claim that â€Å"classical music has a powerful effect on the intellectual and creative development of children from the very youngest of ages.† (Campbell , n.d.). To critically evaluate this claim a number of sources have been analysed. Through this analysis it was found that the claim cannot be supported by reliable empirical research and that classical music only produces short-term cognitive enhancement. This effect canRead MoreDerogatory Music s Effects On Overall Mood And Test Performance1160 Words   |  5 Pages Derogatory Music’s Effects on Overall Mood and Test Performance Rebecca Smith Arcadia University Derogatory Music’s Effects on Overall Mood and Test Performance We believe that music with certain messages can have an effect on mood states. In this experiment we will be looking at how derogatory music will affect the mood state and test performance of women. We believe that music that has sexist themes will result in low mood states and test results of the females in that conditionRead MoreThe Mozart Effect Essay931 Words   |  4 PagesIt has long been believed that music can evoke specific thoughts and feelings from the listener. But can music –specifically the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart- summon hidden intelligences within the human brain? That is the question scientists are trying to answer. In the mid-nineties, scientists, Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky, claimed that music could boost the listener’s intelligence up to 9 points (Steele 2). To many, this allegation seemed a bit far-fetched and soon otherRead MoreMozart Effect And Its Effect On Mental Development1479 Words   |  6 PagesThe Idea of the Mozart effect came at a time when scientists were trying to merge the aspect of psychology (the science of the mind), and neuroscience (the science of the brain). Scientists felt that music plays a major role in the learning and thinking processes (â€Å"The Mozart Effect†). The Mozart effect refers to the resultant enhanced mental performance that arises when one listens to Mozart’s music. It is suggested that listening to Mozart makes one smarter by improving their spatial intelligenceRead MoreMozart Effect Field Research1740 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Mozart Effect Field Research PSYCH/600 Diana Slade September 30, 2013 Dr. Debra Jennings Mozart Effect Field Research Many parents have come to believe that music, especially classical music played during pregnancy or in the nursery of their newborns would make their precious bundle of joy smarter. Is there science to prove that this is true, or is it just a quick way to sale books, cd, and videos’. The Mozart Effect drove expectant mothersRead MoreMozart Effect1414 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Mozart Effect† The Mozart effect has two general definitions. Firstly, it is a set of research results that indicate that listening to Mozarts music may induce a short-term improvement on the performance of certain kinds of mental tasks known as spatial-temporal reasoning. And also it is popularized versions of the theory, which suggest that listening to Mozart makes you smarter, or that early childhood exposure to classical music has a beneficial effect on mental development. The termRead MoreMusic As A Universal Experience1375 Words   |  6 Pages This experiment was inspired by the Mozart effect work. For those who are unaware, the Mozart effect can refer to: listening to Mozart during study or learning to help enhance the short term or spatial learning. There have been many books and studies done on this theory. In one study done by J S Jenkins it was concluded that: The original experiments on adults exposed to Mozart s music were of short duration only. In related experiments, long-term effects of music were studied in groups of pre-schoolRead MoreMusic Makes Children Smarter : Music Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pagessubjects. Universities have concluded that a specific part of our brain had a major role that can progress to become intellectual when exposed to classical music, and later on, was exposed to another conclusion, that classical music, only has rapid effect in specific amount of time. Professors and theorists dispute with disagreement that listening to classical music is uncertain and does not necessarily make pe ople smarter. Listening to other music other than classical, however, was proven to be moreRead MoreGrit Vs. Iq : Cognitive Development Essay965 Words   |  4 PagesGrit vs IQ: Essentiality Towards Cognitive Development Cognitive development can be defined as a field of study in  neuroscience  and  psychology revolving around the growth of the brain (Schacter Woods 2009). This development is the evolution of skills such as, information processing, perceptual skills, conceptual resourcing, language knowledge and other brain development traits (ibid). Passion and determination towards long term goals (otherwise known as ‘grit’) are parts of cognitive

Similarities and Differences of Iphones and Android Phones” Free Essays

Similarities and Differences of Iphones and Android Phones† â€Å"Similarities and Differences of iPhones and Android phones† The iPhone is a line of smartphones designed and marketed by Apple Incorporation. The iPhone runs Apple’s OS mobile operating system. This device’s has a multi-touch screen, including a virtual keyboard and a Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. We will write a custom essay sample on Similarities and Differences of Iphones and Android Phones† or any similar topic only for you Order Now Why buy iPhone? iPhones are very famous and expensive but it gives what the user wants like Entertainment, Communication and Internet connectivity. In Communication the iPhone allows audio conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, if music is playing when a call is received, the music fades out, and fades back in when the call has ended. In Entertainment the iPhone can sort its media library by songs, artists, albums, videos, playlists, genres, composers, podcasts, audio books, and a compilation which helps the user manage his or her songs. In Internet connectivity the Internet access is available when the iPhone is connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area network which allow the user to browse the internet. For me the iPhone nowadays are very expensive and unaffordable especially the latest versions of the phone. The only problem with iPhone is that it only runs application made by Apple Inc. , but it is reliable for the user because of its features and performance in different ways and it also goes with the flow of modern time. Android Phones† An Android Phone is a smart phone built with an Android mobile operating system, with more advanced computing capability and connectivity than a feature phone. This phone also has the same features with an iPhone but not all because an Android phone only runs application compatible to its OS. Why buy an Android Phone? An Android Phone also has a qualified performance that can match an iPhone and it is more affordable than an iPhone. Some examples of companies that pr ovide android OS to†¦ How to cite Similarities and Differences of Iphones and Android Phones†, Papers

Business Event Management Management

Question: Task 1 1. Write a report on the benefits of carrying out an identified event or project within an agreed time scale in order to meet the need of the project 2. List all the documents that are required for such an event using your experience as an event planner to evaluate and analyse the importance of these documents3. In your report you must ensure that resources that are required for this event are listed and their benefits to the project/event are discussed and documented within your report4. The final part of your report should give a critical analysis of how reviews and evaluations including the methods and resources were carried out Task 2 1. In your report you will document how you will Set up the Project, choose the completion date and allocate responsibilities2. Detail within your report what leadership, effective time management skills will be necessary to pull such an event /project off3. Assess and document the significance of stakeholder analysis when formulating new strategy4. Take corrective action if necessary to keep the project on schedule and document this in your report Task 3 1. Choose the Appropriate size team and document each persons role writing down what skills this person has in adding value to the project, and hence why you choose that person to play that role2. Document within your report what types of team building and conflict management skills are required when diffusing anger 3. Detail methods of co-ordination and communication used, and why you believe they were the most appropriate methods. Do not forget to include documents i.e. minutes of meeting, emails, telephone call logs etc.4. What, why and how are resources going to be used in order to ensure the project is a success? Task 4 1. Create clear records of communication both internally, externally and of team meetings.2. Document where use of information technology has been used 3. Produce information clearly, regularly and on time documenting when and what was produced. Answer: Task 1 1. A project has its own benefits to the company. Some of the project benefits are given below All the projects are based on some specific objectives which in return delivers benefits to the taxpayers, companies, the general public, the government of the nation in which the country is situated, the sponsoring of the organisation and also the stakeholders and the delivery partners. It will cause the business to operate in a different technique in order to carry out the operations. It will help to create new form of outputs and deliverables that will enable the benefits to be realised. They also help to create a specific, temporary management for the organisation which carries out the governance arrangements setup for the duration of the project. The risk they are susceptible to can be found during these projects or events which are usually absent in the day to day operational work of the organisation. The involvement of the organisations stakeholders from different parts of the organisations increase the involvement of the stakeholders in the organisation. The use of new and unfamiliar methods of operations in the organisations are carried out which might be more efficient than the previously used methods. 2. The purpose of the project initiation document is to provide the information required by senior management and stakeholders to enable them to commit to the resources and timelines proposed. It is a form of contract between the Project Manager and Project Board that defines how the project will be run. The PID provides a detailed proposition against which success can be measured. To do this the PID builds on the approved Project Brief by defining in detail how the project will be developed and when it will be delivered. The PID is presented to the project board in order to get a clear information about the views of the key stakeholders and therefore can be considered as valid. This is an essential stage in the process to ensure commitment and buy-in from all interested parties to the proposed outcomes. The detailed analysis undertaken for the PID will uncover increased costs or risks such that the project is cancelled. This is a strength of the staged project process as it avoids significant resources being expended on the wrong project. The development of the project initiation document takes place by the following methods Accountabilities, roles and responsibilities of the project team and inclusion of the part time team members also should be accountable. An activity plan like the Gantt chart should be used on which each deliverable should be completed. This will also include dependencies and milestone. An updated assessment of Risks, including their probability and impact, as well as some mitigation plans and contingency arrangements. The updated cost and benefit analysis, particularly a detailed resource and timing plan Governance plan that details how the project will be monitored and controlled in terms of decision points, reports and reporting cycles, including whether updates will be on an exception or ongoing basis. Communications Plan that will start to determine how the project will be communicated to the different audiences, including the press. 3. The following resources are to be utilized when planning an entire project The purpose of the plan has to be clear in order to gain commitment and approval of the project for the day to day management and control, in order to establish feasibility or the viability in order to define the contingency arrangements. The scope of the plan has to be clear within the viable resources. The objectives have to be planned according to the plan of the project. Any presence of the constraints like that of the resource availability and the mandated delivery dates should be included in the high structure understanding of the plan. The identification of the interim and the final deliverables required from the project should be specified. The contents of the deliverables, the organisation responsible for them, the dependency of the deliverables, the quality characteristics that can be built onto it, the types of the quality checks required, the skills and resources required and also the quality checks should be specified for each of the deliverables. The involvement of experts in the projects who will understand the detail of the development are also valuable resources. The breakdown of the large activities into smaller segments and the skills required to carry out each of the objectives are also resources for the project. The recruitment, procurement, training and the induction activities are the important resources for the project (Wright, 2002). 4. The process of evaluation and review of the projects can be carried out by the technique of PERT (project evaluation and review techniques) that helps to give better time estimation for any project, by keeping records for the uncertainty when the predictions of the duration of the task was carried out. As a project manager anyone can predict the task durations and also the best, worst and the most probable duration of time for each activity and determine the average completion time. This ca be done by taking the probabilities of the three estimates and then calculating the estimating the expected value. The critical path analysis has some advantages and disadvantages alike. It makes possible to identify the relationship between the different task and activities. The resources can be planned and allocated from using it like in case of staff planning, it would also act as good communication and planning tool for the time management. Though it has its own disadvantages too like the assumption of trade-off between time and money but most of the staff cost could be non-variable cost, the complexity of the diagram will also increase on including more activities and also the uncertainty pertaining to the duration of the activities and can be poor prediction for the elapsed time (Wateridge, 2001). Task 2 1. Without the careful planning of the project it will be very likely to fail and achieve its objectives. In case of smaller project it is possible that one plan may be used to define the entire scope of work and all the resources needed to carry out that work. For larger projects, planning will be carried out at different levels of detail at different times. In all types and sizes of project one must be prepared to re-plan in the light of experience The project PID might contain the following the things in its first version The description of the plan like in form of narrative of the plans purpose Pre-requisites or the things that must be in place for the plan to succeed External dependencies like commitments required from outside agencies Planning Assumptions like availability of resources Gantt or Bar chart showing the stages or activities involved n the project. Financial budget or the planned expenditure Resource requirements for e.g. in a table produced using a spreadsheet or project planning. The steps of the planning are the manager has to make sure that everyone understands the project's desired outcome, scope, objectives, constraints, assumptions and the purpose and level of detail of the plan one must produce. The deliverables are to be created according to the result of the plans. The activities are to be specified clearly that are necessary to develop deliverables. The activities are to be put in a logical sequence taking into account interdependencies. Estimate resource requirements for the people, skills, effort, money and other things that will be needed to carry out each activity. Estimate the timescale for each activity like for elapsed duration. To schedule the work from the target start date onwards To define the project management progress controls and decision points clearly. To identify the risks and the uncertainties clearly (Ward and Chapman, 2003). 2. The sooner the project board gives the permission to start the project the role of the project manager becomes vital and is responsible as the leader in the whole operation, its his duty to run the project as close as possible to the approved plan and to do so the leadership roles carried out by him are Allocation of the work to the project teams in accordance with the plan. To monitor progress during development of the deliverables products by the team. To ensure that the deliverables meet specified levels of quality To ensure that the delivery of completed deliverables is made to the required destination. To monitor costs and use of resources To report progress and exceptions to the Project Board via highlight reports (Rodney Turner, 2004). 3. In order to manage stakeholder relationships one must carry out the following activities The identification of the stakeholders is very important. The analysis of their attitudes to, and potential need for involvement in, the project. To establish the stakeholder management strategy to ensure a consistent, appropriate and cost-effective approach is adopted across the project. Identification of the potential approaches to engage, manage relationships and communicate. Select the approaches that are likely to be effective cost-effective proportionate and affordable and formalised as a Communications Plan in order to build them in to the Project Plan as appropriately resourced and scheduled activities. Execute the plan, monitor its effectiveness and revise as necessary (Randolph, 2014). 4. In order to achieve the scheduled management plan by exception the project manager has to be provided with the authority to deal with the inevitable small deviations from the plan. For the larger deviations such as those which occurs due to request for change, poor estimation or by delays in deliveries by the external agencies which requires the following steps to be taken Setting delegated limits or tolerances which the Project Board should set limits to the allowable deviations from planned cost and schedule so that the Project Manager knows how much delegated authority is available to manage deviations from plan. The Project Manager may use an exceptional Highlight Report to notify the Project Board of any forecast or actual deviations from plan beyond delegated limits. Positive sorts of exception should also be reported to the authority. The exception planning and decision making by the Project manager should be allowed by the Project Board to replace the current plan which is no longer viable (Ponnappa, 2014). Task 3 1. Staffing of the project with the right skills and at the right place is the sole responsibility of the project management team and yet it is the most important responsibility in the project management. There are generally two types of members in the project team known as the functional managers and the process managers. Being a training project the functional managers and their team focus on the technology of the project and they would include the engineers and the construction superintendents, professional trainers, software development managers etc. the process managers are the people who have expertise in cost estimation, cost tracking, and scheduling. The need of the both the functional and process manager. The staffing plan for a project typically reflects both the long-term goals of skilled team members needed for the project and short-term commitment that reflects the nature of the project. Exact start and end dates for team members are often negotiated to best meet the needs of individuals and the project. The staffing plan is also determined by the different phases of the project. Team members needed in the early or conceptual phases of the project are often not needed during the end phases or project closeout phases. Team members needed during the execution phase are often not needed during the conceptual or closeout phases. A core management team is the team which is the most important as they are involved in the project from the starting to the close out. The core team would include members of the project management team which includes the project manager, project controls, project procurement, and key members of the function management or experts in the technology of the projec t. Although longer projects may experience more team turnover than shorter projects, it is important on all projects to have team members who can provide continuity through the project phases. The organization that charters the project can assign talented managers and staff from functional units within the organization, contract with individuals or agencies to staff positions on the project, temporarily hire staff for the project, or use any combination of these staffing options. This staffing approach allows the project manager to create the project organizational culture which is determined by the project manager and determines the roles of the members working in the project (Kerzner, 2001). 2. A risk or conflict is an area of uncertainty that forms a threat or a opportunity to the project. Most of the attention to risk will be to avoid or reduce the likelihood of events that might be the cause of the project to be thrown off course. To manage and mitigate risks, the first task is to identify them, assess the likelihood of them happening and estimate the impact they might have on the project. The identification and consideration of risk is an integral part of project management. The aversion of conflicts and risk requires to take the following steps To keep a clear understanding of the achievement of the aims and the goals of the project. Focus on the matters that can be achieved even with a small bit of a conflict rather than totally avoiding the path, because sometimes a little conflict is important to the success of a project. The management of averting risks is based on subjective and qualitative judgements. Risk or conflict is not just about finance but it applies to all decisions regarding the business at all levels that includes operational, regulatory and reputational factors. To support the decisions in a bureaucratic process by supporting them with proper documentation (Index of 2013 Project Management Journal Papers and Authors, 2014). 3. For the completion of a complex project successfully communication is required which is provided by team work and communication among them. Though if they are in the same building, it is not a problem but most of the teams are globally separated in todays economy and the type of meetings in the same building are not possible. These teams are therefore called virtual teams as they use electronics method of communicating. The communications can be done by two methods, synchronous and asynchronous, where synchronous means that all the members are taking part in the exchange of communication at the same time. In asynchronous the participants are not taking part in the meeting at the same time. To carry on the communications a various technologies require a number of compatible devices, software, and service providers, and communication with a global virtual team can involve many different time zones (Hyvri, 2006). 4. During the start-up phase, the project leader develops the project infrastructure used to design and execute the project. A team is formed to create agreement among project stakeholders on the goals, cost, and completion date. Plans for executing the project, managing the schedule and quality, and controlling the budget are created. The scope statement establishes project parameters that define what will be done. Project quality begins with the specifications of materials and labour. A quality plan creates a process for assuring the requirements and specifications of the project. Quality improvement tools can be applied to projects if the company has several similar projects. Team members are selected to manage functions and processes. The staffing plan assigns people as needed. The risk on a project reflects the number of things that can possibly happen that will have a negative effect on the project and the probability of those events happening. The communication methods are implemented in order to make everyone stay connected to the team (Hearkens, 2002). Task 4 1. In order to create clear records of communication between the internal, external communications it is important to develop some skills which will be effective in communication. They are as following Writing skills are very important for the implementation of a project as it is the best medium to get the right messages across to a specific audience. It is important to make sure that ones text harmonise with the overall communication strategy. Messages can be explicit or clearly stated as information, implicit or intended for subliminal or emotional impact and can work better when one is explaining the theme of a message to their team members. Research of the main statements of the project and also of the recent statistics and official information give credibility to the arguments one keeps in the meetings. The organisation of the statements and the information systematically is very important to make point in the meetings as well as to encourage the team members (Eric Kirkland, 2014). 2. The following implementations can be brought in the project management by the help of information technology Information technology can help create an integrated toolbox for the companies that consistently struggle to succeed in managing projects clearly define what needs to be done. They use an integrated toolbox, including project management tools, methods, and techniques. They carefully select tools, align them with project and business goals, link them to metrics, and provide them to project managers to deliver positive result. IT can develop a streamlined project delivery process where the winning companies have examined every step in the project delivery process, analysed fluctuations in workloads, searched for ways to reduce variation, and eliminated bottlenecks to create a repeatable delivery process. All projects go through clear stages and clearly define key milestones. All project leaders use a shared road map, focusing on key business aspects of their projects while integrating goals across all parts of the organization. IT can help to measure project health using metrics. Companies that excel in project delivery use performance metrics to quantify progress. They focus on a handful of important measurements and apply them to all projects. Metrics often include customer satisfaction, return on investment, and percentage of schedule buffer consumed (Deeprose, 2002). 3. It can be recorded successfully by creating a project closure checklist which should include the following queries Check that whether the work was completed according to the PID. To check whether the project deliverables have been created, quality controlled, accepted and handed over to those who will operate and maintain them. To check the person who is responsible for ongoing operation, training and maintenance of the deliverables been accepted by appropriate parts of the organisation To check the persons who provided resources have been informed of impending project closure. To check that whether all risks that might affect the achievement of benefits been communicated to an appropriate owner in the organisation. Whether the project management documentation been archived for future reference (Davidson Frame, 2014). References Davidson Frame, J. (2014). Reconstructing Project Management.Project Management Journal, 45(1), pp.e2-e2. Deeprose, D. (2002).Project management. Oxford, U.K.: Capstone Pub. Eric Kirkland, C. (2014). Project Management: A Problem-Based Approach.Project Management Journal, 45(1), pp.e3-e3. Heerkens, G. (2002).Project management. New York: McGraw-Hill. Hyvri, I. (2006). Project management effectiveness in project-oriented business organizations.International Journal of Project Management, 24(3), pp.216-225. Index of 2013 Project Management Journal Papers and Authors. (2014).Project Management Journal, 45(1), pp.88-89. Kerzner, H. (2001).Project management. New York: John Wiley. Ponnappa, G. (2014). Project Stakeholder Management.Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.e3-e3. Randolph, S. (2014). Maximizing Project Value: A Project Manager's Guide.Project Management Journal, 45(2), pp.e2-e2. Rodney Turner, J. (2004). Viennese Project Management-Days Project and Emotions.International Journal of Project Management, 22(4), pp.271-272. Ward, S. and Chapman, C. (2003). Transforming project risk management into project uncertainty management.International Journal of Project Management, 21(2), pp.97-105. Wateridge, J. (2001). Successful Project Management.International Journal of Project Management, 19(3), p.191. Wright, J. (2002). Effective Project Management.International Journal of Project Management, 20(8), p.633.

New York Growth Essays - East Coast Of The United States

New York Growth For a number of reasons, business enterprise in New York grew by leaps and bounds between 1825 and 1860. New York's growth between the years 1825 and 1860 can be attributed to a number of factors. These include but cannot be limited to the construction of the Erie Canal, the invention of the telegraph, the developed of the railroads, the establishment of Wall Street and banking, the textile, shipping, agriculture and newpaper industries, the development of steam power and the use of iron products. On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal was opened. The canal immediately became an important commercial route connecting the East with the Ohio and Mississippi Valleys. With tht time of travel cut to one-third and the cost of shipping freight cut to one-tenthof the previous figures, commerce via the canal soon made New York City the chief port of the Atlantic. The growing urban population and the contruction of canals, railroads and factories stimulated the demand for raw materials and food stuffs. In 1836 four-fifths of the tonnage over the Erie Canal came from western New York (North, 105). Much of this cargo was in the form of agriculture goods. The farmer become a shrewed businessaman of sorts as he tended to produce whatever products would leave him the greatest profit margin. The rise of the dairy industry was by far the most significant development in the agricultural history of the state between 1825 and 1860. Farmers discovered that cows were their most relliable money-makers, since both the domestic and foreign market kept demanding more dairy products (Ellis, 273). Price flucuations became increasingly important for the farming population between 1825 and 1860. Prices rose from the low level of the early 1820's until the middle 1830's and the farmer's shared in the general prosperity (271). Although the rapid industrialization and urbanization of New York had a great deal to do with the success of agricultural markets sporadic demand from aboard as a result of the Irish famine, the Crimean War and the repeal of the Corn Laws in England also contributed(North, 141). During this period Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia, in that order were the leading wheat growing states. Between the years 1840 and 1850 New York ranked first in the production of beef. The absence of politic party differences on issues related to the the growth of democracy existed in regard to the foremost economic questions, there was absolutely no partisan division evident in the movement to incorporate new financial institutions; rather , the primary factors , which the legislators examined, concerned value, feasibility, profit and the location within the state. Dozens of turnpike proposals, most of which werebacked by the Republicans, passed the legislature; but the Federalists cooperated, seeing the chance for profits. Prominent Federalists like John Rutherfurd, John Neilson, William Paterson, John Bayard, and James Parker invested susstanial sums in the turnpike business. There were numerous Republicans who were also vitally interested in the turnpike business (Kass, 150). Bipartisan support also accompanied plans for the construction of bridges and canals. All of the parties contained a large number of adherents from from every level of economic well-being in society. This helps to expain the absence of any clear-cut party differences on the major economic issues of the such as the chartering of banks, the protestive tariff, internal improvements, the development of manufacturing, and the promotion of superior agricultural techniques. Each politcal faction had segments both pro and con on most of these questions, and, inall cases it was opprtunism, the desire for profits, which was decisive in determining one's political position on these economic issues(175). New York's economic growth can also be attributed to the invention of the cotton gin. Cotton had become a boom crop in the south, however, plantation owners were either too engrossed in the production of their crops or too unschooled in business techiniques to handle its distribution. Some just did not want to be bothered. This opened thee door for agents representing New York shipping firms who were only too happy to help them out - for a fee. This scheme not only earned the New York merchants a handsome profit but also solved the problem that without cotton the ship owner would be hards preesed to find adequate cargoes for their return voyages. And so it came about that New York in the nineteeth century became the nation's foremost shipper of cotton(Allen, 108-109). The cotton shipments entering New York harbor were brought to textile mills for processing. A group of New york capitalist estashlished the Harmony

What is Defamation †Law Essay

What is Defamation – Law Essay Free Online Research Papers What is Defamation Law Essay The law of defamation was meant to protect peoples reputations from unfair attack. Over the years, however, it has mutated into a heterogeneous mess invoked by the rich, who can afford to hire people clever enough to navigate the maze that is todays defamation laws, to protect exclude themselves from public scrutiny and criticism. To make things worse, defamation law differs from state to state, allowing those with deep enough pockets to shop around for the jurisdiction that most suits their needs. The sorry state of defamation law in Australia has prompted various calls for reform dating back from when Gareth Evens first took office as Commonwealth Attorney-General in 1983. Yet it is only recently that we seem to be headed for nationally uniform defamation laws. The proposal by the States is likely to bring more uniformity and less confusion to the law of defamation. However, it is likely to be clobbered by the national proposal from the Commonwealth Attorney-Generals department, which is likely to keep defamation in its current place as a weapon for the rich and powerful. One need only examine the proposed amendment to the truth defence to see an example of how defamation can be used by those who can afford to invoke the wrath of the law to protect them from scrutiny. But before we can criticise the proposed truth defence, we need to understand the purpose of defamation law. Purpose of defamation For the purposes of this essay, discussion of defamation will be restricted to the civil tort, which is meant to clear the reputation of the defamed. The criminal offence is meant to punish defamers and protect the community, so would be less of a tool to be used to avoid scrutiny. In fact, because of the level of proof required, a criminal trial may increase the level of scrutiny on a victim relating to the alleged defamation. The law of defamation historically refers to an aggregation of laws relating to slander and libel. Its purpose is and always has been the protection of peoples reputations. The basis for this was an acknowledgement that a good reputation took time and money to build up, like a house. This meant damage inflicted upon it should afford a remedy in the same way that vandalism affords a remedy to property owners. It should be noted that defamation protects a persons reputation, not their character. It does not afford a remedy for wounded pride, sleepless nights, or hurt feelings. Instead, defamation only rectifies damage the the view others hold of you. The distinction between reputation and character is an important one, which has been confused even by judges. Another source of confusion is the cause of action in defamation. When a defamatory statement is published, it is not the reprehensible motive of the publisher that gives rise to an action, but rather the effect of the statements published (and whether there was a legal basis for their publication). Defamation does not punish a publisher for thinking malice towards the victim, but rather for hurting the victims reputation. In this way, it is similar to the tort of negligence, which is not concerned with the intent of the negligent party, only the effect of their actions (and whether they fulfilled their legal duty). The protection of peoples reputations inevitably will come into conflict with any pre-existing right to free speech. Defamation law has to balance these two rights, weighing the right to free speech against the right of people to their reputations. Today, free speech is encouraged by allowing people, at the common law to publish the truth without fear of being liable for defamation. The problem with privacy Whats private? Definition difficulties. Whatevers private is removed from public discussion. Defamations no good for protecting privacy. Research Papers on What is Defamation - Law Essay19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationCapital PunishmentComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoPETSTEL analysis of IndiaWhere Wild and West MeetEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresQuebec and Canada