Flatirons Solutions Essay Example

Flatirons Solutions Essay I am currently working in Flatirons Solutions as a Systems Engineer, working with the Federal Aviation Administration’s traffic flow management division. I was selected for this position for two main reasons; my advanced knowledge in computer network operations and proven ability of modernization of proprietary hardware and software. Most of my work here, I’m closely working and dealing with   the FAA’s Network Operations, System Analysts, Subject Matter Experts, Developers and other personnel to establish an open architecture platform with a   robust framework for implementing enhancements operational improvements. As a product of my curiosity, I learned how to fix computer hardware and laptops. From my early pre college education up to now, I can’t forget my experiences working as a computer technician. Through my college life my knowledge expanded to the software administration of computer technologies. For almost nine years, I’ve been working and have familiarized myself with the software applications and operating systems. After finishing my undergraduate degree, my first work was to be a networking analyst. While working, my networking abilities were challenged. I had to update my previous learning in wireless networking, switches, routing and VPN’s. I had mastered it for eight years now. As time progresses and the technology continuously advancing, I had to enroll in a small IT learning center to enhance my seven year experience in website development. I learned the new concepts in database management and project planning. Today, I could say that I have a stable job f or I think now is the end of my learning process in the information technology and computer science world. All I have learned before is the application on my work at the present. I don’t have to fix bare bone computers anymore for now I am doing project management and the complicated works in information security. I am completely wrong. I thought it was the end of it after having advanced knowledge in those fields. Now I truly believe â€Å"that nothing in this world is permanent†. The fast changing and upgrading phase of computer technology is inevitable. Continuous learning will be a must until the day I retire. Now I deemed it necessary to enroll in a graduate program. We will write a custom essay sample on Flatirons Solutions specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Flatirons Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Flatirons Solutions specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Today, as an employee in Flatirons Solutions, I don’t have to rest on my laurels and let my guard down because one of the requirements of working in here is to continually gain knowledge in the vast information technology world and for me to hold higher position. I am planning to obtain my Master’s in Information Systems here in Strayer University. With a solid 12 years of experience in Information Technology and a U.S. security clearance backing my expertise in the field, I want to be admitted in the university’s graduate program. The degree program which offers concentration in Computer Security Management, will be beneficial to my employer, my future and personal goals in the Information Security field. However, one of the requirements to the admission in the program is the student is presumed to have undergraduate courses in: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 293 – Administering Desktop Clients 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 332 – Network Sever Administration 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 401 – Network Server Implementation 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 111 – Introduction to relational database management systems 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 219 – Database Management Systems 6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 212 – System Modeling Theory 7.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   CIS 409 – Directory Services Infrastructure The main reason I am constructing this portfolio is to advance thru these courses by providing detailed explanation and justification that I have gained enough knowledge in these areas and thus I deserve to be credited to pursue my goals of obtaining my master’s degree. Attached in this portfolio are my certificates of training, performance ratings, letters of endorsement, and supporting documentation to support my claim. CIS 293 – Administering Desktop Clients This course was the foundation of my professional experience so I deemed it necessary that I start with it. Let me tell you my basic and advance knowledge in the content of this course and also provide you with signed letters from my employers to back me. The course deals with installations, troubleshooting, file systems management and configuration, recovery and network access. While I was in college at Northern Virginia Community College, I had a part time job at a nearby shop building and repairing bare bone computers with a $10 per hour compensation. This was my weakness when I was young as I attempted to fix my aunt’s computer. I was sure that I can do it. But since I don’t have knowledge about it, the repair became the other way around. My aunt scolded me for damaging it. I haven’t even brought the case back properly. As I was doing this part time job, it didn’t take long for me to have knowledge of computer’s intangible parts. I was not confined just in the hardware maintenance. While in school and simultaneously attending to this job, I suddenly got curious and eventually learned installing software and operating systems. It was not that hard, but at first it seemed a little bit complicated. From the first operating system, DOS up to today’s Microsoft software products, I learned it from my part time job. After graduating I look up for a white collar job. Luckily I had one. My experience landed me a job at Aetna Insurance as a system desktop support. Most of my work there deals with networking but at the same time I am doing jobs similar to a software engineer. Although, the operating system we are using there is an earlier version of Windows, familiarity with it is the most important.   The next three years, I was involved in Xybernaut Corporation and Freddie Mac. Here in Freddie Mac, I was introduced into a the upgraded version of Windows, which is the XP. My stay in those companies further solidified my networking skills. I also worked my way up to become a Tier III Computer Network Operations Support Specialist. Nine years of software applications and operating systems coupled with my eight years of experience in wireless networking would rightfully strengthen my claim to be credited with this course. Also, I have seven years of related work, dating back to my college days, in routing and installing switches. My knowledge in virtual private network will also back me. I have six years of experience in relation to VPN’s. I have included two signed letters with current and past acknowledgement of the materials needed to be credited for this course from my employers. CIS 332 – Network Server Administration CIS 401 – Network Server Implementation CIS 409 – Directory Services Infrastructure During my past employment in Xybernaut Corporation and Freddie Mac, I deal with networking problems and implementations. As a proof I was promoted to a Tier III position. As I go through, let me first browse the scope of CIS 332 – Network Server Administration. The main objective of this course is central administration tasks on the servers in a server centric network. My first encounter with network server administration was when I’m in Aetna Insurance. I do all the networking there to provide other employees with files and information on the server. Hardware device management was also included in my work. Ten years of experience in this area will support my claim as I repaired and maintained laptops and personal computers. As I mentioned earlier., installation of operating systems and its implementations was also my forte. As part of being a Tier III, one of my responsibilities was to attend to trouble requests up to the escalation processes problems. It is not that a Tier I or II can’t fix it, but only Tier III has the rights and authority to access the Active Directory. I also provide the company its security on it. Imagine how big a responsibility that was. Eventually, I mastered how to install and configure servers. I also hold the company’s network protocols. Not included in my original job description while working as a Tier III employee was I also served as a data and networking support specialist. I’ve handled most of the retrieval and data management. On the part of CIS 401 – Network Server Implementation which is closely related to the first course and CIS 409 – Directory Services Infrastructure, I again provided the protocols and the remote access. Majority of the problems I handled when I was in Xybernaut was joining domains. The access to the secured and shared resources also runs through me. Authentication of internet service and securing rights for the local machines was also my responsibility, for the installation of new hardware and software. Although the company’s website was created earlier before I joined, I was able to be a part of the team which maintained and updated the site. My employment at Freddie Mac and Xybernaut Corporation provided me with the knowledge and skills as I spent one year performing central administration. I will provide a detailed and signed certifications to prove and attest my claim. CIS 111– Introduction to relational database management systems CIS 219 – database management systems As I went through my job, the knowledge that I have gained was not confined in just one area of computer science. Managing databases was included in the college courses I learned from my professors in NVCC. I had the basic application of this when I’m still with Aetna. I construct tables using different software, from network and relational models. As what my experiences and knowledge about CIS 111 – Introduction to Relational Database Management Systems I had, I deserve to be credited in this course. During my college days, we were taught of a software program called Lotus 123. From the class, we were asked to interview 50 people with their full name, birthday, complete address and their jobs. From the information provided by those people, we organized them into a table. And then our teacher told us to type a certain information about the data gathered and all pertinent data will come out. Like for example, I key in the last name of an old man I have interviewed, his birthday, address and job will pop out. This was the basic. Now as working with Aetna, we deal with many customers. As a system desktop support, I constantly update the database of the company. These information and data contain name of members and policy holders. Also included are the profile, address etc. What I am proud of to claim is, I am responsible for the program that updates the payment of policyholders. The initial and monthly payments accumulated and then subtracted from the face value. After my job at Aetna Insurance, I worked at Toshiba Logistics Corporation, a Japanese laptop manufacturer. My work there was defined as a receiving officer. Suppliers store PC parts in our warehouse after I received them. I am updating the vendor managed inventory from our suppliers everytime their parts are used in manufacturing. There I used the Oracle VMI system. I implemented what I learned from a seminar in database management in our company. Plus the solid seven years of experience in website development, which I learned while working, I hope will be enough to advance me through CIS 219 – Database Management Systems.   Aside from this I had seven years of database and six years project planning understanding. CIS 212 – System Modeling Theory Before proceeding to work at Flatirons, every applicant was subjected to a test. The exam is very hard and very objective. All of your stored knowledge will be tested. Included in the examination is of course, about information technology and also mathematics. Luckily I still remember my mathematical skills. One of the problems there was on linear programming and probabilities. My management skills were also challenged. We were asked to optimize a particular company dilemma on the verge of bankruptcy. Now, does anyone want to ask me, Why I am working at Flatirons? I passed the examinations. My present work in Flatirons Solutions will justify my request to be credited for this course. I will provide certificate from my immediate supervisor about the nature and scope of my work in the company including descriptions. I have no previous knowledge of the coverage of CIS 212 but I learned it through my work experiences. And here at Flatirons is the best venue that the course is applied. Although it is not directly similar, I truly have done works as presented in the course outline – when to use simulation, its advantages and disadvantages, its application, the models to use in simulation, analysis of data and verification and validation of models. I am doing models for the federal aviation’s flight plan, its simulation and projected expected time of arrival and departure. We as a team in Flatirons maintain a large framework where we closely monitor the aviation’s activities. Included in the certificate is the length of my experience in Project Management which is four years and on Information Security, three years. I am hoping that with this portfolio, I will be able to secure a slot and admission into the university’s graduate program. Having my Master’s in Information Systems degree will mean a lot to me, as I am also looking forward to be a member of the academe someday, preferably teaching in the undergraduate level.

Persuasive Speech essays

Persuasive Speech essays There is half a million tons of hazardous waste per year in the US. The military is the largest producer of it. Fourteen thousand four hundred military sites are now officially recognized as toxin contaminated, making the U. S. military the countrys leading Earth Abuser. The military now directly manages about twenty-five million acres of public land and borrows around eight million more from agencies such as the U. S. Forest Service which allows one hundred and sixty-three military training activities in fifty-seven national forests, involving three million acres. Which raises the question: How respectfully does the military treat the land they manage? Not too carefully at all. All of this toxic contamination of the grounds will have a tremendous impact on such vital surviving factors as water, air, and the atmosphere. People are not noticing this to the extreme extent right now, but in only eighty years, the earths resources and atmosphere will be so contaminated that only the most primitive and resistant organisms such as bacteria, will have enough power to survive without a weak state of health. We can already see such incipient signs today: the ozone layer has holes that extent over such huge continents as Australia, cancer is becoming a predominant sickness in society, allergies are reoccurring more and more often and showing up in new quantities and new forms. Society has to finally understand how little they can expect to gain from the earths resources in only a few decades, and how nature is going to react to all the contamination brought by human kind. In my opinion the solution to this problem is first of all in understanding what each one of us contributes to pollution in general. Think globally and act locally ...

Addresssing human resource issues at Utiliscan Essay

Addresssing human resource issues at Utiliscan - Essay Example Human resource issues at Utiliscan identified by the survey. Paul, the former Director for Utilitiscan conducted a survey and th result revealed some troubling issue in the company that caused its employees to leave. The survey that Paul conducted reported that; Most employees view their job at Utilitiscan as career dead end. Meaning, most employees felt that their careers are not advancing in the company as Paul’s survey result revealed that 87% of the employees felt that there were no promotion opportunities in the company. 74% of the employees also felt that their pay does not increase even if they perform well. Employees were also complaining that performance appraisals were not done anymore. Some respondents commented that there were favoritism in the company. Most employees also no longer feel challenged by their jobs. This is corroborated by the fact that a resounding 89% of respondents also complaint that opportunities to grow and improve were rare in the company. 56 % of the employees felt that their non wage benefits were below industry standard. Only 55% of all employees felt safe working in Utilitiscan. Meaning, the other half or 45% felt that there is an occupational hazard associated with their physical environment and that safety is less than adequate. In sum, the problem of the employees at Utilitiscan was that they felt that their job is a career dead end without any prospect for advancement and non-challenging where there are no incentives to do a good job. The proposed conceptual plan as a solution to the problem Employees are leaving Utilitiscan, including the very person who conducted the survey which was Paul, because the company was perceived to be a dead end and that the jobs were boring thereby making employees not motivated to perform because there are no incentives available when they do a good job anyway. Thus, to address these issues, management has to; a. Make job interesting for the employees to engage b. Institute promotio nal plans for the career advancement for employees c. Provide incentive for good performance (including promotion) d. Perform performance appraisal to address the need for basis of incentive and to encourage high performance in the organization. These conceptual plan does not necessarily â€Å"breaks the bank† of Utilitiscan. Addressing the employees issue about their jobs as non-challenging by making their jobs interesting jobs do not have to cost the company a huge amount of money. This can be done through job-rotation whereby employees move through the various functions in the organization laterally doing functions other than they are accustomed to. This is consistent with the idea of a classical management theorist Frederick Herzberg that it is not only money that motivates people to work as what Taylor posits in his scientific management theory. Herzberg argued that it is intrinsic rewards such as challenging work and growth that gets employees motivated. True, pay can m ake people work better but they will only endure the drudgery of work until the next pay raise or promotion and will again be back to mediocre performance after taking the pay raise or promotion. This principle in motivating employees is corroborated by a more recent study conducted by Dan Pink. In his study, Pink illustrated how monetary rewards failed in motivating employees. It may sound baffling but the Pink experiment showed that the obvious does not always work. Giving monetary rewards as a basis for motivation on jobs that requires even the slightest cognitive skills such as the jobs of programmers and engineers in Utilitiscan do not always work. It can even be a source of demotivation as what Pink found out when he did the experiment of giving financial incentive to motivate people to do tasks that involves thinking. The same experiment was done in other countries and other cultures and the result are the same, money as an incentive is a demotivator to tasks that invol

Contract and employment agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract and employment agreement - Essay Example His work was reviewed and at one time, he was told to proofread his work. This means there indeed was an implied contract that meant Barnes was an employee to the company. Since Barnes was discharged, it should be proven that the termination does not amount to wrongful discharge, as the claims by the company’s vice president were informal. Hawk also points out fraudulent inducement, which indeed is exhibited when the company requests Barnes not to resign for another company, and that he might be promoted. Pentrix’s main aim is to keep highly skilled personnel within the company. Diana Gagnon in response to the question, ‘If you were investigating whether Barnes could successfully sue Pentrix, what information would you want to know?’ says she would need several pieces of information to know if Barnes could successfully sue Pentrix. She gives these pieces as; Barnes past performance reviews, copies of the employee handbooks and his signature page, the validi ty of the rumor as stated by Olga Svetlana with regard to the leaked information, and the discharge of the employees. While other points mentioned here may not be substantial, whether the rumor stated by the company’s vice chancellor on the leaking of information is worth an investigation to determine whether it was true or not, and as a result, whether Barnes can successfully sue.

Assessment of the Terrorist Threat of ISIS and AQAP Research Paper

Assessment of the Terrorist Threat of ISIS and AQAP - Research Paper Example ISIS (the Islamic State of Iraq and Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, formally referred as the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Qa‘ida in Iraq) was formed by Sunni extremist Abu Mus‘ab al-Zarqawi in April 2004.   The formation of this group was immediately followed by a declaration of its allegiance to Usama Bin Ladin. Since its formation, ISIS has been constantly targeting both the coalition forces and the civilians using sophisticated tactics like VBIEDs (vehicle-borne improvised explosives devices), hostage execution and suicide bombers. This has been used to mount up pressure on foreign companies and countries to leave Iraq, discourage Iraqis from supporting the United States and the government of Iraqi and lastly to attract more cadre to its ranks. Al-Zarqawi’s was killed in June 2006 and in his place came Abu Ayyub al-Masri who changed it to the Islamic State of Iraq in October the same year. With support from another Iraqi national called Abu ‘Umar al-B aghdadi, this new group sought to politicize the group’s terrorist actions and put an â€Å"Iraqi face† on their activities. In 2010, the leadership changed and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi assumed the top leadership following the death of both Umar al-Baghdadi and Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Under his leadership, the group continued undertaking high-profile terror attacks across Iraq. Isil expanded its ranks via prison breaks and incorporation of fighters welcomed from the Syrian conflict. In 2013, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi openly declared the group’s existence in Syria.   All through its existence ISIL has had a sharp disagreement with al-Qa‘ida o account of the ideological differences. This drift widens in the later years and culminated in early 2014 by Al-Qaida disowning the relationship that had existed since 2004. Isil responded by declaring al-Qa‘ida unfit for Usama Bin Ladin’s legacy and in turn stated its position as a better show of jihadists. In the mid-June 2014, ISIL undertook major efforts that sought to overthrow Iraqi Government.

Species-area Relationship of Herpetofaunas in West Indies

Species-area Relationship of Herpetofaunas in West Indies De Gao 1. Introduction 1.1. Biodiversity and crisis on West Indies Oceanic islands, due to their discrete geographic isolation, differ distinctly from terrestrial  ecosystem, offer great opportunities for species conservation, and are regarded as the natural  laboratory for the study of biogeography and evolutionary ecology (Adsersen, 1995; Crawford  and Stuessy, 1997; Ricklefs and Bermingham, 2008). Island habitat heterogeneity and the gene  flow barrier between the island and its neighboring islands or land are the most important driving  forces leading to new species differentiation and formation (Cherry et al. 2002). The colonized  species from continents or nearby islands are then subjected to unique evolutionary processes,  for example, geographic isolation, character displacement, and adaptive radiation. The  accumulated mutations gradually and ultimately make colonized species into new indigenous  species that are genetically different from the original one. One of the most distinctive features of  the biota on oceanic is lands is the large number of endemics occurring in small areas (Francisco-Ortega et al. 2000). West Indies was identified as a biodiversity hotspot by Myers et al. (2000). A significant  percentage of the Earth’s known terrestrial biota is distributed on islands of the West Indies,  many of these species are endemic to the region, to individual islands, and even to isolated areas  within some islands (Hedges, 2001). But a large majority of the vast complex of islands in West  Indies is changing rapidly, resulting in dramatic alterations of habitats, and nearly all of them are  mediated by human activities (Powell and Henderson, 2012). Small population size, gene drift,  isolated gene flow, and the complexity of island environment have already made the endemic  herpetofaunal species easy to be endangered or extinct, human disturbances undoubtedly worsen  the situation. Therefore, critical conservation concerns in West Indian region are increasingly  important and required. 1.2. Species-area relationship (SAR) The species-area relationship is one of the most fundamental patterns in macroecology and an  important tool in assessing species diversity, extinction rates and species hotspots (Tjà ¸rve, 2009). According to the equilibrium theory (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967), the relationship between  immigration and the extinction of species to island depends on the island size and its distance to  mainland. MacArthur-Wilson’s theory provided impetus for numerous studies on species-area  relationships (SARs) that have provided biological interpretations for several taxa and have  suggested factors and mechanisms that can determine species richness (Simaiakis et al. 2012). And the theory has an enormous influence on perspectives of species conservation and nature  reserves design. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss SARs for herpetofaunas in West Indies regions,  with the aim of discover which factors may determine their distribution over the whole range of  island sizes. We choose to fit some candidate models including the power model and some  sigmoid models to see whether a J-shaped part exists at the lower end of the curve. Small-island  effect (SIE) holds that, on islands smaller than a certain critical minimum area, one cannot  observe an increase in species number with increasing area (Simaiakis et al. 2012). We choose to  fit candidate models including the power model and some sigmoid models to see whether a J-shaped part exists at the lower end of the curve. If the best fitted model has a sigmoid shape, a J-shaped part will exist at the lower end, and then we accept SIE. If the best fitted model has a  convex shape, a J-shaped part will not exist at the lower end, and then we deny SIE. There are  also other reasons why it is so important to know the shape of species-area curve. Based on the  curve shape, we could estimate total species diversity from limited numbers of samples, or  estimate species extinction as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). Candidate species-area models are proposed from two sources. The first source is species-area  literature which has traditionally fit data with power or exponential models, the second source  involves a broader search of the literature for models that increased monotonically to an  asymptote (Flather, 1996). Although the shape of the curve has been extensively debated over the years, power and  exponential curves are the most commonly applied and best known ones, lately, an increasing  number of authors have argued some SARs are perhaps best represented by functions that are  sigmoid in arithmetic space and there are also a number of recent studies where sigmoid models  have been fitted to empirical data (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). Some sigmoid models behave similar with  others, for instance, the Extreme value function behaves quite similar to the Logistic and  Gompertz models; The Cumulative beta-P distribution behaves similarly to the Weibull  distribution (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). 2. Aims In this study, we are trying to solve 3 questions: Question 1: What is the species-area relationship (SAR) for herpetofaunas in West Indies? Is the  SAR same for native and invasive species? And is it the same among each animal group  classification under amphibian and reptile? Question 2: Due to human’s help, invasive species are supposed to have a higher dispersal  ability as compared to the native. So, in the linear form of the power model (LogS/LogA) is there  a higher z-value for the invasive species than the native species? Question 3: What geographic factors may determine species richness over the whole range of  island sizes? Are these factors also applicable to other group of islands that located in similar  latitude areas to determine their species richness? 3. Material and Methods Data on species occurrences originate from Powell and Henderson (2012). Multiple basemaps in  ArcMap 10 and ArcGlobe 10 will be used to digitize islands map. We use different scales to  digitize islands with various areas. Fractal Analysis will be used to estimate the perimeters at a  uniform scale (Farina, 2007). For comparisons of the fit of different models, the Akaike’s  information criterion (AIC) was applied (Burnham and Anderson, 2002). Model selection  analyses will run using â€Å"mmSAR† package (Guilhaumon et al. 2010) for the R statistical and  programming environment (R Development Core Team, 2011). Aim 1: Model selection we use the 8 most general models composed in â€Å"mmSAR† package (Guilhaumon et al. 2010) to  fit the data, which include 5 convex models (Power, Exponential, Negative exponential, Monod,  Rational function) and 3 sigmoid models (Logistic, Lomolino, Cumulative Weibull). Aim 2: LogS/LogA linear regression We analyze the linear function of the LogS/LogA and compare parameter values with vertebrates  from global oceanic islands (Triantis et al. 2012). Aim 3: Find out the geographic factors affect species richness/Steps Initially selected variables are X1 Distance to mainland X2 Latitude of island centroid X3 Longitude of island centroid X4 Island No. within 0.1km X5 Island No. within 0.1-1km X6 Island No. within 1-5km X7 Island No. within 5-10km X8 Islands Area within 0.1km X9 Islands Area within 0.1-1km X10 Islands Area within 1-5km X11 Islands Area within 5-10km X12 Area of the island X13 Perimeter of the island X14 Perimeter/Area X15 Percentage of vegetation X16 Percentage of human area X17 Rivers within the island X18 Invasive spp. within the island X19 Percentage of invasive spp. X1 and X3 are used to examine species dispersal from mainland; X2 is used to examine the  nearness to equator; X4, X5, X6, X7 are used to examine stepping stones in each loop circle; X8,  X9, X10, X11 are used to examine total area of stepping stones in each loop circle; X12 is used to examine area effect; X13 and X14 are used to examine shape (irregularity) of island; X15,  X17 are used to examine habitat quality; X16, X18, X19 are used to examine human disturbance  and invasive species. Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Partitioning Analysis will be made based on the  residuals distribution of LogS/LogA linear regression to examine which geographic factors are  the significant contributions of species richness in West Indies.

Domestic Violence Program Proposal Essay

Astounding statistics reported by the Children’s Defense Fund, â€Å"An estimated 3 to 4 million women in the United States are battered each year by their partners, In homes where domestic violence occurs, children are seriously abused or neglected at a rate 1500% higher than the national average in the general population, Between 2. 3 and 10 million children are witnesses to family violence, Based on an estimate of 2 children per household, in 55% of violent homes, at least 3. 3 million children in the U. S. are at risk of witnessing domestic violence each year,† (Retrieved, 10/12/2011, http://cdf. hildrensdefense. org). Domestic violence is a crime that affects every member of the family, including children. Many times children remain the silent victims that are abused both physically and psychologically. Family violence creates an environment where children live in constant fear and confusion. They are psychologically torn between the abusive parent and the parent who is subject to the abuse. They are affected in ways that make it hard to establish nurturing bonds with either parent. â€Å"Each year an estimated 3. million children are exposed to violence against their mothers or female caretakers by family members,† (American Psychological Association, Violence and the Family: Report of the APA Presidential Task Force on Violence and the Family,1996). According to a recent national survey, only about one quarter of domestic violence is reported to the police, making it difficult to accurately estimate the number of actual victims. The children in families where domestic violence occurs are exposed to violence in various ways and the effects usually manifest themselves much like that of an abused or neglected child. Because they may be direct witnesses to the abuse, many suffer irreversible emotional damage. They may also be in harm’s way themselves, have their lives disrupted by moving or being separated from parents, be used by the batterer to manipulate or gain control over the victim, and they themselves are more likely to be abused. According to a 2006 UNICEF World Report on Violence Against Children, â€Å"Exposure to domestic violence is widespread internationally and it is associated with other forms of child maltreatment. † Children can be direct witnesses to domestic violence; they may see abusive incidents or hear iolence. Children are usually considered secondary victims because they are witness to the violence. This can be harmful psychologically and emotionally. According to a study published in 2003, â€Å"Over 15 million children in the U. S. lived in families where intimate partner violence had occurred at least once in the past year, and seven million children live in families in which severe partner violence occurred,† Whitfield, Anda, Dube, & Felittle (2003), Violent Childhood Experiences and the Risk of Intimate Partner Violence in Adults: Assessment in a Large Health Maintenance Organization. In a 2007 study in the U. S. 38% of incidents of intimate partner violence which involve female victims, children under age 12 were residents of the household,† Catalano & Shannan (2007), Intimate Partner Violence in the United States. Children can be displaced by the domestic violence when they seek shelter along with their abused parent. While statistics are not available globally, many shelters take in children as well as their abused parent. According to a study of domestic violence shelters and services in the U. S. in a single day in 2008, 16,458 children were living in a domestic violence shelter or transitional housing facility, while an additional 6,430 children sought services at a non-residential program. From: The National Network to End Domestic Violence, (2009). Domestic Violence Counts 2008: A 24-hour Census of Domestic Violence Shelters and Services. These children see no way out of their situation. They withdraw and become fearful. Depression, aggression and suicide occur in higher instances with the children who are not attended to and left to cope without intervention. In order to help in a proactive capacity; as well as, be a catalyst that will spur on legislature and rights for children in a domestic violence situation, Lighted Pathways is a program that will be implemented in order to support children who live with violence and ensure a better tomorrow. Though it is said that children are resilient, it is imperative for them to be given an opportunity to thrive. Opportunities that allow for the child to create healthy bonds with adult, secure activities with peers, and gain a voice for themselves in a secure and protective environment will be provided. It is the purpose of Lighted Pathways to help the child that was either a witness, or a victim of abuse themselves to, gain extended support through various activities, create lasting bonds with supportive individuals; such as, Big Brother/ Sisters and a familial type unit, extend educational opportunities, introduce the child to community resources and opportunities otherwise unavailable to them, create a peer connection, and obtain free or affordable, long-term counseling. Lighted Pathways is set to create all of these programs utilizing resources from the, U. S.  Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB). Funds will also be rendered from the community, stakeholders, donations, and local funding and volunteerism. It is Lighted Pathways intention to assist the children victims and advocate for them in order to help them overcome, break free of the cycle of violence, and gain positive tools in order to be successful in their future endeavors. Lighted Pathways focuses on the whole child and the development in a multitudnal approach. The initiative will utilize advocates, psychologists, law enforcement agencies, both adult and juvenile, educators, child specialists and community leaders to assist in a preventative, proactive program; as well as, help better adjust those children who are victims. Field Overview and Current Trends In 1994, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges published a â€Å"Model Code on Domestic and Family Violence. † The code was not designed to be used universally, but rather one that should be adapted from state to state. Developed with an advisory committee composed of leaders in the domestic violence field from all over the United States including judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, matrimonial lawyers, battered women’s advocates, medical and health care professionals, law enforcement personnel, educators and others, it has helped to create stronger laws and enforceable legislation. The introduction to the code states: â€Å"Family violence is a wrong that needs righting in every state in this country. The key is community commitment to recognize, address and prevent such violence. Effective and enabling legislation is the cornerstone,† (Retrieved, 10/12/2011 http://stopvaw. org). Because violence against women is one of the predominant factors of children as witnesses to IPV or intimate partner violence or domestic violence, the organization’s code has been conjunctively used to make the youngest victims voices heard. Recently, the human rights advocacy groups Rights for Change and Aim for Human Rights have issued a step-by-step handbook for conducting research on violence against women. The manual provides users with a human rights background from which to view violence against women, explains how gather and analyze information about violence against women, and then describes how to use the reports to affect change in the area researched. This research is also being used as a cross reference and manual to guide for children. Domestic violence is a devastating social problem which has lasting impacts on every segment of the population. Each age group, race, ethnicity and class is touched by domestic violence, and many times it goes hidden and unseen. Up until recently, the community and resources have been directed primarily targeted toward adult victims of abuse; however, increased attention is now being focused on the children who witness domestic violence and intimate partner violence. â€Å"Studies estimate that 10 to 20 percent of children are at risk for exposure to domestic violence,† (Carlson, 2000). â€Å"These findings translate into approximately 3. 3 to 10 million children who witness the abuse of a parent or adult caregiver each year,† (Carlson, 1984; Straus and Gelles, 1990). Further research indicates that those children which are exposed to domestic violence are at an increased risk of being abused or neglected themselves. â€Å"A majority of studies reveal there are adult and child victims in 30 to 60 percent of families experiencing domestic violence,† (Appel and Holden, 1998; Edleson, 1999; Jaffe and Wolfe, 1990). This has previously led Social Workers to believe that taking the child from the parental home is necessary, but caution should be given to this action, as new inter-agency research suggests that children are manifesting other problems when displaced. Since children respond differently to domestic violence, professionals are cautioned against assuming that witnessing domestic violence constitutes child maltreatment or child protective services intervention,† (Aron & Olson, 1997; Beeman, Hagemeister & Edelson, 1999; Carter & Schechter, 1997; Findlater & Kelly, 1999; Spears, 200; Whitney and Davis, 1999). Various States are creating legislation that better defines child neglect and includes children who witness domestic violence. â€Å"Expanding the legal definition of child altreatment, however, may not always be the most effective method to address the needs of these children. Communities can better serve families by allocating resources that build partnerships between service providers, child protective services, and the array of informal and formal systems that offer a continuum of services based upon the level of risk present,† (Carter and Schechter, 1997; Edleson, 1999; Spears, 2000). National, State and local initiatives are promoting a more cross agency awareness. With this a collective and more uniformed definition and intolerance of abuse is being coordinated. Promising practices in this cross agency approach has included placing child protective service workers, child advocates and police officers in a supportive service arena. Proactive initiatives such as school awareness programs have been created, cross system protocols and training has also been more available for professionals. Integrated services and resources has become the prime foundation to help the adult victims; as well as the children who suffer domestic violence. A shared goal and collaboration working in a proactive way to prevent violence and the subsequent repercussions is necessary. Problems Faced by Victims â€Å"Children who live with domestic violence face increased risks: the risk of exposure to traumatic events, the risk of neglect, the risk of being directly abused, and the risk of losing one or both of their parents. All of these may lead to negative outcomes for children and may affect their well-being, safety, and stability,† (Carlson, 2000; Edleson, 1999; Rossman, 2001). According to research, childhood problems associated with exposure to domestic violence fall into three primary categories; Behavioral, social and emotional, cognitive and attitudinal, and long term. Each of these categories have a plethora of subcategories such as aggression, anger, withdrawal, self-esteem, bonding, poor peer relations, poor school performance, lack of conflict resolution, no social skills, in adults the symptoms manifest in depression, aggression, suicide, drug and alcohol abuse, and even a cycle of abuse and becoming an abuser. Children’s risk levels and reactions to domestic violence exist on a continuum where some children demonstrate enormous resiliency while others show signs of significant maladaptive adjustment,† (Carlson, 2000; Edleson, 1999; Hughes, Graham-Bermann & Gruber, 2001). Assessment of factors that affect the child regarding domestic violence is dependent upon the type of violence, exposure, the coping skills of the child, age, gender and whether or not the child suffered physical or sexual abuse, as well. The scars from Domestic violence tend to last far into adulthood. Adults continue to suffer the consequences of a violent childhood, and society has to pick up the pieces. The cycle states that they are more likely to commit suicide, abuse drugs or alcohol, be unemployed, or commit violence against their own partners. And with this, their children continue the cycle with a new generation of victims and witnesses. Because the child is usually not included unless he or she has been physically inflicted by domestic violence, the problem continues. It is a challenge to demonstrate the need to address the effects on children witnessing domestic violence and begin to establish effective solutions. It is important for advocacy groups and programs to support and nurture the child and gives them a multidimensional, therapeutic program that addresses the whole child, not just the physical or the emotional. Conclusion Domestic violence is the single most frequent cause of injury to women between the ages of 15 and 44 (â€Å"Family Violence Prevention Fund Domestic Violence Fact Sheet,† www. endabuse. rg. ) Domestic violence shatters the lives of its victims and diminishes the quality of life for everyone in the community. It is the leading cause of homelessness for women and families. It also can be incredibly traumatic for children who witness it. Focusing on the victimization of the child and the impact it has on their lives both presently and long-term helps to create a more positive outcome for those involved. Intervention and proactive programs such as Lighted Pathways are a start to assist in the rebuilding of the child’s psyche. A child who has a support group and a unit that is stable and nurturing is more likely to flourish and thrive. Success depends on volunteerism, funding and community support. It is also imperative that education, advocacy and legislative progress is made for these youngest victims. The dilemma of domestic violence is still an epidemic that seems to be swept under the rug and the youngest victims tend to have the most silent of voices. Lighted Pathways intentions and purpose is to give voice to these victims, support their needs, and strengthen their lives.

Child Labor Laws In The 1800’s Essay

Child Labor, once known as the practice of employing young children in factories, now it’s used as a term for the employment of minors in general, especially in work that would interfere with their education or endanger their health. Throughout history and in all cultures children would work in the fields with their parents, or in the marketplace and young girls in the home until they were old enough to perform simple tasks. The use of child labor was not a problem until the Factory System. The Factory System is a working arrangement where a number of people cooperate to produce articles of consumption. Some form of Factory system has existed even since ancient times. In the later part of the 18th century in Britain, owners of cotton mills gathered up orphans and children of poor families all through the country, and had them work for the payment of housing and food. Some children as young as five or six were forced to work from 13 to 16 hours a day. Social reformers as early as 1802 tried to obtain legislative restrictions against the worst parts of the child-labor system, but little happened and little was done even to enforce existing laws which limited work hours and establishing a minimum age for employment. Children were permitted to work in dangerous jobs such as mining with the approval from political, social, and religious leaders. From this further impoverishment of poor families and a multitude of diseased and crippled children occurred. Agitation for the reform steadily increased. The first significant British Legislation was enacted in 1878, when the minimum age of employees was raised to 10 years and employers were required to restrict employment of children between the ages of 10 and 14 to alternate days or consecutive half days. In addition to making every Saturday a half holiday, this legislation limited the workday of children between 14 and 18 years of age to 12 hours, with a 2 hour intermission for meals and rest. Meanwhile the industrial system developed in other countries such as the  United States, bringing with it the abuses of child labor similar to those in Britain. In the early years of the 19th century, children between the ages of 7 and 12 made up one-third of the workforce in U.S. factories. The Shortage of adult male laborers, who held ideas regarding the evils of idleness among children, and so cooperated with employers, helping them recruit young factory hands from families. The earliest feature of the factory system that concerned many among leaders was the high illiteracy rate among child laborers. The first effective step toward legislation governing the education of these children was taken in 1836 when the Massachusetts Legislature adopted a law prohibiting the employment of any child under 15 years old who had received less than three months of school in the previous year. In 1848 Pennsylvania became the first state to regulate the age of youth employed in silk, cotton, or woolen mills by establishing a minimum age of 12. Several other states joined that, but none of the laws passed made provisions for establishing proof of the child’s age or for enforcement. The length of the workday was the next feature of the factory system to be regulated my legislation. By 1853 several states had adopted a ten-hour workday for children under 12 years of age. Despite the restrictions, the number of children in industry increased greatly in the U.S after the American Civil War, when industrial expansion resulted in demand for workers. By the end of the 19th century nearly one-fifth of all American children between the ages of 10 and 16 were employed greatly. By 1910 as the result of the public-enlightenment activities of various organizations, especially the National Child Labor Committee, the legislatures of several states had enacted restrictive legislation that led to sharp reductions in the number of children employed in industry. The U.S. Congress, in 1916, passed a law that set a national minimum age of 14 in industries producing non-agricultural goods for interstate commerce or export. In 1918, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that the legislation was an unconstitutional infringement on personal freedom. The following year, the Congress tried another strategy to establish protection  for child workers through taxation of employers. But in 1022 the Child Labor Tax Law, as it was known, was ruled unconstitutional for being overly â€Å"prohibitory and regulatory.† In 1924, both houses of Congress passed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, empowering Congress to limit, regulate, and prohibit the labor of persons less than 18 years of age. Even though the reluctance of state legislators to ratify the child-labor amendment, legislative attempts to deal with the problem nationally continued, notably during the administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The National Industrial recovery Act, passed by Congress in 1933, established a minimum age of 16 for workers in most industries. In hazardous industries a minimum age level of 18 was established. This law contributed to a great decrease in the number of yond workers, but the Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional in 1935. In the next year the Congress passed the Walsh-Healey Act, which prohibits firms producing goods under federal government contract from employing boys and girls less than 16 years of age. The nest important legislation on the problem was the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, better known as the Federal Wage and Hour Law. This act was declared constitutional in 1941 by the Supreme Court, which overruled its former child-labor decision under a more liberal way of the commerce clause of the constitution. The Fair Labor Standards Act, amended in 1949, applies to all workers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce. Under the child-labor provisions of the act, minors 16 years of age and over may be employed in any occupation that has not been judged hazardous by the secretary of labor. The minimum age for work in industries classified as hazardous is 18. No minimum age is set for non-hazardous agricultural employment after school hours and during vacation. Minors 14 and 15 years of age may be employed in a variety of non-manufacturing, non-mining, and non-hazardous of occupations outside school hours and during vacations for limited hours and under other specified conditions of work. Every state today has child-labor laws. In most states employment of minors  under 16 in factories and during school hours is not allowed. Other provisions include 40 hour work week, working at night is prohibited, and work permits for minors under 18. Children working on farms are not completely protected by federal and state laws, which make no provisions for hazardous farm work outside school hours. The children of migratory workers, who move from harvest to harvest across the United States, are usually not subject to state laws because they do not fulfill residency requirements, and they are often unable to attend local schools, which have no provisions for seasonal increases in school enrollment. Other children exempted from federal and state labor laws are children employed as actors and performers in radio, television, and motion pictures, as newspaper deliverers and sales personnel, or as part-time workers at home. In the early 21st century, child labor remains a serious problem in many parts of the world. Studies show carried out in 1979, the International year of the child, show that more than 50 million children below the age of 15 were working in various jobs often under hazardous conditions. Many of those children live in poorer/under-developed countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Living Conditions are crude and their chances for education are very small. The little income they get is necessary for their family’s survival. These families lack the basic necessities that we take for granted like adequate food, decent clothing and shelter, and even water for bathing. In some countries industrialization has created working conditions for children that rival the worst features of the 19th century factories and mines. In India, around 20,000 children work 16 hour days in match factories. Child-labor problems don’t just happen in small undeveloped countries they happen all over the place even in America today. The most important effort to eliminate child-labor abuses through out the world come from the International Labor Organization, founded in 1919 and now a special agency of the United Nations. The organization has introduced several child-labor conventions among its members, including a minimum age of 16 years for admission to all work, a higher minimum age for specific types of  employment, medical exams, and regulation of night work. In the late 20th century the ILO added to this list of the worst forms of child labor, including slavery, prostitution, debt bondage(where children had to work to pay off loans made to their parents), and forced military service.

The Concepts of Ethics, Its Potential Problems and Solutions

The Concepts of Ethics, Its Potential Problems and Solutions Smith is purchasing a business named Underground Shoes and Accessories near Lutz, Florida. During the last few years, the business has had several issues with the law because of claims of false advertising and wrongful termination of employees. As a result, Smith is concerned about the ethical culture of the firm. This article seeks to review the concepts of ethics critically, evaluate potential ethical problems in Smith’s business, and help him propose the solutions to his problems.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Concepts of Ethics, Its Potential Problems and Solutions specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Based on the above description, it is apparent that Smith will be faced with overwhelming task when he takes control of the firm. For Smith’s firm to be successful, it should have human, financial, and physical resources to tackle the situation (Agarwal, 2010). Similarly, Smith must be sensitive to i nternal and external challenges. Through this, he will be required to reengineer and restructure his firm. By doing so, he may be required to reduce or increase the size of his workforce and enhance exceptional leadership skills in the firm’s top management. To prevent conflicts between his firm and the law, Smith must formulate and implement an appropriate ethical culture with immediate effect. Once he acquires the firm, he should formulate a new code of ethics in the company. The new code of ethics should articulate the accepted standards. To achieve this, he will be required to strengthen ethical culture and promote an ethical workforce within the executive branch. Similarly, the new code of ethics should be used to institutionalize ethics within the firm. The code of ethics should illustrate a broad value system of an organization, describe the organization’s principles, and detail guidelines for decision making that are in accordance with these principles (Paliwal , 2006). Thereafter, Smith should ensure that the code of ethics is implemented and adhered to at all time. Likewise, he should appoint a task force to investigate on the allegation of wrongful termination of employees. Through the task force report, managers responsible for the act should be held accountable. Similarly, the task force should come up with recommendations on how to foster the relationship between the employees and the executives. Through this, the production of the employees will be increased. Equally, Smith should ensure that his firm foster consumer confidence by producing quality products. Similarly, products’ advertisements should be genuine.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More To improve the human resource management of the firm and avoid future legal problems, Smith must implement suitable management measures. It is obvious that the previou s human resource management team participated in wrongful termination of employees. As such, most of the previous management strategies will lose their validity in the new firm. While advisers and interim managers can provide some of the management skills necessary to turn around this firm, Smith must be prepared to structure the firm’s management organs (Bibeault, 2002). Therefore, Smith must appoint a new team to enhance the relationship between the employees and the executive. The appointed team should comprise of competent and efficient individuals to salvage the organization from collapsing. Through this, the company should develop and implement suitable rescue plan. The plan should address the fundamental problems, tackle the underlying causes, and enhance ethical culture. By doing so, Smith will ensure that his firm’s rescue plan is built on a robust foundation. Similarly, the plans should tackle potential legal challenges in the future. References Agarwal, O. P . (2010). Turnaround management with business process re-engineering. Mumbai India : Himalaya Pub House. Bibeault, D. B. (2002). Corporate turnaround: how managers turn losers into winners.. New York: McGraw-Hill. Paliwal, M. (2006). Business ethics. New Delhi: New Age International.

Restrictive Appositives

Restrictive Appositives Restrictive Appositives Restrictive Appositives By Maeve Maddox Bob asks: Could you please explain restrictive appositives (Like, Have you read the novel a Separate Peace). Where you dont use commas. I find it a bit confusing. If you need a refresher, an appositive is: An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. The appositive can be a short or long combination of words. Look at these appositive examples, all of which rename insect: The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. Nouns are said to be in apposition when a noun or noun phrase is used to identify, define, or tell more about a preceding noun. When the appositive noun (the second one) is essential to the meaning of the sentence, it is said to be restrictive. In that case, no comma is used: Have you read the novel A Separate Peace? A Separate Peace specifies which novel is meant. It is necessary to the meaning of the sentence. When the appositive noun provides additional information that can be omitted without altering the sentences main thought, it is said to be nonrestrictive. George Clooney, the actor, is a social activist. The actor is additional information. Commas are used to separate it from the main thought. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Words for Facial ExpressionsUsing the Active Voice to Strengthen Your WritingWords Often Misspelled Because of Double Letters

History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

History - Essay Example f the philosophies of Jean Jacques Rousseau and John Locke, major proponents of the Age of Enlightenment and Plato and Cicero, the champions of Greek and Roman classical antiquity. Bolivar was a staunch critic of monarchies and so were Rousseau and Locke. Rousseau in his famous work, The Social Contract, defended the argument for civil liberty and the popular will against divine right which facilitated the French Revolution. John Locke as well attacked the theory of the divine right of kings and claimed that sovereignty did not reside within the state but with the people. Both also asserted that the right to freedom of people stemmed from the natural law, to which Bolivar himself was a precursor of liberation in his beloved countries. Liberal democracy to Bolivar was insufficient and so he relies on Plato and Cicero as well. Plato’s major work, The Republic, is concerned with the theme of justice and the use of Greek virtues such as temperance and courage to achieve the ideal state. Cicero, the great Roman orator, further advanced this idea by composing works which tackle the natural obligation of men to serve others and dedicate themselves to public service and ascribes to the value of the laws that are followed by its citizens. One could say that Bolivar was a centrist due to the balance of the rights and duties of the state to its citizens and its citizens to the state. And in this idea of solidarity and subsidiarity is where Bolivar’s true value

Scholarly Journal Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Scholarly Journal Review - Essay Example In this paper the journal selected will be studied completely to understand its major ideas and concepts. The articulation, the strengths and weakness and structure of writing will be interpreted on. The topic will be compared and contrasted to understand its significance. The main intention is to study the concept of academic freedom more deeply and clearly. How the journal article has been useful in explaining the subject will be a part of the analysis. The synthesis and richness of the article will be contemplated on. As per ( Warwick,2011) â€Å"Writing a strong researched paper requires the ability to synthesis or combine elements of several sources to help you make a point â€Å"The relation of the topic to my personal and professional career will also be part of the study. Overview of the Topic The topic of the journal is the social significance of academic freedom. The author suggests that teachers and students should have the freedom to enquire and explore, only then the s ociety can get benefit from them. According to ( MacKinnon, 2011) â€Å"Academic freedom is a lot of freedom, but it has its limitations, and respect for the core value of academic freedom requires respect for its limitations†. ... The article looks the way in which higher education do good for public. The role of non – profit educational institutions in 21st century is a concern of the article. The article suggests that education institution has the purpose of culturing democratic values in students and providing skilled and knowledgeable workforce. As per ( Euben,2002) â€Å"Since the early 1970s, however, academic freedom cases have focused primarily on faculty freedom from institutional intrusion†. The article also looks at the academic freedom existing in history of America. The genesis of tenure is also discussed in the article. According to the author, tenure protected the academic freedom. The article put forward, methodology and studies which examine the reaction of faculties when their institution is faced by controversies. The study revealed the academic freedom of the educational institution under study. As per (Heins,2013) â€Å"Academic freedom is necessary not because teachers are smarter or better than everyone else, but because they serve the public interest by imparting the skills to think critically and participate meaningfully in the great, if often flawed, American experiment in democracy†. The article comments about responsibility of University under research and also their role in public discourse. The importance of public engagement is also discussed in the article. Compare and Contrast When comparing the topic of the journal with the academic freedom it has close connection with the subject. The article deeply defines the meaning of academic freedom and its significance in social arena. The topic is all about how academic freedom can contribute to the welfare of the society. The journal does not deviate from the