Corporate Social Responsibility Oil and Gas

Question: Discuss about the Corporate Social Responsibility for Oil and Gas. Answer: Introduction This report is aimed to illustrate the voluntary disclosure of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Governance (CG) aspect in the year ending reports as per the global reporting initiatives GRI (G4) standards as well as according to Australian stock exchange rules and regulation. This report is focused on the Australian corporate sector considering oil and gas sector as a main sector (Hopkins, 2012). In this context, the report is examining the financial statement and profile overview of the two companies in oil and mining sectors that is Woodside Petroleum Limited (WPL) and Paladin Energy Limited (PEL). This study is emphasizing on the critical evaluation of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility. The sustainable report of the companies is being analyzed and compared according to the set standards of G4 and ASX in the Australian industry. Moreover, the report also details on the recommendation for the improvement in the current situations and future financial reporting. Therefore, this study provides a combination of comparative analysis and critical examination of two companies with each other as well as with Australian standards of CG and CSR in G4 and ASX. A Brief on Companys Overview Woodside Petroleum is one the most famous and largest oil and gas companies in Western Australia (Woodside, 2017). The company was founded in 1954, earlier named as Lakes Entrance Oil Co has operations in exploration, development and other operating activities in various countries. The joint ventures with other oil and gas companies and government promotes the expansion of oil exploration of the company in other countries. It mainly engaged in the development of Liquefied natural gas projects but also explores and operates in pipeline gas, oil and LPGs along with this, has joint ventures in Australia with Australia Oil and Sunrise LNG Development (Woodside, 2017). In 2016, companys earnings before interest and tax were US $2734m reporting US$ 868m net profit after tax and overall operating revenue is recorded as US $4075m. On the other hand, Paladin energy ltd. is operating Uranium production in Western Australia (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2015). It was established in 1993 and has one of the largest explorations of uranium in the mining sector of Australia. The company is also working in Africas regions like Namibia and Malawi also operates in New Zealand and United States. The operations of the companys was banned for more than decade in early 90s because of the government rules but again restarted in 2015 in some of the regions of Australia. The company also has joint ventures with other companies and government of other countries like China, Japan and Russia. The earnings before interest tax, depreciation and amortization of the company in 2016 were reported as US$5.7m with the fall of US$11.3 from 2015 which was recorded as US$ 17m (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2015). Consequently, sales revenue of the company in 2016 was US$55.2m with a sale quantity of 2.125mlb U3O8. Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility Today, in this competitive intense industries and government requirements for the survival of the company every organization is bound to incorporate corporate governance and corporate social responsibility as a crucial part of its operations (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). Corporate governance is the bridge between social, individual and communal goals with the economic goals of an organization. It promotes the interest of every stakeholders of the company individually as well as group. It focuses on the optimum utilization and credibility of resources (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). It ensures accountability in terms of resource management with the stakeholders in financial recording as well as operations of the business. Similarly, in Paladin operations corporate governance is also evident as an integral part. It integrates wide number of corporate government policies in its operations such as Anti-bribery and corruption compliance guide, online learning module for bribery of foreign public officials and compliance committee charter as set standards (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). Moreover, whistleblower policy, privacy policy, continuous disclosure and communication policy with diversity policy is also encourages corporate governance in the organization. Furthermore, the organization embroils ethical and conduct codes for shareholders to protect their rights plus it manages risk policy, environmental policy, radiation policy, human right policy, community relation policy with policy trading in company securities (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). However, in Woodside continuous disclosure and market communication policy, shareholders communication with ethical consideration involving policies such as anti bribery and corruption policy and whistleblower policy is the part of corporate governance of the organization (Woodside, 2017). In addition to this, internal auditing, CEO and CFO assurance with risk management and responsibilities and internal control is also incorporated in the organizations CG. Likewise securities ownership and dealing with payment to political parties are also CGs basics in the organization. Admittedly, both the companies follow ASX rules and regulation for the compliance of corporate governance in the organization. On the contrary, corporate social responsibility is the ethical and moral responsibility towards stakeholders; it is social responsibility for the future generation. Stakeholders of the company in CSR entail both external and internal stakeholders of the company. It promotes the human development inside and outside of the organization and better prospects for future generation (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). It includes sustainable development and environmental issues that influenced by the organization. Especially in oil and mining sector, integration of CSR is vital due to adverse effects in the environment caused by its operations and functions. In Woodside, sustainability disclosure is done with the individual report as per global initiatives guidelines. The corporate social responsibility is been applicable in the organization as a predominant part of the organization and it articulates regulatory compliances, transparency, anti bribery corruptions, incident prevention policies, climate change, disruptive technology, human rights, biodiversity and ecology with payment transparency and health and safety performance (Woodside, 2017). Therefore, it can be depicted that it almost has all the written guidelines in the sustainability report of the company. Apart from this, Paladin also encompasses in its sustainable report with human rights, anti corruption and transparency of payment to government, procurement practices, local communities and material stewards (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). At the same time, it emphasis on the material management, environmental issues, waste management, diversity and equal opportunities with further education and training facilities for improvement. Thus, these guidelines are also followed as per the global report initiative to make a standard and systematic approach. Critical analysis of GRI disclosure guidelines and ASX Corporate Governance In order to set a standards format and mandatory disclosure of facts to encourage transparency for the stakeholders of the company GRI and ASX are the principle federations that provide brief on standards and policies concerned with the corporate governance and social responsibility (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). . GRI or G4 Guidelines are aimed to ensure the transparency and accountability in the financial report of the companies in terms of their sustainability report (Global Reporting Initiative, 2014). It comprehends general disclosure of business model, reports and external assurance, environment policies, social issues and related standards, employees health and safety, diversity, human rights, anti corruption and bribery with diversified management and top level bodies. Besides this, AXS listing rules of the Disclosure in the oil and gas activities are pertaining to petroleum tenements drilling programs, market sensitive information, geographical and reserve statements in the annual report (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). It also encourages the guideline formation for the petroleum resource management system with the application of petroleum resources management system. The guideline note 8 also emphasis on the continuous disclosure of the petroleum material and the information related to the resource management and reservoirs. Report analysis of both the Companies Corporate governance in both the companies is critically examined in terms of companies comparison as well as issues faced by the companies in setting proper rules and regulation of the company (Hopkins, 2012). Corporate governance is the vital practice in oil and gas sector along with the mining sector. In the above context, the corporate governance implementation in both the companies is well defined and many policies and standards have been formed (Brennan, and Mullerat, 2011). Paladin has more elaborated guideline and issue related to the corporate governance. In facts covers most of the issues and topics of disclosure. However, health and safety of labor in the mining activities plus financial benefits disclosure to the labors in the incidents and risk management is not covered precisely (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). In case of Woodside, company encompasses some of the topic but almost follows every rule and regulation. The health and risk management of the labors and stakeholders are finely elaborated (Woodside, 2017). But it lacks some of the key issues such as learning policies in terms of training and education of stakeholders, diversity management in the upper level as well as employers fair and equal opportunities. Apart from this, both the companies fail to achieve effective implementation of climate change and environmental policies in the disclosure and lacks in attainment of sustainable development of the resources (Paladin Energy Ltd, 2017). Furthermore, even after mentioning the anti bribery or corruption policies the companies are accused with dome allegation of bribery and corruption that shows failed execution of corporate governance. The companies do not disclose its ASX standard format in resource disclosure properly and efficiently (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). In fact, Woodside criticized under corruption charges, climate change accusation and many more environmental problems (Woodside, 2017). Along with this, Paladin also banned for decades as uranium is a natural source as nuclear source that has some serious issues on health of labors and surrounding environment. In case of CSR both the companies provide an illustration that is according to G4 guidelines (Hopkins, 2012). Though both the companies ensured the serious acquisition of these standards, yet there is enormous chance of improvement in it. Paladin lacks in the execution of CSR in comparison to Woodside because it covers less topics and do not provide up to date reports of the company in the current year (Woodside, 2017). Thus, it can be said that both the company has a scope of improvement in the better implementation of CSR. The recommendations for each company are same such as more engagement of stakeholders and implementation o new business model or change management in the company. Along with this, capacity building through better leadership and good governance should be added in the governance (ASX Listing Rules, 2014). Human resources will be added as a partner of the company and diversified approach will be accepted as a main part of the business operations. Appointment of experts in the corporate governance to deal with each area and issue of the corporate governance should be sustained (Hopkins, 2012). Transparent and reliable source of information in terms of reporting and disclosure is necessary for the improvement. Conclusion In the end, it can be investigated and concluded that both the companies has implemented policies of disclosure in their reports, yet its effective and efficient implementation is necessary. There are some issues with the G4 and ASX guideline catch up but can be resolved with some extra caution and implementing practices as a fundamental part of the guidelines for the company. References ASX Listing Rules.2014. Reporting on Oil and Gas Activities. [Online].Available at: https://www.asx.com.au/documents/rules/gn32_reporting_on_oil_gas_activities.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Brennan, D. and Mullerat, R. 2011. Corporate Social Responsibility: The Corporate Governance of the 21st Century. Kluwer Law International. Global Reporting Initiative. 2014. GRI Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (G4) and the European Directive on non?financial information disclosure. [Online].Available at: https://www.globalreporting.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/2014/G4%20and%20EU%20NFR%20Directive.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Hopkins, M. 2012. Corporate Social Responsibility and International Development: Is Business the Solution? Earthscan. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2015. Corporate Brochure. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/sites/default/files/15.07_Paladin_Corporate_Brochure_July_2015.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2017. Corporate Governance 2016. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/corporate-governance-0 [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Paladin Energy Ltd. 2017. Financial report 2016. [Online].Available at: https://www.paladinenergy.com.au/sites/default/files/financial_report_file/17.02.14-dec-qtr-mda.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Annual Report 2017. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/01.03.2017%20Annual%20Report%202016.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Corporate Governance 2016-17. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/01.03.2017%20Corporate%20Governance%20Statement%202016.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017]. Woodside. 2017. Sustainable Development 2017. [Online].Available at: https://www.woodside.com.au/Investors-Media/announcements/Documents/16.03.2017%202016%20Sustainable%20Development%20Report.pdf [Accessed on: 25 April 2017].

The magic if drama Essay Example

The magic if drama Paper Constantine Stanislavski is a man whom is a great insperation to all aspiring actors. He believes in a variety of techniques which allows the actor to create total realism and focus on stage. I am now going to talk about the Magic If explaining what it is and how it is important for the actor to under-go. If the Magic If were to be studied successfully then as an actor i should be able to make any character I play believable not just to the audience, but to myself. I am aware of the work of Constantin Stanislavski, but Ive never really looked into detail about his System. Stanislavski believed that acting should not be thought of as imitation but as a process. It isnt a matter of external control, technique, and skillfully reproducing an experience but creating and conveying inner life, a sense of being, not playing. As an actor, I have to create organic links between my own personality and the character I am playing. Although I must believe that I am that character, in that time and in that situation, it must be remembered that I mustnt forget who, as an actor, I really am. To help create any role, Ive always found it helpful to attempt many improvisations. We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The magic if drama specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the System this is known as the magic If. The magic If opens up many possibilities for the actor and can no doubt help them to explore new emotions. But to aid the Magic If is the given circumstance. This is the basis for the actor and the role. The given circumstances are: the story of the play, its facts, (the characters in the play, who they are and their purpose); events, (what happens in the play); time and place of action, conditions of life and finally the actors and directors interpretation; the production, the sets, the costumes, the properties; lighting and sound effects. The most important thing needed to create the realism and Magic If is imagination. But of course the most important thing needed to do all this is my imagination. Stanislavski points out: If you speak any lines, or do anything, mechanically, without fully realising who you are, where you came from, why, what you want, where you are going, and what you will do when you get there, you will be acting without your imagination. Some good techniques to develop the imagination are to prepare the body by relaxation and then being taken on a meditation by some else. This can help create a more power imagination, and if you can hold the images and believe them, it can also help in developing your concentration. To aid the imagination of a character i would be undergoing, I would research into the lifestyle he might have had, what he wore, ate, how he may have entertained himself and possibly different aspects of his personality. Relaxation techniques and meditations can also help in focusing and relaxing an actor on stage. Stanislavski created a devise known as Circles of Attention. This can be shown like ripples on a pond. If the actor is in the centre of the pond, the ripples radiating out from the actor in an increasing circumference will eventual embrace the whole pond, or in this case the whole stage. To begin with, I would create a very small circle around me, focusing on myself and character, what Im wearing and what Im doing. Then I would spread the circle farther away, drawing in nearby objects and props or any characters stood by. Finally I would spread the circle around the stage, focusing on everything there and knowing where everything is. To practice this I would stand in a room and go through the procedure of expanding the circle, and being aware of whats in the room Im in. I would practive this in the Art Centre as it is generally a large room and I would have to emphasise my movements and voice so all 3 sides of the stage could hear/see me. Stanislavski also calls for the use of the Emotion Memory; Just as your visual memory can reconstruct an inner image of some forgotten thing, place or person, your emotion memory can bring back feelings you have already experienced. You would think that this would give a more emotional performance and convince the audience that the character is real. However, the use of your emotional memory with a character may end up with you not acting at all, but saying the words from the text as you bring up all your past emotions. I have just recently worked on the Emotion Memory in a workshop. I was called to bring out an emotion at a time when I was at my saddest. This I did, but I dont think that if I was on stage and my character demanded sadness that I could recall that memory I had. I would forget about the character and end up re-living the past. I think that it is important to remember how you felt at that time, without the reasons for it, and then call that up instead. An example of this would be when my character would have to represent sadness on stage. I would think of when my nan was dying from cancer or when my best friend died to bring the required emotions to my head. This would create more realism and make much more sense to the audience on stage. Happiness is easily shown and I feel that so is the sadness. Anger, though, is something that I dont express very often. Im one of those people who bottles everything up and walks away quietly. This is why, when representing anger, I would have to rely on my body movements and voice. Instead of yelling out the words, I would raise my voice but say them slowly, not projecting as far as I normally would do. Id try not to move my body and maybe raise an arm (to reinforce my power over another character on stage. Stanislavski pointed out that all actors need to have a tempo/rhythm in their acting. This tempo/rhythm needed to be external and internal. For example, the character may be worrying about something and could even be panicking and at the same time is in a room where other characters are talking about something as bizzare as the weather. The inner turmoil tends to be conceiled. ase, by a show of calm. This can lead to an interesting performance as the two tempo/rhythms contradict each other and i believe this creates a stronger visual impact on the audience. The whole System was designed to allow characters to become more indepth and Stanislavski spent many years trying to studying and experimenting with his System. Studying it you can initially see where he was heading, the only problem being the length of time needed to complete the system, with a character. Unfortunatly, we havnt got the required length of time available to us, so it is of great difficulty to fully study and complete Stanislavskis techniques. However, Stanislavskis ideas for realism and naturalism were a great influence on this last century, and parts of the System are still used today in rehearsal time when creating a role. The Magic If has had a great impact on all aspiring actors as it has taught us how to develop our roles to create the most realism possible. Stanislavskis techniques are of great importance as they truly indicate to the actor how to portray their characters role by looking at their personality and studying how they move around stage as a person. In conclusion, the Magic If is very important for all actors as all mainstream actors follow the system and Stanislavski has become a big rolemodel to many because of it.

Its Time to Show Off Your Skills and Earn That Internship

You’ve all seen this meme before. Unfortunately, it’s only funny because it’s too true, and students cough up a laugh while hurting inside. The truth is, even with applicable skills and a good college education, landing an internship or a full-time job is not an easy task. So, what can students do?We spoke to Sqore, a recruitment platform that connects students to employers based on skill-based competitions, about the challenges students face searching for relevant internships and jobs - and even scholarships. â€Å"We know that students have studied and worked hard all their lives, and that’s why we want to help them showcase their knowledge to their world,† said Maria Rà ¶nnbà ¤ck, Sqore’s COO, â€Å"At Sqore, we want to reward students based on their skills.† Sqore’s foundation is to offer equal access to opportunities for everyone based on knowledge and skill. Sqore runs at least 50 competitions every month, with jobs, internships, and scholarships focused in different fields and industries. Simply searching for what you’re interested in will show competitions tailored to your skills and interests. Participate in any competition you think your skills are applicable to and you’ll hear back from each hosting organization in a few short weeks. While Sqore offers competitions all year round, companies and organizations themselves have their own timeline for offering internships and scholarships, so make sure to check in from time to time. The internships you land through Sqore are just as exciting as the competitions you participate in. Take Elianne Mureddu for example - she participated in Schibsted’s Management Trainee Recruitment Competition and won the opportunity to be a part of their two-year rotational program. The opportunity is there, but it’s up to you to make it yours. Here are a few highlights we think that you should take a look at: See The World with Oriflame For a chance to win Oriflame products and visit the Oriflame office. Win Free Online GRE Prep From Economist GRE Tutor For 3 months of Premium Online GRE Prep Design for Space College For 1:1 mentoring opportunity with AutoDesk, USD $1,000 and more!We hope you have the skills to kill it in these competitions! Stack up your resume and gain the experience you need for that dream job you’ve always wanted.

The eNotes Blog Changes Are Afoot for theSAT

Changes Are Afoot for theSAT Yesterday it was announced that the SAT would be revising its test for the second time in just over a decade. To help you prepare for the next version of this popular standardized test, find here an outline of the changes plus other important announcements from The College Board that will impact future college admissions. What will the new SAT look like? The new SAT, to be released in 2016, will feature four significant changes: The SAT essay, introduced in 2005, will become an optional segment of the exam SAT scoring, also changed in 2005, will return from the 2400- to the 1600-point system Points will no longer be deducted for incorrect answers (currently students lose 1/4 of a point for each wrong answer) And lastly, SAT vocabulary will become a thing of the past, as complete-the-sentence sections of the exam are replaced by ones that test students critical reading of a passage. Why make these changes? One thought that struck me when I read over these changes was that the SAT is increasingly becoming more like the ACT. The criteria are familiar: no deduction of points for incorrect answers, no required essay, and a significant critical reading section are all key points of the ACT that many students over the past decade have recognized as advantages to taking it over the SAT. So much so that gone are the days that the SAT is the go-to test; when I was a high school junior, nobody ever mentioned the ACT, but when I became a test-prep tutor five years later it was the exam 90% of my students elected to take. Why? When they were evaluated at the start of our course, the overwhelming majority performed better on the ACT than the SAT. It gave them a step-up in achieving a higher ranking, and as students favor of the test increased, colleges willingness to accept it on equal terms with the SAT followed suit. For whatever reason, be it an attempt to curry more favor (and cash) or a genuine recognition of a need to assess students more fairly, the SAT is moving towards a format more similar to the ACT. What do these changes mean for students? When I tutored students for the SAT, a significant focus of our preparation was on strategy. To perform well, one has to form a plan of attack, making a practical decision from the outset on how many questions would need to be answered to achieve the desired score. Thats because every wrong answer a student might give could decrease his or her overall score, thanks to the quarter-point deduction for an incorrect choice. Except for the cases where students strove for a perfect score, it was more advantageous to leave x number of questions blank. Now, however, the idea of SAT strategy will be tossed by the wayside. Is this good or bad? Perhaps we should simply say it assesses a different skill. The SAT Reasoning Test, to go by its full name, was designed to test a students ability to reason and evaluate. In reality, though, this has meant that in many cases the SAT measures little more than how well a student takes the SAT. If it moves closer towards assessing students mathematical and verbal abilities, I say thats a very good thing. New SAT scoring will make the guessing game a thing of the past Another prime focus of my SAT tutoring sessions was on SAT vocabulary. For those of you who havent taken the SAT in a while, the dreaded a:b as c:__ questions were thankfully removed from the test some time ago. That question type had students do nothing more than memorize as many SAT words as they could, and if you think punctilious and occlusion stayed in their minds past the big exam day, youd be wrong. But vocabulary continued to be a part of the exams Critical Reading section, only in the form of complete-the-sentence questions. This format is drastically different, as blank spaces are surrounded by context clues that smart testers look for when determining a definition. Learning how to look for these clues is the secret to scoring well on a vocabulary test, much more than studying a dictionary. Equally helpful is the study of Greek and Latin root words, as shown below. Now, I have to tell you: this will not change on the 2016 version of the SAT.  Yes, complete-the-sentence questions will be removed, but that doesnt mean vocabulary wont still be a factor in testing. When the Critical Reading section is adapted to be very similar to the ACTs (containing multiple passages and accompanying multiple choice questions that assess ones understanding of those passages) you can be sure that test-makers will still look to assess your ability to determine the definition of a word. On the ACT these questions are called Vocabulary-in-Context questions, and look a little something like this: In line 38, the word  soft means?                                                                           A. Smooth                                                                           B. Friendly                                                                           C. Quiet                                                                           D. Angry Without looking at the word soft in context, the correct choice could be A or C. The true test is of a students ability to look back at the passage and determine the correct connotation of the word. My prediction is that SAT vocabulary will move even more in this direction than it has in the past. That said, I still believe SAT novels like this one  are a good way to expose students to words they might encounter on any standardized test. Thats because half the challenge is overcoming the intimidation that an unfamiliar, lengthy word presents to the test-taker. Speaking of the Critical Reading section, the passages within it will follow a different focus than before, with a greater emphasis on real-world texts. Once again, the SAT will closely align itself with the ACT: the reading section will enable students to analyze a wide range of sources, including literature and literary non-fiction, science, history and social studies (the ACTs reading section contains 4 passages, in Prose Fiction, Social Sciences, Humanities, and Natural Science). The good thing about the SAT is that source documents will in places originate from some well-known places: Each exam will include a passage drawn from the Founding Documents of America or the Great Global Conversation they inspire - texts like the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and Letter from a Birmingham Jail by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. That means students have plenty of opportunities to study familiar texts beforehand. In fact, has study guides and annotated etexts of those very documents to help students gain understanding prior to taking their exams: Letter from Birmingham Jail study guide The Federalist Papers study guide Declaration of Independence questions and answers and more Social Sciences and History eTexts Finally, the subject of the SAT essay being dropped. Lets tackle this monster on its own To take or not to take the SAT essay? Hallelujah!  young freshman across the country will exclaim, on hearing the 25-minute essay portion of the SAT is no longer a requirement. Poor little babies, they think theyve been given a free pass. Sadly, that isnt the case. Yes the essay is now  optional, but dont think that means colleges wont be expecting you to take it. The essay portion of the ACT is optional, too, but I made every student of mine take it. Why? For one, its not as hard as you make it out to be; no test grader expects a polished final draft in such a short time span, and a little practice goes a long way in improving your score. Secondly, and simply, taking the essay looks better than not taking the essay. Believe it or not, colleges praise attempts just as much as achievements. So, my advice is to always take the essay on either standardized test.  Just make sure you go into it having practiced ahead of time. To help you, here are our 8 steps to writing a good essay for the SAT.  Once youve completed those, submit your essay to our Essay Lab Homework Help section  for a real-life teacher to grade and provide feedback on. One more note on the SAT essay: the above is in regards to the essay portion of the exam that is apart from the rest of the test. However, the future Critical Reading section will also include a short essay portion, the essay analyzing a source.  Therefore, one SAT essay will continue to be a requirement, though this CR essay will evaluate how well students analyze evidence and explain how an author builds an argument to persuade an audience and will greatly differ from the prompts given in the Writing section. Whether you take both essays or just one, you should still prepare for some hand cramping. What other changes to the SAT  will impact students? Free test-prep from The College Board and Khan Academy What this country needs is not more tests, but more opportunities, said Coleman. The real news today is not just the redesigned SAT, but the College Boards renewed commitment to delivering opportunity. David Coleman, College Board President, quoted in its press release In accordance with this promise, Coleman announced that free test-prep will be provided to students the world over, thanks to a partnership with Khan Academy. The material will be designed by both partners together and launched in the spring of 2015. Financial aid to students in need Qualifying students who take the SAT will receive four fee waivers to apply to college. It doesnt appear from the press release that The College Board will offer the actual test for free to these students, but offering them the expensive opportunity to apply to their desired colleges will make a drastic impact on many students lives. Bringing test-prep into the classroom? The press release is vague on these details, but this statement seems to indicate that classwork may be influenced to prepare students for standardized testing: Moving forward, the College Board will also support the practice of excellent work in classrooms by working with teachers and college faculty to design course frameworks and modules for use in grades 6–12. A writing prize modeled after the Pulitzer From edSurge: While writing might be taking a back seat on the SAT, College Board revealed plans to create a writing competition, modeled after the Pulitzer Prize. The prize will be awarded for analytical writing pieces. Winners will be published in  The Atlantic. More details have yet to be released. There you have it: an outline of the biggest changes to the SAT. For more details on these adjustments, you can find the official press release from The College Board here. And as always, our educators are standing by to deliver any test-prep help you may need with the current SAT and ACT. Good luck to everyone taking the SAT in just a couple of days! And dont forget the deadline to register for the next ACT is tomorrow.

Defeating corruption to help development Coursework

Defeating corruption to help development - Coursework Example From this research it is clear that when citizens become the custodian of the goods and services of the State, it is indeed a great and an honorable responsibility. Simultaneously, they are also entrusted with the duty of distributing these goods among the society on behalf of the country’s Government. The public servants have to manage large amount of the State’s resources for their work. In many situations, the government officials are lured into securing a part of the State’s resources for their personal benefit. This is usually accomplished by adopting some unfair means. Such an activity of exploiting a public service for some personal gain is known as â€Å"corruption†. Examples of corrupt illegal practices include offering and accepting of bribes, practicing black-market activities, stealing public resources etc. Corruption has affected most of the bureaucratic systems of the modern-day countries. Both senior government officials as well as low-ranke d public servants have been found to be engaged in unlawful activities. The corruptive malpractices have gradually eaten into the health of the public service organizations. They have originated from different social and institutional factors and have now become deeply embedded in the social system of countries. The illegal activities are prevalent on a regular basis and have come to be accepted as an integral part of the bureaucratic systems. In many countries corruption has become so endemic that it is perceived as normal. People are not necessarily genetically programmed to pay bribes, yet they do it for a range of complex and deeply-seated institutional and social reasons. It is more difficult to break this cycle of normality than penalizing individual corrupt acts. Thus, Governments of different countries have encountered numerous difficulties in eradicating corruption. In the early 1990s, the Russian authorities had to implement a number of institutional reforms to tackle corr uption in the public as well as the private sector. The nature of Corruption Corruption is defined as the ‘abuse of public office for private gain’ (USAID, 2005). It refers to the malpractice of taking undue advantage of an existing system for catering to some personal requirement. Governments of different countries have introduced various public service programs for the benefit of the local population, especially the poor section of society. However, most of these public service systems have been the breeding ground for corruptive practices. According to the USAID Anticorruption Strategy (ACS), corruption pollutes the fair and unbiased system of the national democratic institutions by placing them at the discretion of the privileged class citizens. This reduces the efficiency of the public service systems: the goods and services meant to be delivered to the poor population are channelized elsewhere. These corruptive practices act as a huge barrier to the governmental e fforts of promoting social, political and economic development of the society. Thus, corruption is a significant hindrance to the economic development of a nation (USAID, 2005, p.8). Corruption is prevalent in varying degrees in almost all economies of the world. The national Governments have implemented a number of measures to deal with this bad practice. They have mainly adopted a two-pronged strategy in this context. On one hand, they have tightened the rules and regulations of the bureaucratic systems to prevent the incidence of corruption among the public servants. On the other hand, governments have also administered strict punishment to the citizens found guilty of being involved in corruptive practices. (USAID, 2005. P.8-9s) Human Behavioral Reasons behind Corruption Human Psychologists and Behavior Specialists have tried to trace the origins of corruption to help them understand the reason as to why normal people indulge in such unlawful behavior. Human society has been pla gued by corruptive malpractices right from the ancient times. The old civilizations like India bear

Organizational Structure Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Organizational Structure - Essay Example It can also be termed as the arrangement of lines of rights, authority and duties and communication of an organization. The organizational structure depends on the organizations objectives strategy, and is divided into two namely the centralized structure and the decentralized structure. The centralized structure is the top layer management, which has most decision-making power and control over all departments. The decentralized structure, on the other hand, allows the decision-making powers to be divided among different departments where some of the divisions or departments have some degrees of independence. The structure of an organization is important in as it provides checks and balances within the organization that differs with the sociological idea of power that states that top level managers in an organization have absolute control powers of the organization and can make any decisions for the organization without consultation. Thus, the organizational structure is essential in provide control and checks and balances on how the organization is managed as procedures follow a certain protocol in the organization. The topic is important to me professionally because it will enable me to understand how the decision-making process in the organization should be conducted and help me in improving in my career. Organization structure is important to managers because depending on the structure of the organization the managers manage to control and make decisions pertaining the welfare of the employees, as well as, achievement of goals and objectives. For example, when employees raise concerns in the organization their grievances are taken to the top-level management to establish the issue with the employees. By so doing, the organization manages to have control over the employees and gain their confidence. Additionally, managers find ways to motivate their employees ensuring that all of them are satisfied with their job description therefore it provides a

Tobacco's Scandalous Past Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tobacco's Scandalous Past - Essay Example In 1901, "Edward VII, the tobacco-hating queen's son and successor, gathers friends together in a large drawing room at Buckingham Palace...and announces, "Gentlemen, you may smoke" (Borio). Smoking jackets became popular and advertisements glorified the attractiveness of smoking. This was the age when it was fashionable to enjoy a glass of port wine with an elegant after dinner cigar ("History of Smoking"). This sensation swept Great Britain and began the conflict between good health and fashion for the tobacco industry. Soldiers during World War I were treated to cigarettes in their rations and as they brought the habit home, it gained even greater popularity. According to Borio, one-third of the returning soldiers were addicted to cigarettes. By 1935 the reported cases of lung cancer among cigarette smokers were skyrocketing and in 1938 the first medical report on the ill health effects of tobacco was released by John Hopkins University (Borio, "George Seldes on Tobacco"). By 1948, lung cancer was growing at 5 times the rate of any other cancer and had become the most common form of disease (Borio). Many of the victims of smoking were veterans who had gained the habit during World War I. The last half of the 20th century witnessed a string of monumental events concerning tobacco.