Category: Uncategorized

My organization is fairly small and does not have any form of PMO within the structure. As such, I choose to focus on Intel, one of the global tech leaders of the current decade. Intel has a formal PMO that works to define and maintain project management best standards as well as guidance in a repeatable process and system within the company. Intel’s PMO has an added role of overseeing coordination, implementation, and assessment of projects directly and indirectly in a support role. Intel formally calls its PMO within its IT department the Program Management Office. Over the years, Duggan (2009) notes that Intel has used its PMO to advance its transformation by way of focused investments and smarter prioritization of projects. Intel adheres to its unique Agile PMO referred to as the focused Agile Persistent Team that use a self-direction structure in decision-making and prioritizing objectives (Calhoun, 2020). To make sure that their goals are in line, Intel’s Agile Project Management Office (PMO) and Agile Persistent Team collaborate closely with members of the business on a daily basis. Additionally, Intel has chosen a portfolio investment method for the work that emphasizes decision-making via a cost and benefit oriented perspective and considering the IT portfolio as a whole. This enables the examination of systemic risks, the ability to make decisions involving trade-offs, and a thorough understanding of the strategic value that the portfolio is meant to provide.

Recent projects at Intel including the Project Apollo cloud services and software utilized the Agile PMO to foster data driven process of decision making, transparency, accuracy, and accurate, consistent, and complete information for better products (Intel, 2022). The Agile PMO applied in the project helped to determine the value of the project, align it to industry standards, and ensure that it creates value for the organization. As Intel goes ahead into the future, the Agile Project Management Office (PMO) will enable lean ideas that give a clear line-of-sight from strategy to execution. Intel wants to keep up its cross-capability road-mapping in order to make it easier to prioritize future capabilities and innovation initiatives. This will be carried out as part of Intel’s endeavor to generate commercial value via better project management.

References

Calhoun, B. (May, 2020). IT@Intel: Modernize IT Portfolio Management with an Agile PMO. IT Project Management Office. Available at https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/it-management/intel-it-best-practices/it-portfolio-management-with-agile-pmo-paper.html

Duggan, L. I. (2009). Intel IT PMO: journey to maturity. Paper presented at PMI® Global Congress 2009—North America, Orlando, FL. Newtown Square, PA: Project Management Institute. Available at https://www.pmi.org/learning/library/intel-it-pmo-journey-maturity-6748Intel. (May 10, 2022). Intel Announces New Cloud-to-Edge Technologies to Solve Challenges of Today and Tomorrow. Available at https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/vision-2022-news-overview.html#gs.3yyj0n

Response to Veronica Yan

Your presentation is very clear and highlights a key methodological approach to PMO that IBM applies. Your use of external references is also important as it allows one to read deeper and to better understand your position. The project you have selected is also an excellent example of how PMO can be applied in a real-life organization to foster shareholder and stakeholder objectives.

Civil Rights VS Public Safety

CJA/550

The argument over public safety versus civil rights has been an ongoing process in the United States since the creation of the Constitution. Some argue that in order to have public safety in our society the government tends to violate some of our amendment rights, while others believe it is a mistake to sacrifice public safety for civil rights. Civil rights are rooted in our country and protect the people who live in this country. Many believe the safety of the general population is more important than protecting the rights of citizens. This paper will analyze public safety versus civil rights with focus on the death penalty, gun control, and pursuit driving and hate crimes.

The death penalty or capital punishment is the execution of an offender sentenced to death after conviction by a court of law of a criminal offense (Encyclopedia 2008). The death penalty has been an ongoing debate on whether it should be allowed or whether it violates our constitutional right. While most developed Western nations have stopped executing the United States continues to execute offenders (Zimring 2004). From 1977 through 2008 1,136 people have been executed, which consisted of people who committed murder (Procon 2010). Those who are in favor of the death penalty believe it is an important tool to help deter crime and it cost less than life imprisonment (Procon 2010). They believe retribution helps console the grieving family and it also ensures that the offender will never be able to commit another heinous crime (Procon 2010). According to Grant (2004) some people believe that some offenders should face the death penalty because of vengeance and retribution for violent crimes. During the time when Timothy McVeigh (Oklahoma City Bomber) was executed about 80% of viewers said he deserved to die. (Grant 2004). I remember after 911 a lot of people wanted to execute the people responsible for all of the deaths that were caused as a result of 911. According to a study that was done by Hashem Dezhbakhsh and Joanna Shepherd (2003), they found a strong link between executions and reduced murder incidents. They also found that for each execution on average there were 18 fewer murders (Dezhbakhsh 2003). In the civilizations of the Ancient Near East capital punishment was a way of life and the bible clearly supports this: “And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shalt you put away the evil from your midst; and all Israel shall hear, and fear” (Deut. 21:21) (Capital 2002).

For the people who are against the death penalty believed it is unethical to kill a criminal for any reason because that person is a human being. According to some scholars and philosophers a human being regardless if he is a criminal or not, was created by God and it not appropriate to award a person the death penalty (Grant 2004). Some argue that the death penalty violate the VIII Amendment, cruel and unusual punishment. According to Grant (2004), death is not only unusually severe punishment but it does not serve penal purpose better that less severe punishment. During the Global Summit of Nobel Peace in 2003 many of the winners stated that they believed the death penalty is a cruel and unusual punishment that should be abolished (Grant 2004)

Another argument that has to do with public safety and civil rights is the right to buy and own a gun. The Second Amendment protects the right of people to keep and bear arms. In 2008 and 2010 the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects a person’s right to buy and own a gun that has no ties to the military. The individual’s right to bear arm is a symbol of individual freedom. Opponents in favor of the right to bear arm believe that a person has a right to use a gun in self defense and argue that any attempt to control their use is unconstitutional (Woods 2005). Opponents who do not favor the right for an individual to buy and own a gun argues that the 2nd Amendment only applies to the collective right of the militia to bear arms (Woods 2005). They argue that the language of the 2nd Amendment right to bear arms is only meant to be use by the militia. The 2nd Amendment states, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed” (Woods 2005). They believe that the right to bear arms is only meant for the sole purpose of a well regulates militia for the safety of a free state. Some argue that our government is sacrificing the public safety by allowing individuals the right to own a gun without being connected to a militia. Opponents who support gun control argue that by having gun control laws they curb access by criminal, juvenile and other high risk individuals (Woods 2005).

Pursuit driving is another public safety issue that deals with law enforcement officers engaging in high speed chase in order to catch a suspected criminal. The problem with pursuit driving is that it put innocent people, police officers, and criminals lives in danger. The numbers have shown over the years that pursuits continue to increase and the number of pursuit related injuries and deaths have increased also (Samaha 2005). Some Law enforcement officers are faced with fleeing suspects all the time and they must decided if the apprehension of the suspect worth the risk of endangering the public (Samaha 2005). In 1998 the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 314 people were killed in police pursuits (Samaha 2005). Some people argue that the lack of a mandatory reporting system interferes with NHTSA attempt to track pursuit fatalities and these results in the collection of only half of the actual data (Samaha 2005). According to police pursuit records, the majority of pursuits involve a stop for a traffic violation, at least one person die every day as a result of the chase, and 1 percent of police officers who died in the line of duty los their life as a result of a car pursuit (Samaha 2005). Part of the problem with police pursuit is that most officers lack the proper training to properly maneuver their vehicle while chasing their suspect. Most officers were trained on how to pursuit but not when to pursuit.

Opponents who are in favor of police pursuits believe that if law enforcement agencies get rid of police pursuit that this will allow people who get pulled over for a traffic violation to flee because they know the officers cannot chase them (Samaha 2005). If I allow myself to think like a criminal I would not hesitate to flee from the law especially if I had a warrant out for my arrest. A no chase policy would keep the public safe from car accidents caused by police chase but at the same time it would keep more criminals on the street because they would flee every chance they get. Another argument is that many traffic stops result in arrests of violent criminals along with drug offenders (Samaha 205). A couple of weeks ago in Dallas TX there was a guy who was pulled over for speeding and when they ran his information they found out that he was wanted in a string of bank robberies. Although this guy did not flee, if he would have he may have gotten away because Dallas Police Department have a no chase policy, unless approved by a supervisor (only two officers are approved) and the suspect must be wanted for a violent crime.

Hate crimes have been around since the beginning of time and occur when a person targets a victim because of that person racial group, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, nationality, class, ethnicity and disability (Gerstenfeld 2010). Hate crimes happens any and every where, in small and large cities, and every state. As long as hate crimes have been happening the actual name “hate crime” is new and so is the idea of special treatment of these offenses (Gerstenfeld 2010). The first hate crime law was not passed until 1980 and 3 decades later only 44 states, District of Columbia and the federal government have some form of hate crime legislation (Gerstenfeld 2010). In this day and time I find it hard to believe that not all 50 states have some type of hate crime law. Some people do not believe there should be special laws for hate crimes because they say all violent crimes are hateful regardless of race and sexual orientation. Those in favor of hate crime laws argue that there are hate crime laws because; the person who commits a hate crime deserve an increased punishment because these type of crimes are worse than ordinary; hate crime laws will deter the act; and that the laws will show that this type of crime is not allowed (Gerstenfeld 2010). In the US the most frequently reported hate crime is racism against blacks with 3,000 of the 8,000 hate crime reported to the FBI against black people (FBI 2009). In 1990 the Hate Crime Statistics Act was created which requires the Attorney General to collect data on crimes committed because of a person’s race, religion, disability ethnicity and sexual orientation (Gerstenfeld, 2010). According to the Uniform Crime Report (2010) since 1991 there have been over 113,000 hate crimes with 55% being racially motivated, 17% because of religion, 14% because of sexual orientation 14% because of ethnicity and 1% based on disability. Although there are laws that deal with hate crime there should be more laws and all 50 states should be required to have hate crime laws.

Trying to choose which is more important public safety or civil rights is really a waste of time because both are important and both have a time when one may appear more important than the other one. For example because of 911 some people believe their civil rights have been violated for the safety of the public because of the government’s actions when they passed the Patriot Act of 2001. I believe depending on what is happening in our society at the time that public safety and civil rights will always be sacrificed one for the other.

References

Dezhbakkhsh, H., & Sheperd, J. M. (2003). The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment:

Evidence from a “Judicial Experiment.Encyclopedia Britannica (2008) “Capital Punishment,”

FBI (2010) Uniform Crime Reports – Hate Crime Statistics.Gerstenfeld, P. B. (2010). Hate Crimes: Causes, Controls, and Controversies (2nd ed.). : Sage.

Grant, R. (2004, Jan/Feb). Capital punishment and violence. Humanist, 64(1), 25-29.

Procon.org. (2010) Death Penalty ProCon.org. DeathPenalty.ProCon.org.Retrieved from http://deathpenalty.procon.org/

Samaha, J. (2005). Criminal Justice (7th ed.). : Cengage Learning.

Woods, G. (2005). Right to bear arms; American rights. : Infobase Publishing.

Zimring, F. E. (2004). The Contradictions of American Capital Punishment. : Oxford University

Press US.

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Civil War and Emancipation

Slavery has been cited as one of the reasons for the American Civil War. However, the Southerners were in reality fighting to keep the institution intact for several economic and political reasons. The Civil War entailed the North and South fighting each other mainly over the institution of slavery. The southern states firmly held on to slavery as it was the primary source of their income. The slaves were the most valuable part of their economy. Slave-owners could not imagine how they would survive without slaves working on their plantations. Slavery was a source of free labor, and the plantation owners incurred little expenses in their workers. The Northern states believed in the freedom of all men. President Abraham Lincoln and other Republicans were strongly opposed to spreading slavery to the western states which the southerners were vehemently opposed to. African-American slaves took advantage of the Civil War to fight for their freedom, greatly encouraged by Lincoln’s Emancipation Declaration.

Abraham Lincoln’s presidency was a ray of hope for the slaves. The northerners did not believe in slavery, and this irked the southern states. Lincoln was voted in without a vote from the southern states showing that they were wholly opposed to his fight against slavery. Several accounts from slaves show how they made the ensuing war all about their freedom. In ‘Thirty Years a Slave’ by Louis Hughes, the author details how the war tore down his employer together with his family, finally allowing the slaves to escape. Before his owner, McGee, Died, Hughes had attempted to flee twice but had been captured and taken back. When the Union soldiers seized the town of Memphis, Hughes and other slaves ran to the city where they would be free (Hughes, IV). In the end, Hughes explains that while his master had been more humane than other slave owners, there could be no excuse for buying and selling human beings.

Hannah Johnson, an African-American woman, wrote a letter to President Lincoln telling the president of her son who fought in the war. She told the president that the unjust slave owners should be treated the same way they had treated their slaves so that they would learn a lesson. The slave-owners were furious that the black men used the war to fight for their freedom from the white masters. Her son was a brave man who joined the battle to fight for his country in the hope that the south would be defeated and the slaves would be free. She praised Lincoln for his role in freeing the slaves by saying, “When you are dead and in Heaven, in a thousand years that action of yours will make the Angels sing your praises I know it.” (Johnson)

The third example of the slaves’ fight for freedom in the civil war is in the letter by a soldier, George W. Hatton. The African-American soldier explains how, during the war, they captured a notorious slave-owner named Mr. Clayton. Most of the soldiers in his regiment were from the plantations in the Wilson’s Landing region (Hatton). These soldiers invited the slaves whom the white man had whipped to do the same to him. William Harris was a soldier who had belonged to Clayton and some other women. Their position in the regiment had freed them from slavery under cruel masters like Clayton.

The Civil War paved the way for many slaves to be free. Many plantation owners in the south were furious at the Emancipation Declaration and vowed to stand their ground but were defeated by the Union soldiers. The slaves joined the regiments so that they would fight the southerners and gain their freedom.

Works Cited

Hughes, Louis. Thirty Years a Slave: From Bondage to Freedom. NewSouth Books, 2002.

Johnson, Hannah. “Letter From Hannah Johnson” Primary Sources. 31 July 1863. Retrieved from https://www.learner.org/workshops/primarysources/emancipation/docs/hjohnson.htmlHatton, W. George. “Retaliation in Camp” PBS online.28 May 1864. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h3082.html

My Parents House

The house that my mother and father built last year was a spin of a design that they had ordered from an architect. My uncle built it and a few changes were made to the plan as it went up. The house is now 2 ½ years old.

From the front of the home, it appears to be a lot smaller than it looks. The siding on the outside is a hybrid material made up of concrete. It is dyed blue in color. Along the front side of the home you can see a porch that stretches from one side to the other. There are wooden pillars that support an overhang above the porch. The front door is in the center of the home. To the left side of the front door there are two windows. To the right side of the door, there are two more windows. The roof has dark tar shingles that are crosshatched. There are three windows that jetty outward. The garage for the cars is on the left side of the home. The garage is a two car garage with a single door that opens the room.

On the right side of the home, there are no windows or doors. The left side of the home has a different aspect because of the garage. It also has the aspect of more windows. One window on the second floor is from the master bathroom, while the other is from the garage. If the garage were not there you would be able to see a window from the downstairs kitchen.

The rear of the home is blessed with the majority of windows and doors. From the second floor you can see three large windows and a door. On the right side there is a door and a window that open from the master bathroom. The window and door both open on to a wooden deck. To the left of the deck is another window that looks out of the upstairs common bathroom. Then the leftmost window looks out of one of the bedrooms.

The lower floor also has a nice amount of windows and entranceways. Starting all the way to the left is a door that leads into the garage. To the left of the garage door is a window that looks out of the half bathroom. In the middle of the home are two French doors that enter into the breakfast room. Next over is a window above the sink in the kitchen. Finally, all the way on the left is a window that looks out from the dining room.

When you walk in the main entrance on the front, you are inside a large cathedral foyer. The foyer has a light wood floor. To the left of you is a swing door closet, and your immediate right hosts the stairs up to the second floor. As you walk through the foyer, there is an entrance to the family room. The family room has a short industrial carpet made up of mixed colors. Within the family room is a fireplace and another entrance to the breakfast room. If you were to go straight through the foyer you would be in the kitchen, just to the left of the breakfast room.

The kitchen houses the stove, refrigerator, sink, and dishwasher. The floor in the kitchen is made up of clay tiles. It has a horseshoe shaped counter area. Above the counter area are counters, except where you have the window on the outer wall. To the right side of the kitchen is the dining room. The dining room has the light wood floor. There is one window in the room. As you enter the dining room from the kitchen you see the entrance to the living room on the right.

The living room has the short industrial style carpet. There is one window that looks over the front yard, and the covered porch. On the right side is another entrance that leads back into the foyer.

If you were to have gone left at the kitchen you would have ended p going into the breakfast room. The breakfast room has clay tiles for a floor. There are French doors that lead to the back patio and yard. Next to the breakfast room is a half bathroom and a laundry room. In the middle of these two rooms is a door that leads into the garage. The garage has one window that looks out the side and a large power door for vehicles.

As you go upstairs you have two bedrooms immediately on the right. The stairs are made up of the light wood flooring. The bedrooms on the other hand have a short blue carpet. The bedroom that is situated at the front of the house has a large closet and a partition with a window. The bedroom that is at the rear of the house is a bit smaller than the front room. It also has a window, but it lacks the partition. Both rooms have generous closet space.

Directly at the top of the stairs is a full bathroom. The bathroom has a light gray tile on the floor. Within the bathroom is a window that looks out upon the backyard. The bathroom contains a toilet, sink, and shower/tub.

If you were to go left at the top of the stairs, you would have ended up in the master bedroom. The master bedroom has a short, light tan carpet. The master bedroom has a partitioned window looking over the front of the house. Towards the rear of the master bedroom, and house is the room’s master bathroom. The master bathroom also has the light gray tiles for a floor. Within the master bathroom is a large whirlpool tub. There is a countertop that covers two walls, with a sink on both walls. Across from the countertop is a stall shower and toilet. The wall across from the countertop has a window looking over the garage. The rear of the bathroom has a door leading to a wooden deck. The deck looks over the backyard.

This is the home in which my parents live, and I lived for two years. This should give you a beneficial description of the home, alongside the floor plan. You too could almost feel as if you were there.

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My Personal Decision Making Style

Each person has their own preferred decision-making style that they employ in making decisions in their day-to-day activities. My personal decision-making style is the analytical style. I tend to be the kind of person who likes to collect and analyze information thoroughly before making a decision. I like looking at matters from all possible angles before making a decision. If I fail to do this, I will not be confident about my decision. I will keep second-guessing myself and asking if I made the right choice. I tend to be keen when it comes to making decisions. I prefer dealing with reliable facts and data when making decisions because data does not lie, and it rarely leads one astray. Worth noting, I am the kind of person who likes seeking other people’s opinions while making a decision. This is because I like listening to other people’s points of view. While I like seeking outside counsel, other people’s opinions will rarely sway my decision, but rather, it helps me deny or confirm knowledge. I believe I am an analytical decision-maker because I am adaptable and have a high tolerance for ambiguity. Ambiguity prompts me to think deeper about my decision, thus helping me make informed decisions. One downside of being an analytical decision-maker is that I like to be in control of the decision process. Because I tend to be so focused on finding the best solution, I like to be in control of matters. Because I enjoy finding solutions, I ensure that all decisions I make benefit all parties involved. I also enjoy discussing new challenges and will do whatever it takes to find the best solution.

Citizen United V. FEC

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Citizen United Verses FEC

On January 21, 2010, the Supreme Court gave what is definite to become a momentous presiding in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In a 5-4 presiding, the Law court struck down federal confines on what associations, including unions, nonprofit organizations, and profit corporations, might say during elections. A prohibition on direct contributions to contenders was left in place. The preponderance thought that the speech restrictions desecrated the First Amendment and laidback political manifestation. With this presiding, the Supreme Court appeared to antithesis the tendency of the past century’s tendency, which resulted in larger confines to corporate political discourse and activity.

Citizens United pursued an injunction contrary to the Federal Election Commission in the US District Law court for the Constituency of Columbia to stop the request of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) to its Movie Hillary: The Movie. The film showed sentiments concerning whether Candidate Hillary Clinton would be a good head of state. In an effort to control “big money” movement contributions, the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act puts into practice several constraints to campaigning communications (Kantor, 2018). Segment 203 of the BCRA averts labor unions or corporations from financing such communication from their common funds. Sections 201 and 311 necessitate the revelation of contributors to such communication and repudiation once the communication is not sanctioned by the contender it aims to support.

Citizens United debated that Section 203 break up the First Amendment on its face and once practical to The Movie and its linked advertisements. Also, Sections 201 and 203 are unconstitutional as applied to the state of affairs (Rainford, 2018). The US District Court of law repudiated the injunction. This was because Section 203 on its feature was not unconstitutional for the reason that the Court of law in McConnell v Federal Election Commission had previously reached that resolve. The Court also alleged that The Movie was the purposeful comparable to express advocacy, as it tried to enlighten electorates that Candidate Clinton was not fit for office. Therefore Section 203 was not unconstitutionally practical. Finally, it apprehended that Sections 201 and 203 were not unconstitutional as practical to the Movie or its advertisements.

Reference

Kantor, C. J. (2018). Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, and the Inherent Unfairness to the “Un-united” American Citizen.

Rainford, C. (2018). Cornering the Political Speech Market: Consequences of Corporate Speech Following Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission

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Civil War and the Constitution

At a time when the Civil War was taking place, the United States Senate had a significant impact. Even though President Abraham Lincoln and his military commanders are often the focus of wartime history, the Senate had to deal with war-related matters even before Lincoln took the oath of office and continued to do so throughout the war. As a result of the attack on Fort Sumter, the Capitol quickly became a sea of troops. We even had a temporary base of operations in the Senate Chamber! As well as housing a bakery, the Capitol also as a temporary hospital for the soldiers in need of medical attention (Masera et al., 2022). After thereafter, the Senate faced a series of high-stakes constitutional battles as it carried out its legislative and oversight responsibilities. The Senate and the House of Representatives worked together to enact momentous legislation that continues to define our country today. For many years after World War II, a number of senator-led discussions on civil rights and emancipation, as well as constitutional changes guaranteeing the rights of citizenship, took place.

Supreme Court and Jim Crow

As a result of Jim Crow, blacks were not given the same rights and opportunities as their white counterparts. To construct Jim Crow, the Supreme Court of the United States was crucial.

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ensured the freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote for African-Americans in the United States. The Civil Rights Act of 1875 prohibited the segregation of schools, public facilities, transportation, and juries, among other things. During Reconstruction, the Supreme Court seemed ready to assist in the advancement of African Americans. To confine juries to whites was unconstitutional and infringed on the 14th Amendment rights of African-Americans in Strauder v. West Virginia, which was ruled by the Supreme Court in 2013 (Wiegand, 2021). A white jury had found two African-Americans guilty in the case of Virginia v. Rives, and the Supreme Court upheld their convictions. The Court argued that since there were no black jurors, a black defendant/rights plaintiff was not disadvantaged. Strauder made it clear whites may discriminate lawfully without violating federal law. People of color had no recourse in court and were tried by a panel of whites alone. Victims of crimes against blacks were almost never held accountable. Segregation and discrimination was unpunished as long as the state was not involved.

Litigating Equality

The constitutional assurance that no person or organization shall be denied the protection of the law that is enjoyed by like individuals or groups is known as "equal protection" in the United States of America. To put it another way, people in comparable situations should be treated equally. All similar instances are given equal treatment under the laws, and no one is subject to responsibilities higher than those placed on others in similar circumstances, which is what is meant by "equal protection." State governments cannot refuse any individual "the equal protection of the laws" under the Fourteenth Amendment, which was enacted in response to the American Civil War.

How the Courts have Evaluated Civil Rights Concerns

The Supreme Court has dealt with a wide range of civil rights disputes, including racial and gender discrimination, sexual orientation discrimination, and issues relating to disability rights. In Korematsu v. U.S. (1944), the Supreme Court affirmed the conviction of an American of Japanese ancestry who had been prosecuted for staying in California after a presidential directive in 1942 designated most of the West Coast as a "military region" and required transfer of most Japanese-Americans from California.

References

Masera, F., Rosenberg, M., & Walker, S. (2022, January 16). The Power of Narratives: Anti-Black Attitudes and Violence in the US South. Papers.ssrn.com. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4009956

Wiegand, W. A. (2021). Race and School Librarianship in the Jim Crow South, 1954–1970: The Untold Story of Carrie Coleman Robinson as a Case Study. The Library Quarterly, 91(3), 254–268. https://doi.org/10.1086/714314

City University of New York

Borough of Manhattan Community College

Department of English

English 101-5006 Hybrid Online: Composition I Online

Fall 2022; 3 Credits

Prerequisites and Co-requisites

Pass CUNY Reading and Writing test (CATW).

Required Texts and Materials

All readings posted on Blackboard.

Welcome to English Composition 101

Welcome to English Composition 101, hybrid online (asynchronous and five scheduled meetings: This course will only meet in-person in Fiterman 411 on the following Thursdays: September 1, September 22, November 3, November 17, and December 8 from 6-7:40 pm; The remainder of the course will be online in the asynchronous format.)

Course Description

English Composition is the standard 3-credit freshman writing course introducing students to academic writing. By its conclusion, students will be ready for English 201 and the writing they will be asked to do in advanced courses across the curriculum. Students completing English 101 will have been taught the fundamentals of college-level reading and writing, including developing a thesis-driven response to the writing of others and following the basic conventions of MLA citation and documentation. They will have practiced the skills necessary for success in college and in the larger world: summarizing, classifying, comparing, contrasting, and analyzing. Students take a departmental final exam that requires the composition of a 500 words thesis-driven essay analyzing two essays.

This is a Hybrid and asynchronous online course; all graded coursework is solely online; the five meetings will involve strategic review and guidance but are not included in part of your grade.

The course will involve one to two primary-text weekly readings (and possible supplementary readings, where noted). You are responsible for responding to each reading in the form of a 250-word Discussion Board response and to respond to three other students posted on the discussion board before the week ends. You will not be able to read or respond to other students until you first post your own 250-word response. I will respond weekly to the entire class discussion board’s posts. (I will not always respond individually to discussion board posts but I will if there is a problem; I will respond individually to student writing on the five formal writing assignments as noted on the syllabus). 

Questions can be addressed to me personally through my email. I will respond within 48 hours. 

General education learning outcomes:

Communication Skills. Students will be able to write, read, listen and speak critically and effectively. (Measured in papers 1-5)

Arts and Humanities. Students will be able to develop knowledge and understanding of the arts and literature through critiques of works of art, music, theatre, or literature. (Measured in papers 1-5)

Values. Students will be able to make informed choices based on understanding of personal values, human diversity, multicultural awareness and social responsibility. (Measured in papers 1-5)

Information and Technology Literacy. Students will be able to collect, evaluate, and interpret information and effectively evaluate information technologies. (Measured in papers 1-5)

101 Learning Outcomes: Students completing 101 will

Organize, develop, and revise at least four thesis driven essays that include substantial support and use a variety of rhetorical strategies. (Measured in papers 1-5)

Summarize, paraphrase, and quote from readings (Measured in papers 1-5)

Critically analyse numerous readings (Measured in papers 1-5)

Demonstrate a command of edited American English, using vocabulary and syntax appropriate to college level work (Measured in papers 1-5)

Demonstrate a command of the MLA conventions of citation and documentation (Measured in papers 1-5).

Pathways Learning Outcomes for Composition. A course in this area must meet all of the following learning outcomes. A student will:

Read and listen critically and analytically, including identifying an argument’s major assumptions and assertions and evaluating its supporting evidence. (Students will read essays and identify the major assumptions and assertions and evaluate the supporting evidence before quoting that essay in their work).

Write clearly and coherently in varied, academic formats (such as formal essays, research papers, and reports) using standard English and appropriate technology to critique and improve one’s own and others’ texts. (Students will write thesis-driven essays, including research, and will read each other’s essays and provide advice)

Demonstrate research skills using appropriate technology, including gathering, evaluating, and synthesizing primary and secondary sources. (Students will write thesis-driven essays using scholarly websites and will gather evaluate and synthesize primary and secondary sources).

Support a thesis with well-reasoned arguments, and communicate persuasively across a variety of contexts, purposes, audiences, and media. (Students will write thesis driven well supported essays across a variety of contexts).

Grade Breakdown (How to pass this class)

Discussion Board class participation: 20% (Missing more than two weeks of class participation on Discussion Board (DB) will result in automatically failing the course—no exceptions.)

Paper 1: 10%*

Paper 2: 10%*

Paper 3: 15%*

Paper 4: 15%*

Final department exam essay: 30%

Class Discussion Board

For each reading assignment, you are required to write a Discussion Board entry, where you will write a critical response of no less than 250 words (detailed and concrete). (See Discussion Board guidance handout for help with writing your post.)

The readings are usually assigned on Monday (the exception is college holidays; see course schedule/map for holiday details). You typically have a week window to post your Discussion Board comments (again, the exception is college holidays, when you may have a slightly shorter or longer deadline; consult course guide/map where all deadlines are clearly noted).

However, you must also respond in 100 words to three classmates’ Discussion Board comments. Failure to respond to the required number of students will result in losing points. See Discussion Board grading guidelines to see how Discussion Board is graded.

You are strongly encouraged to read ALL the students Discussion Board comments. Discussion Board is your key to understanding the readings and see what other students are thinking. Communicating with and helping fellow students is the key to doing well in an online class. You are part of a learning community and Discussion Board is where you engage with your fellow students to develop that learning community.

As noted, you have about a week window to post and read comments. I strongly suggest that you post your comments before the deadline so others can read your comments and you have enough time to read other classmates’ posted comments. As noted elsewhere, online learning allows you more freedom to set your schedule but it also demands more discipline and planning. You ALONE are responsible for your schedule and doing the work. If you cannot work within your own schedule, then you will not pass this course. The deadlines and missed deadline penalties are fair enough that it allows for some personal wiggle room and still pass the class, although any missed deadlines will still affect your final grade. It’s only fair to everyone.

Each week, you must attempt to respond to different students. You are free to respond to more than the required number of students. That can favorably affect your grade but it will also add to success of the online community. However, please note that you CANNOT respond to more than three students during one week to make up for missed participation during any other week. The penalties for missing deadlines are final and nonnegotiable.

Finally, I will respond to the entire classes Discussion Board posts through an announcement and email as well as on select student’s posts.

** You cannot miss more than two weeks, not necessarily consecutive, of Discussion Board posts or you will FAIL the class. The links close each Sunday (except on holidays as noted on schedule) by midnight and posts cannot be made up. You will be unable to read other students’ posts until you first write your own 250-word post. NO Exceptions. **

* Assignments due dates: No late or emailed papers accepted.

Academic Adjustments for Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations or academic adjustments for this course must contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities. BMCC is committed to providing equal access to all programs and curricula to all students.

BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity: Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific; or technical work as one’s own creation.  Using the idea or work of anther is permissible only when the original author is identified.  Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source.  Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional.  Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. 

Students who are unsure of how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors.  The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work.  The full policy can be found on BMCC’s website, http://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/academics/page.jsp?pid=1052&. For further information, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).

Schedule

(In some cases, readings may be added or subtracted during semester.)

Week 1: August 25-28

On Blackboard:

Blackboard Orientation completed.

Syllabus and course schedule guide survey completed.

Introductions posted on Discussion Board.

Week 2: August 29-September 1

Theme of Location.

“W 103rd St.,” Burroughs.

“Hudson St.,” Jacobs.

Week 3: September 6-11

“Take The F,” Frazier.

“Fifth Avenue, Uptown,” Baldwin.

Assignment Essay 1 Handout: Location.

Week 4: September 12-18

“Marrying Absurd,” Didion.

**Assignment 1 due Sunday, September 18, by Midnight: submitted on blackboard.**

Week 5: September 19-25

“Self-Respect,” Didion.

Film: Shampoo, Hal Ashby, director.

“Shampoo” film review, Kael.

Week 6: September 28-October 2

Assignment 2 handout: Self-Respect and Shampoo; locating a theme, defining your terms within a

genre comparison.

**Assignment 2 due Sunday, October 2, by Midnight: submitted on blackboard.**

Week 7: October 3-9

Wright, “My First Lesson in How to Live Like a Negro.”

Essay 3 assignment handout: Wright, “My First Lesson in How to Live Like a Negro”: critical analysis and

point of view. Due next Sunday, October 16 by Midnight: submitted on blackboard.**

Week 8: October 10-16

“American Childhood,” Dillard.

**Assignment 3 due Sunday, October 16 by Midnight: submitted on blackboard.**

Week 9: October 17-23

“Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work,” Anyon

Week 10: October 24-30

“Drown,” Diaz.

“Complexion,” Rodriguez.

Week 11: October 31-November 6

Assignment 4 handout: Research Paper assignment.

Will begin reviewing research article for final paper.

**DUE DATE: Monday, November 28th, by midnight (or before!)**

Week 12: November 7-13

Final Exam Reading One:

“We’re All Socially Awkward Now,” Murphy

Week 13: November 14-20

Final Exam Reading Two: “How Camera Phones Stunt Bravery and Short-Circuit Human Decency,” Thorkelson***Thanksgiving Break November 24-27***

Week 14: November 21-November 27 No Work Assigned

Week 15: November 28-December 4

Final exam review.

**Final paper DUE DATE: Monday, November 28th, by midnight**

Week 16: December 5-December 13 (Last class) .

Final exam week December 10-13. Exact date to be announced.

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Professor’s name

Course

Date

Civil War, Native American Issues, Keystone XL Pipeline, Reparations, and Klu Klux Klan

Taking a deeper look at Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, one quickly finds allegories with the United States Civil war. One of the most profound similarities has to do with the way both conflicts act as watershed moments, changing the way war is viewed in the public eye. The Civil War was the first conflict to be exclusively photographed, where citizens witnessed first-hand the carnage and battlefields from their home front (Cederman & Vogt, 2017). Similarly, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the first significant conflict to be documented extensively across the world owing to the existence of speed internet. The conflict is being captured using high pixels, fast internet uploads and unprecedented viral replies. Another aspect that cuts across both wars is the severe economic implications that have come with the war. During the civil war, major inflation followed the confederacy blockade. Similarly, the entire world is experiencing increased inflation, with the prices of essential commodities, including gas skyrocketing to a new high. Another similarity is that both wars targeted transportation and trade networks.

One of the issues Native Americans face today is lack of resources which leads to unemployment and poverty. Research points out that 1 in 3 Native Americas lives in poverty in the U.S. with a median income of a mere $23 000 a year. Poor living conditions are another problem with both tribal and non-tribal households being overcrowded. Low high school graduation rates are another problem for Native American students and the violation of their voting rights.

Both the gold mining of the 1800s and oil mining on native lands share the similarity that they had the same negative impact on the environment. New mining methods, such as the use of hydraulic jets and the population that happened during the California Gold Rush, altered California’s landscape permanently. Developed in 1853, the hydraulic mining technique had huge profits, but they destroyed a big part of the region’s landscape. Sediments from the mines clogged some rivers and dams meant to supply water to the mines changed the course of the rivers from farmland. Similarly, oil mining had a health risk on indigenous communities that lived near the oil facilities. The health risks were due to a lack of consistent housing, clean drinking water, access to health facilities, and sanitary waste and sewage disposal.

The Keystone XL pipeline is a 1897 kilometer pipeline that starts in the oil sands in the city of Alberta in Canada to Steel City in Nebraska. The proposed pipeline would join an existing pipe in Nebraska and could transport 830,000 barrels of oil to the United States each day. Currently, the projected was halted by President Joe Biden and is yet to begin construction. The project is quite controversial because of numerous reasons. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) advised former president Obama against approving the project saying that it would not create sustainable jobs, reduce petrol prices or affect energy dependence. The US State Department first advised exploring alternative routes in Nebraska, citing that Sandhills region had a fragile ecosystem.

Some of the successes of the Freedmen’s Bureau is that it established 40 hospitals, more than 4000 schools, and distributed 21 million rations. Moreover, it helped former slaves locate their lost relatives and legalize marriages. One of the failures is that it was understaffed and underfunded. By the time it reached its peak, the Bureau only hand 900 agents. Another disadvantage is that it was strongly opposed by the white Southerners as racism was prevalent.

Reparations refer to a redress system where individuals receive compensations for historical injustices. At the center of the American Dream is the assumption that we all have the chance to create wealth that gives meaning to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness as stated in the Declaration of Independence. Japanese Americans were to be paid $1.5 billion to those interned in World War II. Native Americans have received billions of dollars and land as benefits for being forcefully evicted from their ancestral lands. Black Americans are yet to receive reparations for racial discrimination that is state-sanctioned. People of color need reparation seeing how brutal American slavery used to be where up to 15% of slaves being shipped from West Africa succumbed along the way (Feagin & Ducey, 2018). Reparations were not a possibility. The redress meant well but it was farfetched.

The Klu Klux Klan started with the aim of restoring the white supremacy through violence and intimidation. The organization was used as a vehicle for underground resistance against Radical Reconstruction. The organization originally started as a social club which was started by Confederate veterans in 1866. They coined their name from “kyklos”, a Greek word where the English word “circle” comes from. Today, no supremacist terrorist groups exist with the purpose of intimidating citizens into accepting white supremacists. Although society has a long to go way, the world is much more equal today than it was a decade ago.

References

Cederman, L. E., & Vogt, M. (2017). Dynamics and logics of civil war. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 61(9), 1992-2016.

Feagin, J. R., & Ducey, K. (2018). Racist America: Roots, current realities, and future reparations. Routledge.

My nursing philosophy

Name of student

Name of tutor

Course

Name of institution

Date

My nursing philosophy

Being a registered nurse with the community Hospice of Albany County, and having practiced nursing for some years now, I am a holder of the belief that; to practice nursing effectively and professionally, one must be having their own personal philosophy. On my part, it is fortunate for me because I am in my career of choice. One aspect of life that motivates me, and keeps me going, is my unique perspective of looking at the profession of nursing. My nursing philosophy explains my beliefs, attitudes, values and the guiding principles of the professional and ethical practice of nursing.

Although people have argued differently concerning nursing being either an art or even a science, I tend to believe that nursing is both an art and a science. In the care of patients, one has to apply artistic and scientific skills in order to achieve a better outcome for the patient. I believe nursing is an art because I have to use my hands artistically to do for the patient that which they are not able to do for themselves. In the practice of nursing, it gives me relief to the patient being free. Seeing a patients struggling to do something that I can help gives me a lot of pain. This empathetic feeling has given me a lot of motivation in my profession. I use my hands to apply my artistic skills in order to help the patient. When I see my patients comfortable, the joy of my life is accomplished. I say nursing is also a science because I have to develop my knowledge base. I believe in taking action to a patient with the basis of taking that action. I believe in having scientific rationale for every action I do for the patient. In this case, I cannot do for the patient anything I wish, without considering the implications of doing it, or even failing to do it.

For me to exercise what I believe in relation to my nursing philosophy, there are certain aspects of care that should be available. For example, there must be an environment of care, I as the nurse, the patient and also the state of health must be considered. For nursing to accomplish what it is meant for, I believe all these components should interact to control and improve the environment of care. The environment of the person as a whole, has to be looked through using the lens of care, in order to determine how best to achieve the objectives of the nursing philosophy. In this case, for nursing to distinguish itself as a profession, it should consider the continuum of health, from health, all through to illness and even to death.

The patient counts as the focus point for nursing. The mission of the hospice I am working for has a very important statement that completely rhymes with my view on a patient as a component of my nursing philosophy. It states that; the hospital aims at treating all the patients with compassion, dignity and hospitality, as it is possible, with all the available human potential. As I care for my patients, I have always wanted to think of myself lying in that bed. This provokes my mind to think of what I would like done to me. This is what guides me in planning patient’s care. Going by this, the goal of a nurse that I believe in is trying my best to improve the health results of my patient in the health continuum. To make sure I accomplish this, I view the patient holistically, and consider how best I can make them enjoy life in the state they are in. through this, I believe that the environment of care should be controlled by the nurse in order to achieve the health of the patient. In a broader sense, these components interact in a certain relationship. In the event that the nurse has not taken care of the environment of the patient, the patient will not realize their health. Therefore, the interrelations that exist between the patient, nurse and the environment, determine the health of the patient. In lieu of this, the nurse intervenes to control the environment in the health continuum, and make sure the patient realizes their health.

As a nurse leader, educator and practitioner and as a believer I nursing as both an art and a science, I do not hold a fixed mind about my conceptual model in nursing. Instead, I am a believer in nursing research that is both qualitative and quantitative. This is the best model through which the body of knowledge will be developed. As a nurse leader and practitioner, I am directly involved in the management of patient care. The cases of patients are diverse and they differ greatly. The diversity of this field points to the diversity of the need of knowledge. Therefore, I embrace scientific research in nursing to widen the knowledge base, which can even be applied to modify my nursing philosophy. Again as a nurse educator, I have a role of preparing nurses who will demonstrate a wide base of knowledge in the practice, and be equipped enough to handle the challenges in the ground. For me to achieve this as an educator, I have to embrace a wide base of knowledge and skills, which comes only through research. This shows why I am a believer and advocate of nursing research. If I am able to accomplish all these, I am sure I will be living my dream.