Ethical Behavior of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Ethical Behavior of Companies - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that honoring the interest of the shareholders is the priority of any business investment. Investors expect to yield maximum profit from the venture by maximizing revenue and minimizing cost. However, balancing these parameters leads to adverse consequences that result in social or environmental conflict with other stakeholders. Therefore, the integration of a CSR framework comes in handy to solve the conflict created by the business operations. The Corporate Social Responsibility model requires the firm to be responsible for its business practices that affect the community or the environment where it operates. However, this does not come at the expense of the enterprise success. For this reason, the value optimization is the ideal practice because it embraces social, economic, and environmental accountability to its stakeholders. The responsible shareholder-value optimization principle supports ethical actions and responsibility of the busin ess to its stakeholders. Under this principle, the organization is responsible for any social, economic or environmental inconvenience caused by its maneuver. As a result, this role gives the business a mandate to ensure ethical practices that are within the expectation of the shareholders, the community, and other stakeholders.

Incarceration of African American Males Essay Example for Free

Incarceration of African American Males Essay Introduction The trend of African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 has seen a dramatic increase of incarceration. Attention has been focusing on areas of housing, education, and healthcare but the most prominent problem for African American males is the increase in the incarceration rate. African American males between the ages of 25 and 29 incarceration rate has been thought, by many, to be caused by economic factors such as under employment or unemployment, poor housing, lack of education, and lack of healthcare. Yet, others believe it is due to the imbalance of minorities within the criminal justice system, such as judges, lawyers, and lawmakers. This paper will explore two different outlooks; society has come up with so far, as to why African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29 are increasingly incarcerated. Finally, the information will give awareness to the problems that is faced by African American Males between the ages of 25 and 29. Prevalence – Problem 1 More than 40% of all American prisoners, men and women, are African American men, yet they make up just 13% of the U. S. male population (Roberts, 2004). This statistic does not include those African American men who are in local jails nor does it include those African American men under custodial supervision (Table 2). They enter the state and federal prison system, at the prime of their economic and reproductive lives and yet they exit prison behind both economically and socially. The high rate of incarceration among African Americans has been noted by the interconnection of poor economy, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, domestic violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. Statistics don’t even give African American males a good chance to stay out of jail. They have a one in four chance of being incarcerated, while Hispanic American males have a one in six chance, and white males only have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. The color of African Americans sets them apart and makes them targetable. Prevalence – Problem 2 There is evidence, in our American Justice System, of structural inequality as seen in the percentages of minorities to the percentage of majorities employed in high ranking positions, within the system. The percentage of United States judges by race are 79% Caucasian, 12% African American, and 2% Hispanics American (Federal Judicial Center, 2012), as for the thousands of lawyers in the United States it is approximate of 3% are African American (National Law Group, 2010-2011), and about 1 in 4 police officers are members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2007 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013). An investigation into racial profiling showed that African American and Hispanic American offenders, who often are young unemployed males, are more likely than their white counterparts (Spohn, C., 2000). Their prison sentences are also typically longer or they receive differential benefits from guideline departures than do similarly situated white offenders (Spohn, C. , 2000). We must acknowledge the problems of racial disparity within the criminal justice system, communicate racial disparity within the criminal justice system with those we who are not informed of the problem, and stay committed to changing racial disparity within our justice system for change to begin. Causes In researching the high rate of incarceration in America it is more likely than not that the increase in African American Males being incarcerated is due to the War on Drugs (Table 1). It is public knowledge that drug crime ranks high among the effects of poverty. These poor neighborhoods not only endure crime they have poor schools, poor food, cramped living areas, and shortage of jobs if any jobs at all. Drugs and drug crime has become regularity in low income communities, arrests of Hispanics made up 55% of cocaine powder offences and 52% of marijuana offenses and 49% involving opiates: African Americans were suspected in 75% of crack cocaine cases; White males were suspected in 41% all methamphetamine cases (Motivans, M. , 2011). Decades of failed public and private remedies for chronic disparities and disadvantages in communities of color invite us to reexamine systems and institutions that provide and restrict opportunity in new ways (Lawrence, K. , 2011). The causes seem to be intertwined being poor equals, equals a poor education, equals lack of employment, and ultimately equals an increased rate of crime. Consequences The causes seem to be intertwined being poor, equals lack of education, which equals lack of employment, which equals increased rate of crime which equals impossibility to join criminal justice system. Also, many of these men are incarcerated while all the other non-incarcerated American young men are finishing school, starting careers, earning seniority at work, marrying and having children thus gaining capital. Even when released from prison, these men return back to their communities with a felony record that will pose extreme problems for them. The incarceration leads the released convict into a lower social class even if they were considered lower class Americans prior to their incarceration; they now are lower in social class standing in most instances. This leads to a poor African American community, perhaps as many as 50% of the male population will have been in prison. These incarcerated African American Males, who are in their prime of life, also are leaving half the families in this community facing such things as poverty, lack of affordable housing, mental illness, substance abuse, violence, absence of a strong black male role model, lack of access to education, or some type of combination of these factors. The community ultimately will become poverty stricken, struggling to survive, and ultimately vulnerable to the situation repeating. Solutions – How can this be changed? There are four key aspects to addressing racial disparity, in my opinion: 1. Acknowledge 2. Communication 3. Setback = Strength 4. Commitment Not only is the problem of racial disparity under recognized by society it is not being communicated effectively to make change. Majority groups needs to acknowledge racial disparity and minority groups need to communicate their knowledge regarding racial disparity. As each group majority and minority begins to become share their information with each other and work together for a common solution acknowledging there will be setbacks but with continued commitment systemic change will happen. Conclusion By refusing to tolerate disparate treatment of people of color or anyone within the criminal justice system we empower ourselves and our country. It is time that everyone including our legislators, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges work collectively and courageously to eradicate this negative stigma. Despite, America being known for its equal rights we are living proof that in this era inequality is a factor that cannot be taken lightly. The statistics that are surrounding African American males is astounding. We need to empower African American males with the knowledge that they have a one in four chance of becoming incarcerated. It is also important to know that Hispanic males have a one in six chance, and white males have a one in twenty three chance of incarceration. All of these statistics need to be addressed to empower each and every one us. Throughout history we have not seen a change in majority groups (White, Male) and minority groups (Women, anyone that is not White) although we have seen numbers of minorities increasing at a fast pace. Today, however, the election of Barack Obama, not once but twice, may set the new ideal of what an American actually is. As we embrace different cultures and their ethnic backgrounds society will prosper. As society increases their knowledge, in regards to each person’s differences, they will acquire greater strength and prosperity. The only issue, that can occur, will be in the short term empowering others to embrace diversity. When we look beyond short-term, focus will shift to diverse empowerment through embracing the knowledge of our differences thus making us stronger as a society. TABLE 1: BLACK PROPORTION OF DRUG ARRESTS, EXCLUDING MARIJUANA POSSESSION YEAR BLACK % 1999 40. 1 2000 39. 3 2001 39. 1 2002 35. 8 2003 33. 8 2004 33. 1 2005 33. 2 Data calculated from drug arrest figures by race provided by the Uniform Crime Reports division of the FBI TABLE 2: FBI CRIME REPORT Arrests By Race, 2006 [11,249 agencies; 2006 estimated population 216,685,152] Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific islander Total White Black American Indian or Alaskan Native Asian or Pacific Islander TOTAL 10,437,620. 7270214 2924724 130589 112093 100. 0 69. 7 28 1. 3 1. 1 Drug abuse violations 1376192 875101 483886 8198 9607 1000 63. 6 35. 1 0. 6 0. 7 DUI’S 1034651 914226 95260 13484 11681 100 88. 4 9. 2 1. 3 1. 1 Liquor laws 466323 398068 50035 12831 5389 100 85. 4 10. 7 2. 8 1. 2 Drunken-ness 408439 344155 54113 7884 2287 100 84. 3 13. 2 1. 9 0. 6 Dis-orderly conduct 5117264 325991 179733 7606 3934 100 63. 0 34. 7 1. 5 0. 8 (The FBI: Uniform Crime Report, 2010) References Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/index. cfm? ty=tptid=71 The FBI Uniform Crime Reports, 2010, Table 43, http://www. fbi. gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u. s/2010/crime-in-the-u. s. -2010/tables/table-43 Federal Judicial Center, 2012, Overview of the United States Court System, http://www. fjc. gov/public/pdf. nsf/lookup/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf/$file/FJC_Standard_PPT_English_June_2012. pdf Lawrence, K. , 2011, Race, Crime, and Punishment: Breaking the Connection in America, http://www. aspeninstitute. org/sites/default/files/content/docs/pubs/Race-Crime-Punishment. pdf Motivans, Mark, 2011, Washington, DC: US Dept. of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, http://bjs. ojp. usdoj. gov/content/pub/pdf/fjs09. pdf National Law Group 2010-2011, http://blacklawyers. net/ Roberts, D. , 2004, Measuring the Social and Moral Cost of Mass Incarceration, in African American Communities, http://www. law. fsu. edu/faculty/2003-2004workshops/roberts. pdf Spohn,C. ,2000, Thirty Years of Sentencing Reform: The Quest for a Racially Neutral Sentencing Process, http://www. justicestudies. com/pubs/livelink3-1. pdf.

Sikh Dharma :: essays research papers

Sikh Dharma, the youngest of the world religions, is barely five hundred years old. Its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469. Guru Nanak spread a simple message of "Ek Ong Kar": we are all one, created by the One Creator of all Creation. This was at a time when India was being torn apart by castes, sectarianism, religious factions, and fanaticism. He aligned with no religion, and respected all religions. He expressed the reality that there is one God and many paths, and the Name of God is Truth, "Sat Nam". Guru Nanak's followers were Sikhs (seekers of truth). He taught them to bow only before God, and to link themselves to the Guru, the Light of Truth, who lives always in direct consciousness of God, experiencing no separation. Through words and example, the Guru demonstrates to followers how to experience God within themselves, bringing them from darkness into light. Guru Nanak was a humble bearer of this Light of Truth. He opposed superstition, injustice, and hypocrisy and inspired seekers by singing divine songs which touched the hearts of the most callous listeners. These songs were recorded, and formed the beginnings of the Sikhs' sacred writings, later to become the "Siri Guru Granth Sahib".Guru Nanak taught his way of life:Nam Japa - To get up each day before sunrise, to clean the body, meditate on God's Name and recite the Guru's hymns to clean the mind. Throughout the day, continuously remember God's Name with every breath.Dharam di Kirat Karni - To work and earn by the sweat of the brow, to live a family way of life, and practice truthfulness and honesty in all dealings.Vand Ke Chakna - To share the fruits of one's labor with others before considering oneself. Thus, to live as an inspiration and a support to the entire community.The Golden Chain The foundation of Sikh Dharma was laid down by Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak infused his own consciousness into a disciple, who then became Guru, subsequently passing the light on to the next, and so on. The word "Guru" is derived from the root words "Gu", which means darkness or ignorance, and "Ru", which means light or knowledge The Guru is the experience of Truth (God).Each one of the ten Gurus represents a divine attribute:Guru Nanak - Humility Guru Angad - Obedience Guru Amar Das — Equality Guru Ram Das -

Personal & Community Health

Stress; can have a major affect upon your body. It can be detrimental to your health. An increase to your stress levels stress can cause neurons to die which leads to headaches, anxiety and depression. In the digestive system there can be mouth ulcers and cold sores. In the circulatory system the constant elevated blood pressure and heart rate increases risk of blood clots or heart attack. Your breathing also quickens increasing your chances of colds or respiratory infection, while it also depressed your immune system leaving you more likely to get an infection.This has shown me that if you are constantly stressed out you will be more likely to continually be sick which in turn can lead to you becoming more stress. It is therefore important to constantly manage your daily stress levels. Psychological health; and well being are very important to your overall health, mentally and physically. A person who is in good psychological standing is able to: function and carry out their respons ibilities, they have a realistic perception of motivation of others, have rational and logical thought patterns, and they are able to adapt to adversity and change.Health is just not physical, your mental stability and health are also vitally important to your wellbeing overall. In order to be physically health you must also be psychologically healthy. MyPyramid; is an approximate to the amount of each food type that you should consume daily. It also gives you some rough guidelines for exercise time and to eat according to your personal calorie needs. It is important to eat a range of foods. A balanced diet is a key ingredient to helping your body maintain itself as well as to provide you with energy to make it through your daily tasks.Wellness-Illness Continuum: is an indicator of which way your health is going. You can be in average health yet you are heading towards illness. Or you can be of average health and heading towards optimal health and wellness. This has shown me that ev en though you may be healthy you have to make sure you are heading towards the optimal health and wellness with a zest for life and emotional growth rather than illness and worst case scenario premature death.Managing your Weight; is also an important part of being healthy. Depending upon your age, gender and height you should maintain a certain weight. This can be done by eating a balanced diet and regular exercise. Being an active person myself, I know how hard it can be to maintain your weight. I have the opposite problem to most people. I struggle to put on weight so I have to be very certain about what I eat and the amount of cardio exercise I do weekly.

Ben Hill Griffin Jr.-Entrepreneur Extraordinaire

It is said that not all millionaires are people born with silver spoons on their mouths. This is quite true for Ben Hill Griffin Jr. (October 20 1910 – March 1, 1990), former U. S. senator and entrepreneur extraordinaire. Mr. Griffin’s success is said to have been borne out of his industrious and friendly nature, while others have jokingly stated that this was due to his ability to control weather, as he was born when a hurricane was passing by Florida.Mr.  Griffin’s success has also nothing to do with his educational attainment, he did studied agriculture in University of Florida but he eventually left the institution without finishing his degree (â€Å"Ben Hill Jr. †, 2006).He claimed that he never had to finish his degree because he felt that he had learned all that is needed to be learned from the University. He eventually paid his respects to the University by donating about 20 million dollars for research despite not being able to finish his degree there.His success as a citrus and cattle magnate were also attributed to his honesty and hands-on approach on things, though he often says that his luck has also played a role on his success. His citrus empire started with a 10-acre orange grove which he received as a wedding gift from his father. He tended this grove up until it grew and expanded into one of California’s largest (Youngblood, 1998). Among his many achievements was the establishment of the Ben Griffin Inc. , being Chairman of the Board of Alico Inc., President of the Florida Citrus Processors Association and Chancellor of Florida Southern College (â€Å"The Great Floridians 2000 Program†, 2006) . He always placed his feet on the ground by thinking as a small-scale entrepreneur rather than a tycoon. He often claims that he would rather know what exactly happen sin his company rather than have a big staff and that he prefers to stick with his policies than adapt policies from â€Å"big companies†. Mr. Griffin is often heard telling his employees to â€Å"Work hard and save† and to â€Å"Start little and watch it grow† (Trussel, 1989).Politically, Mr. Griffin was a democrat and was known to be a member of the Florida Legislature for about 12 years, the Florida Senate for 4 years and finally in the Florida House of Representatives for 8 years. He lost to Reubin Askew in the bid for being the Governor of Florida in 1974 (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jr. †, 2006). Despite this, he passed several bills regarding the marketing and improvement of the citrus industry during his time as a law-maker, earning him high regards as the foremost authority in citrus-growing. Mr. Griffin Jr.died in March 1, 1990 and his death was considered to be a great lost not only for the citrus industry but also to the State of California as well. A year before his death, he was named by Forbes Magazine as one of the 400 hundred richest Americans at that time (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jrâ € , 2006). His legacy has been passed on to his son, Ben Griffin III when he was named as Chairman of the Board and CEO of Alico Inc. One of the many companies that his father established during his lifetime. Like his father, Ben Griffin III exhibited strong work values during his 14 year tenure in Alico Inc.Among Ben Griffin III accomplishments include the establishment of Florida Gulf Coast University’s site, the development of about 15,000 acres of sugar cane in Florida and the expansion of the company’s agricultural aspects (â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin III Steps Down as Chairman of Alico Inc. †, 2004). U. S. Representative Katherine Harris, Ben Hill Griffin’s granddaughter, on the other hand inherited his grandfather’s political sense. She now serves as a 2nd term house member of Florida’s 13th Congressional District (â€Å"Katherine Harris†, 2006).Ben Hill Griffin’s down-to-Earth nature and achievements are not only remember ed by his political colleagues but also by the people who are very close to him: his employees. As one employee puts it â€Å"If Mr. Griffin ain't fussing at you a little bit, he don't like you. † References â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin Jr†. Wikipedia. (2006). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Ben_Hill_Griffin â€Å"Ben Hill Griffin III Steps Down as Chairman of Alico Inc†. (2004). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2004_Feb_26/ ai_113657585/print â€Å"Katherine Harris†. Wikipedia.(2006). Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Katherine_Harris#Trivia â€Å"The Great Floridian 2000 Program†. (2006). State of Florida. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. flheritage. com/services/sites/floridians/? section=f Trussel, Tait. (1989). The Last of the Citrus Barons-Ben Hill Griffin Jr. U. S. Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. findarticles . com/p/articles/mi_ m1154/is_n2_v77/ai_7002416/print Youngblood, Garret E. (1998). Ben Hill Griffin. The Ledger. Retrieved July 29, 2006 from http://www. theledger. com/static/top50/pages/griffin. html

Should I Add Supplemental Recommendation Letters

Should I Add Supplemental Recommendation Letters SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Maybe you spent the last year interning in a business and know your supervisor could write a stellar letter about your work ethic and passion for economics. Or you have a long term music teacher who can speak to your lifelong dedication to playing the piano. Or maybe you attend a school with thousands of students and feel like you’ve barely said ten words to your counselor or classroom teachers all year long. If any of these scenarios hits home, then you might be considering sending a supplemental recommendation letter along with your college application. Before sending any extra materials, though, you should think hard about whether it’s the right course of action. This guide will discuss when it’s appropriate to send supplemental recommendations and when you’d be better off holding back. To start, what are some reasons students think they should send an additional rec letter? Why Might You Send a Supplemental Recommendation Letter? If you’ve worked closely with someone outside of school, like a mentor, studio teacher, employer, advisor, coach, or spiritual leader, then you might consider asking him/her to provide you with a supplemental letter of recommendation. Before going ahead and making your request, consider what exactly your reasons are. Below, I’ll discuss some good reasons for sending a supplemental rec, followed by some not so good reasons for sending one. If your reasons fall into the former category, then your next step is to find out how your colleges feel about additional recs. Every school is different, which you’ll see in some of the official policies below. Before delving into that, though, take a look at some strong and weak reasons for sending an extra recommendation. Strong Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation These are a few good reasons to consider submittinga supplemental recommendation, if your college allows it. Think about whether any of these reasons apply to you and your extra rec letter. It Adds an Essential Perspective Perhaps the best reason is that this recommendation would provide a valuable and unique perspective on you as a student and person that your other recommendation letters would not. Recommendations should shed light on your personal qualities, goals, and attitude toward learning, so a supplemental rec must be especially meaningful and revealing to justify sending with your application. Some students feel that their application would be incomplete without input from this recommender. For instance, a spiritual leader might be able to discuss the central role that faith and community service has played in your life. A research project advisor could talk about your college-level investigations in the lab. In some way, this person could add something essential that you feel admissions officers need to know. In this case, a supplemental letter could have a positive impact on your application. Want to provide a strong recommendation for your employee, but don't have the time to craft the perfect letter? PrepScholar's new recommendation tool, SimpleRec, takes you from good intentions and a blank page to a fully written and formatted letter of recommendation in under 5 minutes. All you need to do is give us some simple pieces of information about your employee and your experience working with them, and we'll do the rest. Try out SimpleRec risk-free today: You Barely Know Your Academic Recommenders Another reason you might consider adding a letter- assuming you have a special recommender in mind- is to make up for lackluster letters from school officials you barely know. If you attended a huge school with large student to teacher and student to counselor ratios, then it may have been next to impossible to get to know your recommenders well. Perhaps you’re worried that your letters will be generic, impersonal, and vague. In this situation, I would first and foremost recommend setting up appointments with your counselor and teachers to discuss your goals and what you’d like to go into your letter, as well as give them a detailed resume and brag sheet. If you know that your letters will still be insufficient, then adding a supplemental rec from someone who knows you well could be a reasonable course of action. Finally, some colleges actually suggest that you add a non-academic perspective to your application. Your College Suggests It Some colleges explicitly encourage, though don’t require, the submission of a personal recommendation, as from a peer, family member, spiritual leader, or other source. Any time your school encourages that you send something, it’s a good idea to send that material. Now that you have a sense of some good reasons that justify sending a supplemental recommendation, let’s take a look at the flip side. What are some bad reasons for sending an extra letter? Weak Reasons to Send a Supplementary Recommendation Sending a supplemental rec is only a good idea if you really have put a lot of thought and intention behind it. Check out some reasons that don't support sending an extra letter. You Think "More Is Better" If you’re sending one simply because you think it’s a good idea to go beyond what the college requires, think again! Many admissions officers look unfavorably on extra, unsolicited material, especially if it doesn’t add much beyond what’s already there. Requirements are there for a reason; colleges can decide on an application based on what they asked for, and they generally don’t want students to send lots of extra materials and slow down the review process. Again, each college is different, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. But if you’re only sending an extra letter for the sake of sending an extra letter, then that’s not a good enough reason to do so. Or put another way, don’t assume that more is better without first researching your colleges’ policies. In a similar vein, extra material could actually shine a spotlight on, rather than distract from, weaknesses in other parts of your application. You Want to Make Up for Weaknesses in Your Application Another weak reason is that you think an additional letter will make up for other parts of your application. In fact, your supplemental letter could have the opposite effect by alerting admissions committees that you feel insecure about the strength of your candidacy. An extra recommendation won’t necessarily balance out a weak extracurricular section. There’s an old saying in admissions, â€Å"The thicker the file, the thicker the kid.† This saying means that students who send too many additional documents may not have the credentials to get accepted based on the required materials. A bunch of extras could raise red flags, rather than impress admissions officers, about your merit. Your Parents Know the Mayor Another mistake, though not all that common, is that students send a rec from a famous or prestigious person, thinking the name will stand out and impress admissions officers. As discussed above, letters should come from people who know you well and can give you a meaningful evaluation. A famous recommender won't impress the committee on its own; if you don't really know the person, but just have a family connection, it could come off as superficial name-dropping. You Don't Trust Your Academic Recommenders I mentioned above that a supplemental rec can make up for generic academic recommendations. However, this applies if and only if you have a special external recommender in mind. Plus, you should have a strong reason for needing to rely on an outside source, like a huge high school with low teacher or counselor interaction. If you had the opportunity to get to know your faculty, but still feel like strangers, then you should push yourself to connect with them more by participating in class and setting up meetings. If you don't know your teachers or counselor well or don't trust them to do a good job, you should spring into action (those teacher and counselor recs are important!). There are steps you can take to meet with your recommenders and share information that will help them personalize your letter. Again, if this is your only reason for asking an external recommender, but you don’t have a special person in mind, then you’d probably be better off communicating with your teachers and counselors and doing everything you can to help them produce effective letters. Besides examining and evaluating your personal reasons for wanting to send a supplemental rec, you should also research your colleges’ policies. Schools have different stances, but they also repeat some of the samethemes, as you’ll see below. Never a good idea tooverwhelm admissions officers with lots of extra materials. How Do Colleges Feel About Supplemental Recommendations? There aren’t too many colleges that outright prohibit supplementary letters of recommendation, but some advise caution or subtly discourage their submission. A college, for instance, might state that it shaped its requirements intentionally and don’t want applicants to send more or less than what they asked for. Other colleges stress that a supplemental recommendation is only a good idea if it really adds something important and substantial to "the story of you." This stance puts pressure on you to decide whether or not your letter is worth sending. A few other schools, like Emory, actually invite a personal recommendation. Again, any time a school suggests that you do something extra, make sure to do it! Consider it like any other requirement. You may be able to find this information on your college’s admissions website. If not available- some sites are more detailed than others- then give the admissions office a call and ask how the committee feels about supplemental recs. It’s important to do your research on all aspects of your application. To help you out, we’ve compiled some statements from a few schools on supplemental recommendations. Note the frequent emphasis that it must add something substantial to your application to justify sending it along. Select Schools and Their Stances on Supplemental Recommendation Letters Perhaps the students who are most guilty of sending unnecessary extra material are those applying to selective schools. In trying to stand out from the competition, they send additional materials. However, you’ll see that some of these selective schools also want you to be extremely selective about what you send... Yale says, â€Å"If you feel the need to submit extra information, you may ask one additional recommender to write on your behalf. Please do not solicit this additional letter unless you feel it will add substantially to your application. The writer should know you well personally or have mentored you closely in some capacity. For example, if you have engaged in advanced scientific research, you should consider asking your research mentor to write a letter of recommendation for you.† Columbia is more specific about what external source can recommend you (and more explicit about discouraging supplemental recs): "We welcome an additional letter of recommendation if the writer has worked with you in a researcher or college course capacity...The Committee discourages the submission of additional recommendations, as admissions decisions will be based primarily on the required recommendations from your high school teachers and secondary school/guidance counselor." The University of Penn also allows one extra letter: "If an applicant would like to submit another letter of recommendation beyond this requirement, we strongly recommend that it is not from another academic teacher. Examples of an appropriate recommender include an athletic coach, an internship or research supervisor, a boss at a part-time job, or a local clergy member. These additional recommendations are only helpful if the recommender knows the student personally and can write specifically about him or her." Princeton doesn’t exactly encourage supplementals, but it allows them if they provide something novel and meaningful: "We believe that the required teacher and guidance counselor references give us much of the information we need to make thoughtful, well-informed decisions. Additional letters are only helpful if the person writing the recommendation knows the candidate well and can provide new, detailed information." Brown similarly emphasizes that supplementals must go above and beyond the other letters: "In our experience, the required counselor recommendation and two teacher recommendations provide all we need to make a thoughtful, informed admission decision. If, however, someone has unique knowledge of certain strengths or accomplishments that would not be addressed in the required recommendations, you are welcome to have another person write on your behalf." Vanderbilt draws on the same theme in a succinct way, emphasizing quality over quantity: "If students wish to submit additional letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, employers, or anyone else who can bring something new to the application, they may include those as well. We strongly advise that these extra letters offer additional information about the applicant, and we encourage a â€Å"quality- over- quantity† approach." Are you applying to MIT? Here’s what they have to say: â€Å"Most applicants, and most admitted students, submit no supplemental recommendations. Some applicants and admitted students submit one supplemental recommendation; a few submit two. Submitting more supplemental recommendations will not disqualify you, but it is rarely necessary.† Sensing a theme? Quality beats quantity every time. If you’re sending a supplemental rec, make sure it truly adds something substantial, important, and not to be missed. Does this sound like a tough call to make? Read on for help on deciding whether or not your supplemental rec is worth sending. How to Decide Whether or Not to Send a Supplemental Recommendation As you can tell, you only want to send a supplemental rec if you feel it can truly help your application. Sending one for no good reason could actually leave a bad impression with admissions officers, effectively making your extra work not just unnecessary, but even harmful to your chances of getting accepted. Assuming your school allows you to submit an extra recommendation online or by mail, you should think about your reasons, along with researching your colleges’ policies, before asking your supplemental recommender for a letter. First, ask yourself if this letter adds value and insight to your application that’s not already there. What exactly does it communicate, and why is it important for admissions officers to know this about you? What new dimension does it add- perhaps related to community service, professional work, long term mentorship, or college level research- and how is this side of you relevant to your success at college? By pinpointing your specific reasons for sending this letter, you can make sure it will add to your application in a substantial way. If you have strong reasons for sending it and your college allows it, then a supplemental letter could round out your application and ensure that admissions officers know everything about you that they need to make a well-informed decision. On the flip side, don’t stress if you don’t have that special recommender outside of school! As Brown says, and most schools agree, â€Å"In our experience, the required...recommendations provide all we need to make a thoughtful, informed admission decision.† What's Next? Not only is it important to think carefully about why and who you're asking for a supplemental recommendation, but you also want to put the same planning into who you ask for teacher recommendations. Check out this guide to learn about who you should ask for a letter of rec. Once you're clear on all your requirements, you want to make sure you collect the strongest letters you can. This guide explains what makes a strong letter of recommendation, and what you can do to help your teachers and counselors write the best ones possible. Finally, considering the perspective on the other side will also help you get the most effective recommendation letters for your application. Learn about what exactly admissions officers are looking for when the read recommendation letters, and why they're so important to your application. 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Free Essays on Adult Learning

Lifelong learning is already a reality for many adults. Some engage in learning to keep up with the rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. However, we know from work carried out in different places that a substantial number of adults do not participate in lifelong learning. Some face barriers to access that arise for a range of reasons, including financial constraints and changing human resource development practices in firms. But for many adults, barriers to participation arise because the available learning opportunities are poorly adapted to their learning needs or the situations in which they find themselves. If lifelong learning is to be a reality for those adults that are now excluded, there is need for more than simply a policy commitment to serve all: we need more policy and program know-how. In April 1998, the U.S. Department of Education, held an international conference on How Adults Learn. The purpose was to further the understanding of how programs and policies could be better adapted to the learning needs of adults who, so far, have been underrepresented in lifelong learning. In our search for sound answers we sought out the views and experience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different parts of the world. The results are a rich set of lessons, some provocative questions, and suggestions for new areas of inquiry. I appreciate the willingness of the U.S. Department of Education to publish these results to make them more widely accessible. It is my hope that the publications will continue to work in this area and nourish a constructive debate that will lead to expanded opportunities for adult lifelong learning Lifelong learning is a reality for adults for a variety of reasons. Some engage in learning to keep up with rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. As adults continue to live longer, and as full participation in society depends increa... Free Essays on Adult Learning Free Essays on Adult Learning Lifelong learning is already a reality for many adults. Some engage in learning to keep up with the rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. However, we know from work carried out in different places that a substantial number of adults do not participate in lifelong learning. Some face barriers to access that arise for a range of reasons, including financial constraints and changing human resource development practices in firms. But for many adults, barriers to participation arise because the available learning opportunities are poorly adapted to their learning needs or the situations in which they find themselves. If lifelong learning is to be a reality for those adults that are now excluded, there is need for more than simply a policy commitment to serve all: we need more policy and program know-how. In April 1998, the U.S. Department of Education, held an international conference on How Adults Learn. The purpose was to further the understanding of how programs and policies could be better adapted to the learning needs of adults who, so far, have been underrepresented in lifelong learning. In our search for sound answers we sought out the views and experience of researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different parts of the world. The results are a rich set of lessons, some provocative questions, and suggestions for new areas of inquiry. I appreciate the willingness of the U.S. Department of Education to publish these results to make them more widely accessible. It is my hope that the publications will continue to work in this area and nourish a constructive debate that will lead to expanded opportunities for adult lifelong learning Lifelong learning is a reality for adults for a variety of reasons. Some engage in learning to keep up with rapid societal changes, others to improve their knowledge and skills. As adults continue to live longer, and as full participation in society depends increa...