PROJECT 1

This data project will address Course Outcomes 1 and 3:

• interpret quantitative information to determine effects of human activity on the environment and to evaluate environmentally sustainable decisions
• effectively communicate and use scientific evidence regarding human impact on the environment with emphasize on sustainability and global citizenship

Description

This data project will be composed of two parts.

In Part I of your report, you will compile class data from the Week 1 Eco Moment on our Ecological Footprints (found in the “Shared Data” Discussion under Ecological Footprint Data) and summarize/analyze it with Excel (or similar spreadsheet program).  Discuss what trend(s) you see in the class data that relate to course concepts.  Think about the best way to present your findings–tabular or graphical form?  There is no “right answer” here, as long as you pick a format that highlights your main findings and support your table(s) and/or graph(s) with clear text that interpret the results.  Do any of the findings surprise you?  Why or why not?

In Part II, you will research and discuss possible solutions to the environmental problems reflected in the class data. Here, you will want to support your argument with reliable, scientific resources (e.g., peer-reviewed scientific papers, white papers, and government websites). Be sure to end with a strong concluding paragraph that summarizes the main data trend(s), along with the merits and relevance of your chosen solution(s).

Format

The page limit for your written report for both Part I and Part II is 2 pages, plus 1 page for the data table/graph(s) you use to present your findings in Part I. The page limit does not include an optional title page, the reference list, and the appendix with the raw class data. The report should be double-spaced with one-inch margins all around and use a 12-pt font.

Here is the order in which to present the various project components:

1. Part I = describe the class data we collected, include the methodology, relevant web tool (if applicable), the mean and sample size for each result, table/graph(s) that depict the main findings and/or trends; interpret the table/graph(s) for the reader
2. Part II = summarize research on possible solutions; be sure to incorporate reliable in-text citations and focus on relevant, attainable solutions
3. Reference List
4. Appendix of Raw Data = screenshot or copy in the Excel table showing all the class data (no analysis or mean)

Assignment Content

1. Select a health care setting you want to focus on for your sustainability initiative (e.g., local hospital, veterans hospital, ambulance service, urgent care, nursing home, etc.).

   Analyze the setting you have selected and break it down to the main departments, employee roles, operating activities, etc. While doing so, brainstorm opportunities to reduce costs or eliminate waste while improving patient care or outcomes.

   Review the list of sustainable initiatives from the list below, and select one that you want to promote for your course project:

   • Energy efficiency
   • Lighting
   • IR scanning
   • Cogeneration
   • Kanban Inventory
   • Device exchange
   • CR pack reformation
   • Device reprocessing
   • Red bag waste reduction
   • Blue wrap recycling
   • Note: Ensure that the opportunity you select correlates with the setting you select. Additionally, if you want to complete a sustainable initiative that is not on the list, obtain approval from your instructor before completing the assignment.

     Identify data sources you might need to collect and analyze for your initiative. Consider contacting people in the industry and at your organization who may be able to help.

     Write a 525- to 700-word proposal of the sustainability initiative you want to promote at the health care setting you selected. Your proposal should:

   • Create a clear vision or mission statement that defines the scope of the initiative and would generate buy-in.
   • Define what outcomes you expect to achieve over time.
   • Be specific with what you can realistically deliver.
   • Cite 3 reputable references to support your assignment (e.g., trade or industry publications, government or agency websites, scholarly works, or other sources of similar quality).

     Format your assignment according to APA guidelines.

Course: ENG201 – The Power of Persuasion
Assignment 1: Laying the Foundations for Making a Case
Due: Week 3
Points: 100

Skill(s) Being Assessed: Problem Solving (Information Literacy)

Criteria for Success: In this assignment, you will:

• Define a topic for a persuasive proposal and explain the importance of the topic to you within the context of the scenario and your own life/career.
• Describe the potential audience for a persuasive proposal and the importance of the topic to the audience within the context of the scenario.
• Identify five credible sources, including one opposing source, relevant to your chosen topic.
• Summarize each source utilizing the who, what, where, when, and why approach.
• Analyze each source to determine evidence that may help you support potential persuasive arguments for your chosen topic.
• Explain how the chosen sources and your planned use of them reflects an ethical approach to information literacy.
• Produce writing that is clear, well-organized, and applies appropriate SWS style. Writing contains accurate grammar, mechanics, and spelling.

What to Submit / Deliverables: A completed Assignment 1 Template (downloaded from the Webtext), and completed as a Word doc.

What is the value of doing this assignment? In your personal, academic, and professional life, you will encounter countless situations where you will need to convince family members, friends, coworkers, committees, and other audiences to adopt new policies, consider different processes and perspectives, or make changes that will impact others. Being able to convince others will allow you to have a voice in your own life and impact the lives of others. In order to do this, you will need to develop strategies for persuasion. You will be more convincing if you are able to provide credible evidence to support your point. Having valid and credible evidence to support our arguments plays a large role in how persuasive you are, how others receive your information, and the credibility you can build for yourself.

In this assignment, you will also have the opportunity to practice your problem solving skill by locating and analyzing sources for validity and credibility. You will analyze how information is used to persuade audiences to adopt or change perspectives and also examine ethical considerations. You will then build upon the information you have gathered and analyzed to plan and write a persuasive proposal in Assignments 2 and 3. Additionally, the information literacy strategies you are practicing can be applied to any source you encounter in the course of your daily life. By understanding how to identify what a source is really saying, you can search for the subtle ways in which it is trying to persuade you. Also, when you understand how to tease out the true meaning of a source, you can better equip yourself to determine if it will be of use to you as you communicate with and attempt to persuade others.

Further, you will continue to develop your innovation skill by brainstorming and considering different solutions for your proposal. You will have the opportunity to select a topic that has some meaning for you and clearly articulate your goal in putting together a persuasive proposal. Having clarity around the topic and goal of your persuasive communications can help you better identify evidence to support your argument. When you are transparent and ethical about your proposal and provide valid evidence, you will have a better chance of making a real impact in the world.

Your goal for this assignment is to: Build your problem solving skill by locating credible and valid sources of evidence and analyzing how those sources can be used to support a persuasive argument in an ethical manner. This assignment will help you define the topic and initial sources of evidence that you will use in Assignments 2 and 3.

Steps to complete: In Week 3, submit your assignment in BlackBoard by following these steps:

STEP 1: Review the scenarios below, which you were introduced to in Week 1. If you have not already, choose the scenario you will use as the basis of your assignment. Then, review Assignment 1 in the Webtext.

If you are wondering which scenario would be best to choose, think about concerns, issues, or projects that you are passionate about in your own life and career. For example, if you keep coming back to how the empty lot on your block would make a great community garden space, you may want to consider choosing Scenario 1. If your workplace is experiencing a delay in receiving supplies, and you want to explore a solution to this problem, you may want to consider choosing Scenario 2.

Scenario 1: You are trying to convince a community group or municipal committee to provide funding for a particular event or initiative to benefit the area (you may also take the stance of asking for a particular policy to be changed). How will you persuade the committee to change their minds?

The problem is a rise in adolescence gun violence/deaths in my city

 

Why is this problem important to you?
This problem is very imperative to me personally for the reason that I see how adolescences are being buried or in incarcerated more than the older generation in my community, and I want to help avert it from rising /Spreading further thought-out our youth. Police department or the justice system aren’t doing anything to help cease the violence they just set back and do nothing. Most of these youth feel alone due to parent abandonment, lack of direction, drugs so they are turning to the streets for comfort and there is no one to guide them. The neighborhood is concerned so bad they don’t even want to allow their children outside to be social.

Example Topics for Community Proposals

• Converting existing space into a new park, garden, playground, or community center.
• Funding for a celebratory cultural diversity event.
• New recycling/conservation program.
• Fundraising event for a particular program/cause you support.
• Preserving a cultural monument or artifact.
• Instituting/removing a community curfew.
• Transportation options (e.g., bike lanes, bike sharing, other options to reduce traffic).

Week 8 Assignment – Ethical Decisions in Accounting

Scenario

Paige Carter is the controller for a public organization in Nashville, TN. She has just completed a meeting with the organization’s CFO, Tommy Rich. Tommy Rich tried to convince Paige to classify some inventory items as fixed assets in an attempt to depreciate more assets for the upcoming accounting reporting period. Tommy Rich’s proposal would depreciate more assets by misclassifying inventory as fixed assets in an attempt to reduce net income. Paige knows it is her responsibility to ensure that all items on the organization financial statements are recorded properly as required by the FASB and the AICPA Professional Code of Conduct. She has a great deal of pressure to reduce net income to reduce corporate income taxes and qualify for a company bonus. She does not want to disappoint the CFO, and her job may be at stake.

• What would you do in this case? Why?
• What is Paige’s obligation to the organization, AICPA professional rules of conduct and reporting requirements?
• Discuss the differences between inventory and fixed assets. Are the characteristics the same? Why or why not?
• What would motivate you to speak up? What would cause you to stay silent? Would it make a difference if this was only a one-time request from the CFO?

Instructions

Prepare an 8–9 slide PowerPoint presentation in which you:

Slide 1: Include the title “Paige Carter and the CFO,” the date, course name and number, date of submission, and your professor’s name.

Slide 2: Summarize the scenario for the CFO.

Slide 3: Outline the advantages of accurate reporting and why inventory should or should not be classified as a fixed asset.

Slide 4: Outline the disadvantages of accurate reporting and why inventory should or should not be classified as a fixed asset.

Slide 5: List the major differences between inventory and fixed assets.

Slide 6: Show the primary ways in which both classifications would affect the future of the business (why should we classify inventory and fixed assets in the same account or separate accounts?).

Slide 7: Recommend which option they should pursue. Justify your reporting decision.

Slide 8: Sources – Use two sources to support your writing. Choose sources that are credible, relevant, and appropriate. Cite each source listed on your source page at least one time within your assignment. For help with research, writing, and citation, access the library or review library guides.