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Write my Personal Statement. Write my Admission Letter

Below are the requirements for the Statement; In 3-5 double spaced pages, please write a statement of purpose. Your statement should address the following:

How has your professional, volunteer and academic experience prepared you for graduate social work education and contributed to your decision to be a professional social worker?

Provide specific examples from your professional, volunteer or academic experience to explain your answer.

Make sure to describe your role and the organizational, community and social context for your experience.

What particular aspects or special fields of social work interest you most?

What contributions will you make to the school community and to your fellow students?

How do you plan to manage the rigorous demands of graduate course work and field education?

Critical Thinking for Decision Makers in a VUCA World

Critical Thinking Essay

A core skill of successful business people is the ability to write relevant, concise, and impactful documents.  The purpose of this individual assignment is to write a short essay for you to demonstrate your writing ability and critical thinking skills.  As part of the assignment, you need to analyze and integrate selected reference sources, “connect the dots” across them, and summarize your conclusions in an executive format (1000 words or less).

Format: The essay cannot exceed 1000 words (not counting references).  Please include the word count at the end of the paper.  The essay must be typed in Word, using 1.5 space, 1-inch margins (top, bottom, sides) and a 11-size font.  Cite in a bibliography all information that is not your opinion.  Remember to write your name on page 1 and add a relevant title that captures the essence of the content.

Evaluation criteria:  The essay will be graded on content and style, based on the criteria below.  Each item will receive 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of the individual weight (total: 10 points).

Criteria	Unsatisfactory: 25%	<->	Excellent: 100%
Organization & flow (2)	Writing lacks logical organization. Ideas show little coherence and a lack of unity. Essay flow is not smooth or has serious errors.		Writing shows high degree of attention to logic and reasoning of points. Essay flows clearly and leads reader to the conclusion.
Grammar & spelling (1)	The essay has spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors that make it difficult to read.		The essay is free of distracting spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors.
Style & format (1)	Difficult to read, with little or no variety in sentence structure and style.  Fails to follow format and assignment requirements.		Clear yet sophisticated; creative use of sentences and ideas makes it stimulating to read.  Meets all formal and assignment requirements.
Thesis & argument (2)	Argument is vague or confusing; only implied or not stated early on; not argued throughout. Parts are not integrated.		Interesting, arguable, incisive; stated early on and presented throughout.  Parts are integrated into a holistic argument.
Critical thinking (2)	Main points lack detailed development and do not support the thesis.  Ideas are vague and lack connection across assigned sources, included those discussed in class.		Main points well developed and insightful with high quality and quantity support.  Essay connects ideas from assigned sources, included those discussed in class.
Sources & evidence (2)	No evidence of or reference to assigned sources. Used as a filler, if used at all.  Incorrectly quoted and/or cited.		Well-chosen and deployed; quoted and/or cited correctly.  Shows how evidence supports thesis.

Instructions

During the first week of the course, we discussed the importance of critical thinking for decision makers who have to operate in a VUCA world.  We also discussed the detrimental impact of groupthink and cognitive biases, which we referred to as the “enemies” of critical thinking (see slides 24 to 28 in Module 1).

As defined in one of the module pre-read articles, “groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness, in a group may produce a tendency among its members to agree at all costs. This causes the group to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation.”

As dicscussed, the risks of groupthink are exponentially aggravated by the widespread use of social media, in particular for your generation (“How social media encourages groupthink”.)

Below you will find a few recent articles that discuss real-life examples of potential groupthink in current affairs that you need to read and analyze for purposes of completing this assignment.

1. Media organizations/publications have always had a major impact on shaping public opinion and they still do, as observed in some recent manifestations of “cancel culture”.  Several critical thinkers have raised their voices of concern as they fear that mainstream media bias has become a clear example of groupthink in action.
   1. 462 financial journalists were asked their political leanings.
   2. The “liberal leaning” media has passed its tipping point.
   3. New York Times opinion editor fired for publishing article by Republican Senator.
   4. Bari Weiss’s resignation letter.
   5. Wall Street Journal: A note to readers.
2. Unfortunately—and adding to the health, economic, and social challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic— there have been some clear signs of groupthink in the way in which a portion of America’s media has covered the epidemic, as described in the following articles:
   1. Covid-19 skepticism puts author Alex Berenson at center of Amazon controversy.
   2. Millennials think their risk from Covid-19 is exponentially more than the true threat.
   3. Untangling the media myths of Covid-19
3. Taken together, groupthink, media sensationalism, and lack of critical thinking lead people to form a view of the world that is obsessed with outliers. Outliers can be very informative data points, but outlier-driven decision making could be a recipe for disaster. As explained in this article, “obsession with a handful of outlier cases results in terrible policy making”.
4. Throughout history, one of the best antidotes to groupthink has been listening to contrarians who have the courage to elevate their critical thinking voices—often supported by data and facts—to combat prevailing dogmas (think of “heretics” such as Galileo). A contemporary example is Yinon Weiss who has openly criticized the logic behind the Covid-19 lockdowns in a series of four articles in Real Clear Politics.
5. As a critical thinker, you may want to check the FAU College of Business Covid-19 Florida tracker that presents relevant data in a visually appealing and informative manner.

After reading these articles, reflect critically on what you have read and write a short essay that address the following critical thinking questions, while “connecting the dots” across the different reference sources:

• What do you think is the level of exposure that you and others in your generation have to media groupthink and bias? What is the risk of such exposure?  Why is this case?  Whenever relevant, cite examples from your readings.
• At a personal level, what strategies would you use to recognize and counter such exposure and risks? How would you help a friend or colleague whom you believe “suffers from a dangerous attack of groupthink”? Whenever relevant, cite examples from your readings.
• Since organizations are made up of individuals who are subject to groupthink and cognitive biases, companies’ decision-making processes are often plagued by the desire of leaders and employees to prioritize harmony and conformity in the group rather than advocate a different point of view that may challenge the group’s “conventional wisdom”. How would you recognize the presence of such dysfunctional behaviors in group decision-making processes?   How would you personally help your team and organization to overcome such behaviors?  Whenever relevant, cite examples from your readings.

Make sure that you understand the goal of the assignment.  You are not being asked to provide an “opinion” but to reflect on what you have read and address the assignment questions accordingly.

Remember your essay cannot exceed 1,000 words.  This would be your way of attempting to emulate William Shakespeare, who in Hamlet wrote that “brevity is the soul of the wit

 

Green Marketing Activity FTC

In this assignment, you will gain insight into how companies utilize green labeling to help consumers understand what the companies are doing to become better stewards of our environment. You will gain insight into how some companies practice “greenwashing” methods to deceive consumers with false claims of eliminating waste, saving energy, using environmentally friendly products, or using recycling products within their
goods. It is always up to the consumer to be diligent when buying products for themselves or their families.
Research three “green” labeling programs or products on the Internet.
Then, consult the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) Environmental Claims: Summary of the Green Guides. Click here to access the PDF document for the quality of the labels you find.
You may find the Environmental Protection Agency’s Introduction to Ecolabels and Standards for Greener Products valuable information as well,
https://www.epa.gov/greenerproducts/introduction-ecolabels-and-standards-greener-products
For additional help in locating green labels, see the TerraChoice 2010 report, pages 1-30: http://sinsofgreenwashing.com/index35c6.pdf.
Click here to access the assignment template, which is where you will compile the information about the three product labels, and then answer the questions below for each label.
What are the standards associated with the green label?
How does a product or company get the certification for the label?
Do you think that this label is legitimate? Why, or why not?
Does the label comply with the FTC’s Environmental Claims: Summary of the Green Guides? Point out specific points in your summary to which
the label does or does not comply.
Would the presence of this label influence your purchasing decision? Why, or why not?
Once you have answered the aforementioned questions regarding each of the three product labels, write a one-page summary about green labeling and greenwashing using the information you gathered from your three labels, and incorporate information from the Tsai and Dahl articles in the textbook. All sources used must be referenced using APA format. Submit the completed template to the instructor for grading.

Cultural Relativism and Moral Action

For this assignment propose a scenario where you or someone you know are confronted with a moral dilemma relating to cultural diversity and multiculturalism. It cannot be the same as what was covered in the week one discussion (female circumcison).
Cultural diversity refers to religious, sexual, racial, and other forms of social difference. A moral dilemma is a situation in which one must make a decision between two or more options such that the options involve seemingly ethical and/or unethical conduct. Address the following questions:
What was the situation? What did the dilemma involve?
What would a subjective moral relativist say is the right approach to the dilemma? Why would that kind of relativist say that?
What would a cultural relativist say is the right approach to the dilemma? Why would that kind of relativist say that? Is that approach correct?
What did you the person confronting the dilemma decide to do? What moral justification did they give? Is that approach morally correct?
Was there an objective moral truth (the objectively right thing to do) in this situation? Why or why not?
Remember, the dilemma should be detailed with description and dialogue. Regard the questions as requirements. This is an essay, so rather than simply providing a list of brief answers to questions, provide an in-depth reflection regarding a difficult ethical situation..
Cite the textbook and incorporate outside sources, including citations.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 1.5-2 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 2 scholarly sources)
This is the text book: Rachels, S., & Rachels, J. (2019). The elements of moral philosophy (9th ed.). Mcgraw-Hill Education.

Ethics and Policy of Data Processing
Read the attached four-page file about the Facebook emotional contagion study. This study
caused a great deal of controversy. In your view, was this study conducted ethically? Refer to at
least two of the principles in the Menlo Report in your answer. The researchers state in the paper
that their study “was consistent with Facebook’s Data Use Policy, to which all users agree prior
to creating an account on Facebook, constituting informed consent for this research.” In your
view, is this a good enough justification for the research being ethical? Why/why not?
Your reading response will be graded out of 4 points, as follows:
– 1 point for submission;
– 1 point for correct length (i.e. minimum length 150 words, maximum length 200 words);
– 1 point for addressing the task;
– 1 point for referring to at least three of this week’s readings.
Indicate in your reading response where you are referring to a reading by writing the author’s
name and the year of publication in the appropriate place, e.g., “As Collins (1980) states, the
Challenger disaster was caused by failures of communication…”

Going Green at Petrobas Oil Company

Going Green at an Oil Company

Case study 4 – Going Green at an Oil Company(?)

Case study instructions

1. Read the assigned case discussion provided on another attachment, use below (in red) the questions as a guideline for the submission.
2. Should include an introductory and concluding paragraph, as well as headings.
3. Include a biblical perspective with scripture included relevant to the topics covered in the Case Study scenario
4. 8 pages, NOT including the cover, abstract, or reference pages\

5. 6 Scholarly reference

———————————————————————————————————————

Questions (will also include them on the case study attachment)

1. What triggered Gabrielli’s commitment to going green at Petrobras?
2. How would you evaluate Petrobras’ sustainability effort? What have they done well and or not so well in the transformation?
3. Do you agree with Gabrielli’s assessment of the success of green policies at Petrobras? Explain.

Going Green at an Oil Company(?)

 

For many people, the notion of environmental sustainability does not fit well—if at all—with a giant oil company. This is an industry, it would seem, that thrives on the ever‐increasing consumption of fossil fuels, not to mention environmental catastrophes such as oil spills. José Sergio Gabrielli de Azevedo, CEO of Brazil‐based oil giant Petrobras since 2005, says he is determined to change that image.

 

Gabrielli describes his personal politics as progressive and leftist, pointing to his 1970 arrest by the Brazilian army as he was protesting his country’s then military dictatorship. After receiving a PhD in economics and joining the faculty of the London School of Economics, Gabrielli joined Petrobras in 2003 as Chief Financial Officer. His fast rise to the top was helped by his close personal and political ties with Brazil’s ruling Workers’ Party.

A State Company

Petrobras was founded by the government in 1953 under the nationalist slogan, “The petroleum is ours!” Petrobras held a monopoly until 1997, when the government gave up its complete ownership (although it still controls a majority of voting stock) and allowed for competition. Since then, the company has compiled a troubling history of disasters. In January 2000, a poorly maintained pipeline spilled oil into Guanabara Bay for two hours before the leak was detected. Six months later, a Petrobras refinery spewed millions of gallons of oil into two nearby rivers. A BBC news report referred to “an embarrassing level of incompetence” on the part of Petrobras managers. Then, less than a year later, a Petrobras drilling platform—the world’s largest at the time—blew up, killing 11 employees and dumping 300,000 gallons of oil into the water. Gabrielli saw that troubled history as a business problem to be solved as well as an environmental threat to be addressed. “From a purely financial perspective,” he said, “environmental mismanagement was just bad business. From an investor relations perspective, ignoring the growing demand for transparency and sustainability was also bad business.” Plus, added Gabrielli, his personal values and political beliefs led him to move Petrobras into a position of environmental leadership.

Gabrielli Acts

In pursuit of his goal, Gabrielli took a number of steps:

 

• Increasing the budget of the company’s health, safety, and environment programs
• Using the enormous market clout of Petrobras (which was the largest company in Latin America) to demand that all of its suppliers comply with best standards for environmental management
• Personally touring sites to check compliance with company standards
• Moving Petrobras’ new refineries away from gasoline and toward biofuels
• Joining the Dow Jones Sustainability Index in order to invite external monitoring of and reporting on Petrobras’ efforts
• Endorsing (and sitting on the board of) the United Nations Global Compact
• Personally blogging and tweeting in order to make the case for Petrobras’ efforts directly to the public.

As evidence that these activities were changing the culture and operations of Petrobras, Gabrielli pointed to two facts:

• The company had gone eight years without a “major” environmental accident.
• The private consulting firm, Management and Excellence, ranked Petrobras as number one among the world’s oil and gas companies for promoting sustainability.

 

Petrobras’ 5‐Year Strategic Plan, announced in 2010, called for additional investment in refining capacity. The company’s goal was to make Brazil fuel independent by 2014. That independence, it was hoped, would be supplied by Petrobras’ 2008 discovery of a major oil reserve coming from a vast deep water off‐shore region known as the subsalt. Later that same year, however, the Gulf of Mexico oil spill—a British Petroleum rig exploded, killing 11 workers and pouring nearly 185 million gallons of oil into the Gulf—raised questions about the viability and the costs of future deep-water drilling.

How Green Is Petrobras?

In 2010, Newsweek conducted an audit of the top ranking “green” companies in the world. The highest-ranking companies—IBM, Hewlett‐Packard, Novartis, and Panasonic among them—received an overall score in the 90s. The highest-ranking oil and gas company, French‐based Total, received a score of 65. Petrobras’ score was 48, placing it sixth in the list of oil and gas companies and 84th overall in the top 100 companies. In fact, five of the bottom ten on that list were oil and gas companies.

Read “Changing to Green at an Oil Company (?)” and use these questions as a guideline for the submission.

1. What triggered Gabrielli’s commitment to going green at Petrobras?
2. How would you evaluate Petrobras’ sustainability effort? What have they done well and or not so well in the transformation?
3. Do you agree with Gabrielli’s assessment of the success of green policies at Petrobras? Explain.

 

 

Essay on Politics Nixon and Machiavelli

Please write an essay in which you analyze the excerpt from Niccolo Machiavelli’s book, The
Prince, that appears in our Barnet book. The purpose of an analytical essay is to divide a topic
into several sections in order to give the reader a better understanding of it. Machiavelli’s thesis
is this: “. . . it is necessary for a prince [political leader] wishing to hold his own to know how to do
wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity” (644). Machiavelli seems to be
arguing here that “the ends justify the means” (although he never actually uses this phrase in
The Prince).
Based on Niccolo Machiavelli’s arguments, does the character of President Richard M. Nixon in
director Oliver Stone’s film Nixon represent a Machiavellian “Prince”? Why or why not? If your
answer is “yes,” explain how Nixon’s words and actions illustrate the advice Machiavelli offers to
political leaders.

Divide Machiavelli’s argument into several sections in order to give your audience a better
understanding of it. Machiavelli’s thesis is this: “. . . it is necessary for a prince [political leader]
wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to
necessity” (644). Machiavelli seems to be arguing here that “the ends justify the means”
(although he never actually uses this phrase in The Prince).
Please use examples from each of the following sources to support your thesis:
Machiavelli’s The Prince.
Oliver Stone’s film Is President Richard M. Nixon, as portrayed in the film, a Machiavellian
politician? You may argue for or against Machiavelli and/or Nixon, if you wish. If you are arguing
against Machiavelli, you may use examples of Nixon’s failures (such as the Watergate scandal
and the bombing of Cambodia) to support your argument. If you are arguing in favor of
Machiavelli, you may use examples of Nixon’s successes (such as the opening of friendly
relations with China) to support your thesis.
Your own knowledge of politics and politicians. You may include information on the historical
Richard M. Nixon, and/or other historical or contemporary leaders (such as President Donald
Trump).
THE MOVIE NIXON: https://youtu.be/n7MP9H3D9XA

Organizational Ethics Paper

Code of Ethics

Find a professional organization within your future career.  Go to their website and look up the organization’s “Code of Ethics”.  If you are not familiar with professional organizations in your area of interest, the book lists examples in each chapter about the discipline.  For example, if you are FND, go to Chapter 6 and you will find organization ideas and their websites.  If you would like to look at FCS organizations, Figure 3-3 on page 50 gives a list of organizations and websites too.

After reading through the organization’s code of ethics, provide a 1 to 2 sentence explanation of 5 of the 6 each area listed below.  In addition, provide one example of how you will address each of the following code of conduct areas.

For example, I might look at the Faculty Code of Conduct at ISU and state I will not share student grades with other students and faculty as an example of 3, confidentiality.  Or I might look at the National Association for the Education of Young Children’s Code of Ethics.  I would define that competence means being current in the latest early childhood trends.  Then I would provide an example such as attending a conference on brain development.

Organization Researched:

1. Honesty
2. Nondiscrimination
3. Confidentiality
4. Competence
5. Conflicts of interest
6. Abuse of power

5 areas researched (2pts per area for 10 points possible)

You can submit this via Word.doc in the Assignment Tool

*** Rubric is posted with the assignment link