Factors Affecting Quality Of Higher Education Education Essay

Factors Affecting Quality Of Higher Education Education Essay The higher education sector is very crucial in education and has a leading role in all walks of life. When providing for quality education quality products can be produced. Higher education provided by the public sector in Mauritius is unable to meet the demands for a seat at the university. Private sector institutions are competing with the public sector institutions in education. The number of higher education institutions in both sectors in Mauritius is increasing. Thus, the study is aimed at analysing the quality of education offered at the University of Mauritius. The purposes of the study were; (a) To analyze the quality of services offered by the University of Mauritius. (b) To investigate the quality of students of the University of Mauritius. (c) To understand the level of increasing demands for courses at the University of Mauritius. The population of study was students from the different faculties of the University of Mauritius. The sample was two hundred full-time students; all attending a degree programme from the five faculties of the university. Data were tabulated, the amount of variables was reduced using the principal component analysis (factor analysis) and then analyzed using a logistic regression. Chapter 1: Introduction Higher education usually includes advanced education consisting of three to seven years after graduation leading to some specialisation to qualify for a professional activity or for employment in executive positions in business, industry, or government service. In Mauritius, higher education is the top most level of three sector education system. Higher education is the most important level of education because it develops the manpower for the country that leads the nation in giving insight into its future ideals, resources, problems and its solutions. The future of a nation depends largely on the quality of people groomed in the institution of higher education. Higher education in Mauritius can be traced back to the establishment of the School of Agriculture within the Department of Agriculture in 1914, which became integrated into the UoM when it was established in 1965.After that, many institutions have been established in the private and public sector that are providing higher education in the fields of medical, engineering, information technology, computer sciences, business studies and commerce. With the growing role of private institutions in catering higher education, the need was felt to evaluate the quality of education and services offered at the University of Mauritius which is a public sector institution. All over the world the universities are recognised as centres of higher learning, which are considered as expedients agents of development in the nation building. Universities generate, disseminate and utilise knowledge. As primary contributors to economic growth, they produce scientists, engineers, professionals, technicians, scholars, managers and men of exquisite capabilities. The capacity of a nation to develop economically, socially, politically and culturally derives largely from the power to develop and utilize the capabilities of its people. Chapter 2: Literature Review Higher Education The term higher education is usually used to distinguish courses of study, which result in the award of a degree, Diploma or similar advanced qualification, for various kinds of further education (Lawton and Gordon. 1993). Higher education constitutes the stage of education which starts after 15 years of schooling for the intellectual work and advanced training of students for their effective leadership role in all walks of national life. Tertiary education level is higher than that attainable on completion of a full secondary education. An accepted definition of higher education is that higher education requi res as minimum requirements for admission, the successful completion of secondary education or evidence of the acquisition of an equivalent level of knowledge (Terry and Thomas, 1979). Higher education includes all education above level of the secondary school given in Colleges, Universities Graduate Schools, Professional Schools, Technical Colleges and Normal Schools (Good, 1973). Higher education is simply the highest part of the education system, in terms of students progression, the acquisition of education qualifications, its status and its influence over the rest of the educational system. Higher education is said to impart the deepest understanding in the minds of students, rather than the relatively superficial grasp that might be acceptable elsewhere in the system. In higher education, nothing can be taken on trust and the students have to think for themselves so as to be able to stand on their own feet, intellectually speaking (Barnett, 1997). Higher education is thought to advance students to the frontiers of knowledge through their being taught by those who are working in that difficult territory. Sanyal (1982) says that in order to achieve the new international order, there is the need for integrating socio-economic policies with educational policies in each country, as stronger co-operation amongst the third world countries in field of higher education. Development of higher education should not only be contingent upon economic development to achieve the new international order but should promote the development of culture in view often fact that role of science and technology, the life-style and the very sense and value of life under-go changes in the future. Objectives of higher education All over the world the universities are recognised as centres of higher learning, which are considered as expedient agents of development in the nation building. Universities generate, disseminate and utilise knowledge. As primary contributors to economic growth, they produce scientists, engineers, professionals, technicians, scholars, managers and men of exquisite capabilities. The goal of higher education is to meet two principal needs: socio-cultural and developmental of a country. Higher education is an opportunity for individuals to develop their potential. It fulfils the needs for high-level manpower in a society. Its objectives include cultural and material development. It produces individuals who are morally sound and capable of multifarious roles in the society. It is a medium and vehicle for achieving an objective of higher vision, should endeavours, with commitment and larger spending, in higher education (Govt. Of Pakistan, 1999). A countrys social and economic development depends on the nature and level of higher education. This fact is revealed by the statements and findings concluded by the prominent educationists and decision-makers. In the developed countries, the role of higher education in production of high quality human capital is quite evident. The Governor of the State of Kentucky, Paul Patten, once said, I have staked my success as governor on changing the way we deliver higher education to our people. Education and economic development are the twin rails that will lead us to a higher plateau and help us achieve our goal of raising the standard of living in our state. My experience in creating jobs, as the secretary of the economic development, during my term as lieutenant governor, has helped me focus on the needs of our businesses. Those businesses are the customers of our product: the graduates in higher education. Increased technology and global competition demand that we develop our students s kills and mental capacity so they can share in the tremendous prosperity of our nation. He further emphasized on the quality of higher education and the need for its improvement. He commented, higher education is in trouble. The warning signs could not be clear. Its users (students and families) think it charges a premium price for an increasingly mediocre service. Its primary suppliers (secondary schools) often fail to deliver material that meets minimum standards, and its beneficiaries (employers) often are frustrated by the quality of the finished product (McGill,1992). Factors affecting Quality of Higher Education The quality of higher education may be enhanced through providing proper professional training to the teachers by revising the existing curricula. Higher education is the most important level of education because it develops the manpower for the country that leads the nation in giving insight into its future ideals, resources, problems, and its solutions. The future of a nation depends largely on the quality of people groomed in the institution of higher education. Factors that contribute the most are the level of competency of teachers, curricula and the standards of students intake, in the deteriorating quality of higher education. Nevertheless inappropriate funding for student support services, libraries, journals, books, ill equipped laboratories and lack of repair facilities for equipment and non qualified staff are crucial factors in education. Salaries and other allowances consume the university budget, thus, little is left for the items so essential for raising the quality of education. Budgetary constraints, particularly for operation, adversely affect the quality of teaching, especially practical training. 2.3.1 Students Experiences Students experiences of their learning and the teaching in the subjects they are studying are one of the more ubiquitous sources of information about the quality of teaching for institutions and individual academics. 2.3.2 Student to Staff Ratios While at the level of the institution student: staff ratios (SSRs) may seem to be a direct consequence of funding levels, institutions in practice spend funds on buildings, on administration, on central services, on marketing, on teachers undertaking research, and so on, to very varying extents, rather than spending it all on teaching time. Low SSRs offer the potential to arrange educational practices that are known to improve educational outcomes. First, close contact with teachers is a good predictor of educational outcomes (Pascarella and Terenzini, 2005) and close contact is more easily possible when there are not too many students for each teacher to make close contact with. Second, the volume, quality and timeliness of teachers feedback on students assignments are also good predictors of educational outcomes and again this requires that teachers do not have so many assignments to mark that they cannot provide enough, high-quality feedback, promptly. A gain, low SSRs do not guar antee good feedback or feedback from experienced teachers. 2.3.3 Classroom-Size Meta-analysis of large numbers of studies of class-size effects has shown that the more students there are in a class, the lower the level of student achievement (Glass and Smith, 1978, 1979). Other important variables are also negatively affected by class size, such as the quality of the educational process in class (what teachers do), the quality of the physical learning environment, the extent to which student attitudes are positive and the extent of them exhibiting behaviour conducive to learning (Smith and Glass, 1979). These negative class-size effects are greatest for younger students and smallest for students 18 or over (ibid.), but the effects are still quite substantial in higher education. Lindsay and Paton-Saltzberg (1987) found in an English polytechnic that the probability of gaining an A grade is less than half in a module enrolling 50-60 than it is in a module enrolling less than 20. Large classes have negative effects not only on performance but also on the quality o f student engagement: students are more likely to adopt a surface approach in a large class (Lucas et al., 1996) and so to only try to memorise rather than attempt to understand. 2.3.4 Class Contact Hours The number of class contact hours has very little to do with educational quality, independently of what happens in those hours, what the pedagogical model is, and what the consequences are for the quantity and quality of independent study hours. Independent study hours, to a large extent, reflect class contact hours: if there is less teaching then students study more and if there is more teaching students study less, making up total hours to similar totals regardless of the ratio of teaching to study hours (Vos, 1991). However, some pedagogic systems use class contact in ways that are very much more effective than others at generating effective independent study hours. A review of data from a number of studies by Gardiner (1997) found an average of only 0.7 hours of out-of-class studying for each hour in class, in US colleges. I n contrast each hour of the University of Oxfords tutorials generate on average 11 hours of independent study (Trigwell and Ashwin, 2004). 2.3.5 Teaching Qualifications Teachers who have teaching qualifications (normally a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, or something similar) have been found to be rated more highly by their students than teachers who have no such qualification (Nasr et al., 1996). This finding was in a context where obtaining such a qualification was largely voluntary, and those who have the qualification might be considered to be different in some way from those who have not, and this could be argued to invalidate the comparison. The difference might concern the extent of professionalism or commitment to teaching, but nevertheless there was no control group in the study. A longitudinal study that overcomes this objection has examined the impact over time on students ratings of their teachers, and on teachers thinking about teaching, of (mainly) compulsory initial training during their first year of university teaching, in eight countries. It found improvements on every scale of the Student E valuation of Educational Q uality, a questionnaire developed in the US (Marsh, 1982) and tested for use in the U K (Coffey and Gibbs, 2000), and improvements in the sophistication of teachers thinking (as measured by the Approaches to Teaching Inventory, a measure of teaching that predicts the quality of student learning, Trigwell et al., 2004). This improvement in measures of teaching quality could not be attributed to mere maturation or experience as teachers in a control group in institutions without any initial training were found to get worse over their first year, on the same measures (Gibbs and Coffey, 2004). Functions of higher education The capacity of a nation to develop economically, socially, politically and culturally derives largely from the power to develop and utilise the capabilities of its people. Higher education thus is considered sine qua non of national development, for it produces the highest level of manpower. In all advanced countries, the universities constitute the main spring of human capital. The most successful discharge of the universities role as a change agent is in the area of science and technology. The training of high-level scientific manpower is a matter of vital national concern. Higher education is today recognised as a capital investment in education. It is considered investment of human capital which increases labour productivity furthers technological innovation and produces a rate of return markedly higher than that of physical capital. Today we find the world divided into developed and developing countries. The dividing line between them is the capacity of educational and scientific attainments and its application for economic progress and prosperity (The World Bank, 1990). In modern times, higher education is considered as a means of human resource development in a society. In advanced countries, universities constitute the main spring of knowledge, ideas and innovations. Today, the most successful discharge of a university as an agent of change is in the area of science and technology. The priming and grooming of high-level professional manpower is a matter of vital concern. As a pathway to socio-economic development in a country, higher education cannot be ignored or given low priority. Higher education in a state of rapid development everywhere in the world as its benefits to the social, economic and cultural life of different communities is realisable. This has led to worldwide exponential expansion of universities and colleges; as many more people are encouraged remaining in education. However there are problems. First, higher education is expensive, and its expansion requires ample resources. Second, rapid expansion raises problems of quality ass urance and control, as increased numbers could so easily lead to a decline in standards. Third, expansion in the developing world often draws upon the resources, ideas and expertise of the developed world, even though these may not always be appropriate for every different economic and social system (North, 1997). Higher education plays a vital role in the development of a society. For centuries, tertiary institutions had the important role of educating our future political leaders, professionals of tomorrow, businessmen, religious and social philosophers, who serve the community, enrich its values and develop its resources. Universities are complex organisations with multiple missions and a myriad of roles. A university has the roles of providing of theoretical education and professional training, a developer and a disseminator of new knowledge, a catalyst to shape the practice of management and business and a contributor to the community and the national economy (Khurshid, 1998). 2.5 The Education system in Mauritius Mauritius educational system has for root the British one, as the island was a British colony long ago. After independence in 1968, the new government invested considerably in human and material resources for the education sector and progress has been noticed and reached in terms of a per capita grant to children of 3+ and 4+, primary education was free, as well as textbooks, compulsory secondary education up to 16. Higher education courses were offered at University of Mauritius and the University of Technology for affordable fees. Since 1977, secondary education has been free. As for full time undergraduate level at the University of Mauritius, it was free since 1988. Free education is funded by the State which strain huge budgets and subsidize a big part of the grant aided secondary schools expenses. With universal primary education being achieved in the 1970s, free education in 1977, and legislation making education up to 16 years of age compulsory, the challenges policyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ makers have had to face have related to broadening access at the higher education level, improving quality, and strengthening the management of the sector (while ensuring equity). The financing of higher education is basically via the government and students/parents. Students enrolled in public higher educational institutions are funded to a very large extent by the government. Students enrolled in local private higher education institutions and those in overseas institutions pay the full cost of their education. The key factors influencing the quality of higher education are the quality of faculty, curriculum standards, technological infrastructure available, research environment, accreditation regime and the administrative policies and procedures implemented in institutions of higher learning. The overall vision of government was spelt out in the New Economic Agenda formulated in 2000. The main challenge was to move gradually away from traditional sectors to the services sector. The objective was to diversify manufacturing into higher valueà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ added markets and to consolidate services (financial, ICT, etc.) as a fourth pillar of economic development. To attract new investment and to maintain the countrys competitiveness, a highly productive skilled workforce was seen as imperative. With a view to setting Mauritius on a higher growth path, the country has recognised the importance of developing higher education as a regional hub for high quality education and training, to ensure that the knowledge industry acts as a catalyst in broadening the Mauritian economy, and in providing the necessary support to the existing and upcoming sectors. There has been a dramatic paradigm shift in the development strategy mooted by the government. In summary, it has been accepted by government that the education system, especially higher education, needs to be reà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ orientated to respond more effectively. Higher education in Mauritius can be traced back to the establishment of the School of Agriculture within the Department of Agriculture in 1914, which became integrated into the UoM when it was established in 1965. However, it was only in postà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ independent Mauritius that several public higher education institutions were created, which were complementary to UoM. Over the years the higher education sector has become increasingly diversified. 2.5.1 Pre-Primary Sector This sector caters for children 4+ and since a few years for 3+. The State provides a grant of R 200 per child. The private institutions occupy 80% of the educational provision in the sector. The following measures are part of policy developments to consolidate the sector: Strengthening the institutional and regulatory framework for the provision of Early Childhood Care and Education. Reduction of disparity among pre-schools. Addressing the problem of out-of-schools pre-primary children due to absolute poverty. Developing a National Curriculum Framework for the pre-primary subsector. Ensuring readiness of all pre-primary school children for primary school. Construction of pre-primary units in disadvantaged areas Strengthening partnerships with parents through a Parent Empowerment Program. 2.5.2 Primary sector The enrolment in primary school takes effect at the age of five and enters the Standard I and moves gradually up to Standard VI. The CPE is an examination carried out at national level in all schools and follows a grading system. There are five compulsory subjects: English, French, Mathematics, Science and History and Geography. The grading process works on the five best grades along with Asian/Arabic languages. Several initiatives have been implemented in primary institutions to improve the CPE results. This gave rise to the Zones d Education Prioritaires (Z.E.P.). This targets those schools with low performance over 5 consecutive years. Later on in 2011, Enhancement Programme was introduced for STD III and IV. Moreover, the Sankorà © project was one where STD IV classes were equipped with interactive wall fixed projectors. 2.5.3 Secondary sector For a child to be admitted to a secondary college, it all depends on the CPE results. There are three categories of secondary schools: State owned grant-aided private schools, and fully private fee-paying schools. The secondary school experience begins with Form 1 up to Form VI, an achievement of seven years. Since 2010, a national curriculum has been set up for Forms I-III. The curriculum encloses all subjects up to Form III including English, French, Mathematics and the Social and Hard Sciences. When reaching Form IV, students are offered option form where they have to choose at least six major subjects for O-level exams in Form V. Later, for A Level examination, students will have to specialize in 3 main subjects and 2 subsidiary subjects. These two important examinations are undertaken by the University of Cambridge through the University of Cambridge International Examinations which sets up the syllabus, prepares the examination papers and undertakes correction for most subjects. 2.5.4 TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) The Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) is the main provider of the TVET program. Its purpose is to offer a variety of technical programs to students willing to meet the needs of the world of work at a middle professional level. Courses at the National Diploma are also provided at the MITD. The TVET sector is monitored and regulated by the Mauritius Qualifications Authority. 2.5.5 Tertiary sector It was in 1924 that tertiary education started with the College of Agriculture. It has developed and diversified; it now composes of public, private, regional and overseas institutions offering for a wide choice of courses and programmes. Through years, this education sector has given rise to other institutions with different characteristics and disciplines. Distance education has also been part of the sector. Some important institutions of the public sector are the University of Mauritius (UoM), the University of Technology (UTM), the Mauritius Institute of Education (MIE), the Mahatma Gandhi Institute (MGI), the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) and the Open University of Mauritius (OUM). Besides all these, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) is responsible for the allocation of public funds, planning, and coordination of post-secondary education and training as well. In addition, private institutions are more and more present in the tertiary education sector where they are proposing courses in areas like Information Technology, Law, Accountancy and Finance, and Management. 2.6 The University of Mauritius The University of Mauritius (UOM) is a national University of Mauritius. It is the oldest and largest Mauritian university in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered. It is situated at Rà ©duit, Moka. The University was inaugurated on 24th March 1972 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II accompanied by His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Over the past decades, in response to the contemporaneous and emergent needs of the various sectors of the Mauritian economy, the university now has progressed from being a mostly in-service training institution to a fully-fledged university, concentrating increasingly on bachelors degrees, postgraduate programmes, research and consultancy. The universitys current strategic plan, Strategic Directions 2006-2015, has the following six strategic directions: Knowledge creation Knowledge diffusion Investing in resources Quality culture and good governance National, regional and international collaborations Community outreach The University of Mauritius has committed itself to continuous improvement and quality management. These are the actions that the university is trying to cater for: Ensuring relevance interact proactively with the world of work and the community to cater for emergent requirements while inculcating a wider sense of belonging to the university. Ensuring quality of teaching and learning enhance existing provisions for continuous improvement in the quality of teaching and learning, and work progressively towards the implementation of best practice. Strengthen research develop further the universitys research capacity and research management plan. Internationalize the university improve the international standing of the university and expand its role and programme of activities. Amongst Mauritian universities the UoM stands out both in terms of its dominance with regard to enrolment and it numerous pockets of excellence with regard to research. The UoM is the largest supplier of tertiary education locally, accounting for 22.2% of total higher education enrolment. Faculties Originally, the university had three schools, namely Agriculture, Administration and Industrial Technology. It has since expanded to comprise five faculties, namely Faculty Of Agriculture, Faculty Of Engineering, Faculty Of Law and Management, Faculty Of Science, and Faculty Of Social Studies Humanities. The faculties are involved in teaching, research and consultancy. It has also a Centre for Medical Research and Studies, a Centre for Distance Education, a Centre for Information Technology and Systems, and a Consultancy Centre. Following these on-campus developments and expansions, it resulted in a simultaneous increase in the number and in the diversity of programmes being offered, and the number of students enrolled. The programmes of the University are internationally recognized and include quality assurance mechanisms such as the external examiner system and affiliated with renowned Universities worldwide. There is a Quality Assurance Office which helps the University in maintaining and improving the quality of all its activities. There are various exchange agreements that have been established between the UOM and overseas universities. Students Union The Students Union, established in 1971, is run by and for the students. It work in the interest of students and regularly organize various activities. All students are members, the membership fee being included in the registration. Students are very dynamic in organizing extracurricular activities supported by the Public Relations Office. Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Problem Statement and Research Objectives When the problem has been clearly defined and the objectives of the research precisely stated the research can be designed properly. As it is often said, a problem well defined is a solved one. The problem statement for this study is that there is each year a high level of demand for a seat at University of Mauritius though there are other tertiary institutions in Mauritius. This study tries to find out the reasons behind this high demand. For this dissertation the research objectives are: To analyze the quality of services offered by the University of Mauritius. To investigate the quality of students of the University of Mauritius. To understand the level of increasing demands for courses at the University of Mauritius. To achieve the objectives mentioned above, a questionnaire has been administered to the different students in the form of face to face interview to collect information about the different factors affecting their learning experience at the University of Mauritius and hence facilitating the analysis of the information gathered. 3.2 Determine Research Design Research design can be considered as the basic plan which guides the data collection and analysis phases of the research project. There are three main types of research used in projects: Descriptive research Causal research Exploratory research Exploratory research is unstructured, informal research undertaken to have background information when the researcher does not know much about the problem. On the other hand in the descriptive method, research problem is well defined and structured and can be used to answer questions such as who, why, where, what and how (Burns and Bush, 2003), whereas causal research examines the effect of one variable on another one. The research undertaken in this study is descriptive in nature. The purpose of the research is to investigate, analyse and evaluate the student learning experience at the University of Mauritius. Data sources and Data Collection Primary data The only steps involved in collecting data is to look for primary data which consists of information collected for the first time to meet the specific needs of the investigation of the researcher. These can be in the form of letters, e-mails and interviews. Primary sources are more supportive, they address directly the requirements of the researcher though it might be costly.

Analysis of “Fight Club” Essay -- Fight Club Movie Film Essays

Analysis of â€Å"Fight Club† For years David Fincher has directed some of the most stylish and creative thrillers in American movies. His works include: Aliens 3, Seven, The Game and Fight Club. Each of these films has been not only pleasing and fun to watch but each has commented on society, making the viewers think outside the normal and analyze their world. Fight Club is no exception, it is a multi-layered film with many subplots and themes, but primarily it is a surrealistic description of the status of the American male at the end of the 20th century. David Flincher’s movie, Fight Club, shows how consumerism has caused the emasculation of the modern male and tells a tale of liberation from a corporate controlled society. In the movie Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) comments on the new way of life, â€Å"We are products of lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty do not concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with five hundred cannels and a designer name on my underwear.† The film, Fight Club shows the consumer culture in which the 20th century male lives in and how it is a deconstruction of individuality. The film gives many examples of this; the main character of the film (Ed Norton) asks while looking through an IKEA catalog, â€Å"What kind of plates define me as a person.† He’s not asking what personal characteristics and attributes define him but what possession most accurately does. Also, Ed Norton’s character has no name he is only referred to as the 90’s everyman, the IKEA man. The film shows the extensive emphases the consumer-based culture of the 20th century has on individualism and values associated with being a man. Corporations hav e replaced personal qualities with corporate logos. The modern male cannot be anything unless he has certain products in his possession. No longer does one own things, his things own him. The contemporary male is a slave of the IKEA nesting instinct. The main characters absence of a name only exemplifies this; the buying of furniture from IKEA gives the main character (Ed Norton) his identity, without being a consumer the main character would remain undefined and anonymous. In the movie, the two main characters, (Ed Norton) and Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), are staring at a Calvin Klein ad and ask each other is this what a man is supposed to look like. Fight Club shows the extent of consumerism contro... ...od. By blowing up his IKEA catalog apartment and living in a dilapidated house without concern for owning products and designer names, Ed Norton’s character releases himself his consumer controlled life and begins a journey to regain his manhood. He does this by creating Fight Club, which is an underground boxing club for men. Fight Club lets men live by liberating them. They are allowed to express their primal nature, to be men and reclaim their independent strength, courage and power. It was said, â€Å"When a man first enters Fight Club he was a wad of cookie-dough, a couple weeks later he was carved of wood.† The 20th century male’s struggle still continues today, the 21st century is a corporate controlled society, in a consumer culture that gives life value by what is bought and owned, not by the individual. The modern male is emasculated in this feminist culture. David Fincher does an excellent job of taking a contemporary subject and putting it on film. Fight Club takes these themes, consumerism, emasculation of the male and liberation and weaves them together to make a great narrative on the unfilled, castrated male who desperately seeks to be free from societies control.

Checking the purity of water by boiling Essay

Therefore it is noticed that the samples of water we took are not pure but not too impure. The water obtained from the cooler (blue star) is the purest of them all with a boiling of 101Â °C which is very close to the boiling point of pure water which is 99.98Â °C. Therefore it is safe to consume this water. The other types of water are not consumed therefore it does not have an adverse effect on human lifestyle; the experiment was carried out only for comparison basis. It can be argued that the water used for washing the utensils is not pure so if people eat food via that utensil, germs could enter their system. But as a safety measure our school canteen uses a disinfectant known as Surf Excel as obtained from the survey conducted by our ESS group. Hence further purification of the tap water is not really required. It can also be inferred from the readings above that after boiling the water it becomes more pure, but the boiling point of the water obtained from the cooler does not change because boiling it is too small a method to make it purer since it is already very pure. Different methods need to be taken up to make it purer which will include the addition of chemicals which is not too good for the humans anyway. The reason the tap water is already so pure is because the water is obtained from a tank fitted on the top of the school which uses purification methods such as a sand filter (to remove the dust particles) and UV lights to kill the germs as stated in the ESS survey. Initially we conducted the experiment on the water used to keep the food warm is because it is known that if water is impure then it takes more time to heat it up hence the energy required to heat it up is also higher. So it was thought that if the water is made purer then the amount of energy required in heating the water would have been lesser and so energy would be conserved. After the experiment it was noticed that the difference in the boiling point between this water and pure water was too less (4Â °C) and that making the water pure would not have as significant an effect in conserving energy. Therefore the water section of the canteen does not cause any harm to the students as shown by this experiment and the survey conducted, hence it is not required to make changes in this sector. In theory if we were to apply this experiment on a large scale for the entire school, we would put large, more powerful solar panels on the roof of the building to boil the water. The experiment was conducted on a smaller scale. We managed to heat water through a solar panel. The concept thus applies when heating water on a large scale. We would use the solar panels to boil the water. This is a way of using a renewable resource, making Ecole Mondiale World School one step closer to becoming a ‘Green School’.

Elder Abuse Essays

Elder Abuse Essays Elder Abuse Essay Elder Abuse Essay Question 1 What is elder abuse? The International Network for the Prevention of Abuse of Older People (INPEA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) define Elder Abuse as: a single, or repeated act, or lack of appropriate action, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust which causes harm or distress t an older person. Abuse of older people can be of various forms such as physical, psychological/emotional, sexual and financial. It also reflects intentional or unintentional neglect. (ACT Government Community Services, June 2012) Question 2 List five types of abuse. Give a brief description of each of elder abuse and an example of signs that could indicate abuse is occurring. Forms of Abuse of Older People: Physical Abuse: the infliction of pain or injury. This can include hitting, pushing, punching, kicking, biting, scratching, shaking, slapping, dragging, burning, inappropriately restraining or confining, inappropriately medicat ing, and damage to property. Psychological Abuse: inflicting mental anguish through actions that cause fear of violence, isolation or deprivation, and feelings of shame and powerlessness. It may nclude verbal intimidation, humiliation or embarrassment, shouting, bullying, threats of physical harm, threats of institutionalisation, withdrawal of affection (e. g. refusing access to grandchildren), emotional blackmail, damage to, or removal of property and possessions, removal of decision-making powers, or preventing access to services. Sexual Abuse: unwanted sexual behaviour including rape, indecent assault, sexual harassment or inappropriate touching. Financial Abuse: the illegal or improper use of an older persons finances or property. It may include stealing, misappropriating money, forcing changes to a will or other egal documents, denying access to personal funds, forging signatures or misusing Power of Attorney. Neglect: the failure of a carer to provide the necessities of life to a person for whom they are caring. Neglect can be intentional or unintentional. Intentional neglect is when an older person is abandoned or not provided with adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical or dental care, or where their spiritual needs are not met. It also includes improper use of medication, poor hygiene or personal care, or the refusal to allow other people to provide adequate care. Unintentional neglect occurs when a ay not be aware of the types of support available, or may be ill and unable to meet the persons needs. Social Abuse: preventing a person from having contact with friends or family, or access to social activities. It includes intrusion, isolation, and preventing independence using threats, manipulation and control. (Advocare 2012) Signs that would indicate that abuse is occurring would be: Physical Behavioural Showing signs of being afraid of a particular person/people Appearing worried and/or anxious for no obvious reason Becoming irritable or easily upset Appearing depressed or withdrawn Losing interest Sleep disturbances Changed eating habits Having thoughts of suicide Frequent shaking, trembling and/or crying attacks Rigid posture Presenting as helpless, hopeless or sad Making contradictory statements not resulting from mental confusion Reluctance or hesitation to talk openly, waiting for the carer to answer Avoiding physical, eye or verbal contact with carer or service provider. Psychological Abuse The person may be huddled when sitting and nervous with the family members or carer nearby Insomnia, sleep deprivation and loss of interest in self or environment Fearfulness, helplessness, passivity, apathy, resignation, withdrawal Sexual Abuse It can be very difficult to identify, as embarrassment and shame may prevent the subject from being raised. Medical or nursing staff should examine the genital areas for bruising, bleeding, and painful areas. Check for torn, stained or blood stained underwear. Look for evidence of sexually transmitted disease. Watch for difficulty in walking or sitting. Any of these signs may be indicative of sexual abuse. Financial Abuse This is the improper use of a persons money, property, or assets by someone else. Money can be a very sensitive subject. Gear of not having enough money for future care, or feeling obligated to others can leave a person vulnerable. These feelings can be reinforced and used as a threat. Material or financial abuse may be more easily detected when clients are visited in their own homes. Neglect This is where a person is deprived by the carer, or the carer is unable to provide the necessities of life. If food or drinks are being withheld, there is malnutrition, weight constipation or faecal impaction Isolation, lack of mental, physical, social or cultural contact Inadequate supervision, the person is abandoned/unattended for long eriods or locked in the house with any supervision There may be evidence of inadequate or inappropriate use of medication, for instance, the person may be over- sedated in the middle of the day There may be evidence of unmet physical needs such as decaying teeth or overgrown nails The person may be lacking necessary aids such as spectacles, dentures, hearing aids or walking frame Clothing may be poor hygiene or inadequate skin care. The victim may be very dirty, smell strongly or urine or be infested with lice. There may be a urine rash with abrasions and chafing Hypothermia, recent colds, bronchitis or pneumonia Department of Human Services September 1997) Question 3 Who is vulnerable to abuse? Abuse of older people crosses gender, social-economic, relig ious and cultural boundaries. Abuse is more likely to be inflicted by family members, especially an older persons adult children. Older people are at increased risk of abuse when they: Have a disability or poor health; Are in dependent caring relationships, particularly where a carer is experiencing carer burden or carer stress; Are isolated and/or without personal supports Have a past history of violence or conflict within the family Exhibit particularly ifficult and/or inappropriate behaviour, and/or confusion or memory loss; or Exhibit signs and symptoms of dementia. Question 4 What reporting mechanisms/systems are in place in residential care to address elder abuse? Recent amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) are designed to increase safeguards for residents of Aged Care homes. The Act requires approved Aged Care providers to report allegations or suspicions of unlawful sexual contact, or unreasonable use of force on a resident of an Australian Government subsidised Aged Care home. From 1 July 2007 Aged Care providers must have systems and protocols in place that nable compulsory reporting of such incidents. If the approved provider receives an allegation of, or starts to suspect on reasonable grounds that unreasonable use of force or unlawful sexual contact on a resident has taken place, they must report the allegation or suspicion as soon as reasonably practicable and within 24 hours to the Police and the Department via the Aged Care Complaints Scheme. They must also provide protections for staff who report abuse. (Aged Rights Advocacy Service 2012) Question 5. are no mandatory reporting laws for elder abuse anywhere in Australia. As from 1 July 2007 Compulsory Reporting of certain assaults, inflected on a recipient of residential care was imposed on providers of Australian Government subsidised Aged Care homes. Amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) are designed to Aged Care providers to report unlawful sexual contact or unreasonable use of force on a resident of an Australian Government subsidised Aged Care home. (Aged Care Act 1997) Question 6 Who is primarily responsible for services relating to abuse of the older person in the wider community? List the range of responses Elder Abuse and the Law Mandatory Reporting There are no mandatory reporting laws for elder abuse anywhere in Australia. As from the 1st July 2007 Compulsory Reporting of certain assaults, inflicted on a recipient of residential care was imposed on providers of Australian Government subsidised Aged Care homes. Amendments to the Aged Care Act 1997 (the Act) are designed to increase safeguards for residents of Aged Care homes. The Act requires approved Aged Care providers to report unlawful sexual contact or unreasonable use of force on a resident of an Australian Government subsidised Aged Care home. Suggested interventions include: Crisis care Provision of community support services Provision of respite care Counselling Alternative accommodation Legal interventions including police involvement, restraining orders, and applications for guardianship and financial management. At this time the evidence in support of mandatory reporting is not convincing. The consensus of government reports and researchers has been to oppose the introduction of mandatory reporting. Workers and agencies are encouraged to seek advice from specialist services whenever required (e. g. Aged Care Assessment Teams, legal services, Police, mental ealth services, sexual assault services). All agencies that provide services to older people have the following roles in responding to the abuse of older people: Refer suspected, disclosed or established cases of abuse to appropriate services Identify possible abuse of older people (Australian Society for Geriatric Medicine Position Statement No. 1 Elder Abuse) Are older people with Dementia at higher risk of elder abuse? Support your answer Older people with dementia are more likely to be abused than those who are cognitively intact. This may be related to increased dependence on carers or to a ower likelihood of seeking help. Mistreatment occurs when C6s (referred to hereafter as care givers) cause harm to persons with dementia (referred to hereafter as care recipients (CRs) through their actions or failure to act. Risk factors can be characteristics of the CR, the CG, their relationship, and the environment. These formed the design of the current study. Some CG factors associated with mistreatment of CR include poor health, social isolation, and mental health problems such as depressive symptoms and anxiety. The CGS perception of caregiving burden has been associated with multiple types of abuse. Similarly, being a spouse CG, duration of caregiving, and a shared living arrangement have been associated with mistreatment. A poor pre-morbid relationship was associated with CG physical aggression, whereas a good pre-morbid relationship and the use of formal services were associated with lower likelihood of mistreatment. CR factors significantly related to elder abuse included poor functional status and more-severe cognitive impairment. Several studies have associated CR behavioural problems with mistreatment, and CR physical aggression specifically with physical abuse. (Wiglesworth A, Mosqueda L et al Journal of American Geriatric oc. 2010) Question 8 List the key strategies for prevention/early intervention of Elder Abuse. Key strategies for preventing abuse include: Encouraging and supporting older people to stay active and socially connected Ensuring that older people have access to independent information and advice prior to making decisions about financial and housing matters Educating older people to assert their rights and gain support where necessary Facilitating older peoples use of powers of attorney and guardianship which can enable them to plan for and have choice over who will have control over their affairs f they lose capacity in the future Educating professionals to identify and respond to abuse Community care agencies and workers have an important role to play in implementing these strategies. Strategies to provide easier access to information and advice through helplines and specialised abuse services can be effective. Queensland, Victoria and the ACT have implemented helplines with positive feedback from a Queensland evaluation (Procopis 2007). The Victorian, WA and ACT Governmen ts have developed state wide policy frameworks addressing the abuse of older people. The Victorian Governments Elder Abuse Prevention Strategy, for example, includes a financial literacy program, an education and training package for professionals, specialist legal and advocacy services and community education (Office of Senior Victorians 2009). Page Research to Practice Briefing 3 February 2010 REFERENCES ACT Government Community Services, June 2012, ACT Elder Abuse Program Policy, viewed 30 May, 2013 http://ACT (ACT Elder Abuse Program Policy). Advocare viewed 30 May 2013: Advocare. org. au 2012. Aged Care Act 1997, Australian Government Department of Health Ageing 4 May, 2013. Aged Rights Advocacy Service (ARAS) 2012, viewed 24/5/13. viewed Australian Society for Geriatric Medicine Position Statement No. 1 Elder Abuse Department of Human Services Southern Metropolitan Region, (Dealing with Elder Abuse September 1997). Government Community Services, June 2012, Government Community Services, June Government Practice Guidelines for Health Services and Community Agencies for the Prevention of Elder Abuse viewed 30/5/13. ervices and community agencies Wiglesworth A, Mosqueda L, Mulnard R, Liao S, Gibbs L, Fitzgerald W. Screening for Abuse and Neglect of People with Dementia Viewed 4 June, 2013, http:// Medscape. com/v iewpublication 2010 (American Geriatric Soc. 2010. ) PART B case study Your grandmother lives in an aged care facility and overall seems happy with the care that she receives. However, recently the staff seems to be very busy and do not attend to her toileting needs. When you speak to the staff they are too busy to attend for some time. Your grandmother finds this very distressing. You are her representative and she has indicated that she wants you to intervene on her behalf. What rights does your grandmother have? My grandmother has the right o full and effective use of her personal, civil, legal and consumer rights to quality care appropriate to her needs to have full information about her own state of health and about available treatments neglect to live without discrimination or victimisation, and without being obliged to feel grateful to those providing her care and accommodation to personal privacy to live in a safe, secure and homelike environment, and to move freely both within and outside the residential care service without undue restriction to be treated and accepted as an individual, and to have her individual preferences taken into account nd treated with respect to continue her cultural and religious practices, and to keep the language of her choice, without discrimination to select and maintain social and personal relationships with anyone else without fear, criticism or restriction to freedom of speech to maintain her personal independence to accept personal responsibility for h er own actions and choices, even though these may involve an element of risk, because she has the right to accept the risk and not to have the risk used as a ground for preventing or restricting her actions and choices to maintain control over, and to continue making decisions about, the ersonal aspects of her daily life, financial affairs and possessions to be involved in the activities, associations and friendships of her choice, both within and outside the residential care service to have access to services and activities available generally in the community to be consulted on, and to choose to have input into, decisions about the living arrangements of the residential care service to have access to information about her rights, care, accommodation and any other information that relates to her personally to complain and to take action to resolve disputes o have access to advocates and other avenues of redress to be free from reprisal, or a well-founded fear of reprisal, in any fo rm for taking action to enforce her rights. (User Rights Principles 1997) Question 2 What is the Act that protects residents against abuse in Aged Care Facilities? The Charter of Residents Rights and Responsibilities under the Aged Care Act 1997 explicitly states that people living in aged care homes have the right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to live without exploitation, abuse or neglect. A process for reporting allegations of suspicions of physical assault and unlawful exual contact to the Victorian Department of Health was established in 2007. The reporting is consistent with accountability principles that underpin funding to all Victorian public health services. All Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACS) must notify the department of these reports, at the same time or within 24 hours of advising the Scheme, Victoria Police and residents family. Question 3 How can you advocate on behalf of your grandmother? Outline your approach. If I did feel a complaint was warranted I would bring it up to a staff member that I was comfortable dealing with. If this was a serious complaint I would take it up with the homes administration. If I was uncertain I would ask, talk it over, perhaps have a chat to someone that I trusted who was not emotionally involved to get a clear picture of my grandmothers situation and another opinion. Approach staff- Talk to the staff finger at tired or uneducated nursing staff. A phrase that has a negotiatory tone is much more likely to get the response required. It should be put in the l sense such as Im concerned that such as such is happening. Talk to management- If no action is taken talk to the next person up the ladder. Use your support person to record events from a less emotional position. Using a back up person also shows you are less likely to back off. Record events- Start taking notes of the situation including the sequence of events and any relevant dates, names and staff responses. Nursing homes should have a complaints process in place, dont wait too long to lodge a complaint. Making an official complaint- If things are still unsatisfactory, it is now time to use the official complaints mechanism of the organisation or aged care system. This is where having kept a record is imperative. A well documented difficulty nd the sequence of events is much more likely to be corrected than one that is hazy. (Aged Carer) I would be sure that my Grandmother was kept informed that everyone was working on the complaint and giving her status reports. Your grandmother asked you to advocate on her behalf. What type of advocate would you be? Advocacy is about someones life. The aim would be to keep the focus of any discussion on my grandmother. Something that might be a good idea for one person, might not be a good idea for another. I would need to discuss with the residential care home my grandmothers individual needs and expectations. I would represent my grandmother who I was advocating for what she values and her communication, temperament, methods and style, what brings on a smile, etc. I would avoid avid direct confrontation and go for a win/win situation. Question 5 What outside agencies would you approach on behalf of your grandmother if your complaint is not dealt with effectively? I could contact the Public Sector Residential Aged Care Services (PSRACS) and I could report to the Commonwealth Government and Victoria Police (this would have to be done within 24 hours of the incident). I would need to record my contact details; including my email address and telephone umber so that the Victorian Department of Health could contact me immediately if and to make complaints about health service providers. The Health Services Commissioner (HSC) is an independent statutory authority established to receive and resolve complaints about health service providers. The HSC also handles complaints about disclosure of health information and access to health information and ageing. Aged Carer viewed 3 June, 2013 agedcarer. com. au Australian Government Department of Health Ageing Charter of Residents Rights Responsibilities 1997. Schedule 1 of the User Rights Principles 1997

Ireland Vital Records - How to Obtain Information

Ireland Vital Records - How to Obtain Information Government registration of births, marriages and deaths in Ireland began January 1, 1864. Registration of marriages for non-Roman Catholics began in 1845. Many of the early years of civil registration of births, marriages and deaths have been microfilmed by the Mormons and are available through Family History Centers worldwide. Check the Family History Library Catalog online for details on what is available. Address:Office of the Registrar-General of Births, Deaths and MarriagesGovernment OfficesConvent Road , RoscommonPhone: (011) (353) 1 6711000Fax: (011) 353(0) 90 6632999Â   Ireland Vital Records: The General Register Office of Ireland has records of birth, marriage, and death occurring in all of Ireland from 1864 to 31 December 1921 and records from the Republic of Ireland (excluding the six north-eastern counties of Derry, Antrim, Down, Armagh, Fermanagh and Tyrone known as Northern Ireland) from 1 January 1922 on. The GRO also has records of non-Catholic marriages in Ireland from 1845. Indices are arranged in alphabetical order by name, and include the registration district (also known as the Superintendent Registrars District), and the volume and page number in which the entry is recorded. Through 1877 indices were arranged alphabetically, by year. From 1878 onwards each year was divided into quarters, January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December. FamilySearch has the Ireland Civil Registration Indexes 1845-1958 available for free searching online. Enclose the correct fee in Euros (check, International Money Order, cash, or Irish Postal Order, drawn on an Irish bank) made payable to The Civil Registration Service (GRO). The GRO also accepts credit card orders (the best method for international orders). Records are available by applying in person at the General Register Office, any local Superintendent Registrars Office, by postal mail, by fax (GRO only), or online. Please call or check the Web site before ordering to verify current fees and other information. Web Site: General Register Office of Ireland Ireland Birth Records: Dates: From 1864 Cost of copy: â‚ ¬20.00 certificate Comments: Be sure to request a full certificate or a photocopy of the original birth record, both of which contain the date and place of birth, given name, sex, fathers name and occupation, mothers name, informant of birth, date of registration and the signature of the Registrar.Application for an Irish Birth Certificate * Birth information prior to 1864 may be available from parish baptismal records which are kept at the National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin, 2. Online:Ireland Births and Baptisms Index, 1620-1881 (selected)Irish Family History Foundation – Baptismal/Birth Records Irish Death Records: Dates: From 1864 Cost of copy: â‚ ¬20.00 certificate (plus postage) Comments: Be sure to request a full certificate or a photocopy of the original death record, both of which contain date and place of death, name of deceased, sex, age (sometimes approximate), occupation, cause of death, informant of death (not necessarily a relative), date of registration and Registrars name. Even today, Irish death records do not usually include a maiden name for married women or date of birth for the deceased.Application for an Irish Death Certificate Online:Ireland Deaths Index, 1864-1870 (selected)Irish Family History Foundation – Burial/Death Records Irish Marriage Records: Dates: From 1845 (Protestant marriages), from 1864 (Roman Catholic marriages) Cost of copy: â‚ ¬20.00 certificate (plus postage) Comments: Marriage records in the GRO are cross-listed under the surname of both the bride and groom. Be sure to request a full certificate or a photocopy of the original marriage record, which contains the date and place of marriage, names of bride and groom, age, marital status (spinster, bachelor, widow, widower), occupation, place of residence at time of marriage, name and occupation of father of bride and groom, witnesses to marriage and clergyman who performed the ceremony. After 1950, additional information provided on marriage records includes the dates of birth for the bride and groom, mothers names, and a future address.Application for an Irish Marriage Certificate * Marriage information prior to 1864 may be available from parish marriage registers which are kept at the National Library, Kildare Street, Dublin, 2. Online:Ireland Marriages Index, 1619-1898 (selected)Irish Family History Foundation – Marriage Records

Paper Communication in China Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Paper Communication in China - Essay Example (2008) and Yuezhi Zhao’s ‘Communication in China’ (2008) and uses these insights extracted to examine the role of Chinese government in promoting desirable national image. In order to derive an-in-depth understanding two major media campaign cases including Beijing Olympic (2008) and Sichuan Earthquake (2008) has been duly focused upon. With reference to Zhao’s ‘Communication in China’ (2008), numbers of key influencing factors within the party-state’s regime that have significantly imposed greater control and domination over the Chinese media and communication has been identified. In this context, the power of formal bureaucratic procedure along with improvised regulations has critically identified by the author to have significant influence towards the development of the Chinese mass media and communication. Moreover, it has also been recognized that there are numerous control strategies and measures that characterize discipline including rationalizing, normalizing and synergizing of the current media performance within the nation (Zhao 12). Correspondingly, the re-invention of the power and control mechanism of the party-state has been further observed as the key influencing factors while making developmental decision of the Chinese media industry. According to the discussion of Zhao, the current role of media in the party-state affects the Chinese class structure in a distinctive manner. In this context, the author eloquently stated that â€Å"it affects class structure not only as an increasingly central vector of production and economic exchange, but also as the means of social organization and site of subjectivity formation.† The statement of the author significantly justifies the impact of party-state on media and communication which further creates major perplexities regarding the ownership structure along with property rights and corporate identity of the mass media in China (Zhao 76). In the similar context, it has been observed from

Thurgood Marshall and his impact on the American civil rights movement Term Paper

Thurgood Marshall and his impact on the American civil rights movement - Term Paper Example He is recognized for making contributions to race and gender equality as well as the rights of an accused. He was born on 2 July 1908 in Baltimore, Maryland and attended the Samuel Coleridge Taylor Elementary School and Booker T. Washington Junior High. Thurgood Marshall’s parents were mulattoes who could trade their ancestry to a nineteenth-century Congo slave who have caused much trouble for his master that he was set free. The former slave was Thurgood’s Marshall’s great grandfather. Thurgood Marshall’s father was a waiter and amateur writer while his mother was a schoolteacher. During his elementary years, Thurgood Marshall â€Å"was best remembered† to be on the front row so teachers could see him closely. He was also described as to have â€Å"enjoyed teaching the girls while he was in school†. According to Thurgood Marshall, himself, he was born Throughgood Marshall but after growing tired of spelling his long first name, he shorted his name to Thurgood when he was in second grade. Thurgood Marshall had revealed that although they had lived on a respectable street but behind them were â€Å"back alleys where the roughnecks and the tough kids hung out.† Further, Thurgood Marshall had revealed that every dinnertime, his mother had to go to the front door to call her brother but had to use the backdoor to call him for dinner. 12 In 1921 to 1925, Marshall attended the Colored High and Training School that became the Frederick Douglass High School in 1923.13 The Colored High and Training School was known as an all-black school with no school library, no cafeteria, and no gym when Thurgood Marshall was enrolled.14 The school was â€Å"so overcrowded that half-day sessions were held to accommodate all students†. 15 Students in the school were divided based on perfor mance and Marshall had belonged to the best students of the school.16 Nevertheless, Marshall was known as a prankster and his â€Å"antics† usually sent him to punishment.17 The main form of punishment then was to put the punished in the school basement to memorize the US Constitution.18 From the experience, Marshall recounted later, that came to know the US Constitution by heart.19 Marshall was a figure on the high school campus because of his participation and success in his school’s debate team.20 Marshall married Vivian Burey in 1923.21 In 1924, he graduated from high school at the top three of his class after maintaining a grade of B average. 22 In 1930, Marshall graduated cum laude from the Lincoln University in Lincoln, Pennsylvania.23 Lincoln University was known as the â€Å"Black Princeton† because it was founded and ran â€Å"by the same Presbyterians who ran Princeton University†. 24 In Lincoln University, despite graduating at the top of his class, many thought he never studied.25 One friend even described him as someone who was the least likely to succeed.26 In Lincoln University, Thurgood Marshall was known as a great pinochle player, fan of cowboy movies, and connoisseur of comic books. 27 On his second year in the university, Marshall joined the Alpha Phi Alpha, a fraternity described as â€Å"elite† and composed of â€Å"mostly light-skinned boys†.28 Thurgood Marshall was known to have â€Å"enjoyed† hazing the younger students and â€Å"did so in such an aggressive manner that he got kicked out school, along with 25 other sophomores†.29 However, Marshall and the rest of his companions were readmitted after they wrote and sign a confession of admission to the University.30 Marshall initially intended to attend the University of Maryland Law School but found out that only two black students had graduated from the law school in Maryland. 31 Further, he