Histhopathological change in human cerebellum in motor neuron disease Literature review

Histhopathological change in human cerebellum in motor neuron disease patients - Literature review Example In most brain functions, the motor controls are crossed such that the right motor cortex controls the left side of the body while the left motor cortex controls the right side of the body. The axons of the neurons in these cortexes must therefore split into two at some point during their decline into the spinal cord in order to shift sides. The splitting of the axons takes place at the junction between the spinal cord and the medulla oblongata. It is this crossover that will lead to paralysis on one side of the body when the other side of the brain ends up with stroke or injuries. The cerebellum is connected and joined to the brain by three peduncles and divided into three parts including vestibulocerebellum, spinocerebellum and cerebrocerebellum. It contains much cortex which is very much folded and whose interior matter is enclosed in a white substance and has cerebellar nuclei. It is not easy to define which parts of the cerebral cortex are motor in nature, however there are various cortical regions where if stimulated leads to movement. The three parts of the cerebellum are responsible for the regulation of reflexes and equilibrium control as well as motor sequences programming. Besides this, they plan and start all voluntary movements in the body. The infection of the cerebellum will ultimately cause motor symptoms. The cerebellar disease produces various symptoms depending on the parts. The lateral hemispheres of the cerebellum are responsible for limp movement control. The midline of the cerebellum also referred to the vermis is responsible for movements of the eye, voice control and axial functions. The vestibulocerebellum controls vestibular functions. Therefore the damage to the lateral hemispheres causes tremor symptoms which are rhythmic are mainly on voluntary movements. Injuries on the vermis cause effects on the axial motor. This can be seen through defections in the head and trunk or problems in the eye movements or with

The Effects of Employment on Academic Performance Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Employment on Academic Performance Essay ABSTRACT This study examines factors that impact students engaged in paid employment while studying in a tertiary accounting program in a regional Australian university. It examines the differences in experience of domestic and international students. No direct significant relationship was found between paid employment and academic performance for the overall study sample. There was a positive relationship found between paid employment and academic performance with respect to domestic students. However, in the case of international students a negative relationship between paid employment and academic performance was observed. A significant positive relationship between a shift work pattern of paid employment and academic performance was found. The Effects of Employment on Academic Performance of Australian Accounting Students 1. Introduction This study makes a contribution to the literature identifying and examining the factors that impact student performance in tertiary accounting programs. Much of this existing literature is located within the United Kingdom and North American institutions. Documented factors in these studies include the impact of gender, prior knowledge of accounting, academic aptitude, mathematical background, previous working experience, age, class size and class attendance. However, more recently, observations of accounting academics suggest a new factor to be examined in the Australian context, the socio-economic circumstances as represented by their need for paid employment of accounting students. Anecdotal evidence suggests that in recent times more students are now working while studying, reducing the time available and quality of their efforts towards their accounting studies, for example many students miss or do not prepare for classes. University administrators have noted concern about student work patterns and student availability to spend time on their studies and participate in the university community life (Rudkin and De Zoysa 2007). The contribution of this paper is to examine the impact of paid employment while studying on the academic performance of students in an accounting program in Australia. The impact is examined differentiating between domestic and international accounting students. This dichotomy is significant because there is currently a large international student enrolment in accounting programs in Australian universities driven by government immigration policy to address a skills shortage (Birrell and Rapson 2005). There is also a shortage in meeting the demand for accounting graduates in the domestic industry coinciding with a shift in the funding mechanisms for Australian domestic university students in recent years. The impact of the market demand for a skilled workforce and the effects of existing student funding on work participation requires analysis. This paper investigates two aspects; first whether there is a relationship between paid employment and student performance, and secondly if there is a difference between the experiences of domestic and international students in paid employment and academic performance. Survey data of 170 enrolled students enrolled in a third year 12 credit point financial accounting subject at the University of Wollongong in the autumn session of 2006 was collected for this study. 2. Prior Research There have been few studies identified that examine the relationship between student participation in paid employment and their academic performance in a tertiary accounting program. There have been no studies identified by the authors that examine the difference in employment on tertiary academic performance between domestic and international accounting students in Australia. Gul and Fong (1993) conducted a Hong Kong study on first year accounting students, and found predictors of academic achievement to be personality type, grades achieved at the school certificate in mathematics and accounting, and previous knowledge of accounting. A study by Wooten in 1998 examined 271 students taking introductory accounting at a major south-eastern American university of which there were 74 students identified as non-traditional defined as aged 25 years or older, and 127 traditional students aged under 25 years. Wooten found that for the traditional cohort grade history, motivations and family responsibilities all influenced the amount of effort these students made. However, neither extracurricular activities nor work responsibilities influenced their effort. However for the non-traditional students, motivation was the only variable that significantly influenced effort. Neither grade history nor extracurricular activities, nor work responsibilities, nor family responsibilities had an effect on motivations. Family activities had a significant negative impact on effort for the traditional students, but not for the nontraditional students. It is conjectured by the authors of this paper that these differences in ages may also capture different socio-economic circumstances. Gose (1998) found an increase in the number of students employed over time, with 39% of students working 16 or more hours per week in 1998 compared with 35% working in 1993. Naser and Peel (1998) and Koh and Koh (1999) documented much research done on common predictive factors of academic performance in accounting courses, including gender, prior knowledge of accounting, academic aptitude, mathematical background, previous working experience, age, class size, lecturer attributes and student effort. However, they note the findings are not definitive. An Australian study done by Dobson and Sharma (1999) examined the relationship between student performance and the cost of failure, noting both the public and the private dimensions to the cost of failure. Similarly the Australian study by Booth et al. (1999) examined factors that impact upon accounting student academic performance, but failed to incorporate a socio-economic dimension. Booth et al. (1999) used the Approaches to Learning paradigm from the education literature to investigate the learning approaches of accounting students from two Australian universities, as compared to previously reported data for Australian arts, education and science students. This study provided evidence that Australian accounting students tend to take a superficial approach to learning typified surface learning such as rote memorization, while using lower deep learning approaches than their counterparts in Australian arts, education and science studies. Whether this is due to work factors has not b een investigated. Wijewardena and Rudkin (1999) undertook a study of students enrolled in a first year accounting program at a regional Australian university. They identified that students’ attendance at tutorial classes, the commitment of a major in accounting and a demonstrated interest in accounting correlate positively and significantly with academic performance. They also find that local students perform better than their overseas counterparts and that part-time students (who work full time) outperform full time students. Cheung and Kan (2002) contributed to the limited studies done outside the Western context. They examined factors related to student performance in a distance learning business communications course in Hong Kong. Their results based on studying 168 students showed females outperformed males, and a positive correlation between previous academic achievement and related academic background and student performance (p261). A positive correlation was found between tutorial attendance and student performance and between previous learning experience and student performance. No relationship was found between semester course loads and student performance. The results are consistent with prior Western studies. A Welsh study by Gracia and Jenkins (2003) undertaken in the second and final year levels of an accounting degree considered gender, prior year performance and students’ application to study and their relationship to student performance. Gracia and Jenkins argue that academic failure creates both emotional and financial costs for students, and that significant cultural differences may be attributed to academic success. This study found that if students are actively committed to self-responsibility for their studies, they tend to do well in formal assessment. They also found females outperform males in the second year and that there is a negative correlation between age and grades. Students who have work experience perform significantly better than students who go straight from the second to the final year. They argue that the work experience allows students to get their finances in order thereby reducing the need for them to earn money while studying in the final year, thereby reducing financial and time management pressures. Vickers et al. (2003) while not specific to students that study accounting, examined the effects of part-time employment of students on their participation and attrition in tertiary study in Australian universities. They report that the proportion of full-time students undertaking work has increased between 1990 and 2000 from 46% to 56%. They find that an inverse relationship between the number of face to face course hours and the drop out rate of tertiary students, with the more hours of classes the less the drop out rate. They also found that students working 20 or more hours per week are more likely to drop out of tertiary study by 160 – 200% than those who work less than 20 hours. Vickers et al. also find that students receiving Youth Allowance are more likely to drop out of tertiary study than those who do not receive Youth Allowance, despite the fact that the majority of this group do not work part time. They also observe that the odds of dropping out of university decrease by 31-32% if a student is from the highest socio-economic quartile as opposed to the lowest. Those who work between one and 20 hours per week are just as likely to continue in study as those who do not work at all during their studies. The Vickers et al. study is important because it signifies a change in the university experience not only for students but also for academic staff who teach working students. Strong and Watts (2005) investigated factors affecting accounting student satisfaction at a small public university in New South Wales. They found improvements in the effective allocation of casual and full time staff and the introduction and of common subject outlines lead to improvements in student performance indicators of satisfaction. Consistent with this theme, Hutcheson and Tse (2006) explained student non-attendance in class as student satisfaction with the teaching performance and course delivery. Nonis and Hudson (2006) note that the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education has found that since 1987 the time students spend studying outside of class has declined each year, with only 47% spending six or more hours per week studying outside of class compared with 34% in 2003. Nonis and Hudson (2006) identify a need for empirical research to determine the impact of student work on academic performance, and its impact on the design of academic programs. Their study found a lack of evidence for a direct relationship between times spent working and academic performance. Sullaiman and Mohezar conducted a study at the University of Malaya in their MBA program. They found conflicting evidence of the impact of work experience on student academic performance. They note studies by McClure, Wells and Bowerman (1986), Schellhardt (1988) and Dreher and Ryan (2000) finding a positive relationship between work experience and academic performance, but studies by Dreher and Ryan (2000, 2002 and 2004) Dugan et al. (2006) and Graham (2001) and Peiperl and Trevelyan (1997) found no relationship between students working and their grade point average. Sullaiman and Mohezar’s study found that work experience is not related to MBA performance. Hutcheson and Tse (2006) at the University of Technology Sydney found that on average students who attended more than half of the tutorials obtained a higher final mark than students who did not, and that this was particularly so for international students. This begs further research as to why, when students pay high fees for classes, they do not attend. This paper identifies the need to investigate whether the need to work is one possible reason for this finding. De Zoysa and Rudkin (2007) undertook a pilot study examining the relationship between academic performance and student socio-economic circumstances, which did not find a direct significant relationship between the number of hours of paid employment and student academic performance in accounting. However, a significant positive relationship between shift workers and academic performance was found. James et al. (2007) undertook a non-discipline specific study encompassing a survey of 18,954 Australian public university undergraduate and postgraduate students. They found 70.6 per cent of full-time undergraduates reported working during semester two, 2006, working on average 14.8 hours per week, with one in every six full time undergraduate student working more than 20 hours per week. For students enrolled in a part-time pattern, 41.8 per cent were working at least 38 hours per week, which effectively means full time employment. The study found many students worked significant hours merely to afford basic living necessities such as transport, books and study materials, with 39.9 per cent of full-time students and 54.1 per cent of part-time students believing their work adversely impacted upon their studies. The study of this paper contributes to the literature in that it uniquely examines differences between domestic and international accounting students in the Australian context of the impact of undertaking paid employment on their academic performance in a subject of an undergraduate accounting degree. This study makes two contributions to the accounting education literature. First, rather than a predominant focus on first year students, this study examines second and final year accounting students in a regional Australian context. It uniquely examines differences between domestic and international accounting student experiences. 3. Method Subjects of this study were drawn from School of Accounting and Finance at the University of Wollongong, a regional Australian university. The accounting program is professionally accredited with both requisite professional accounting bodies, CPA Australia and the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. The degree is a full time three year program, with admission based on the standard University Admissions Index (UAI), or equivalent. Specific to these entry requirements, mathematics is not a compulsory entry requirement, though is recommended. There are no domestic undergraduate full fee paying students admitted to this degree. A prescribed program of study is required, with both compulsory accounting subjects using a prerequisite system, with opportunity for more liberal electives. This study undertook a survey of 170 third year students in their final compulsory financial accounting subject in 2006. The students were questions about their academic experiences and socio-economic circumstances in the prior session, the Australian Spring Session 2005. To obtain a complete sample, students who failed their prerequisite subject in the prior session Spring 2005 were also surveyed to obtain a representative population. Academic performance for the purpose of this study is determined as the final grade in the second year financial accounting subject, ACCY201, studied in spring session 2005. The research was conducted by paper surveys handed out in compulsory tutorial classes in the last week of session. Participation in the survey was optional. Both day time and evening tutorial classes were surveyed, to ensure a representative mix of both part time and full time patterns of study and work commitments. Of the 170 students surveyed, 101 (59%) of students are domestic students while 69 (41%) are international students. Those enrolled part time in the sample of 170 students are 34 (20%) while those enrolled full time are 136 (80%) of the sample. Of the domestic students, 45 (45%) are male and 56 (55%) are female. More domestic students are enrolled full time than part time, with 69 (68%) being enrolled full time compared with 32 (32%) being enrolled part time. More males are enrolled part time than females, with 18 (56%) of males enrolled in a part time pattern compared with 14 (44%) of females in part time study. There are 27 (39%) of domestic males compared with 42 (61%) of domestic females enrolled in a full time study program. Australian government regulations require that international students be enrolled in a full time study pattern. The survey sample reflects this, with all but two of the 69 international students being enrolled full time. It is surmised that the two males enrolled in a part time pattern are completing remaining subjects needed to satisfy graduation requirements which would arise if subjects must be repeated. The pattern of male and female international students is similar to that of domestic students in the sample, with there being 30 (43%) international male students compared with 39 (56%) international female students. These demographic enrolment patterns are illustrated in Table 1 Enrolment Pattern below, which describes the relationships of male and female, full time and part time, and domestic and international students. [INSERT TABLE 1 ABOUT HERE] 4. Results and Discussion Five aspects pertaining to the relationship between student employment patterns and their academic performance will be discussed. First section 4.1 will discuss the relationship between the hours worked in paid employment by students and their academic performance. Secondly, section 4.2 examines the type of employment mode students undertake and its impact on academic performance. Thirdly the impact of the nature of the paid work done by students and its impact on academic performance is considered in section 4.3. Section 4.4 explores the impact of travel time between students’ places of employment, the university and their residences on academic performance. Section 4.5 documents student perceptions on the impact of their paid employment on their academic performance. The research in these aspects seeks to discover the employment commitments of both full time and part time accounting students, whether the nature of this is different between international and domestic students, and whether these factors impact positively or negatively on the academic performance of accounting students. For the purpose of the survey, those working 20 hours or less a week are regarded as part time workers, consistent with the Australian government working regulations of student visas for full time international students. This is also consistent with a survey undertaken by Vickers et al. (2003) which while not unique to accounting students, found that 20 hours per work of paid employment was a significant indicator with respect to student performance because students who worked above this amount were most likely to withdraw from university study. 4.1 The relationship between hours worked and academic performance. The survey gathered data on the employment patterns of the sample. Of the 170 respondents to the survey, 165 answered the question of whether or not they were working in paid employment. Of this 165 sample size, 38 (23%) indicated that they were not in paid employment during the survey study period, while 127 (77%) indicated that they were in paid employment, either working full time or part time. The study seeks to compare the work patterns of students with their academic performance in accounting. Of the 165 students that answered in the affirmative to working while studying, subject results relevant to the period of their work was available for only 144 students. Therefore the sample size was reduced to 144 surveys. Academic performance was classified into three bands. The first band captured students achieving below 44 marks in a subject, indicating poor performance and a fail grade. The second band captured students achieving between 45- 64 marks indicating a satisfactory performance in terms of achieving a pass conceded or pass grade only. The third band captured students achieving a final subject grade of 65 or better, indicating a good performance of a credit grade or better in a subject. The research reveals no significant relationship between the hours worked by a student and their academic performance in an accounting subject. 44 (31%) out of 144 students achieved poor academic performance. 49 (34%) achieved a satisfactory academic performance, while 51 (35%) achieved good academic performance. Of these students 31 (22%) did not work in paid employment, 71 (49%) worked between 1 and 20 hours per week, and 42 (29%) worked in paid employment 21 hours or more per week. This is illustrated in Table 2 Hours Worked and Student Performance, shown below. [INSERT TABLE 2 ABOUT HERE] The survey results were then tested to determine if there was a different relationship between the number of hours per week spent in paid employment and academic performance between domestic as compared to international students in an accounting subject. The results show the impact is different for each group. Acknowledging the limitation of the small sample size of only four domestic students not working, the results show that domestic students who are working perform better academically than those who are not working. However, the finding for international students is the reverse. International students who are working perform less well academically than international students who do not work in paid employment. While possible reasons can be conjectured such they are working longer hours for lower rates, the determination of such factors is outside the scope of this paper. This is illustrated in Table 2.1 Hours Worked and Student Performance: Domestic Students vs International Students as shown below. [INSERT TABLE 2.1 ABOUT HERE] In the table above, it is shown international students in the poor student performance band demonstrate that as the number of hours of work increase, the does the percentage of poor performing students. When considering student paid employment in the range between one and twenty hours per week, there are different relationships evident between employment and academic performance for international and domestic students. There were 43 domestic students and 28 international students who indicated they worked between one and 20 hours per week. Of the international students who work between one and twenty hours of paid employment per week, 12 (43%) were in the poor performance band, 10 (36%) were in the satisfactory performance band and 6 (21%) were in the good performance band. This is compared with the domestic student trends for paid employment between one and twenty hours per week which showed only 9 (21%) of domestic students in the poor performance band, 8 or 19% fell into the satisfactory performance band, and 26 or 60% met the good performance category criteria. This demonstrates that while part time employment between one and twenty hours a week is more consistent with better academic performance than not, the reverse is evident for international students. Those international accounting students who worked between one and twenty hours were more likely than not to demonstrate poor academic performance. This trend is more apparent in the band of hours worked per week being 21 hours and above. There were a total of 36 domestic students falling into this category, compared to only 6 international students. It is noted that under international student visa requirements, a maximum allowed paid employment is 20 hours per week. There were 6 international students who indicated they worked 21 hours and above, outside this legal requirement. Of these 6, 4 (67%) fell into the poor performance category of a fail grade between 0 and 44%. There was one international student in each of the other two categories. This again is a different trend to the domestic student experience. Generally domestic students working more than 21 hours per week in paid employment performed less well than similar students working only between 1 -20 hours. 10 (28%) of domestic students working 21 hours and above achieved a poor performance grade, while 18 (50%) achieved a satisfactory grade and 8 (22%) achieved a good academic grade. These results show that domestic accounting students who are working perform better than those who are not working. However, for international accounting students the opposite trend is evident. Specific explorations to the reasons for these opposing trends are outside the scope of this initial survey. However, further analysis of this finding is offered from research done by Rudkin and De Zoysa (2007) who undertook a study of the socio-economic conditions of accounting students at a regional university in Australia in a comparable period. They undertook a survey of student hourly pay rates. Their findings are given in Table 3 below. [INSERT TABLE 3 ABOUT HERE] Rudkin and De Zoysa (2007) undertook a pilot social account from 162 questionnaires from students in their second session in the second year of an undergraduate accounting degree at a regional Australian university. In this survey students were asked to indicate their average gross pay rate. Hourly rates varied from under $10 an hour to $21 per hour and above. This data was then further analyzed for the purposes of this paper, finding differences between the pay rates achieved between domestic and international accounting students, as shown in Table 3.1 below. [INSERT TABLE 3.1 ABOUT HERE] Of the students who are paid less than $10 per hour, 90% of these are international students. Rudkin and De Zoysa (2007, p.95) found that 18% of students in their study found were illegally underpaid while 20.7% indicated they felt exploited in their employment. It is conjectured by the authors that international students are more vulnerable to illegal and exploitative work practices with lower pay rates, and so must work longer hours to achieve the income necessary to support their study. This is identified as an area for further research. 4.2 Type of employment pattern and academic performance. This section examines the relationship between the type of employment mode the students are employed under and their academic achievement in an accounting subject. Three categories of employment of students were identified, permanent work, casual work or contract work. Although conditions and entitlements vary across industry of employment, the three categories are reflective of patterns of work conditions, and entitlements with respect to vacation, sickness and family leave, regular hours, guaranteed income and hourly paid rates. The authors assumed that students employed in permanent positions have access to paid leave, more economic certainty compared to students employed on a casual or contract basis, but they would also have less flexibility in their employment. Of the sample surveyed, 112 students gave valid responses to the question of the nature of their employment to the three options of permanent, casual or contract. 18 students (16) indicated they were in permanent employment. There were no international students employed in a permanent position. Overall 87 students (78%) stated they were employed under casual conditions. Of these 87 students 57 (66%) were domestic students and 30 (34%) were international students. A casual employment pattern is most predominant in the international student grouping, with only 57 out of a total of 79 (72%) domestic students who responded to the question indicating casual employment. This is in contrast with the international student cohort, where 30 out of 33 (91%) were employed on a casual basis. The number of students employed on the basis of a contract were minimal, with only 7 (6%) of students working in this form of employment. These results and their relationship to student academic performance are summarized in Table 4 below. [INSERT TABLE 4 ABOUT HERE] The chi-square test found no significant relationship between the mode of employment and student academic performance in an undergraduate accounting subject. However, it can be observed that students employed as a permanent worker performed better (22% poor performance compared to a combined 78% for satisfactory and good performance) compared to students employed as a casual worker (31% achieving a poor performance band) and as a contract worker (57% achieved a poor performance band). However, any comparison between domestic and international students of this data is not meaningful due to the small numbers in each category. 4.3 Nature of work patterns and performance The authors investigated whether regardless of the mode of employment, the nature of the work patterns that student employment required may impact on their academic performance. It was assumed that students who worked shift work did not have a stable work and study pattern preventing or hindering their participation in classes and class preparations. That is, students working irregular shift work times and hours would experience different attendance and study patterns and opportunities compared with those students who worked set hours at regular times. Students were asked to nominate whether their typical work pattern was changing shift work to a roster, or regular hours. 87 valid responses were received to this question. 58 students (67%) indicated that they worked changing shift work compared with 29 (33%) who indicated they worked regular hours. The results of this question are shown below in Table 5. [INSERT TABLE 5 ABOUT HERE] An unexpected significant positive relationship was found between students who work changing shift work academic performance. Only 12 (21%) of student working changing shift work compared to 21 (72%) of those working regular hours were classified in the poor student performance band. 80% of students in the changing shift category achieved satisfactory or good academic results while only 27% of students with regular working hours achieved similar results. There were similar results observed between domestic and international students in this respect, with 69% of domestic students and 61% of international students working changing shift work hours. Only 14% of domestic students doing shift work achieved poor results, while 60% of students working regular hours achieved poor results. All of the 9 international students doing regular hours failed the subject. These relationships are described in tables 5.1 and 5.2 below. Table 5.1 gives a comparison between domestic and international students’ work patterns, and Table 5.2 below shows the relationship between both domestic students’ and international students’ work patterns and their academic performance. [INSERT TABLE 5.1 ABOUT HERE] [INSERT TABLE 5.2 ABOUT HERE] Reasons for the favourable relationship between shift work and academic performance have not been sought in this study, but are identified as an area for further research. Conjecture as to the reasons include greater flexibility for students working shift work to arrange their rosters around their university class and assignment commitments, and the possibility that jobs requiring night shift work such as garage attendants require a presence but only ad hoc activity and so allow time on the job to be spent studying and completing class work. 4.4 Travelling time and performance. The location of the university of this study is an Australian university located approximately 80 kilometres south of Sydney in the state of New South Wales. It is a regional university that includes the Southern parts of Sydney in its catchment area. Many students travel by public transport being rail from Sydney and a limited local bus service. The travel time from Sydney to Wollongong is approximately 1  ½ hours journey one way. Students residing or working in Sydney face a daily three hour transport commitment. Such a journey is not uncommon as the regional area has a high local unemployment rate and many students seek paid employment outside the region in Sydney. It is the assumption of the authors that time spent by students travelling detracts from their academic performance both because of the fatigue factor of travelling distances, and because travelling time is time not available for academic pursuits. Students were asked to indicate on average how long did a typical journey take you to travel to the university. A summary of the results to this question is given in Table 6 below. [INSERT TABLE 6 ABOUT HERE] It is observed that 46% of students surveyed are spending more than one hour travelling each way when they attend the university. It was assumed by the authors that time spent travelling has a cost to the students both in time available at the University for study and financially in terms of the cost of how many days they attend the university. It was assumed that if students are working, the time spent travelling in addition to the hours they spend in paid employment has a combined impact on their availability to participate in academic tasks. The relationship between time spent travelling and student performance was measured. No significant relationship was found between travelling time and academic performance of students who are not working. However, there is a significant relationship between academic performance and travelling time with students who are working. It was found that students who spend less time travelling perform better academically than students who spend more time travelling to university. This results are described in Table 6.1 below. [INSERT TABLE 6.1 ABOUT HERE] Student perception on the impact of work on studies. The authors were interested in observing the perceptions of students of the impact of their paid employment on their academic studies. Students were asked whether â€Å"my exam and / or assessment marks would have been better if I had not been working†. Out of 124 valid responses from students who are working to this question, 51 (41.1%) answered in the affirmative, while 73 (58.9%) answered in the negative. That is, 41% of the students surveyed thought that their work interfered with their studies. Students who indicated they were in paid employment were also asked the question whether or not they missed classes because of their work. 110 valid responses were received to this question. 42% indicated that they always missed classes because of their work commitments, while 11% indicated that most of the time classes were missed because of work commitments. While the findings suggest that there is no significant relationship between the amount of paid employment per week that students undertake and their academic performance, it does suggest that these students are deprived of a full academic experience in terms of full engagement with the campus community, networking opportunities and similar. The responses of students who admitted missing classes because of paid employment are shown below in Table 7. [INSERT TABLE 7 ABOUT HERE] Other reasons for missing classes given for students were that they were not prepared for class, because they lacked motivation, because they did not find the classes useful, because they had other illness or family or personal reasons, and because they had work commitments to complete in other subjects. The rankings of these reasons are given in table 7.1 below. [INSERT TABLE 7.1 ABOUT HERE] 5. Summary and Conclusions This study examines the relationship between employment and the study of accounting students in Australia. Given the high incidence of paid employment in the accounting student population and its impacts on academic performance, this study has ramifications for the nature of accounting program delivery in the Australian context in terms of times classes are offered and flexibility in delivery modes, and the quality of the university education experience with which students can engage. Limitations of this study include use of self reporting by students, a small sample size. In addition, findings pertain to a regional university in the Australian context. While many tertiary institutions in Australia are regional in nature given the geographic and demographic characteristics of the country, this experience may be different and not generalisable to metropolitan institutions in Australia and outside the Australian context. Further testing at other institutions would contribute to the knowledge of the relationship between paid employment and academic performance for accounting students. This study makes four findings. First, this investigation did not find a direct significant relationship between the hours students worked in paid employment and their academic performance in an accounting subject. However, contradictory results did emerge with respect to differences between domestic students and international students in a cohort. Secondly, while there was a positive relationship between paid employment and academic performance in relation to domestic students, there was a negative relationship between paid employment and academic performance for international students. Thirdly, with respect to international students, although a statistically significant relationship was not found, it seems that the academic performance of international students not working is better than that of working international students. Fourthly, a significant positive relationship between shift workers and academic performance was revealed that offers no obvious explanation and is identified as an area needing further research. With respect to the quality of university education experience of accounting students, there are indicators that accounting students may not be optimally engaging in a full university experience because of work pressures. There were 9% of students are found to be working fulltime and studying full time simultaneously. The fact that many choose to miss classes for work commitments does not afford them the opportunities associated with campus life including generic skill development of a social nature, networking with their future professional peers, and engagement with the benefits of cultural exchange with an international student body. Given that Vickers et al. (2003) found if students work more than 20 hours per week they are 160%-200% more likely to drop out of university, this has implications for attrition rates in accounting courses also. The authors contest that there is a need to explore further to understand the positive and negative impacts of paid employment on academic performance, and why differences exist between domestic and international students. This will aid in meeting the demand for good Australian accounting graduates. 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(2007) â€Å"Australian Employment Patterns and Course Participation Preferences of Accounting Stude nts† International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol.3, No.1, March 2007, pp.23-36. Dobson, I. and Sharma, S. (1999) â€Å"Student performance and the cost of failure† Tertiary Education and Management, Vol. 5, No. 2, pp141-157. Gracia, L. and Jenkins, E. (2003) â€Å"A quantitative exploration of student performance on an undergraduate accounting programme of study†, Accounting Education, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp15-32. Gull, F. and Fong, S. (1993) â€Å"Predicting success for introductory accounting students; some further Hong Kong evidence† Accounting Education: an international journal, Vol. 2, No. 1, pp33-42. Hutcheson, T. and Tse, H. (2006) â€Å"Tutorial attendance and Grade Achievement† Working Paper No. 145, University of Technology, Sydney, March. Koh, M. Y. and Koh H.C. (1999) â€Å"The determinants of performance in an accountancy degree programme† Accounting Education, Vol. 8, No. 1, pp13-29. James, R., Cexley, E., Devlin, M. and Marginson, S. (2007) â€Å"Australian University Student Finances 2006: A summary of findings from a national survey of students in public universities†, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne, Australian Vice Chancellors’ Committee. Nonis, S. and Hudson, G. (2006), â€Å"Academic performance of college students; influence of time sp ent studying and working† Journal of Education for Business, Vol. 81, No. 3, Jan-Feb, pp151-160. Robert Half International â€Å"The Global War for Talent and its Effect on the Finance and Accounting Teams in Australia† White Paper, 6 April 2005. Rudkin, K. and De Zoysa, A. (2007) â€Å"Educating with Social Justice: Public Interest vs Private Benefit† International Review of Business Research Papers, Vol. 3, No. 2, March 2007, pp.87-99. Strong, T. and Watts, T. 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Professionalism in the Construction Industry

Professionalism in the Construction Industry Construction management is a challenging and demanding profession. In order to successfully complete a project, from the perspective of a Client, they will need the assistance of many construction professionals to help them realise their objective particularly from the feasibility to completion of a project. These construction professionals generally include architects, interior designers, surveyors, civil engineers, quantity surveyors, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers and structural engineers. These construction professionals have different specialities for example an architect will generally manage the design and construction of the project, whereas the structural engineer will ensure that the project is structurally stable, and the quantity surveyor will generally look after the financial aspects of a project. 2.0 The concept of Professionalism in the Construction Industry In order to understand the concept of Professionalism in Construction we first must examine the terms profession and professional. Carr (2000) suggests that wealth, prestige and self-regulation are characteristics of how you determine whether an occupation can be construed to be a Profession. In addition to this, Carr (2000) states that there are five further characteristic that allow you to determine whether an occupation can be said to be a profession and these include:- professions provide an important public service; they involve a theoretically as well a practically grounded expertise; that have a distinct ethical dimension which calls for expression in a code of practice; they require organisation and regulation for purposes of recruitment and discipline; and professional practitioners require a high degree of individual autonomy independence of judgement for effective practice A Professional is said to be a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. Most professionals are governed by Professional Institutes who set the strict rules regulating their conduct and ethical behaviour. Professionals are said to be experts and/or specialists in the field that they participate. Professionals are said to have specialist knowledge in their particular field of work. The qualities and/or traits and/or attributes of a professional have been stated to be; trustworthiness, competent, respectful, displays integrity, considerate, courteous, dependable, cooperative, committed. Sockett (1993) believes that professional needs to be self-governed and their actions should be based on sound professional practices in their particular field. Sockett (1993) confirms that being a professional means having moral vision, sense, and purpose. In addition Sockett (1993) states that the essence of understanding the term professional is that it describes the persons behaviour and performance, but does not describe the person and their status. Maister (1997) argues that Professional is not a label you give yourself, its a description you hope others will apply to you A professional will exhibited a high standard of professional ethics, while carrying out ones profession Professionalism is said to be the demonstration of all the traits and/or attributes of being a professional and will decide how successful you are in your job. These traits include positive attitudes, courteous behaviour, good vocabulary, smart appearance, self-belief. The judgement of whether a person has Professionalism is subjective, and it is not solely because they wear a nice suit, but its a combination of these traits that give people the image of a professional. These traits and/or attributes are briefly discussed below:- Attitude No just whether a person is upbeat, a professional will find ways to overcome obstacles and find solutions to the problem. Competence You need to know what youre talking about in your field of work and be able to recommend solutions. Communication Skills Be able to effectively communicate ideas, speak in clear terms and make complex subjects understandable to all concerned. Appearance Clean and appropriate clothing that fit properly will help portray the image of a professional (you dont necessarily need an expensive suite) Appropriateness Keep thing appropriate and avoid going off on unrelated tangents. Furthermore, professionals are expected to establish and maintain professional boundaries to enhance their professionalism within the construction industry. The need for Professional Boundaries are generally required to ensure that the Construction Professionals effectively communicate using appropriate language, keep information private and confidential, not to take advantages and exploit clients whilst engaged in their services, and not to fuel gossip in the office. 3.0 Who are the professional roles within the Construction Industry? In the modern day construction industry, many managers, technical people, skilled, semi-skilled, unskilled people are needed in order to successfully complete the project on time and within budget. In order to effectively manage the many work items and/or construction related activities a professional project team is needed to make sure the project is constructed using the required technology, to the required standards and using the most cost effective methods. Each construction project will need a team to translate the design into reality. The team for a building project will generally consist of architects, interior designers, surveyors, structural engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, quantity surveyors, building engineers, civil engineer. These construction professionals deal with a variety of the key activities that are required to manage the project i.e. time, money, equipment, technology, people management. These professional will look at a project from incept ion to completion. They will be challenged throughout the process to come up with innovated ideas, solutions to overcome the many obstacles that they will be confronted during the course of the project and these may include:- Organisation of resources Sequencing of the various work items for the project Achieving budgets Completion of the various work items within the stipulated time Integrating organisations Balancing the conflict interest of the stakeholders and end users Appreciation of the various technology and methods available to undertake the project. It is the duty and obligation of each of the Construction professionals to exercise all reasonable skills, care and diligence and display their skills according to the Professional Standards that generally govern the disciple that they practice. By looking at the four main professional roles in the construction industry and these include the Architect, Civil Engineer, Project Manager, Quantity Surveyor and their respective roles and responsibilities, this will give an insight into how these professionals succeed in the construction industry. 3.1 Architect Roles An architect is a person that must be registered with a recognised Architect Registration Board in order to practice their profession. To practice architecture general means that a service in connection with the design and construction of a building has been offered. According to Bredemeyer Consulting (2006), a simplistic way of looking at the role of an Architect is that they create architectures, and their responsibilities included everything necessary to accomplish this. This includes creating the vision and the concept, then experimenting with the alternatives to make the vision and concept reality. In addition to this, the Architect in conjunction with a team of construction professionals need to prepare the technical drawings and specification in order to make the vision a reality. Similarly Architects during their construction role, advises the Client on awards of contract, monitors progress, responds to technical queries issued by the Contractor, issues supplementary drawing and specifications, reviews all technical and document transmittals issued by the Contractor, issues site instructions, provide contract administration, and certify the Contractors interim payment certificates. The role of the Architect will generally dependent on the nature of the appointment and the scope of their service agreement. However, the role of the Architect is not just limited to these technical activities, particularly when you become more senior within an organisation, other challenging aspects of the role of an Architect will then come into play for example business strategy, organisational politics, consulting and leadership. 3.2 Civil Engineer Role A Civil Engineer (in the context of this report the equivalent of an Architect albeit in the Civil Engineering industry) like an Architect, plans things, designs things, constructs things, improves things albeit in the field of infrastructure, bridges roads etc. There are a number of specialities that a Civil Engineer may specialise in, and these include geotechnical, structural, transportation, hydraulic and environmental, costal, material engineering. It is normal for a Civil Engineer to have graduated from a university with a degree, but it is not mandatory that a Civil Engineer needs to be licensed; this will depend entirely on where you live in the world. In the UK, a professional engineer may decide to join the Chartered Institute of Civil Engineers which is the equivalent of a licensed engineer in many other areas of the world. Again like the Architect, the Civil Engineer (also known as a Resident Engineer) in the construction phase of a project will monitor the works to ensure that the required workmen and quality standards are being achieved and monitor the progress of the works. The Civil Engineer also advises the Client on awards of contract, responds to technical queries issued by the Contractor, issues supplementary drawing and specifications, reviews all technical and document transmittals issued by the Contractor, issues site instructions, provide contract administration, and certifies the Contractors interim payment certificates The role of the Civil Engineer will generally dependent on the nature of the appointment and the scope of their service agreement. 3.3 Construction Project Manager Role A Construction Project Manager (CPM) whilst being in charge of the project as a whole has four key areas to manage and these include; Time, Cost, Quality and Scope. The CPM must possess a number of general management skills in order to achieve the projects objects as well as Interpersonal skills and these are briefly discussed below:- Time Management Prepares the time schedule and monitors progress against the baseline programme Quality Management Ensure that the requirements of the specifications are adhered too Cost Management prepares the cost budgets and implements cost control measures Resource Management Identifies and manages the resources required to undertake the project labour, plant, equipment, materials, subcontractors and specialised services. Procurement Purchasing / Hiring of all the required resources Risk Management Identification, classification, analysis and then formulating the appropriate risk response. Integration Management How to get all the various work items and stakeholders to work together in a systematic way to achieve the projects objectives Project Scope Management Identification and fulfilment of the project scope of works Leadership skills, Influential Skills, Negotiation Skills, Persuasive, Conflict Management, Project Managers wishing to obtain professional certification in Construction Project Management, may obtain them from the Project Management Institute. 3.4 Quantity Surveyors Role A Quantity Surveyor (QS) is a professional working within the Construction Industry and is generally involved in the financial aspects of a project The RICS (2003) identified that a QS should provide a number of services during the course of a project. In the pre-contract stage, the QS should help and prepare the preliminary cost plan, evaluate the various design proposals in terms of cost, implement cost control measures in the detailed design stage to ensure that the budget is not exceeded, maintain and develop the cost plan. During the tender stage, the QS should advise on the tender documentation and assist with the Architect / Civil Engineer on awards of Projects. The QS during the construction phase also needs to prepare recommendations for interim payments, post-contract cost control and final account. In addition to this, the QS should provide and price bills of quantities, prepare cost analysis, advise on financial implications, provide measurement of areas, provide advice on contractual matters. There are many areas where a QS could specialise and these include construction, oil gas, power industry, building, civil engineering. The Main distinction will be whether the QS is from a Professional Practice (often called a PQS) or those that work for the various construction organisations (often called Main Contractors QS). To help maintain the standards of the professions, one of the many professional bodies such as the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors provides education, defines the standards, and sets strict codes of practice and ethics for all its members to follow 4.0 The concept and Practise of Professional Liability At some stage in the career of a Professional, things will go wrong and will result in some else unfairly being subjected to harm and/or additional cost (in the context of a construction project, the Employer). This could be caused by an error, an act of negligence, or an omission during the course of a professionals work. The result of which will be a breach of a legal obligation and this is commonly known as Professional Liability. In order to protect themselves from such a liability, professionals can obtain professional liability insurance. However in recent times, it has proved difficult to obtain this insurance which has led professional to look at the various other alternatives in the market that will help to protect them from Professional Liability. Indemnity Agreements By simply transferring the risk via indemnity agreements. Evidence of Professional Liability from Design Professionals A simple certificate of insurance that only gives the basic information i.e. the insured party, the insurer, policy number, policy term and limits. The full extent of the insurance coverage and/or limitation is not readily available. Professional Protective Insurance Provides first party indemnity for damages which are in excess of the professional liability insurance. This type of policy supplements the existing Professional Indemnity insurance where the Client desires further protection on a particular project. Project Professional Liability Insurance (P.L.I) Allows the Client to have the benefit of one project specific P.L.I policy where all the professional participating in a project are named on the one single site specific policy. The role of Professional Organisation in the Construction Industry Due to the ever changing world and construction industry, Professional Institutions are tasked with the role of raising professional standards, knowledge and training within the industry. To help achieve these goals, the institutions develop educational programmes to ensure that their members respond to the changing work environment and are equipped with all the knowledge and skills required to practice in their profession. In addition to this, Institutions strive to improve their service to both members and industry, encourage sustainable construction practices, publish both magazines and journals to help improve the knowledge of their members. There are numerous Institutions that target specific disciplines for example; and to name but a few:- the Institute of Civil Engineer target Civil Engineers, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyor target Surveyors, the Chartered Institute of Builders target builders. To become a member of an Institution, you must generally satisfy their academic requirements before undertaking their Professional Development Plan which aims to ascertain over a period of time whether you have the required skills and competences to qualify as a full member. Once qualified as a full member, the Institutions believe that Continual Professional Development (CPD) is an essential part of being a member. According to Construction Industry Council (UK), CPD is the Systematic maintenance, improvement and broadening of knowledge and skills, and the development of personal qualities necessary for the execution of professional and technical duties throughout the working like. In addition to the above, the Institution sets the ethical codes that govern how the Professional should conduct themselves whilst practicing their discipline. The role of Construction related business organisations One of the fundamental roles of the construction related business organisations is to provide its members with access to educational tools inclusive of industry news that they may not ordinarily be available in their profession. These organisations help construction business, professionals, students and others to:- maintain standards, guide them, strengthen economic performance, raise levels of knowledge and performance. These organisations can be government departments, societies, and regulatory authorities and they include some of the following organisations:- C.I.T.B Construction Skills Energy Saving Trusts English Heritage Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reforms (BERR) 7.0 Conclusion Due to the rapidly changing and evolving construction industry, professionals are needed to maintain high standards and produce quality work. Therefore to standardise, regulate, maintain the knowledge needed by professionals in industry, the role of Institutions and the construction related businesses will continue to be needed by their members for many years to come. Professionalism in the Construction Industry Professionalism in the Construction Industry Who are the professionals in construction industry? The Professionalism in Constructions is a combination of derived significant activities of professionals. This is mainly related with their job tasks, such as; an active demonstration of the traits of professionals, also the level of professionalism can be evaluated how successful you are in your job and also it can be decided how others view on you and how far you have developed in your career level as well. Some specific professionals in construction industry, for example; Architects, Civil Structural Engineers, Mechanical Electrical Engineers, Project Managers and Quantity Surveyors whom are well-trained and highly educated and experienced experts. They are contributing with their specific knowledge and experience for the successful completion of projects. And also they have vital responsibilities and duties within their entire roles; for instance, Preparation of drawings, Specifications, BOQ, Contract Conditions and Agreements. Furthermore deal with the Time, Money, Technology, Equipments, operatives and materials for managing of construction projects and organize the project resources. The professional organizations usually provide comprehensive betterment to the professionals, such as; initial professional development and being a member in an institution. It furnishes free education and training, participation in conference and seminars, network opportunities and get privilege to use on line recourses. Hence some professional organizations are especially vital to the construction industry, for example; Professionals are licentiated as RICS, CIOB, RIBA, AIQS, SLIQS, and IESL etc. as a result of this, professionals can develop their knowledge and make improvement the level of professionalism appropriately. Further, certain business related organizations provide collaboration of professionals to share with their knowledge and experience. Hence, Professionals are able to use organization resources to success of their projects, some of them are significantly important to constructions industry, such as; reference of FIDIC in international, reference of ICTAD in Sri Lanka and also reference of Business Enterprise Regulatory Reform (BERR) in the United Kingdom. INTRODUCTION This report comprehensively discuss about the study of Professionalism in Constructions industry. The Aim is getting of knowledge and awareness of Professionalism, about various construction related Professional Organizations and their role in the Construction Industry. Particularly discuss through the following major key points by investigating briefly: The concept of Professionalism Professionals roles within the Construction Industry. The concept and practice of Professional Liability The role of Professional Organizations in the Construction Industry. The role of Construction related business organizations. MAIN BODY DISCUSSIONS The Professionalism Define Concept of Professionalism Concept of the Professionalism basically explained herewith, on specialists point of view, most of authors have defined the concept of professionalism in considerable volume. According to the article of Journal of Chiropractic Humanities 2005  © NUHS (Stuart Kinsinger) Professionalism is defined as Professionalism is service through the use of specialized knowledge, skills, and experience; holding oneself to the highest standards of thought, word, and deed. Concerning to the above explained comment, it can be identified clearly what the concept of professionalism is, Further professionalism can be described as; It is an active demonstration of the traits of professionals, The level of professionalism can be evaluated how successful you are in your job. It can also be decided how others view on you and how far you develop your career level. Whatsoever, professionalism cannot be evaluated just in appearance; like neatness, good grooming, and shop-talk as well. It should be really evaluated through the technical skilled, inner strengths, attitudes and honest work done. Besides, concerning of the professionals in construction industry; will be deeply discussed in next steps, therefore it is further required to study the history of professionalism in constructions to get a proper knowledge about constructions professionals professionalism. History of Professionalism in Construction industry History of professionalism has been shown since in the beginning of civilization in this world, nevertheless refer to the construction industry, professionalism shows at the early stage of Second World War in 1942, when considering to issued records by US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion five, Command History, that battalion has earned a reputation for excellence and professionalism during the 54 years of its existence. Also they have built airstrips, hospitals, bridges, roads, and have provided humanitarian and disaster recovery assistance in almost every part of the world. Hence it appears clearly, there should be a particular characteristics and attributes in professionalism. Characteristics and Attributes of Professionalism There are number of special characteristics and attributes in professionalism to implement within the professional bodies. This characterizes give much influence to success of professionalism in their trades. It is as follows; Attitude this is very important characteristic of professionalism, there should be positive attitude, and hence it will help to increase business success, Appearance -Wearers clean cloth is very important for make the business in positive way continuously, hence this positive appearance will significantly help to the business success., Behavior to be expressed well-mannered, calm matters, should not be spite, Vocabulary- Should be use always right words, not suitable to use big words because level of professionalism is often judged by vocabulary, Mindset- Pattern of the way of thinking of professionals Also above specialized characterizes can be judged by particular facts identified to obtain real professionalism in constructions. How is Professionalism Judged? According to the book Up The Corporate Ladder Professionalism in The Workplace written by Elsabà © Manning (owner of the Success Factory), Professionalism is judged by the following facts: such as, Responsibility and accountability, business etiquette, Telephone and e-etiquette, Manners, Communication, Relationships, Competence, Respectfulness, Trustworthiness, Empathy and compassion, Emotional maturity, Image, etc; So then, above mentioned facts are used to judge the level of professionalism, hence further needs to understand exactly about professionals and their roles relevant to the construction industry. The professionals of Construction Industry Definition Mostly education, work culture, morals, work ethics, positive thinking, open mind make anybody into a professional, out of these six points, at least four should be present to become a good, valuable professional.  Further explanations; a professional is a person who is paid to take over a specialized set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The key measures for professionals as follows: They should have expert and specialized knowledge in their carrier, Excellent practical and literary skills, Basically high quality work to be exhibited, A high standard of professional ethics, behaviors and work activities, Work morale and motivation in reasonable level. Suitable treatment of relationships with social group. Who are the professionals in Construction Industry? In general, there are highly qualified and well trained professionals are contributing within their specific knowledge and experience to deliver the projects in construction industry in successful. There are few key professionals in the construction industry, identified as, Architects, Project Managers, Civil Engineers, Structural Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Electrical Engineer and Quantity Surveyors. Basically, they categorized within their involvement with job environment, some of them are working as client representatives, and some are assigned to design teams, also assigned to builders and maintenance firms. Roles of professionals in Construction industry Most of construction projects or firms employ reputed professionals to get proper management process in order to archive projects goals, contribution with the professionals specialized roles. Architects, Engineer Consultants, Builders and Quantity Surveyors, whom are the professionals in construction industry, hence further will discuss concerning the significant roles of them relevant to the construction projects as a professional teams, Particular points of key roles of them are given below; Usually they prepare designs including drawings, specifications, BOQ, Contact Agreements and Conditions of Contracts, As well as they are dealing with Time, Money, Technology, Equipments,, Operatives and Materials to manage the construction projects, They are employed directly by clients, They shall organize the project resources to execute project activities to manage them properly and complete the project on time, maintain the Quality, Cost Control, maintain of Environment and Safety measures. Further their roles are briefly described as follows; The Architect According to the Wikipedia, an architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight/supervision of the construction of buildings and further architect should be visiting site periodically for inspections to ensure that in general, the work being carried out on site is in compliance with architectural designs and specifications. Generally, Architect should have proper education qualifications and also should have good training back ground to deliver their knowledge for the project success in terms of sustainability and safety of end users. Also there are Landscapes Architects, Town Planners, Infrastructures and building Architects whom are categorized on discipline on service and they involve as a team or one person. Engineer Consultant According to the Bamisile (2004), during the construction phase Engineers (Civil, electrical, mechanical, geotechnical and structural) should visit the site often for inspections, and to be ensured that all activities going on compliance with their engineering drawings, specifications and schedules. Also they should be concerned with monitoring and ensuring methods and materials. Normally engineer consultants joint as a reputed individual firm with development projects. Also involve for selecting the project by way of tender or by nomination. A Fee also will be charged by Engineers as a parentage basis. The Builder The Builder is employed by the client, on the advice of the Architect or the  Architectural technologist. A builder must first assess the project-specific documents (referred to as tender documents). In the case of renovations, a site visit is required to get a better understanding of the project. The builder will then calculate a price, also called an estimate. The builder considers the cost of materials and equipment as well as the cost of labor to provide the owner with an approximate price for the project. The Quantity Surveyor (Cost Consultant) Quantity surveyor is the person/ firm who manage the cost relating to the construction projects, such as new constructions, maintenance work and renovations. Quantity surveyor monitors the cost of every aspects of a construction project as a cost expert, as well as seeks to minimize the costs of the project and to make more cost savings while ensuring the total cost of project does not exceed the estimated cost. Furthermore when study about Architects, Engineers Quantity Surveyors as Construction Professionals, also have to be identified their duties and Responsibilities properly. Duties and responsibilities of professionals in Construction industry In general Architects, Project managers, engineers and quantity surveyors are the most important persons whom are involved as professionals in construction industry. Therefore, they have to be very respectable and well care of their duties and responsibilities according to their work sectors. Their duties and responsibilities could be described in brief as mentioned below; Architect Contribution for initial discussions and consultations which relevant to design and plans with a person or a business organization in satisfactory level. Should be understood clearly about clients intended objectives and explaining them. Getting clear idea of Clients budget which is expected to invest for projects and consulting with suggestions for any alternatives may be required. Preparing initial proposals subsequent to discussions with client. Studying environmental impact and the effect having with proposed structure. Follow-up feasibility studies and how it affected for constructions in specific locations. Attending site selections and produce a cost analysis as a part of the initial proposals. Explain all aspects of initial proposals to client very briefly. To be worked altogether with client to get a final product as plans and important designs. All design and plans with respect to the rule and regulation of government and relevant organizations and institutions respectively. Civil Engineers The civil engineers are engaging with many activities at the beginning of the project and up to the end of the project. Hence, some of their key roles are as follows; Analyzing various factors and areas concerning construction. Analyzing, searching and investigate the site location and ensure its feasibility for construction purpose. Preparing key essential plans to determine what need to be changed prior to implement tasks. Develop detailed design drawings according to the clients requirements. Review and issuing approval for project designs and reports. Identifying potential risks and disputes of the project. Taking necessary actions for risk management. Follow up rules, regulations and guidelines in relevant to the project. Verify the safety activities during the project implementation. Study different equations, strategies, and applications to make certain appropriate procedures and applications. Supervision of all works and monitors staff duties and operations at site. Keeping well communication with stakeholders of project; Project Architects, consultant, sub contractors and client. Preparing schedule for purchase of materials and equipments. Ensure that the project is completed by the committed time within the planned budget. Preparation of defect list or snags list and involve with handing over process. The Quantity Surveyor Pre Contract stage Elemental Cost Estimate Measurements Bill Of Quantity Preparation Tender Document Preparation Analyzing Estimating and Tendering Tender Evaluation Tender Clarification Meetings Negotiation Meetings Post Contract stage Kick of Meeting Progress on Site Variation Order Calculations Variation Order negotiation Payment Certifications Financial Statements Final Accounts The Construction Project Manager Prepare master program to the overall project and agree with the employer. Appointing consultants and contractors by tendering. Financial advice to the employer and cost control. Coordinating all parties and gets the work done. Risk, quality, time, scope cost management. Communication negotiations. Complete and handover the project to the agreed master program. In this report discussed about few professionals, moreover there are other professionals are involved with construction industry, some of them are very important and their activities are required to complete the project satisfactorily. They are Land surveyors, geological surveyors, Draftsmen, Human Resources managers, Clerk of works, Business and legal advisors. Furthermore, need to be discussed in brief about Professional Organizations having relationship with the Professionals. The Constructions professionals organizations What is Professional organization? Professional organizations usually give comprehensive betterment to the professionals such as, initial professional development and also being a member in an institution as free education and training, attending to conference and seminars, network opportunities and get privilege to use on line recourses, Hence some professional organizations are especially vital to the construction industry, for example; Professionals are licentiated as RICS, CIOB, RIBA, AIQS, SLIQS, and IESL etc. as a result of this, professionals can develop their knowledge and make improvement the level of professionalism appropriately. The role of professional organizations in the construction industry In general, here with discussed about common roles briefly, Maintain the standards of the professions in the construction industry Maintain superlative knowledge (Training, Seminars, CPD, PDP) Develop professional education to respond to changing environment to meet current and future operation needs. Improve services to members and up-grading services in industry. Encouraging of sustainable constructions Publishing books, magazines and other publications to develop the knowledge of members. Maintain and improve the quality of the built environment. The Benefits of Joining with Professional institutions The Construction professional institutions provide most important benefits for the professionals body to improve their professionalism actively. The few benefits of professional institutes are given below; Possible to expand the professional network Consistent updates on current industry trends and developments. A chance to increase awareness of work place. Can be discovered other companies activities. A chance to use monthly, quarterly, and annual newsletters. magazines Have particular strategies for attending the meeting An opportunity to joint with CPD, professional development plan Volunteer to join a committee within the association. Follow up with your new contacts. Annual membership fee of most reputed professional institutes are very high, however some companies provide institutes membership fee and training expenditures according to the requirement of the employers at that time. Further studying the benefits and specific roles of professional institutes, conclusively following table will shows function different of few institutes. (Refer to Table 01) Organizations Roles, Functions Professionals liability in Constructions Generally professionals liabilities are the legal obligation with professionals errors, negligence or omissions during the course of practice of work. Hence there are few identified key professionals liabilities in construction industry, those are as follows; Design errors, for instance; methods, means of construction drawings Construction inspection, Quality control and quality assurance Contractual liability from a sub contract design entity Health and safety of site Coordination and scheduling Normally at the design and management phases of project, effect of professionals liabilities are high than other phases, Above identified liabilities in construction professionals, further required to protect them using Construction insurance and policies. Those are as follows; Workmans Compensation policy (will cover liability of an employer for employment, injured, payment of Compensation etc.)) Contractors risk insurance (cover damage of property, liability of third party claims for injure or death, material and machinery damage) Professional liability insurance (All design firms, professional services, contractor and constructions manger) The role of Constructions related business organizations The business related organizations provide collaboration of professionals to share with their knowledge and experience. Hence, Professionals are able to use organization resources to success of their projects, some of them are significantly important to constructions industry, such as; reference of FIDIC in international, reference of ICTAD in Sri Lanka and also reference of Business Enterprise Regulatory Reform (BERR) in the United Kingdom Following are the key roles of business related organizations; Maintain standards in the industry Provide recourse as and when needed Strengthen the economic performance Increase peoples understanding Create conditions for business success Raise levels of productivity Help produce professionals in the industry and maintain standards Help with research work/ training and CPD Helps maintain connection with world wide By these major key roles can identify which contain their relationship with construction industry clearly. Therefore those functions significantly influence the success of projects in construction industry actively. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATIONS This study make following conclusion finally, certainly, particular employers aptitudes can be performed within special characteristics and attributes accompanied with professionalism such as, Ethics Qualification, Skill, Experience, Communication Skills, Initiative. These are vital facts for improve of the professionalism in construction industry.

A Study of Reading Habits :: essays papers

A Study of Reading Habits "A Study of Reading Habits," is Philip Larkin’s poetic warning that escapism and ignoring reality only makes real life less fulfilling. Larkin develops this idea via a narrator who prefers to escape from life rather than deal with it, as well as through changing use of language and subtle irony. Larkin’s most direct expression of his warning comes through the narrator’s experience with escapism through books. The narrator reveals his changing attitudes toward books in three stanzas, representing three stages in his life: childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. As a child, reading as an escape enabled the narrator to feel better about "most things short of school" (line 2). As an adolescent, books continued to be a form of escape for him, this time for his unfulfilled sexual desires. However, as an adult "now," the narrator embodies Larkin's warning. He is bitter and resentful that life is less glamorous than books, now only able to relate to the secondary, less important characters. The method he once used to escape now makes reality painfully obvious. The idealized reality that the narrator dreams of at each point in his life is reflected in the author’s language use. The description of childhood escape contains clichà ©s found in children’s adventure books, such as "keep cool," "the old right hook," and "dirty dogs." As an adolescent, the descriptions are more mysterious and sexual, including references to Dracula and to rape. The descriptions as an adult are the most casual and slangy, suggesting a decline in the narrator’s intellect, the result of complete indifference. At this point he sees reality for all that it is, and finds this unfulfilling compared to his earlier idealizations. The author drives this point home with a number of ironies throughout the poem. The title suggests a formal paper; quite the opposite of the colloquial language Larkin uses. This symbolizes the motif that what appears to be good (formal), may in fact be bad (casual). Also, the narrator’s values decline as he gains knowledge, going from good to evil to indifference.

Leadership Determines a Country

Claudia Ramirez Parrow Ap Euro P. 4 16 March 2013 Claudia Ramirez Parrow Ap Euro P. 4 16 March 2013 A country needs leadership in order to be successful and to keep peace in order. Some leaders take different routes in which they think would be the most successful for their country. However, one must keep in mind that a state will be affected by the leaders choices and actions. It has been stated that, â€Å" Leadership determines the fate of a country. † Spain has dealt with the outcomes of Phillip II leadership tactics.Phillip II inherited Spain, the Low Countries from his father Charles V. Phillips leadership determine the fate of Spain with being his orders he sent out to his people. He wanted to wipe out Protestantism and this led to his sister’s introduction to inquisition. Making the country more heavily taxed, a country with always be effected by their leaders decisions whether it be positive or negative. a countries people will live and participate in social ac tivity in a way that has been accustomed by its leader.The Spanish generals could not halt the fighting when Phillip sent twenty thousand Spanish troops under the duke of Alva to pacify the Low Countries. â€Å"pacification† meant the ruthless extermination of religious and political dissidents. After burying his fourth wife, he began to build a stronger devotion to religion for political help. He was completely inflexible, making the lives of his people harder. He differed little from the protestant reformers. He ruled the first global empire, making his focus and attention on maintaining that empire instead of the people in his country.In seventeenth century Spain, memory of the loss of the Spanish armada contributed to a spirit of defeatism. The political religious situation in central Europe deteriorated. Phillips authority affected the fate of Spain, by his main focuses and war like decisions. With being under his rule, Spain reached its height of power and influence, di recting explorations all around the world and settling the colonization of territories in all the known continents.

Free Online Public Schools for Arizona Students, K-12

Free Online Public Schools for Arizona Students, K-12 Arizona offers resident students the opportunity to take online public school courses for free. Below is a list of no-cost online schools currently serving elementary and high school students in Arizona. To qualify for the list, schools must meet the following qualifications: classes must be available completely online, they must offer services to state residents, and they must be funded by the government. Arizona Connections Academy Arizona Connections Academy is a tuition-free online public school that gives students throughout the state the flexibility to learn at home with a curriculum that meets rigorous state education standards. The school says its mission is to help each online student maximize his or her potential and meet the highest performance standards through a uniquely individualized virtual learning program. The schools virtual program includes: A K-12 curriculum developed by leading education expertsInstruction from state-certified teachers experienced in online instructionSupport from trained counselors, principals, and administrative staffFree textbooks, curriculum materials, and computer equipment (including a subsidy for Internet service) needed to participate in a dynamic online learning environment Arizona Virtual Academy Arizona Virtual Academy uses  K12 online curricula  to offer Arizona students individualized learning that features: Experienced, state-certified, highly qualified teachers,  who are available online and by phoneCurriculum that covers both the core subject areas and electivesOnline planning and assessment tools, resources, and hands-on materials  ranging from textbooks to microscopes, rocks, and soil to illustrated classic childrens storiesAccess to career-planning resources and counselors  who help identify student goals and paths for success post-high schoolAn active, supportive school community that organizes monthly gatherings where parents, students, and staff share their successes and helpful hints Hope High School Online Hope High School, a fully accredited online program, is sponsored by the Arizona State Board of Charter Schools for students in grades seven 7 through 12. Hope High School Online is proud of our online high school being ranked (in Arizona) in the top four and top five for student achievement among alternative schools for English Language Arts and Math by AzMERIT, the school notes on its website. Students can log in on their own schedule and complete coursework at their own pace. The school offers two diploma options: a standard diploma for students who plan to attend a community college or trade school and a college prep diploma for students who plan to attend a four-year university. The college prep diploma includes higher-level math during the senior year and two years of foreign language. IQ Academy Arizona The IQ Academy Arizona, a virtual program for sixth-through-12-grade students, allows students to: Set their own scheduleLearn online, wherever they have internet accessTalk to teachers directly whenever they need helpStudy subjects that interest themGo at their own paceA free, school-supplied laptop Additionally, the school offers nearly 90 courses, in such subject areas as foreign language, technology, and psychology as well as advanced placement courses. The program also includes local and national clubs, face-to-face events, and a national IQ community website to help students make friends. Primavera High School Primavera Virtual High School, which serves more than 20,000 students each year, offers an alternative to traditional high school. The school seeks to provide second chances for students to earn their diplomas with a personalized, rigorous education through its online curriculum taught by highly qualified instructors and guidance counselors. We also host  a robust student life at Primavera to create an atmosphere of collaboration and community, the school notes. With activities like student clubs, school dances and monthly events, Primavera students can easily meet their classmates and make friends. Sequoia Choice - Arizona Distance Learning Sequoia Choice – Arizona Distance Learning, founded in 1998, is a tuition-free Arizona public charter school authorized by the Arizona Department of Education to provide distance learning services to Arizona students in grades K-12.   The school focuses on serving four types of students: Working students: A large majority of older students attend Sequoia Choice while working full or part-time. Students are able to access their courses at any time making school possible while working.Home-bound students: Some students have health or physical challenges which can make attending school difficult. Through distance learning, home-bound students are able to receive a quality education that provides the flexibility and availability they need.Year-round students: Traditional schools are available to students for nine months out of the year. Because the school is year-round, students who need the extra time are granted extra time.Credit recovery students: Students sometimes get behind in their required credits for high school graduation. One option in getting caught up is to take an online course for credit recovery. Sequoia Choice offers both semesters of all core subjects at any time during the year.