Introduction
Higher education in the United States has been a front-bench issue right from the timely establishment of the Union. The Founding Fathers correctly recognized the fact that the new nation would not make any progress if education in general and higher education, in particular, was not encouraged. As a prerequisite for innovation and invention, it is clear why they made the choice of supporting higher education. It’s from this platform that the federal government positioned itself as a participant in the higher education field. Participation comes with responsibilities. But what are the responsibilities that the federal government has in the provision of higher education?
Main text
Since higher education is supposed to steer forward the growth of industry and therefore the economy of the nation, the responsibility of the Federal Government should be financing higher education. The existence of low levels of economic ability in some families in the United States means that some families are unable to send their children to school in pursuit of higher education. Most of these children from poor families are highly talented and they are what the nation needs for progress (Lumina Foundation, 2009). It is therefore important that the Federal Government should come in and finance higher education so that the bright but financially challenged students can also have a chance of accessing higher education (Leonhardt, 2009).
Besides financing, higher education comes with a number of complex issues. The United States is a nation of more than three hundred million citizens. The number of institutions of higher learning is equally high, and these institutions offer many areas of specialization. With such a high number of institutions comes the problem of regulation. The question that comes to my mind is: Who is supposed to ensure that the education that is offered is of the right quality? The private sector cannot handle this. Regulation of education is too complex and too expensive to be left in the hands of the state governments. This leaves us with only one body that is large enough with sufficient resources to regulate the quality of education that is offered in the institutions of higher learning. This body is the Federal Government (Lips, 2010).
Having looked into the responsibilities of the Federal government in the provision of higher education, it is crucial to ask ourselves why the Federal government needs to take up these responsibilities. These reasons may have been covered in a brief sensation in the coverage of the responsibilities themselves but stating them again will make them clearer. The poverty in some families in America cannot allow bright students from these families to access higher education. To create this equality of opportunity, the Federal Government should finance higher education. It is not uncommon to find the Federal government sending money to various institutions in the different states in support of higher education (US. Department of Education, 2009). Also, the enormity of the task of regulation can only be handled by the Federal Government.
What Federal policy has been put in place by the Federal Government to ensure that any of these responsibilities are fulfilled for the American people? If we can focus on the responsibility of financing higher education, the federal government has a loan policy in place to ensure that any student who has gotten the marks to proceed with higher education has the chance to do so. The government extends money to students in form of loans for purposes of funding their higher education (de Vise, 2010). These loans are payable upon the completion of education and the acquisition of a job.
Conclusion
In conclusion, financing of higher education is one of the responsibilities that the Federal Government should have towards higher education provision in the United States. Regulation is also another important responsibility. The financing is necessary if equality of opportunity is to be created and the regulation is complex such that only the Federal Government can carry it out. The student loans issue is a federal government policy that is in place to deal with the issue of financing higher education.
References
de Vise,Daniel.(2010).House Approves Huge Changes to Student Loan Program.The Washington Post. Web.
Leonhardt, David. (2009). The Way We Live Now: The College Calculation. New York Times.
Lips, Dan. 2010. Ways to make higher education more affordable. Web.
Lumina Foundation. (2009). A Stronger Nation Through Higher Education: How And Why Americans Must Meet A “Big Goal” For College Attainment. A special report from the Lumina Foundation. Web.
US Department of Education. (2009). Minnesota to Receive More Than $34 Million to Turn Around Its Persistently Lowest Achieving Schools.ED.gov. Web.
Energy Deals Derailed By Obscure Accounting Rule: Enron Case
Introduction
Despite the Enron case having been finalized early in the last decade, its effects are still being witnessed even as late as today. The top-level management at this company undertook one of the largest accounting scandals to have ever hit the corporate world resulting in the bankruptcy and dissolution of Enron. As a result, the Financial Accounting Standards Boards undertook amendments to increase the efficiency of the accounting principles governing the discipline. This move was welcomed by many not only in the industry but in the entire economy as serious loopholes had already been identified in the existing guidelines. Everyone expected the accounting body to rectify the situation which the top management at Enron had capitalized on to trick investors into buying their shares and hoping that this would never occur in the future.
Problem statement
But in a surprising twist of events, the amendments that were being advocated for have now also resulted in negative impacts on the market. The amendments that were undertaken initially just after the scandal exploded have all been identified as effective and well-founded. But the most recent ones that the body has undertaken have come under serious criticism as they impact negatively on the efficiency of the operation of companies especially those in the energy sector (Walter, 2011). The latest amendments involve leases and how they ought to be treated.
Description and analysis
The board has it that all lease transactions must be incorporated into the company’s balance sheet. They should either be treated as assets or liabilities every time the balance sheet is drawn. Traditionally, only the capital leases could be included in the balance sheets of the company. The board seems to be after the reporting of the true financial and leverage positions of a company which Enron altered to attract investors (William, 2011). With the leases incorporated into a company’s balance sheet, investors will find it relatively easier to assess the true financial position of a company.
But this is as far as the advantages can be identified as the rule also has some weaknesses. Many have raised concerns about its impact on the energy sector as it seems to punish energy-efficient companies. Apart from the accounting malpractices that were undertaken at Enron, the company was no doubt a major player that contributed a lot towards the energy sector. What the accounting board is doing is to over-regulate the sector. Companies that seek lease agreements to increase their level of efficiency will be heavily impacted upon by this condition and stand high chances of having bulky balance sheets. The common investors are not too well versed with the detailed accounting principles and will most definitely associate this with high leverage risks (Fox, 2003).
Conclusion
The accounting body ought to reconsider its stand on leases and how they should be treated. Even though there are genuine concerns on how they can be abused by irresponsible companies to misrepresent to the market individuals, they should not categorize all energy companies in the Enron bracket. What these companies are after is to increase their efficiency levels and only lease ventures can guarantee this. The decision to demonize lease agreements between companies seeking better operations efficiency does not augur well with the efforts to conserve both energy and the environment. Very soon, organizations will be discouraged into entering lease agreements that could result in the stagnation o the industry all because of the mistakes of a single party a decade earlier.
References
Fox, Loren (2003). Enron: the rise and fall. John Wiley & Son.
Walter Pavlo. (2011). Good Credit-Good Fraud.
William Pentland. (2011). Energy Deals Derailed by Obscure Accounting Rule.
Addressing The Nature Of The Data: Gap Year
Concepts
The concepts that will be measured in the research dedicated to the study of the gap year benefits are mainly associated with the aspects of communication. The qualitative aspects of this study involve the opportunity of improving the theoretical basis of the gap year researches by studying the communication aspects of the studying process between gappers and tutors, or between gappers and non-gappers.
The concepts in the research are the number of conflicts, violence among students with the involvement of gappers, as well as the effectiveness of the communication (whether gappers understand their tutors better in comparison with non-gappers). The communication factor is closely linked with the success of the study, and the key concept of the study will involve the opportunity of studying the percentage of gappers who have solid live aims, and who realize their requirements and wishes. Since gappers are more experienced, their aims, requirements, and motives will be clearer in comparison with non-gappers.
Kinds of Analysis
The analysis patterns for this research will involve the necessity to study the communication-related aspects of the gappers and their tutors. Since gappers have clearer aims and motives, their communication with tutors is more grounded, as they wish to know more. Hence, this will be analyzed by measuring the average communication time, and the aims of this communication. (Goldrick-Rab and Han, 2011)
Another aspect of the analysis that is needed for proper study is associated with the matters of the benefits of the gap year. Since most researches are focused on analyzing the pros and cons of the gap year, these researches may be a part of the basis for studying the communication aspects. This will help to identify the potential problems of the study and define the ways of analyzing the pros and cons of the communication research. As it is emphasized by Heath (2007, p. 107): “Social research suggests that activities were undertaken during a gap year – for example, voluntary work – lead to a greater degree of participation in civil society, a wider interest in politics and greater ability to relate to wider society.” In the light of this statement, the social perspective may be regarded as the necessary prism regarding the problem of communication.
The key evidence that is used for the study may be used for the proper analysis of the problem. Hence, the gap year is featured with the benefits of self-search which an adolescent performs. The varieties of the research will be identified by the results of such a self-search, and the analysis pattern that will be needed for this will involve the consideration of skills and knowledge that adolescents gain while working or participating in the volunteering programs during the gap year. These skills may be as follows:
- Independence and ability of decision making
- Interpersonal skills
- Problem-solving patterns and strategies
- Improved self-discipline
- Leadership
- Communication skills that may also involve a higher level of team working
- Personal finances management (Hulstrand, 2010)
Hence, the gappers reveal better results in various team works, and they are better in communication as they know how to tame their ambitions that may create barriers for effective communication. Since these skills are helpful for a successful education, these may be included in the analysis strategy of the theoretical basis.
Reference List
Goldrick-Rab, S. & Han, S. (2011). Accounting for socioeconomic differences in delaying the transition to college. The Review of Higher Education, 34 (3): 423-445.
Heath, S. (2007). Widening the gap: Pre-university gap years and the ‘economy of experience’. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 28(1): 103-110.
Hulstrand, J. (2010). Time out: The gap year abroad. International Educator, 19, 75-82.