#Online Tuition Management System in New York

[taxandaccountingmumbai]

Why Learning SAP Online is the Future of Business Solutions

In today's rapidly evolving business landscape, staying ahead requires continuous learning and adaptation. One of the most powerful tools for businesses today is SAP (Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing), a suite of enterprise software solutions that streamline processes across various functions like finance, human resources, supply chain management, and more. With the increasing complexity of business operations and the advent of digital transformation, learning SAP online has emerged as a crucial pathway to success. Here’s why learning SAP online is the future of business solutions.

1. Flexibility and Accessibility

One of the most significant advantages of online SAP courses is the flexibility they offer. Unlike traditional classroom settings, online learning allows individuals to access course materials and lectures at their convenience. This is particularly beneficial for working professionals who can now balance their job responsibilities with skill development. Whether you're in New York or New Delhi, online SAP courses break down geographical barriers, making top-notch education accessible to anyone with an internet connection.

2. Cost-Effective Learning

Traditional classroom training often comes with high costs, including tuition, travel, and accommodation expenses. Online SAP courses, on the other hand, are generally more affordable. Many platforms offer a variety of pricing models, including one-time payments, subscriptions, or even free courses. This cost efficiency makes it easier for individuals and businesses to invest in SAP training without straining their budgets.

3. Up-to-Date Content

The business world is dynamic, and staying updated with the latest industry trends and technological advancements is essential. Online SAP courses are frequently updated to reflect the latest software updates, industry best practices, and emerging trends. This ensures that learners are acquiring knowledge that is relevant and immediately applicable in the real world. Traditional training programs might not adapt as quickly to changes, potentially leaving learners with outdated information.

4. Interactive and Engaging Learning Experience

Modern online SAP courses leverage various technologies to create an interactive and engaging learning experience. Features such as video tutorials, interactive simulations, live webinars, and discussion forums allow learners to grasp complex concepts more effectively. Many platforms also use gamification techniques, quizzes, and real-world projects to make learning more enjoyable and practical.

5. Personalized Learning Paths

Online SAP courses often come with the advantage of personalized learning paths. Learners can choose courses that align with their career goals, skill levels, and interests. Advanced algorithms and AI-driven platforms can recommend specific modules based on the learner’s progress and performance. This personalized approach ensures that each individual can focus on areas where they need improvement, optimizing their learning experience.

6. Global Networking Opportunities

Enrolling in online SAP courses connects learners with a global community of professionals and experts. This networking opportunity can be invaluable for career growth and knowledge exchange. Discussion forums, group projects, and social media communities allow learners to interact, share insights, and collaborate on projects, fostering a sense of community and mutual learning.

7. Career Advancement and Certification

SAP certification is highly regarded in the business world and can significantly enhance one's career prospects. Online courses often culminate in certification exams, providing a recognized credential upon completion. This certification demonstrates to employers that the individual has a thorough understanding of SAP systems, making them a valuable asset to any organization. As businesses increasingly rely on SAP solutions, certified professionals are in high demand.

8. Immediate Application of Skills

One of the most compelling reasons to learn SAP online is the ability to immediately apply newly acquired skills in a work environment. Online learning allows for a seamless transition from theory to practice. As learners progress through the courses, they can implement what they’ve learned in their jobs, improving efficiency and contributing to their organization’s success in real time.

Conclusion

The future of business solutions lies in leveraging advanced technologies and ensuring that the workforce is well-equipped to handle them. Learning SAP online offers unparalleled flexibility, cost efficiency, and up-to-date content, making it an ideal choice for both individuals and businesses looking to stay competitive. With personalized learning paths, interactive experiences, and the opportunity to earn valuable certifications, online SAP courses are indeed the future of business solutions. Embrace the digital learning revolution and take a step towards a more efficient, informed, and successful career with SAP.

[lanaisnotwool]

422 Get a College Education for FREE - Interview with Grant Aldrich

https://moneyripples.com/2020/09/15/422-get-a-college-education-for-free-interview-with-grant-aldrich/

Is it possible to get a college education for FREE?

Grant Aldrich is on a mission to make college more affordable and accessible for everyone.

http://OnlineDegree.com has now become a leading educational platform to help millions of people go back to school who’ve been unable to take that first critical step.

Grant firmly believes in the benefits of utilizing open source or Open Educational Resources (OER) for students. By using OER in higher education, student’s costs of learning are kept to an absolute minimum.

OER has given OnlineDegree.com the ability to achieve its goal of making the offering completely free for students and sets a positive example to encourage the adoption of these materials worldwide.

Basically the mission is to make college more attainable for everyone. Learn more about this in the episode.

BLOG TALK RADIO

Chris Miles (00:05): Hello, my fellow Ripplers! This is Chris Miles. Your Cash Flow Expert and Anti-Financial Advisor. Hey guys, I’m welcoming you out for a wonderful show. A show that’s for you and about you. Those of you that work so freaking hard for your money, and you’re ready for your money to start working harder for you. Today! You want that freedom. That cash flow. That prosperity. Right now! Not 30 or 40 bazillion years from now, but today. So you have that life that you love. To be able to do what you love. To be with those that you love. But on top of that, it’s just not about prosper yourself, right? It’s much, much deeper than that because as you become financially prosperous, you can create your own ripple effect through people’s lives. You can be a blessing in the lives of others. And that is the world I’m here to create. So thank you so much for allowing me to create a ripple effect through you with this show.

Chris Miles (00:50): And, and of course, thank you guys for also keeping that ripple effect going. Cause you guys keep sharing. You keep bingeing and everything else. So thank you so much for joining us today. You guys are a big part of this I couldn’t do without you. Hey, as a reminder, check out our website, MoneyRipples.com There is an ebook, Beyond Rice and Beans, Seven Secrets to Free Up Cash Today. That you can download for free. And by the way, it’s like a whopping 28 pages because I put page breaks in it. So it’s like a 15 minute read. Great stuff in there, but you also check out on our blogs. There’s actually some of our YouTube videos that are up now of this very show. So if you actually want to watch the show, you can actually start watch on YouTube as well. So check it out.

Chris Miles (01:29): Alright! So today I’ve got a special guest and you know, I keep finding some interesting people and this is definitely no exception. You know, this was somebody who reached out and said, Hey, you gotta have Grant Aldrich on your show because you know, it’s funny, my wife had actually even brought up about, you know, doing online degrees, but even like having ways to have it paid for. And I thought that was intriguing. And within the same week that she said that someone says, Hey, you need to have Grant on your show. So that’s what I got. Guys. I have grant here with us and just to let you know, grant actually runs a company OnlineDegree.com and now he founded this one. It was a real purpose driven mission, right? The mission is this, to make college more accessible and affordable for everyone.

Chris Miles (02:13): Now, after graduating college with an overwhelming amount of debt. Grant was actually determined to change how students embark on their college education. He has spent his entire career working at startups with nearly 15 years of experience and two prior exits to a publicly traded company. He’s also been a board member and donor to a number of non-profits and advisor to many public traded companies and a guest speaker at seminars and graduate school courses. And today, well, especially when I bring him on and say, all right, whether you’re someone you’ve got kids or whether it’s yourself and you’re thinking about going and get your degree again, how can you do it in a way where you don’t have to go to pay millions of dollars to make crappy amounts of money? And so that’s why we have a Grant here on our show today. So grant welcome!

Grant Aldrich (02:54): Hey, Chris! Thanks for having me!

Chris Miles (02:55): Absolutely, man. So tell us about your story and what inspired this. Like you mentioned that you went through a lot of debt, right? You know, tell us more about that.

Grant Aldrich (03:03): Yeah. I left college with just an immense amount of debt and I seemingly made all of the right choices. So I took a traditional path. Graduated high school. Went to the best school I could get to. And I even came in with AP courses and all kinds of things that had me graduate as a sophomore. So I had a year already finished and I still graduated with just a ton of debt. And that left a real mark on me for many years because I didn’t pay it off until my late twenties. And I was in a position recently where I had exited my last company and I really was sitting around trying to figure out, what do I want to do to make a big difference and enjoy my work far more than I had before?

Grant Aldrich (03:50): And I just kept coming to higher Ed. My parents were teachers and a bad taste in my mouth that had been sitting there for so long and everything just kind of came together to try to make higher education, more affordable, more accessible.

Chris Miles (04:04): Yeah. How did that even come to be for you guys?

Grant Aldrich (04:08): You know, this was definitely a meandering approach. I just started with the mission. And I think that’s a really cool thing to do as an entrepreneur. You just start with a mission. I want to make college affordable and accessible. And I didn’t know how we were going to do it. It was definitely something I stumbled upon and tried to figure out. And finally, we came to, we’re going to create a modern alternative to the community college. And so people can come on the platform. Get started in 60 seconds. Take as many college level courses as they’d like. Earn credit towards their degree at universities across the country. We do it all for free.

Chris Miles (04:44): Now, how is that possible?

Grant Aldrich (04:45): It was just to kind of complete it. Not only do we provide all this for free, we provide support services. We organize discounts for our students on their behalf. So for example, you come in, take a bunch of units that can lower the cost of your degree, but then we go above and beyond that and get the universities to give you another discount. So you may get 10%, 20% off the cost of your degree just from coming through our program. And so to answer your question, how do we do it, you kind of have to look into the dynamic of how the system works. So the benefit for the student is probably obvious, right? I’ve got, instead of just making this big leap to go back in getting your degree, paying full price and having to just figure it out on the go, we provide an option to wait in the pool where you could save a bunch of money sometimes up to 30% 40% of your degree.

Grant Aldrich (05:34): And to give it a kind of, you know, kick the tires a bit, see what classes are of interest, you know, get used to learning in an online format. Prove you’ve got the time management, all that. That benefits probably obvious. What people don’t realize, it’s an immense benefit for the universities as well. So for the universities, it’s a little known fact that they are desperate for good students. And when I say good, I mean, students who will finish their program. Who are prepared when they show up. Who don’t need a lot of orientation programs on how to learn online and how to make sure they work courses into their daily life. It’s really valuable. So inherently when you’re going through progressing through the courses, you’re making yourself a better student. So the entire platform is sponsored by the universities to make it a true win-win for the student and the school.

Chris Miles (06:26): Interesting. Yeah. I can see when they’re college, that’s a big deal. Especially if they want that, the impressive numbers show that people actually graduate and finishing complete. Right? Versus, you know, it’s like, you know, University of Hawaii, where people used to go on vacation, then drop out. You know.

Grant Aldrich (06:41): Yeah. I wish we all could go to University of Hawaii and just skip class all day.

Chris Miles (06:45): That’s the one place you won’t go to do online education.

Grant Aldrich (06:48): No! Definitely not! Yeah. More like, you know, upstate New York where it’s nice and cold. Right? But yeah. So the whole process, getting people back to school and doing it this way has just been really successful. It’s just really worked because it’s really created a whole new paradigm.

Chris Miles (07:05): Yeah. And who funds this? Like how is this funded?

Grant Aldrich (07:08): All by the university partnerships. So, you know, when I first started, I looked at doing a non-profit. And the problem is, is that, there’s actually a lot of rules on how non-profits were able to generate revenue. And so I didn’t want a system where we would be, couldn’t do tuition. Right? I wanted no tuition. That was a key thing. And I didn’t want to be dependent upon donations. And so if you’re non-profit, you take revenue in certain ways you can lose your non-profit status. So I decided, Nope, we’re just going to keep it. We’re a benefit Corp. And we’re going to make it funded completely by the universities.

Chris Miles (07:41): Great! And now, I know what you have as a tagline says, The First Years For Free. Is it just the first year or is it the entire college experience? And how does that work?

Grant Aldrich (07:50): It could actually be more than the first year. You know, we’ve tried, because we’re a new concept and it’s a little different. And you know, I made that comparison to a community college, which is something everybody knows. But we are different because you know, when you come on our platform, you could take one course. You could take all 15 that we offer. And you could then still get the discount on different schools. So it’s far more flexible than a community college. In terms of that flexibility, you don’t have to go to class. It’s all online at your own pace. So the goal was to make something where I looked at the community college systems thing. This is a very rigid system. What if I don’t want to get my full associates degree? What if I just want to get a little bit, save, and then go to the right school of my choosing? Or what if I want something that’s more accessible from my heavy work life and my family life and all these things. So really that’s what I tried to design a better system for. And so, yeah, I mean, anybody can come in, they can take one class or you can save up as much as 40% on your degree, depending on the school you go to. And the discounts that we have.

Chris Miles (08:52): Wow! That’s incredible! Well, like you said, it’s great that people have working schedule if they already have their own business or they’re already going, you know, they’re working all the time. Like they don’t want to spend a lot of time. They want to be able to do at their own pace and that sort of thing. Right? It sounds like you’ve definitely provided a solution for that.

Grant Aldrich (09:07): That’s it. This is built for the working adults. So something people don’t realize is that working adults have become the real students in higher education. Not the 18 year old. And there’s an estimated 35 to 40 million of those adults who are not taking that first step. So I really tried to create a solution that just met all the impediments that were stopping people from getting started. And yeah, you’re right. One of them is that, Hey, we’re busy. Adults are busy. We’ve got kids, got jobs, you’ve got responsibilities. We can’t leave all of that three times a week to go to class in the middle of the day. Not conducive for what we’re doing. It’s gotta be 30 minutes while we’re cooking dinner. 30 minutes on the couch at night. That has to be conducive to that learning environment. And then of course the cost. If you’re not 18 years old, you can’t amortize the cost of a degree over your lifetime like you can when you’re young. We’re thirties, forties, we have to be able to get an affordable degree that will actually help us get a better career. That’s not going to break the bank. And so I think really what we’ve done too, is balanced the ROI of getting a degree now. And the cost.

Chris Miles (10:13): Right! Exactly! And that’s been one of my biggest hangups with school, right? Cause I dropped out of college with what, not even a class. It was a project, one project away from getting my bachelor’s. Right? And then I decided to go into being an entrepreneur just to gain that experience that was going to go to the business consulting. So I was going to finish my MBA. And by after I went to the business, I said, well, what the heck? These degrees seem worthless, you know. In comparison to how much time and money I have to put into this, versus I can just go out and make money no. You know, as an entrepreneur. And that definitely was more enticing. And this kind of seems like it’s a good hybrid between the two. It’s like saying, Hey, do I want to get the ROI? Plus the time I have to put, by the way, I did try to actually go and finish my degree. Five years later. And they said, all right, great, well, you just have to take another semester and a half of full time credits. Cause it had been over five years. I said, well, forget that, you know, there’s no reason I should get a sociology degree and have to spend a year and a half going full time to school when I was already retired, you know? So, Oh yeah. Make logical sense at that point, right?

Grant Aldrich (11:17): Oh yeah. Well, you know, the other problem is, Is that so many schools out there are not adult friendly, which is what you’re kind of touching on. And so the other thing that we’ve done is we’ve tried to only partner with schools that are adult friendly. And so to that point, you know, what does adult friendly mean? These are schools that aren’t going to give you a lot of sweat for being five years out of the classroom. They look past that. They’re far more accommodating to the modern adult or working adult. And so they view a lot more support for working adults. The classes are online. The restaurant pays, you know, all those things that help and not give you the experience that you had. But you’re right, you know, for a bigger perspective, not everybody needs to get a degree. Some careers, you should have it because you had the edge for your job and you can get that big promotion.

Grant Aldrich (12:01): Or if it’s a necessity. Like if I want to be a teacher. But for you and I, you know, we’re both entrepreneurs. What’s great is that what we’ve now branched out to is into certifications. And so in addition to degrees, we offer discounted certifications with credit universities that are better than anything else out there. Where, let’s say you want to be a bookkeeper. Well, you can get a certification with a certificate from the university, for your clients in book keeping with Quick Books and all of this. To basically just prepare you for a career as being your own boss. So that way, you know, you’ve got something. You don’t have to be a CPA. You’ve got something. When you go into that room, when you’re pitching your new clients, you know, I’m certified by University of X and it looks really good. So I’m glad we’ve really added that. So I think it’s complimented the situations that you’re talking about, where not everybody needs a degree.

Chris Miles (12:50): Right. That’s true. Now you mentioned, of course it’s perfect for the working adult. What about for those that are the typical young adult college age? You know, is this a good fit for them? Cause I know again, a ton of people that will say, how do I pay for college? How do I save for college, all this kind of stuff. And so I guarantee you there’s many, many listeners saying, all right, I may not need a degree, but what about my kids?

Grant Aldrich (13:12): Yeah. You know, it is. Although it hasn’t been open for them. I’ll explain why. When we first got started, I had the working adult in mind. So we purposely excluded it to anybody who was under 18 or any international students. And my logic was, was that I wanted to make sure we came out of the gate for our first MVP product, that we had a really good experience for that core demographic. And since then it’s just exploded. And so now we’re going back and saying, okay, we can expand now and go into high school students international because we get so many students knocking on the door saying we want it. In fact, for every one adult now that we have in, three knock on the door that we turn away who are either international or under 18. And so it’s a big problem. Yeah. So we’re working on now working out the intricacies of now opening up the platform for all those people. It’s not ready yet. Soon!

Chris Miles (14:07): Soon. So if they got somebody who’s in their mid teens, this is probably the perfect time.

Grant Aldrich (14:12): Yeah! So I would say, you know, check back maybe after the summer. We’ll be good to go.

Chris Miles (14:16): Okay. That’s pretty soon.

Grant Aldrich (14:17): Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very actively working on it.

Chris Miles (14:19): That’s great! Awesome! Well this is fantastic! I know it’s a, just like incredible niche, you know, that just to see that that’s even available and even possible for people to even get, you know, the ability to even take some courses and essential, not only have they come out of pocket initially. Right? I think that’s just incredible. So if people want to learn more about it, where should they go?

Grant Aldrich (14:40): Well, Chris, thank you man! And you know, it really is trying to just spread the word about it that, you know, in addition to what we do, there are a bunch of other little known secrets on how you can save college. You know, cause I think so many people fall into the trap where they just go in the front door and they just accept the fact, that’s it got to pay full time tuition. And the only ways to save previously were scholarships or community college. And both of those have tons of problems. They’re terrible options for an adult to try to do. And I can go into that later, but anyhow, yeah. So to come on, just go to OnlineDegree.com you can follow the project if it’s not something that, you know, if you’re not interested in certification or degree and we’ve got all kinds of info there on ways you can save. It’s really cool. So let’s say that would be a good one. And I’m also available on LinkedIn, you know, people want to connect.

Chris Miles (15:24): Great! Okay. We got to open it up for a few more minutes for sure. So grants or whatever you’re talking about right there. Like what are the non traditional ways that people might miss out on? You don’t have to give all the details, all the secrets, but just give us a few.

Grant Aldrich (15:38): Yeah. You know, you almost have to look at going back to higher ed as like you’re hacking your way through. And I mean that in a good way. Yeah. Cause you’re taking pieces off the shelf from numerous destinations. So what’s kind of good by starting in our platform is that we provide a good base. So, okay. Let’s say we aggregate all the adult friendly schools. So you know, which ones are the ones that are going to treat you the way that you would assume you’d be treated, going back to school. And so you start there and then we can map out what courses you can take for free. Then we can look at what kind of discounts are available that you can take advantage of at the different institutions. And then from there, we also compliment that this is something that most people don’t know, there’s these exams you can take where it’s not like an AP exam.

Grant Aldrich (16:23): It’s not as hard as that is, but they’re all about subject matter expertise where you can test out of a course. And so you can take, instead of taking, let’s say a full semester, long class on, you know, we can make this up, but history one. You can take, we have a history course. So this isn’t exactly the same. You can knock it out with our history course. But to give the example, you could take a prep course, right online, just short term. Take this exam and then remove the requirement when you come to school. So little techniques like this, just chip away at the amount of units you have to take at the actual university. Cause at the end of the day, you have to get, let’s say 120 units to get your bachelor’s degree at a college. And each course is three, four units, et cetera. The more that you can finish for free or at a discount rather than paying full price for tuition at that school, the better.

Chris Miles (17:13): That’s true. I remember, cause I lived for two years in Japan during my college years. Right? So I came back my sophomore year of college and they said, Hey, you can test out of this. And so I essentially got like 16 language arts credits. You know, for no charge. I was just able to get that knocked out. Right. And you know, kind of accelerate a little bit to the bachelors. I still had to take a bunch of more courses, but at least I was able to say, all right, well that’s off the list now. I’ve got plenty of, almost had too many credits by the time I was getting my bachelors, you know?

Grant Aldrich (17:43): That’s fantastic! Yeah. That’s a good example actually. Right. You know, you don’t take a language class if you’re comfortable enough with the language. You could test out of it. Yeah. Great example.

Chris Miles (17:51): Yeah. Awesome! Well, great! So again, everybody check out OnlineDegree.com you know, just, yeah. If that’s something that either for yourself or for someone you know, check it out. See what resources are available. Reach out to them and see if that’s something that’s a fit for you and something that could actually be the very thing you’ve been looking for. So Grant, I really appreciate your time today. It’s been awesome!

Grant Aldrich (18:11): Chris, thanks a lot for having me on!

Chris Miles (18:13): You bet, man. And everybody else, make it a wonderful and prosperous week and we’ll see you later.

[newstfionline]

Headlines

Quarantine Blues and the Power of a Jigsaw Puzzle (Worldcrunch) A sudden rush of stress, trouble sleeping or eating, overwhelming feelings of helplessness, general fatigue. Does it sound familiar? With approximately half the world still forced to live in lockdown, old and new psychological disorders are a widely diffused side-effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent study led by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 45% of Americans feel the current health crisis had impacted their mental health. In France, Le Figaro reported this week that 74% of adults in a recent survey developed sleeping disorders and 34% showed signs of psychological distress. Humans are social animals, and while we can acknowledge that our modern digital tools are providing instant links in the face of our respective quarantines, we are also seeing how crucial in-person interaction and stimuli are to the human experience. Alongside the more severe threats to our emotional state is a seemingly less menacing effect: boredom. There is a fine line between enjoying some spare time to do nothing and repeatedly having nothing to do, especially when we yearn for distraction from the current uncertainty of the outside world. Board games that were piling up dust in the basement are seeing the light of day again and solo players indeed are able to play across the computer screen with friends and strangers. Similarly, the lockdown has created one of the highest recorded demand for jigsaw puzzles, a pastime whose time had seemed to have passed two or three generations ago. The American Puzzle Warehouse reported a jump of 2,000% in business compared to the same period last year. When the world seems to fall apart, putting back pieces together could be the ultimate satisfaction.

Coronavirus could erode global fight against other diseases (AP) Lavina D’Souza hasn’t been able to collect her government-supplied anti-HIV medication since the abrupt lockdown of India’s 1.3 billion people last month during the coronavirus outbreak. Marooned in a small city away from her home in Mumbai, the medicine she needs to manage her disease has run out. The 43-year-old is afraid that her immune system will crash: “Any disease, the coronavirus or something else, I’ll fall sick faster.” As the world focuses on the pandemic, experts fear losing ground in the long fight against other infectious diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis and cholera that kill millions every year. Also at risk are decadeslong efforts that allowed the World Health Organization to set target dates for eradicating malaria, polio and other illnesses. With the coronavirus overwhelming hospitals, redirecting medical staff, causing supply shortages and suspending health services, “our greatest fear” is resources for other diseases being diverted and depleted, said Dr. John Nkengasong, head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

IMF warns of social unrest (Foreign Policy) The International Monetary Fund has warned of social unrest developing in countries where coronavirus prevention measures are seen as insufficient or unfair to poorer workers. The IMF said that although governments have taken swift action to inject stimulus funds into their economies, even more money would be needed once the crisis subsides. The organization expects global public debt to rise by 13 percent in 2020 to almost 96 percent of global gross domestic product.

After Coronavirus, Colleges Worry: Will Students Come Back? (NYT) For years, Claire McCarville dreamed of going to college in New York or Los Angeles, and was thrilled last month to get accepted to selective schools in both places. But earlier this month, she sent a $300 deposit to Arizona State University, a 15-minute drive from her home in Phoenix. “It made more sense,” she said, “in light of the virus.” Across the country, students like Ms. McCarville are rethinking their choices in a world altered by the pandemic. And universities, concerned about the potential for shrinking enrollment and lost revenue, are making a wave of decisions in response that could profoundly alter the landscape of higher education for years to come. Lucrative spring sports seasons have been canceled, room and board payments have been refunded, and students at some schools are demanding hefty tuition discounts for what they see as a lost spring term. Other revenue sources like study abroad programs and campus bookstores have dried up, and federal research funding is threatened. Some institutions are projecting $100 million losses for the spring, and many are now bracing for an even bigger financial hit in the fall, when some are planning for the possibility of having to continue remote classes.

‘Pretty Catastrophic’ Month for Retailers (NYT) Retail sales plunged in March, offering a grim snapshot of the coronavirus outbreak’s effect on consumer spending, as businesses shuttered from coast to coast and wary shoppers restricted their spending. Total sales, which include retail purchases in stores and online as well as money spent at bars and restaurants, fell 8.7 percent from the previous month, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The decline was by far the largest in the nearly three decades the government has tracked the data. Even that bleak figure doesn’t capture the full impact of the sudden economic freeze on the retail industry. Most states didn’t shut down nonessential businesses until late March or early April, meaning data for the current month could be worse still. “It was a pretty catastrophic drop-off in that back half of the month,” said Sucharita Kodali, a retail analyst at Forrester Research. She said April “may be one of the worst months ever.”

Now Arriving at La Guardia Airport: One Passenger (NYT) Jim Mack had made several trips to New York City before, but had never been the only passenger on a commercial jet landing at a deserted La Guardia Airport. Instead of shuffling into the madhouse that is Terminal B on a typical weeknight, Mr. Mack was greeted by an eerie silence. “It felt like it was either closed or I had landed in the wrong terminal,” he said. He had flown from Tampa, Fla.--just him and a Southwest Airlines crew--and now he was striding up the concourse toward baggage claim. The only luggage on the carousel was his. The lone Uber driver was waiting for him. The coronavirus pandemic has unraveled air travel in the United States and turned some of the world’s busiest airports into giant voids. The nation’s air-traffic system is still functioning. But airlines have slashed their schedules, and even on the dwindling number of remaining flights very few seats are filled.

As Danish schools reopen, some worried parents are keeping their children home (Washington Post) The children pressed down on a hand sanitizer dispenser and kept a safe distance from one another as they filed into Ellebjerg School in central Copenhagen on Thursday. But while they settled into their lessons, with a new limit of 10 students per room, some of their classmates remained at home, their families resistant to participating in what they see as a public policy experiment. Denmark this week became the first country in Europe to reopen schools--nursery and primary up to fifth grade--as a start to lifting a coronavirus lockdown imposed on March 12. Although the country has reported 6,879 confirmed cases of coronavirus infection and 309 deaths, new infections have been decreasing since a peak on April 1, giving the government confidence that a cautious reopening was possible. But thousands of families are opposed to sending their kids back to school so quickly. It’s unclear whether the same opposition will arise in other countries as they try to pivot from more than a month of restrictive measures aimed at slowing the pandemic’s spread. Officials are weighing the negatives of distance learning, which can exacerbate inequality, and the reality that many parents won’t be able to return to work if their children are still home--a point that Denmark’s prime minister specifically noted Wednesday in a surprise visit to a school here.

At least 668 sailors infected after coronavirus outbreak aboard French aircraft carrier, Defense Ministry says (Washington Post) Nearly a third of the crew aboard a French aircraft carrier and its support vessels have tested positive for coronavirus, the country’s Defense Ministry said Wednesday. As test results from 1,767 sailors on the Charles de Gaulle and other ships within its battle group continue to arrive, at least 668 have contracted the virus, officials said. More than 30 are now being treated in the hospital with one person in intensive care, Agence France-Presse reported. In the meantime, the rest of the crew has been quarantined at a military base in the French port city of Toulon.

Germany to ease lockdown (Foreign Policy) Germany is following the lead of its southern neighbor Austria by preparing to ease its lockdown measures. Starting May 4, Germany will begin reopening smaller shops and allowing schools to reopen, with priority given to final-year students. Hairdressers will also be allowed to open, but larger gathering points like bars, restaurants, and cinemas would still be banned. German Chancellor Angela Merkel played down talk of larger scale reopening, saying Germany had achieved merely a “fragile intermediate success” in its battle against the coronavirus.

China tries to revive economy but consumer engine sputters (AP) China, where the coronavirus pandemic started in December, is cautiously trying to get back to business, but it’s not easy when many millions of workers are wary of spending much or even going out. Factories and shops nationwide shut down starting in late January. Millions of families were told to stay home under unprecedented controls that have been copied by the United States, Europe and India. The ruling Communist Party says the outbreak, which had killed more than 3,340 people among more than 82,341 confirmed cases as of Thursday, is under control. But the damage to Chinese lives and the economy is lingering. Truck salesman Zhang Hu is living the dilemma holding back the recovery. The 27-year-old from the central city of Zhengzhou has gone back to work, but with few people looking to buy 20-ton trucks, his income has fallen by half. Like many millions of others, he is pinching pennies.

U.S. Navy complains of harassment in Persian Gulf (Foreign Policy) The U.S. Navy said Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vessels conducted “dangerous and provocative” approaches to U.S. Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf in a statement on Wednesday. The U.S. Fifth Fleet said it was in international waters and carrying out exercises when the boats approached. Iran has yet to respond to the U.S. statement.

Australia to send aid to Fiji after cyclone tears across Pacific (Reuters) Australia is to send humanitarian aid to Fiji after a tropical cyclone caused widespread destruction across the Pacific, Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne said on Thursday. Cyclone Harold, a category five storm, lashed several island nations in the Pacific last week, killing dozens of people, flooding towns and leaving many homeless. In Fiji, thousands of people remain without electricity, aid agencies say, and many need immediate assistance.

[lifepros]

#7430

A comprehensive guide out of homelessness/poverty ***caution, strong language****

A comprehensive guide to getting out of homelessness/poverty.

Introduction.

Before we begin, know that this is going to suck. It's not going to be quick, and this is likley going to take 1 year or longer. Anyone who tells you otherwise I selling something.

If you want a get rich quick scheme, you're in the wrong place. This is going to take real work. You will have to go outside, you will have to talk to people, you will have to make decisions and sacrifices you won't like. Believe what you want, it will not change what is true.

Now that that's over, let's move on.

Step 1. The mailing address.

Never underestimate the power of mail. There are a few options here. Obviously if you already have one, you'll want to use that. Otherwise, mailing addresses for public use can be found in homeless shelters, recourse centers, and some food banks. A mailbox service like FedEx or UPS is ideal if you don't have a roof, otherwise, asking a trusted friend or relative would be your best bet.

Step 2. Food.

If you're in a shelter, this problem is already solved. That being said, it's best if you apply for food stamps, cash assistance as soon as you complete step 3. Otherwise, go to your local soup kitchen, food bank, assistance center, church, all of these places generally have recourses available.

Step 3. Identification.

Some cities (Like new York or Washington DC) have their own identification program. IDNYC (new York) was set up to help the homeless obtain residency and meet eligibility requirements. It's advisable that you obtain identification as quickly as possible.

If you need your birth certificate, your best option is Vitalcheck. This company will obtain and ship to you your birth certificate, marriage records, and any other records you might need.

Step 4. Work

The gig economy is a beautiful thing. Don't underestimate. best possible option for those of you with identification and mailing address is uber eats/Postmates, these delivery style jobs can be done on foot.

Failing that, most cities/states have, in one form or another, a recycling program. Find a center, find out who sells by quantity, not by weight. Collect and bring as many cans, bottles, recyclable containers as you possibly can. On a good day, one can easily make $20-$60, more so on federal holidays.

Step 5. Savings. Regardless of the circumstance, you're going to need a way to save the money you can save. After paying what you need to pay, find a lock box or some other lockable means of keeping your money safe. I recommend a virtual bank that way you'll never have to carry cash. Many banks have accounts without fees, and prepaid bank cards are literally everywhere. For the next step, you'll need a minimum of $200

Step 6. Education.

While you're doing deliveries, it's best to educate yourself to a better position.

My advice: ALWAYS start with your states notary public system. Learn it, and get your liscence. Not only is this likley to be useful to your employers, It's crazy easy to get your notary public liscence, and of the 5 or 10 states that require a test, only 1 is of any difficulty. Using your savings from the previous step, pay any applicable fees, and get yourself a notary liscence, stamp, a 3 ring binder, affidavits and notary public record sheets. Check your states laws for pricing information, then add $20 for travel/equipment fees. Many notary's make $100 per signing charging specifically for travel.

Once you have that, you'll need to save $5000 for the next step.

Step 7. Higher education.

This is where the fun begins. Many online programs have career certificates and college programs which allow you to pay monthly on your tuition. Once that tuition is completely paid off, you recieve your certification/diploma. You'll want to pay off your tuition as quickly as possible.

Find 3-5 career or diploma certifications that overlap with each other. A security guard liscence is impressive, but having a P.i career certificate, a criminal law degree and a notary public liscence on top of the security guard liscence is even more impressive. Most likley gets you paid more as well.

This logic can be applied to any feild of work. If you're trying to get work on a cruise ship, obtaining certification for culinary arts, bartending, hotel management and hospitality, will do you better than just getting one or two on their own.

Do not move on to step 8 until AFTER you have all the necessary certifications, diplomas, liscencing and dirivitives thereof, physically in your possession.

Step 8. Higher employment.

Once you have the necessary proof of education, make your resume. List all of your certification and diplomas, as well as any other skills you may have picked up. Employers like a multi useful employee, and having numerous certifications/liscenced can help you get a pay bump, or at the very least, help you look more attractive to your companies competition.

Step 9. Semi permanent shelter.

Congrats, you've clawed your way here. Wasn't easy was it?

Now's the part where you get yourself semi permanent shelter. Car, SUV, campervan, anything that you can both drive and sleep in. Doesn't have to be fancy or fast, it just has to travel to the next 4 states over. That's it. Doesn't matter what it is, as long as you can park and sleep near your place of work. Cooking/bathing inside of it would also be a plus, but is not necessary.

If you have the option to rent a vehicle for 30 days or longer, consider getting a non owner policy for your insurance.

Step 10. Perminant shelter.

Finding yourself an apartment can be a difficult task. But worth it. Save yourself $5000 before attempting this. Alternatively, you can buy a cheap plot of land and park your vehicle, perhaps build a small home with the help of a professional.

Conclusion.

Well wasn't that a pain! Well worth it though, wasn't it? Obviously some of you may already have some of this, but that doesn't mean you can't accomplish the rest. These steps don't have to be done in the order they are presented, but it wouldn't hurt.

If this article has helped you, then please share it around

[ontarionewdemocrats-blog]

Ford’s first budget lands with $163B thud

https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/fords-first-budget-lands-with-163b-thud

Ontario finance minister introduces record $163.4 billion budget

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/10/fedeli-says-ontario-is-a-place-to-grow-spending-with-tories-record-1634b-budget.html

Ontario government will balance budget in five years, with deficit now at $11.7 billion

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-premier-doug-fords-first-budget-has-fewer-cuts-than-expected/

Ontario tightens purse strings, PCs don’t plan to balance books until 2023-24

https://globalnews.ca/news/5155168/ontario-pc-government-first-budget/

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s first budget calls for four more years of deficits

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-ontario-premier-doug-fords-first-budget-calls-for-four-more-years-of/

Social programs face $1 billion spending cut in Ontario budget

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/social-programs-face-1-billion-spending-cut-in-ontario-budget.html

Universities and colleges face funding clawbacks for missing performance targets

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/universities-and-colleges-face-funding-clawbacks-for-missing-performance-targets.html

Funding for Ontario colleges and universities to be tied to ‘performance outcomes’

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-colleges-university-performance-funding-budget-1.5094751

As Ontario education funding rises by less than inflation, critics call it ‘rolling back the clock’

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/education-funding-rises-to-meet-growing-enrolment-daycare-costs.html

College and university funding tied more to performance

https://globalnews.ca/news/5158243/college-and-university-funding-tied-more-to-performance/

Cuts to legal aid leave refugees, immigrants in the lurch

Https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/ontario-cuts-annual-increases-to-legal-aid-eligibility.html

Health-care superagency will save $350 million a year, Fedeli says in Ontario budget

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/health-care-superagency-will-save-350-million-a-year-fedeli-says-in-ontario-budget.html

Ontario employers to ‘educate themselves’ on workplace obligations to cut costs

Https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/ontario-employers-to-educate-themselves-on-workplace-obligations-to-cut-costs.html

Tories say child-care credit lets parents decide ‘what works best’

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/10/tories-say-child-care-credit-lets-parents-decide-what-works-best.html

‘Flexible’ child care tax credit for low, middle-income families key promise of PC budget

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-2019-child-care-tax-credit-1.5092717

Ontario budget reveals locations for downtown relief line subway stations

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/ontario-budget-reveals-locations-for-downtown-relief-line-subway-stations.html

Ontario budget 2019: No money for Sheppard line extension, new bridges on Toronto relief line

https://globalnews.ca/news/5157545/ontario-budget-says-no-money-for-sheppard-subway-line/

Provincial budget cuts $1.1 billion in funding to Toronto transit

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/provincial-budget-cuts-11-billion-in-funding-to-toronto-transit.html

Province could absorb skilled TTC staff if subway upload goes through, Toronto’s city manager says

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/11/ttc-board-to-debate-citys-transit-plan-a-day-after-province-unveiled-its-own-vision.html

York Region ‘applauds’ announcement of Yonge North subway extension

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/11/york-region-applauds-announcement-of-yonge-north-subway-extension.html

Ford government reveals ‘transformative’ auto insurance reforms, but doesn’t say how much drivers will say

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/auto-insurance-plan-2019-budget-1.5089472

Doug Ford government rebranding Ontario’s logos, slogans, licence plates

https://globalnews.ca/news/5157537/ontario-budget-licence-plate-yours-to-grow/

PC government loosens Ontario, booze, gambling, rules in first budget

https://globalnews.ca/news/5157982/budget-loosens-booze-gambling-rules/

Booze at 9 a.m., online gambling and more combat sports feature heavily in PC budget

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-2019-booze-gambling-combat-sports-1.5092742

Happy hour for Ontario as province loosens rules on drinking

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/happy-hour-for-ontario-as-province-loosens-rules-on-drinking.html

Budget clears the way for Happy Hour in Ontario

https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/budget-clears-the-way-for-happy-hour-in-ontario

Biggest highlights from today’s Ontario budget release

https://globalnews.ca/news/5157666/biggest-highlights-from-todays-ontario-budget-release/

Ontario budget 2019: Child-care tax credit, expanded access to alcohol and changes to college and university funding

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ontario-budget-2019-what-you-need-to-know-about-doug-fords-spending/

Winners and losers of the 2019 Ontario budget

https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2019/04/11/winners-and-losers-of-the-2019-ontario-budget.html

Key highlights from Ontario Budget 2019

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-2019-highlights-1.5092210

2019 BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS: Tuition rate cuts will save $450M

https://torontosun.com/news/provincial/2019-budget-highlights-tuition-rate-cuts-will-save-450m

Ontario Budget 2019: A child-care credit, dental care for seniors, and drinking in the parks is on the way

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-budget-main-story-1.5092175

What Ontario’s budget means for Toronto: Goodbye gas tax revenue hike, hello circus at Ontario Place

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/what-ontario-s-budget-means-for-toronto-goodbye-gas-tax-revenue-hike-hello-circus-at-ontario-place-1.5090512

Organizer of Ontario fun fair that raised money for children now facing fraud charges

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ontario-fun-fair-fraud-police-charges-1.5094395

Ford government committed to lifting cap on pot shops in Ontario

https://globalnews.ca/news/5157947/cap-on-number-of-pot-shops-in-ontario/

Peel police raid illegal pot shops in Brampton, Mississauga

https://globalnews.ca/news/5156164/peel-police-raid-illegal-pot-shops-brampton-mississauga/

Supreme Court decision may reveal doctors’ names who’ve billed Ontario most

https://globalnews.ca/news/5156344/supreme-court-ontario-doctors/

Paul Schabas appointed judge on Superior Court of Justice of Ontario

https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2019/04/11/paul-schabas-appointed-judge-on-superior-court-of-justice-of-ontario.html

Woman fatally stabbed in Toronto underground PATH system was mother of 8: sources

https://globalnews.ca/news/5155713/woman-stabbed-toronto-path-system-mother/

Despite Doug Ford’s vow to get Ontario’s books in order, this isn’t a Mike Harris budget

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-doug-fords-ontario-budget-isnt-mike-harriss-common-sense-revolution/

Doug Ford’s first budget tries to have it both ways

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2019/04/11/doug-fords-first-budget-for-ontario-tries-to-have-it-both-ways.html

In Ford’s first budget, the good times are back – even if they never left

https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/04/11/in-fords-first-budget-the-good-times-are-here-again-even-if-they-never-left.html

On the big issues, PC budget is doomed to disappoint

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2019/04/11/on-the-big-issues-pc-budget-is-doomed-to-disappoint.html

LILLEY: Ford’s first budget boosts spending just lower than the Liberals

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/lilley-fords-first-budget-boosts-spending-just-slower-than-the-liberals

GOLDSTEIN: Doug Ford’s first budget is Liberal lite

https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/goldstein-doug-fords-first-budget-is-liberal-lite

[biotechtimes]

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2022-2023

New Post has been published on https://biotechtimes.org/2021/02/23/fulbright-nehru-masters-fellowships-2022-2023/

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2022-2023

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2022-2023

Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2022-2023. Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships 2022-2023 for Indians. Interested candidates can check out the complete details below:

2022-2023 Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships are designed for outstanding Indians to pursue a master’s degree program at select U.S. colleges and universities in the areas of Arts and Culture Management including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies; Economics; Environmental Science/Studies; Higher Education Administration; International Affairs; International Legal Studies; Journalism and Mass Communication; Public Administration; Public Health; Urban and Regional Planning; and Women’s Studies/Gender Studies.

These fellowships are for highly motivated individuals who demonstrate leadership qualities, have completed the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, have at least three years of professional work experience, and are committed to return and contribute to their communities. The fellowships are for one to two years.

Grant Benefits

The fellowship will provide the following benefits:

J-1 visa support;

Round-trip economy class air travel from fellow’s home city to the host institution in the U.S.;

Funding for tuition and fees,* living and related costs; and

Accident and sickness coverage per U.S. Government guidelines.

The Fulbright-Nehru Master’s Fellowships provide no financial support for dependents.

* USIEF funding may not cover all costs and the fellow may need to supplement grant benefits with other resources.

Eligibility Requirements

In addition to the General Prerequisites, the applicants:

– must have completed an equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree from a recognized Indian university with at least 55% marks. Applicants must either possess a four-year bachelor’s degree or a completed master’s degree; or a full-time postgraduate diploma from a recognized Indian institution if the bachelor’s degree is of less than four years’ duration;

– must have at least three years’ full-time (paid) professional work experience relevant to the proposed field of study by the application deadline;

– should demonstrate experience in leadership and community service;

– must not have another degree from a U.S. university or be enrolled in a U.S. degree program; and

– if employed, should follow the instructions carefully regarding employer’s endorsement. If applicable, obtain the endorsement from the appropriate administrative authority on the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form. The employer must indicate that leave will be granted for the fellowship period. The applicant can download the FNMasters Employer’s Endorsement Form from the USIEF website.

Fields of Study

Each applicant must choose one field of study that matches his/her chief area of interest. The following field descriptions are illustrative, and applicants should note that individual academic host institution programs of study may differ in course offerings, subspecialties, and academic requirements.

Applications are invited on the following fields only:

– Arts and Culture Management including Heritage Conservation and Museum Studies: The study of all aspects of art and culture management, including arts administration, heritage conservation and museum studies, management of profit and not-for-profit art institutions, among others. These fellowships are not for pursuing graduate degrees in fine or applied art and design or art history, but for the management of the arts.

– Economics: The study of production, demand and allocation of resources in society, economic trends, effects of government economic policy on the economy. Subspecialties include: development economics, international economics, macroeconomics, microeconomics, labor economics, agricultural economics, and public finance, among others.

– Environmental Science/Studies: The study of the environment in all its complexities. Subspecialties include: environmental toxicology, natural resource management, pollution prevention, environmental law, environmental engineering and environmental policy analysis, among others.

– Higher Education Administration: The study of all aspects of higher education administration including policy planning and management, student affairs, academic affairs, admissions and enrollment management, curriculum design, learning assessment, financial management, alumni and community relations, internationalization of higher education, quality assurance, and use of technology in higher education, among others.

– International Affairs: The study of international relations with reference to foreign policy, conflict resolution, international security and strategic issues, international economic policy, environmental and energy policy, refugee and migration issues, human rights, and gender policy, among others.

– International Legal Studies: The study of all aspects of international legal studies including business law, commercial and trade law, employment and labor law, environmental law, global health law, human rights, intellectual property rights and law, international organizations, securities and financial regulations, litigation law, and tax law, among others.

– Journalism and Mass Communication: The study of all aspects of journalism and mass communication, including individual and convergent media platforms such as print, broadcast, and new media. Subspecialties include: media management, print journalism, online journalism, broadcast (radio, television, internet) journalism, and communications research and strategy among others.

– Public Administration: The study of management as it relates to the government sector (local, state, federal) or organizations serving the public. Subspecialties include policy analysis, non-profit management, international development, public sector management, public finance, healthcare management, and city/urban development, among others.

– Public Health: The study of all aspects of public health including biostatistics, environmental and occupational health, epidemiology, health law, bioethics and human rights, health policy and management, public health delivery systems, international health, and reproductive, maternal and child health, among others.

– Urban and Regional Planning: The study of all aspects of urban and regional planning, including sustainable infrastructure, transportation policy, planning and improvements, water and sanitation, town and rural planning, equitability, public space programing and governance, land use, community visioning, urban resilience, housing and real estate development, and waste management, among others.

– Women’s Studies/Gender Studies: The study of issues relevant to women, feminism, and gender including development, health, history, education, sexuality, law, and policy, among others.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted online at: https://apply.iie.org/ffsp2022

Please carefully review the FNMaster’s Applicant Instructions before starting your online application

Please refer to FNMaster’s Applicant Checklist before submitting the application

In addition, you must complete and upload the following documents on your online applicaiton:   FNMaster’s Applicant Annexure FNMaster’s Employer’s Endorsement Form (if applicable)

Application Deadline: May 17, 2021, 23:59:59 hrs (IST)

Timeline and Placement Process

May 17, 2021 Application due date for 2022-2023 awards End June 2021 Field-specific experts review applications Late July 2021 USIEF informs the applicants about the review outcome Mid-August 2021 National interviews of short-listed candidates End August 2021 USIEF notifies principal and alternate nominees. Nominees take tests (such as TOEFL and GRE) October 2021 USIEF forwards applications of recommended candidates to the U.S. for J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB) approval and placement March/April 2022 USIEF notifies finalists August/September 2022 Degree program begins

Placement of successful candidates is done by the Institute of International Education (IIE), New York. Recommended applicants are not required to apply to U.S. institutions on their own. IIE/Fulbright Program will apply to four different institutions on their behalf, taking into consideration the candidates’ preferred institutions and the candidates’ competitiveness. If a recommended candidate has previously applied to U.S. institutions and has requested a deferral from the institution, the candidate must notify USIEF immediately.

For any queries contact: masters@usief.org.in

Important:

You can apply for only ONE Fulbright-Nehru fellowship category during a competition cycle.

Candidates cannot apply for Fulbright-Nehru and Fulbright-Kalam grants in the same academic year.

Plagiarism in the application will lead to disqualification.

Unless otherwise specified, Fulbright-Nehru applications are to be submitted online.

Applications received after the deadline will NOT be considered.

Extensions and Transfer of visa sponsorship will not be permitted.

Prospective Fulbright participants should be aware that public health conditions, availability of consular services and travel, as well as U.S. institutional operating status and policies may affect their ability to travel to the U.S. and participate in academic programs.

View Notification

[brainmassofficial]

School Reopenings

Covering the seismic changes to U.S. education, from preschool to K-12 to universities, that are taking place during the coronavirus pandemic.

Teachers are fighting record levels of burnout. And applying to college is even harder this year.

Evin Shinn is a literacy coach at a public middle school in Seattle.Jovelle Tamayo for The New York Times

‘Teachers are not OK right now’

In the toughest school year in recent memory, teachers have been at the center of bitterly fought questions about whether students should be learning online or in person. But as our colleague Natasha Singer reported this week, the debate has often missed just how emotionally and physically draining the pandemic has been for the educators themselves.

“Teachers are not OK right now,” said Evin Shinn, a literacy coach at a public middle school in Seattle.

Teachers have been often criticized for challenging in-person teaching, even as those coming to classrooms worry about their health. Others, struggling with remote learning, watch students zone out or miss assignments. And those teaching hybrid can have the worst of both worlds.

“You’re trying to be two people at once, trying to help the students who are online and the students who are in front of you,” said Sarah Gross, a veteran high school English teacher in New Jersey.

Gross tries to keep one eye on the classroom, making sure her in-person students are wearing masks and maintaining social distance. She trains the other eye online, where remote students often need help troubleshooting computer problems. Often, her remote students can’t hear their peers in the classroom — and vice versa.

“It’s not sustainable,” she said. “That’s the hardest thing to come to grips with for myself and my colleagues.”

In more than a dozen interviews with Natasha, educators described immense challenges and exhaustion exacerbated by the pandemic. Some educators said their workloads had doubled. Others recounted the whiplash of having classrooms abruptly open and close, sometimes more than once.

Almost universally, they described a crippling emotional cost. Teachers have become impromptu social workers, directing students to food banks or acting as grief counselors for those who have lost family members. They help pupils work through their feelings of anxiety, depression and isolation.

“If we keep this up, you’re going to lose an entire generation of not only students but also teachers,” said Shea Martin, an education scholar and facilitator who works with public schools on issues of equity and justice.

Amanda Kaupp, a high school psychology teacher in St. Louis, said: “Three years ago, we started to learn how to run from armed intruders. Last year we learned how to pack bullet wounds. This year, we’re trying to figure out how to bring back learning in a pandemic.”

Experts and teachers’ unions warn of a looming retirement wave, which would further undermine the fitful effort to resume normal public schooling. In a recent survey by the National Education Association, the country’s largest teachers’ union, 28 percent of educators said the coronavirus had made them more likely to leave teaching or retire early.

“The days where it’s 13-plus hours at school, you’re just exhausted,” said Caitlyn Clayton, an eighth-grade English teacher in rural Illinois who toggles between in-person and remote students. “We’re seeing an extreme level of teacher burnout.”

Neither of Lea Caldwell’s parents finished college. She’s applying, but she’s also working part time, dealing with the pandemic and managing her school work.Elaine Cromie for The New York Times

Applying to college? Buckle up.

Trying to get into a college or university is always hard. This year, it comes with a host of new obstacles.

Millions of families face a staggering and unrelenting financial crisis, and might have to reimagine plans for higher education. Tens of millions of high school seniors have spent their fall semester learning remotely. Standardized test dates have moved or been outright canceled. And extracurricular activities — whether it’s soccer or songwriting — are an afterthought at best.

“It’s all a balance, and I’m not really balanced right now,” Lea Caldwell, 17, a senior who lives in Detroit, told our colleague Anemona Hartocollis.

University undergraduate enrollment is down 4.4 percent this semester. Schools need every student they can get, but virtual college tours and other forms of online outreach often make it more difficult to form personal connections with applicants. And few institutions have been willing to cut tuition to incentivize a new crop of students.

A line to take the SATs in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y., in September. Many test dates have been canceled this year, affecting students across the country.Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Colleges have made some accommodations — at least 1,600 made standardized tests optional. The Common Application also added an optional 250-word essay about the virus’s impact, to give students a chance to explain their circumstances.

Still, fewer students applied in the early decision rounds this year, a trend that experts think may extend to the regular decision pool. Early applications from low-income and first-generation students are down 10 percent, and the number of high school seniors who have filled out a free application for federal student aid dropped 16 percent compared with last year.

“I feel like I’m knocked off my square,” said Caldwell, whose parents did not finish college. “I can’t really ask anyone in my family, so I’m taking it one step at a time. I’m going to get there.”

A lesson plan: The Times’s Learning Network put together a series of questions that teachers could ask seniors to help reflect on their own application processes, based on Anemona’s article.

In related news: California State University extended its deadline to apply for incoming freshman and transfer students to Dec. 15, to mitigate challenges exacerbated by the pandemic.

Around the world

College update

Indiana put out a call for college students to help the state cope with the surge. Available jobs include substitute teaching, contact tracing and helping nursing home patients.

An opinion: Despite protests from custodians, Harvard University has not guaranteed the same job protections for those workers for the spring semester as it did in March. “The University’s unwillingness to guarantee pay for all of its employees speaks to the pull of corporate Harvard on its decision making,” wrote the editorial board of The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper.

A good listen: WBUR spent time with Josh Knight, a first-year student in the honors program at Framingham State University, outside of Boston. He shared his dreams and his struggles with housing insecurity with beautiful candor.

K-12 update

Average math scores for nearly 4.4 million third to eighth graders were five to 10 percentile points lower this fall, compared with last year, said NWEA, a nonprofit organization.

The Kansas City, Kan., school board voted to start in-person instruction in April.

In New Jersey, dilapidated school buildings have forced many low-income and nonwhite students into remote learning because officials denied most requests to fix ventilation and heating systems, The Hechinger Report wrote.

Parents walking their children to school in Paris last week.Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

As France’s test positivity rate hovers around 11 percent, it has closed bars and restaurants, but kept most elementary schools open.

An Oklahoma district has implemented the state’s controversial in-school quarantine option.

Even though public high school students in Atlanta are still learning remotely, an upcoming “Spider-Man” movie may be allowed to film in classrooms early next year.

A really good read: ProPublica has a sweeping story about two Georgia schools that approached the virus very differently. At one school, with a mask-optional policy, a teacher spent four weeks on a ventilator after a wave of cases. The other, which required masks and also trained its own contact tracers, reported no school-related cases in the first month of classes.

What has your kid taught you?

Has the pandemic helped you discover new things about your children this year?

We’d like to hear from parents whose children are at home, including those with college kids who spend part of the year on campus. Click here to share your story.

[phgq]

Taguig activates 'teaching hubs' in city-run university

#PHnews: Taguig activates 'teaching hubs' in city-run university

MANILA – As face-to-face classes remain suspended due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic, the Taguig City government has transformed an initial 10 classrooms of the Taguig City University (TCU) into "teaching hubs" on Wednesday.

This is also part of TCU's "Sharpened Online Learning" program, TCU's comprehensive response to ensure quality tertiary education in the time of Covid-19.

Each "teaching hub" is equipped with studio equipment as well as a technical team available to assist faculty members conducting live online classes. The facility may be used to prepare videos for synchronous and asynchronous sessions.

"The local government of Taguig City through the City Education Office improved classrooms to meet teachers’ needs using resources available onsite - adapting their materials, technologies, and styles for efficient and effective teaching that fit into the demands of Covid-19 and the new future in education," Mayor Lino Cayetano told reporters.

The teaching hubs also have cozy lounges and coffee bars to give teachers an extra energy boost.

“Ultimately, we want our students at TCU and in the whole public school system to learn, even when the setup is different. Understanding that the adjustment can be difficult, we have made sure to introduce measures that would ease the burden on both educator and learner,” Cayetano added.

The city government also distributed 8,700 computer tablets to TCU students as part of their efforts to bridge the digital divide.

Cayetano said this would provide opportunities for growth outside the academic setting.

The students may use the devices to conduct research, do self-paced virtual learning, or even seek part-time employment.

Aside from computer tablets, the city government also released allowances amounting to PHP5,000 to PHP10,000 to TCU students.

The city also distributed almost 300 computer tablets to all the full-time and part-time faculty members of TCU so that educators would not feel left out in the digital leap.

These efforts are still part of the "Sharpened Online Learning" program, Cayetano added.

The TCU faculty will link up the teaching hubs to an online framework specially designed by respective colleges to deliver quality education.

Teachers will conduct virtual classes through the Taguig Online Resources & Community Hub learning management system (TORCH-LMS), closely related to the system used by education authorities in Ontario and Calgary in Canada, and Ohio, Georgia, West Virginia, Alabama, and New York in the United States.

Preempting a migration to the virtual platform due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the local government prepared the TCU faculty and non-teaching staff by getting them through online courses with Skillsoft, an international online education program provider. This service was provided through the Training and Enrichment Courses from Taguig Online Campus or TECTOC.

Faculty members also underwent training for online learning using LMS with Computer Assisted Learning Philippines.

Among educational reforms implemented in the city is the LANI Scholarship Program, which was established by former mayor and now Rep. Lani Cayetano wherein financial assistance is provided to thousands of deserving college students.

For 2019, the budget for this scholarship program increased exponentially to PHP675 million, with over 57,318 scholars.

She also made TCU 100 percent tuition-free, and implemented the grant of a PHP5,000 per semester allowance for all students.

“We have always prided ourselves for being one step ahead in our preparations for the Covid-19 pandemic, and the education system is no exception,” she said. (PNA)

***

References:

* Philippine News Agency. "Taguig activates 'teaching hubs' in city-run university." Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1122883 (accessed November 25, 2020 at 09:45PM UTC+14).

* Philippine News Agency. "Taguig activates 'teaching hubs' in city-run university." Archive Today. https://archive.ph/?run=1&url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1122883 (archived).

[deniscollins]

Colleges Slash Budgets in the Pandemic, With ‘Nothing Off-Limits’

Costs have soared as colleges have spent millions on testing, tracing and quarantining students, only to face outbreaks. More than 214,000 cases this year at college campuses, with at least 75 deaths, mostly among adults last spring, but also including some students more recently. If you were a university president, which of the two strategies would you emphasize to balance budgets: (1) layoff faculty, or (2) eliminate the lowest enrollment programs? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

Ohio Wesleyan University is eliminating 18 majors. The University of Florida’s trustees this month took the first steps toward letting the school furlough faculty. The University of California, Berkeley, has paused admissions to its Ph.D. programs in anthropology, sociology and art history.

As it resurges across the country, the coronavirus is forcing universities large and small to make deep and possibly lasting cuts to close widening budget shortfalls. By one estimate, the pandemic has cost colleges at least $120 billion, with even Harvard University, despite its $41.9 billion endowment, reporting a $10 million deficit that has prompted belt tightening.

Though many colleges imposed stopgap measures such as hiring freezes and early retirements to save money in the spring, the persistence of the economic downturn is taking a devastating financial toll, pushing many to lay off or furlough employees, delay graduate admissions and even cut or consolidate core programs like liberal arts departments.

The University of South Florida announced this month that its college of education would become a graduate school only, phasing out undergraduate education degrees to help close a $6.8 million budget gap. In Ohio, the University of Akron, citing the coronavirus, successfully invoked a clause in its collective-bargaining agreement in September to supersede tenure rules and lay off 97 unionized faculty members.

“We haven’t seen a budget crisis like this in a generation,” said Robert Kelchen, a Seton Hall University associate professor of higher education who has been tracking the administrative response to the pandemic. “There’s nothing off-limits at this point.”

Even before the pandemic, colleges and universities were grappling with a growing financial crisis, brought on by years of shrinking state support, declining enrollment, and student concerns with skyrocketing tuition and burdensome debt. Now the coronavirus has amplified the financial trouble systemwide, though elite, well-endowed colleges seem sure to weather it with far less pain.

“We have been in aggressive recession management for 12 years — probably more than 12 years,” Daniel Greenstein, chancellor of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, told his board of governors this month as they voted to forge ahead with a proposal to merge a half-dozen small schools into two academic entities.

Once linchpins of social mobility in the state’s working-class coal towns, the 14 campuses in Pennsylvania’s system have lost roughly a fifth of their enrollment over the past decade. The proposal, long underway but made more urgent by pandemic losses, would merge Clarion, California, and Edinboro universities into one unit and Bloomsburg, Lock Haven and Mansfield universities into another to serve a region whose demographics have changed.

Such pressures have reached critical mass throughout the country in the months since the pandemic hit. State governments from Washington to Connecticut, tightening their own belts, have told public universities to expect steep cuts in appropriations. Students and families, facing skyrocketing unemployment, have balked at the prospect of paying full fare for largely online instruction, opting instead for gap years or less expensive schools closer to home.

Costs have also soared as colleges have spent millions on testing, tracing and quarantining students, only to face outbreaks. A New York Times database has confirmed more than 214,000 cases this year at college campuses, with at least 75 deaths, mostly among adults last spring, but also including some students more recently.

Freshman enrollment is down more than 16 percent from last year, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center has reported — part of a 4 percent overall drop in undergraduate enrollment that is taking tuition revenue down with it.

In a letter to Congress last week, the American Council on Education and other higher education organizations estimated that the virus would cost institutions more than $120 billion in increased student aid, lost housing fees, forgone sports revenue, public health measures, learning technology and other adjustments.

And because donations to all but the heftiest endowments limit those funds to specific uses, most colleges cannot freely dip into them as emergency reserves. Harvard has the largest endowment in the nation, but its pandemic losses turned a $300 million-plus surplus in 2019 into a $10 million operating loss in 2020, according to an annual report posted last week, forcing the university to freeze hiring, slash capital spending and cut senior managers’ pay.

That has meant months of cutbacks, including abolishing athletic programs, deferring campus construction and laying off administrative staff and cafeteria workers. Scores of graduate programs, including some at elite research universities such as Harvard, Princeton and U.C. Berkeley, have temporarily stopped taking new Ph.D. students — the result of financial aid budgets strained by current doctoral candidates whose research is taking more time because of the pandemic.

A Chronicle of Higher Education database tracking the budgetary triage has documented more than 100 such suspended programs, from the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Arts and Sciences, which will not take new school-funded doctoral students next fall, to Rice University, which paused admissions to all five of the Ph.D. programs in its school of humanities.

Most of the suspensions are in social sciences and humanities programs where the universities — rather than outside funders such as corporations, foundations and the federal government — typically underwrite the multiyear financial aid packages offered to doctoral students. University officials say the suspensions are necessary to ensure their strapped budgets can continue supporting students already in Ph.D. pipelines.

But Suzanne T. Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, noted that interrupting that pipeline could also have a lingering impact on the higher education work force, diverting promising students from low-income households, for example, or discouraging candidates who might bring much needed diversity to faculty rosters.

As it is, the pandemic has had an outsize impact on less affluent students: A survey of 292 private, nonprofit schools released this month by the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities reported a nearly 8 percent decrease in enrollment among students who receive federal Pell Grants.

“A couple years off is not necessarily the end of the world and may even be a wise thing,” Ms. Ortega said. “But if our universities don’t remain in touch with those students, and connect with them, and encourage them to keep thinking about grad school, we could have our own lost generation of students who get busy with other things and then don’t fulfill their dreams.”

As schools exhaust the possibilities of trims around the margins, what is left, administrators say, is payroll, typically the largest line item in higher education. Since February, when the coronavirus hit, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that colleges and universities have shed more than 300,000 mostly nonfaculty jobs.

“Some of these institutions have redone their budgets three, four, five times,” said Jim Hundrieser, vice president for consulting and business development at the National Association of College and University Business Officers, a professional organization for finance officers in higher education.

“As this next chapter unfolds, what’s left is just staffing. For most, this will be the toughest round.”

In central New York, Ithaca College’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, La Jerne T. Cornish, said “there is no joy” as the school accelerated plans to cut 131 full-time faculty jobs, a result of declining enrollment exacerbated by the pandemic. Ms. Cornish said the school had already furloughed 167 nonfaculty staff members and offered early retirement to 30 faculty members to address an $8 million shortfall.

But, Ms. Cornish said, further action was needed to bring the payroll into line with enrollment declines.

Ohio Wesleyan’s president, Rock Jones, told students in a recent email that the university would eliminate or phase out majors in comparative literature, urban studies, journalism and 15 other subjects. The move, he wrote, would merge religion and philosophy into one department and lump Black studies and women’s studies into a single “critical identity studies” program, but also will save about $4 million and limit faculty layoffs to one tenured post.

The school’s plan followed a yearlong faculty-led review, but Mr. Kelchen, the higher education professor, said such consolidations often can allow institutions to downsize despite faculty job protections as well as encourage people in positions deemed redundant to take early retirement.

“Even if the faculty can stay on,” he said, “they’ll get reassigned, maybe to teach in another department or do administrative work.”

Other schools are laying the groundwork now for cuts they expect later. Trustees at the University of Florida took the first step in September to allow faculty furloughs to help close a projected $49 million shortfall from the coronavirus. Steve Orlando, a university spokesman, said the next step — a formal furlough policy — is expected to come to the board this year.

Daniel Meisenzahl, a spokesman for the University of Hawaii, said the 10-campus system had embarked on an exhaustive fiscal review in which “every single unit” was being examined, including an array of bachelors’ programs and university centers for public policy and conflict resolution. The system is facing a projected 13 percent decline in revenue and a net loss of nearly $67 million in operating income.

Mr. Kelchen said that the coronavirus had worked its way into the core of the nation’s academic machinery, and that the damage would likely be lasting.

“These cuts are going to continue long past the pandemic,” he said.

[degreeacademic]

Ten Top Risks Of Attending Excelsior College | excelsior college

Excelsior College has been recognized as one of the premier educational institutions for years. Excelsior College's mission is to be a top-rated institution in the educational arena, providing quality education to all its students. This school offers a wide variety of online degree programs, so that you can get your degree from the comfort of your own home.

Excelsior college is a private institution in Albany, New York dedicated to education. The college features three academic schools: the Academy of Professional Psychology, the Institute of Professional Practice in Professional Psychology, and the School of Graduate Studies. Each of the schools features a different set of educational and training programs, ensuring you receive an entirely unique set of experiences and a quality degree.

At the Academy of Professional Psychology, you can earn a Master's degree and specialize in clinical psychology or clinical practice. You can also choose to complete a Master's of Social Work at the Institute of Professional Practice in Professional Psychology, or you can attend the Master's of Science in Social Work at the School of Graduate studies.

At the Master's degree program at the Institute of Professional Practice in Professional Psychology, you'll earn a Master's degree in Social Services. Along with your degree, you'll also earn credits towards your Bachelor's degree. Upon completion of your Bachelor's degree program, you'll be qualified to sit for the APSC certified exam for clinical social work.

At the Master's degree program at the Master's of Science in Social Work, you will learn the latest trends and techniques in public health care. These skills will help you design and implement programs for the community, work with people who have experienced abuse or trauma, and provide services in schools and institutions of higher learning.

At the Bachelor's degree programs, you'll learn how to improve the effectiveness of your own health care. During your Bachelor's degree programs, you will learn how to conduct research, design an effective curriculum, and prepare students for state and national licensing exams.

In your Master's degree programs, you'll be trained in the use of electronic patient billing and coding systems and medical terminologies. You'll also learn how to use health information management systems, information technology, and computer databases.

Students interested in earning their Masters degree can choose to complete a Master's program in Nursing at Excelsior college or complete a Master's degree in Business Management, which prepares students for leadership positions in the nursing industry. With this degree, you can advance into a career as a registered nurse and become licensed and awarded with a master's degree.

An online MBA in Business Management helps students prepare for management positions in the fields of finance, accounting, human resources, and marketing. This is also the first online Master's degree program in business administration.

An online Master's degree in Business Administration prepares students to be a marketing or communications manager in the business field. With this degree, you will learn how to manage a budget, develop sales and marketing strategies, and create marketing plans.

An online Master's degree in Psychology is another option available at Excelsior College. This degree prepares students for careers in teaching and counseling or child and/or adult learning.

An online Master's degree in Counseling is another choice for earning your Master's degree in Counseling. Counselors are trained to help individuals, couples, families, and schools improve emotional and behavioral health.

An online Master's degree in Counseling includes courses on areas such as counseling and therapy, social work, family therapy, and adolescent or juvenile substance abuse. In addition, the program helps students learn to recognize and treat psychological disorders, and provide training for professional development in these areas.

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[rulystuff]

https://servicemeltdown.com/what-service-were-dealing-with-the-virus/

New Post has been published on https://servicemeltdown.com/what-service-were-dealing-with-the-virus/

WHAT SERVICE? WE'RE DEALING WITH THE VIRUS!

The Chinese Communist Virus has not only killed tens of thousands of innocent Americans but it is now the most recent foil used by organizations around the country to kill service to the customer.

In telecommunications, hospitality, education, banking, retail, healthcare, and countless other business sectors of the economy the virus is cited as the reason why organizations are slow or unable to respond to the needs of the consumer. Government services, which have never been known to respond to the needs of citizens with alacrity, have become congealed in a combination of fear and ineptitude.

The virus now takes its place in the pantheon of reasons which organizations have long proffered for barely lifting a finger on behalf of the customer. Lousy and trivial excuses for not serving the customer now seem more grave and sincere because the virus is involved.

A handful of examples will suffice to make the point:

Comcast Corporation, the largest internet provider with over 25 million subscribers, and over 21 million TV subscribers will keep a telephone caller on hold for an hour or longer and take days to address a technical issue either remotely or in person. The reason? As a supervisor explained it to me: “Because of the virus, our technicians are having to work from home.” Again, we’re not talking about an upstart piker in the phone business but about the largest telecom company in the United States with monopoly markets in many metropolitan areas of the country.

The prestigious Boca Raton Hotel and Resort in South Florida continues to bill its members a monthly fee of nearly $1,000 despite the fact that all of its facilities have been shuttered and most of its workers furloughed for months. Only recently was the resort moved to issue a meager one-time $500 credit to its members. “In appreciation of your support,” reads the communiqué from the resort’s President in announcing the spending credit.

Universities continue to charge full tuition for students to participate in what is essentially an online class curriculum. Dartmouth college, for instance, charges over $55,000 in tuition for nothing more thanso-called “computer”learning. It is no wonder that the college is facing a $5 million class action suit from parents for its failure to mitigate the cost of tuition and fees. Dartmouth is not a solitary offender as approximately one-hundred other universities and colleges are facing similar lawsuits.

Major banks such as HSBC and JP Morgan Chase have closed many of their branches not only to foot traffic but to drive-through traffic as well. Private bankers whose value to their clients rests on personal relationships coupled with an in-depth knowledge of financial products are largely missing in action. The fallback service provider for these banks is as ineffective now as it was before the virus, namely the call-center attendant in Manila.

David Wohl, a California Criminal Defense Attorney, recently visited his favorite haberdasher, Men’s Wearhouse. When Mr. Wohl arrived at the store he was not allowed inside due to “social distancing.” He was instead asked to stand outside in 103˚ weather. After about fifteen minutes of waiting in the sweltering heat Mr. Wohl asked if he could enter, “No, the manager said, and if you have an issue with it you can go somewhere else.” The Men’s Wearhouse chain has over 700 stores and is owned by the financially troubled Tailored Brands. The Company has negative equity and negative earnings. It is $1.4 billion in debt and it has seen its share price drop from $5.96 a year ago to $.65 at the most recent close.   Blame the virus all you want but the problem with this retailer runs much deeper than that.

According to the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) hospitals rated 75 points out of 100 with consumers in 2016 in satisfaction. By comparison, government services rated a paltry 68 points out of 100. In school, the former score would earn you maybe a C grade. The latter, no better than a D+ in your report card. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has railed against a local hospital charging $150 for a virus test. But predatory pricing is what awaits the patient who visits a hospital emergency room. Cases abound of hospitals gouging patients by charging thousands of dollars for visits to the ER which at times have been devoid of a swab test for the virus.

The court system in the United States is at a virtual standstill as judges have postponed trials and hearings. Only a few jurisdictions have sought to use technology such as remote video and teleconferencing to conduct business. Clearly, a failure to adapt to the new reality brought about by the virus could have serious implications for people with immediate problems including those in prison awaiting trial, individuals in need of a restraining order or those in need of a custody judgment. Worse, individuals facing indictments are getting a free pass while the court system is shut down. When the court system reopens, the unprecedented backlog of civilian and criminal litigation will bring chaos to the courts to the chagrin of both litigants and law professionals alike.

New York City has experienced an increase of 53% in shooting victims to 636 and an increase of 21% in homicides to 178 for the first six months of 2020. And, after a spate of violence over the Fourth of July Weekend Mayor Bill de Blasio, attributed the uptick in violence to the virus. “This is directly related to the coronavirus,” said the Mayor. Outlandish if not bizarre, the Mayor’s explanation failed to mention the city’s new bail reform which puts convicted criminals back on the street, defunding the Police Department to the tune of $1 billion, releasing inmates from Rikers Island, and disbanding the city’s anti-crime unit.

The state of affairs described above is a confluence of supplier behavior best epitomized by the glib phrase “we’re doing the best we can,” and consumers who no longer have an expectation that their suppliers can deliver excellence in service. At the dawn of the twenty-first century it appeared that consumers were emboldened to become more demanding than at any other time in history due to techno/economic trends that shrunk the globe, increased consumer choices exponentially, and thus leveled the playing field for rich and poor consumers alike. Now it seems that our optimism was unfounded. The Chinese Communist pathogen has taken care of that.

We are experiencing a service meltdown that is ineffable despite decades of lip service by executives of organizations large and small about the great and wonderful job they are doing on the service front.

And, I am not optimistic that suppliers, in the main, will relinquish their obsession with financial rewards or other perquisites and suddenly become more disposed to work in the customer’s behalf.

THE CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS REQUIRED FOR EXCELLENCE IN SERVICE

There are four critical success factors needed for excellent service to result. These factors must work holistically – as a system – so as to deliver unimpeachable service. Leave any of these elements out and you suck out the oxygen needed to contribute to the growth and vitality of the customer-focused organization.

What follows is my take on the critical success factors of service based on my experience starting and running numerous business for nearly fifty years:

Leadership from the top – The key issue that catalyzes all other critical success factors is leadership. The customer-focused organization demands a special kind of leadership. The customer-focused leader must have his ear to the ground, the moral courage to challenge long-held assumptions, make tough decisions, implement needed reforms, and, in the end, raise what is intellectually sound to an emotional level. In the absence of this kind of commitment service will continue as nothing more than an afterthought, something to deal with only in the face of serious customer discontent.

The customer as the centerpiece of strategy – The customer-focused organization centers its strategy around the customer. Reaching out to the customer in a thoughtful and meaningful way forms the basis for a strategy which gives direction to a long-term vision, a mission statement, financial goals, organizational structures, technology initiatives and so on. The alternative is a strategy formulation process which only rewards the technocrats in the ivory tower.

A service ethic – The organization that is genuine about its commitment to the customer needs to actively promote and enforce an ethical standard that, above all else, celebrates and rewards employees for satisfying customer needs, and for always acting with integrity. Lapses in integrity erode trust, and this, in turn, erects barriers to the free exchange of candid information so vital to the pursuit of excellence in service. A service ethic can only thrive in an environment of hard-hitting, frank, and open discussion both inside and outside the organization.

Power to the front line – Human capital, intelligent, skilled, and properly supported and equipped is the fundamental resource that adds value to the customer-focused organization. My definition of a frontline worker is, therefore, correspondingly broad: anyone who has contact with the customer is by my definition on the frontline. Service at the front, the mechanics of which are just as much art as they are science, pivots on the competence, preparation, support, and dedication of individuals distant from the executive suite.

A full expression of service to the customer can only be found in an environment where these critical success factors work in harmony. No one critical success factor, working in isolation, can be the determining factor, regardless of how much organizational might is put behind it. A failure to appreciate the interplay of the four factors, and to execute in the light of their complex nature leads to myriad rationalizations such as those described above and whose current scapegoat is the Chinese Communist Virus.

[steamsonline]

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[sunyulsterfaculty]

QUESTION: Which school is the number one community college in New York State?

ANSWER: SUNY Ulster, of course!

(Rankings by BestColleges.com.)

As the members SUNY Ulster Faculty Association, we're proud of the support that we offer to students of all ages and career paths.

Looking to restart your career? Check out our AdultEDge program. It’s a great way to reinvent yourself and your professional life - and it’s close to home!

About AdultEDge at SUNY Ulster

AdultEDge programs in Business, Human Services, Criminal Justice, Technology, and General Studies offer:

Evening, accelerated, weekend, or online class formats

One-stop shop for accessible and ongoing student service, registration, and advisement

Help in your journey to apply for credit for college-level learning acquired through work and life experience

Convenient times and location

Personalized academic plan

Affordable tuition – financial aid and scholarships may be available

Manageable pace, attend either full-time or part-time

About SUNY Ulster

"SUNY Ulster is one of 64 learning environments within the State University of New York (SUNY) system. This rural, two-year college features a main campus in Stone Ridge and two additional facilities in Kingston. More than 3,000 students attend SUNY Ulster each year. Learners enjoy high-quality, affordable academics and diverse involvement opportunities, including clubs, athletics, cultural events, and study abroad options.

"Students can choose from more than 80 certificates, transferable associate degrees, and career-ready associate degrees. A variety of fields and disciplines are represented in SUNY Ulster's academic catalog, including arts, education, human services, nursing, public safety, and STEM. A selection of online courses are offered each semester, as well as accelerated online course options for adults. Five degrees and two certificates can be earned entirely online.

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Just Like Restaurants, Culinary Schools and Their Students Are in Limbo

Yuriy Golub/Shutterstock

Culinary schools rely on hands-on training. Can they survive during the pandemic?

The morning of March 13 was normal until the intercom interrupted a discussion during Sarah Roundtree’s fine dining concepts lab at the Providence, Rhode Island, campus of Johnson & Wales. “They made the announcement that campus was shutting down,” she remembers. Roundtree, who graduated from the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales with a bachelor of science in culinary arts and food-service management in 2018, was working as a student teacher in the culinary arts program and had no idea what to tell the class about what to do next or when they’d be back. “The students had questions that I couldn’t answer,” she says.

She also didn’t know what it meant for her own studies. Roundtree was in Providence to complete a master of arts in teaching degree with a concentration in culinary arts education, and she was set to graduate in May, with an entry-level job at a restaurant already lined up. Instead, she left campus soon after that announcement, and in the coming weeks, the restaurant rescinded the job offer; it was forced to shut down due to COVID-19.

Today, Roundtree is living in Connecticut with her family, weighing her options for a career in a post-COVID-19 food industry. “Technically, I graduated a week ago,” she says via video call on a recent afternoon. “I’m sure I’ll do a Zoom celebration or something.”

As traditional college campuses shut down in early March, culinary schools followed, vacating their teaching kitchens, classrooms, and on-campus restaurants. But unlike traditional colleges, many of which shifted to online learning, culinary schools have had to contend with moving cooking classes, tactile in nature, to a virtual setting. Most have opted not to, meaning culinary schools and culinary students are stuck in limbo until campuses are cleared to reopen.

San Francisco Cooking School closed its campus March 16 and is not offering virtual learning for cooking courses, effectively putting the current stream of 42 full-time and part-time students on hold. “A hasty pivot to virtual learning didn’t make sense for SFCS because our curriculum is designed around hands-on instruction in a small class environment,” says San Francisco Cooking School founder Jodi Liano. Being in a kitchen-classroom setting ensures students learn to braise, cut, saute, chop, and dice under the tutelage of a trained culinary professional, an environment that’s hard to replicate via video call.

“Cooking is using all five senses,” says Lachlan Sands, campus president for the Institute of Culinary Education. Its campuses in Los Angeles and New York City both closed on March 16, affecting an undisclosed number of students (the school won’t say how many people are currently enrolled). “We believe it’s better to teach culinary arts in a kitchen in person.”

Culinary classes require an infrastructure that’s hard to mimic at home. A typical day of class involves students retrieving whisks, bowls, spoons, mixers, and stock pots from communal storage areas and retrieving ingredients from walk-in refrigerators or pantries to make the dishes that are part of the day’s lessons. Even if basic recipes were provided to students, there’s no guarantee that they would have access to the technology required for video calls. “Most of our students aren’t properly equipped for home study in terms of kitchen equipment, or even access to a kitchen where multiple roommates might be involved,” Liano says. Offering virtual cooking courses that may leave some students behind because of a lack of access, or asking them to venture out to secure ingredients during a pandemic, didn’t seem like the right move. “Simply put,” says Liano, “neither the school nor the students were set up to enable SFCS to fulfill our educational promise through virtual learning.”

Most culinary schools, though, have lecture-style courses for general education and professional studies classes related to specific majors, like menu planning and cost control, foodservice financial systems, food safety, culture, and technical writing; the Institute of Culinary Education, San Francisco Cooking School, Johnson & Wales, and New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute have moved their lecture courses online.

Schools hope to keep their students engaged with cooking during lockdowns, even if not officially for credits. The Institute of Culinary Education started offering cooking demos via Instagram Live with chefs like Marcus Samuelsson and Chris Scott to encourage students to cook along with industry pros. “We really want to get them to try new things and new dishes,” Sands says. But there’s no way to ensure that students are tuning in, and administrators are not monitoring who’s accessing the demos. It’s not a foolproof way of teaching cooking, but it is a way of doing something. “Part of what we can do right now is cultivate an atmosphere of community,” Sands says. San Francisco Cooking School has started a “Conversations With…” Zoom series that connects industry leaders and students via regular calls to “just to get together and talk about things like what they’ve been cooking for friends/family,” Liano says. “Teachers help troubleshoot during these calls, and classmates do the same — it’s been a really nice way to keep them together.”

As many states think about reopening, culinary schools are waiting for the go-ahead to resume classes. Leah Sarris, executive director for New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, which opened in January of 2019, says the school’s 100-day certificate program moved lecture classes online. Administrators are planning on reopening the campus to “whenever it is safe to do so.” As New Orleans restaurants begin to reopen, NOCHI has a tentative plan “to resume classes whenever the city enters Phase 2,” Sarris says.

Culinary schools are adjusting to adhere to new safety guidelines at both local and federal levels, says Miriam Weinstein, communications director for Johnson & Wales University. Right now the Providence campus is planning on reopening July 6 with class sizes reduced from 18 to 14 students; a requirement that all staff, students, and faculty wear masks; and plexiglass partitions between cooking stations in hands-on classes. Both Johnson & Wales and San Francisco Cooking School will also introduce separate tasting rooms where students will bring a deli container of whatever they’re cooking to taste with disposable utensils. There, they’ll discuss with their instructor what adjustments should be made before disposing of the utensils and returning to the kitchen. Both schools say it will take some adjusting, but it’s something the students will eventually get used to. “It takes time and it adds steps, but it feels like a precaution worth taking,” says Liano. “I think it will become a routine that will be pretty easy to execute.”

That is, of course, if students elect to come back. Culinary school enrollment has long been in decline: According to data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 16,792 culinary school degrees were awarded in 2017, down more than 8,000 compared to numbers from five years before. For many students, the costs associated with attending school (tuition for one undergraduate year at the Culinary Institute of America is more than $36,000; at Johnson & Wales, it’s more than $34,000), coupled with a downturned economy, might mean opting out of completing school altogether. And for both current and potential students, the restaurant industry’s crisis — and the likelihood of a lack of jobs after graduation — might affect decisions. An International Culinary Institute spokesperson says the school’s New York and LA campuses expect a “less than 2 percent withdrawal rate” after COVID-19, noting “students have expressed their desires to return to our campuses and resume their studies as soon as they are permitted to do so.” Weinstein, of Johnson & Wales, offers a slightly more pessimistic post-pandemic look: “We anticipate that the difficulties that our students and their families are facing will translate into future enrollment challenges.”

For those staying put, Sarris says that the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute is being flexible with students’ timelines for class completion. “We understand that the current situation has a lot of unknowns, so for students who are high-risk when it comes to COVID-19 or who wish to take some time off, we are working with them on a personalized completion plan,” Sarris says. Johnson & Wales is offering undergraduates who are part of the 3,366 students across four campuses that were in lab courses (hands-on classes taught in kitchens) the opportunity to finish their studies in July or in the fall semester, according to Weinstein. Students who were on track to graduate with bachelor’s degrees were offered virtual lecture courses to complete their degrees, Weinstein says, leading to their graduation on time this year.

Looking further ahead, culinary schools are thinking about the trickle-down effects the crisis will have on their curriculums, which will need to be adjusted to prepare students to enter a changed food industry. “How are restaurants going to be staffed? What are menus going to look like? How do businesses balance delivery and dine in? There’s so many questions that we won’t be able to answer yet,” Sands says. “Before we can make changes to the curriculum, we have to see what the industry wants.” But he’s also hopeful that the industry will adapt to its new reality, whatever that may look like. “The demand for restaurants has existed for hundreds of years; you’ve got to give credit to the resiliency of chefs and restaurateurs,” he says. “It’s a big challenge, but I don’t want to undercut the resiliency of the leaders of the food industry.”

Roundtree is also looking to industry leaders and thinking about starting an ice cream sandwich business. Her goals have changed a bit, but she’s sure she wants to stay in the food industry. “Long term, I don’t know if I want to go into education,” she says. “I see myself owning a restaurant and maybe writing a cookbook.”

Korsha Wilson is a food writer and host of A Hungry Society, a podcast that takes a more inclusive look at the food world. She lives in New Jersey.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2UCX5AG https://ift.tt/3d0UgiR

Yuriy Golub/Shutterstock

Culinary schools rely on hands-on training. Can they survive during the pandemic?

The morning of March 13 was normal until the intercom interrupted a discussion during Sarah Roundtree’s fine dining concepts lab at the Providence, Rhode Island, campus of Johnson & Wales. “They made the announcement that campus was shutting down,” she remembers. Roundtree, who graduated from the Charlotte campus of Johnson & Wales with a bachelor of science in culinary arts and food-service management in 2018, was working as a student teacher in the culinary arts program and had no idea what to tell the class about what to do next or when they’d be back. “The students had questions that I couldn’t answer,” she says.

She also didn’t know what it meant for her own studies. Roundtree was in Providence to complete a master of arts in teaching degree with a concentration in culinary arts education, and she was set to graduate in May, with an entry-level job at a restaurant already lined up. Instead, she left campus soon after that announcement, and in the coming weeks, the restaurant rescinded the job offer; it was forced to shut down due to COVID-19.

Today, Roundtree is living in Connecticut with her family, weighing her options for a career in a post-COVID-19 food industry. “Technically, I graduated a week ago,” she says via video call on a recent afternoon. “I’m sure I’ll do a Zoom celebration or something.”

As traditional college campuses shut down in early March, culinary schools followed, vacating their teaching kitchens, classrooms, and on-campus restaurants. But unlike traditional colleges, many of which shifted to online learning, culinary schools have had to contend with moving cooking classes, tactile in nature, to a virtual setting. Most have opted not to, meaning culinary schools and culinary students are stuck in limbo until campuses are cleared to reopen.

San Francisco Cooking School closed its campus March 16 and is not offering virtual learning for cooking courses, effectively putting the current stream of 42 full-time and part-time students on hold. “A hasty pivot to virtual learning didn’t make sense for SFCS because our curriculum is designed around hands-on instruction in a small class environment,” says San Francisco Cooking School founder Jodi Liano. Being in a kitchen-classroom setting ensures students learn to braise, cut, saute, chop, and dice under the tutelage of a trained culinary professional, an environment that’s hard to replicate via video call.

“Cooking is using all five senses,” says Lachlan Sands, campus president for the Institute of Culinary Education. Its campuses in Los Angeles and New York City both closed on March 16, affecting an undisclosed number of students (the school won’t say how many people are currently enrolled). “We believe it’s better to teach culinary arts in a kitchen in person.”

Culinary classes require an infrastructure that’s hard to mimic at home. A typical day of class involves students retrieving whisks, bowls, spoons, mixers, and stock pots from communal storage areas and retrieving ingredients from walk-in refrigerators or pantries to make the dishes that are part of the day’s lessons. Even if basic recipes were provided to students, there’s no guarantee that they would have access to the technology required for video calls. “Most of our students aren’t properly equipped for home study in terms of kitchen equipment, or even access to a kitchen where multiple roommates might be involved,” Liano says. Offering virtual cooking courses that may leave some students behind because of a lack of access, or asking them to venture out to secure ingredients during a pandemic, didn’t seem like the right move. “Simply put,” says Liano, “neither the school nor the students were set up to enable SFCS to fulfill our educational promise through virtual learning.”

Most culinary schools, though, have lecture-style courses for general education and professional studies classes related to specific majors, like menu planning and cost control, foodservice financial systems, food safety, culture, and technical writing; the Institute of Culinary Education, San Francisco Cooking School, Johnson & Wales, and New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute have moved their lecture courses online.

Schools hope to keep their students engaged with cooking during lockdowns, even if not officially for credits. The Institute of Culinary Education started offering cooking demos via Instagram Live with chefs like Marcus Samuelsson and Chris Scott to encourage students to cook along with industry pros. “We really want to get them to try new things and new dishes,” Sands says. But there’s no way to ensure that students are tuning in, and administrators are not monitoring who’s accessing the demos. It’s not a foolproof way of teaching cooking, but it is a way of doing something. “Part of what we can do right now is cultivate an atmosphere of community,” Sands says. San Francisco Cooking School has started a “Conversations With…” Zoom series that connects industry leaders and students via regular calls to “just to get together and talk about things like what they’ve been cooking for friends/family,” Liano says. “Teachers help troubleshoot during these calls, and classmates do the same — it’s been a really nice way to keep them together.”

As many states think about reopening, culinary schools are waiting for the go-ahead to resume classes. Leah Sarris, executive director for New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute, which opened in January of 2019, says the school’s 100-day certificate program moved lecture classes online. Administrators are planning on reopening the campus to “whenever it is safe to do so.” As New Orleans restaurants begin to reopen, NOCHI has a tentative plan “to resume classes whenever the city enters Phase 2,” Sarris says.

Culinary schools are adjusting to adhere to new safety guidelines at both local and federal levels, says Miriam Weinstein, communications director for Johnson & Wales University. Right now the Providence campus is planning on reopening July 6 with class sizes reduced from 18 to 14 students; a requirement that all staff, students, and faculty wear masks; and plexiglass partitions between cooking stations in hands-on classes. Both Johnson & Wales and San Francisco Cooking School will also introduce separate tasting rooms where students will bring a deli container of whatever they’re cooking to taste with disposable utensils. There, they’ll discuss with their instructor what adjustments should be made before disposing of the utensils and returning to the kitchen. Both schools say it will take some adjusting, but it’s something the students will eventually get used to. “It takes time and it adds steps, but it feels like a precaution worth taking,” says Liano. “I think it will become a routine that will be pretty easy to execute.”

That is, of course, if students elect to come back. Culinary school enrollment has long been in decline: According to data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), 16,792 culinary school degrees were awarded in 2017, down more than 8,000 compared to numbers from five years before. For many students, the costs associated with attending school (tuition for one undergraduate year at the Culinary Institute of America is more than $36,000; at Johnson & Wales, it’s more than $34,000), coupled with a downturned economy, might mean opting out of completing school altogether. And for both current and potential students, the restaurant industry’s crisis — and the likelihood of a lack of jobs after graduation — might affect decisions. An International Culinary Institute spokesperson says the school’s New York and LA campuses expect a “less than 2 percent withdrawal rate” after COVID-19, noting “students have expressed their desires to return to our campuses and resume their studies as soon as they are permitted to do so.” Weinstein, of Johnson & Wales, offers a slightly more pessimistic post-pandemic look: “We anticipate that the difficulties that our students and their families are facing will translate into future enrollment challenges.”

For those staying put, Sarris says that the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute is being flexible with students’ timelines for class completion. “We understand that the current situation has a lot of unknowns, so for students who are high-risk when it comes to COVID-19 or who wish to take some time off, we are working with them on a personalized completion plan,” Sarris says. Johnson & Wales is offering undergraduates who are part of the 3,366 students across four campuses that were in lab courses (hands-on classes taught in kitchens) the opportunity to finish their studies in July or in the fall semester, according to Weinstein. Students who were on track to graduate with bachelor’s degrees were offered virtual lecture courses to complete their degrees, Weinstein says, leading to their graduation on time this year.

Looking further ahead, culinary schools are thinking about the trickle-down effects the crisis will have on their curriculums, which will need to be adjusted to prepare students to enter a changed food industry. “How are restaurants going to be staffed? What are menus going to look like? How do businesses balance delivery and dine in? There’s so many questions that we won’t be able to answer yet,” Sands says. “Before we can make changes to the curriculum, we have to see what the industry wants.” But he’s also hopeful that the industry will adapt to its new reality, whatever that may look like. “The demand for restaurants has existed for hundreds of years; you’ve got to give credit to the resiliency of chefs and restaurateurs,” he says. “It’s a big challenge, but I don’t want to undercut the resiliency of the leaders of the food industry.”

Roundtree is also looking to industry leaders and thinking about starting an ice cream sandwich business. Her goals have changed a bit, but she’s sure she wants to stay in the food industry. “Long term, I don’t know if I want to go into education,” she says. “I see myself owning a restaurant and maybe writing a cookbook.”

Korsha Wilson is a food writer and host of A Hungry Society, a podcast that takes a more inclusive look at the food world. She lives in New Jersey.

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