Roman Religion Essays - Greco-Roman Mysteries,

Roman Religion Roman Religion in A Romans Everyday Life vs. Religion's Effects on Today We Romans, said Cicero, owe our supremacy overall other peoples to our piety and religious observances and to our wisdom in believing that the spirit of the gods rules and directs everything. Roman rites and observances took two main forms. One was the domestic reverence of the spirit or genius of the family. The other was the public attitude to the gods and goddesses by whom the destiny and welfare of the Roman people as a whole were supposed to be guided and controlled. During the Classical period, religious observance accompanied all important private and public events and transactions and, no successful outcome went without a vow of thanks or public dedication. Temples, priests and sacred rites were provided by the State. Nothing in the nature of religious services as we know them, in which the body of worshipers as a whole were able to participate, seems to have been celebrated in the temples. Any set forms of prayers, hymns or chants were performed solely by the official priest s whose secrets they remained. The ordinary Roman man or woman had little personal part to play in such rites (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). While they were being undertaken and fulfilled it was the duty of the ordinary citizen not to interfere or make any disturbance and to refrain from any business affairs. When religiously minded Roman dropped in to a temple in order to worship the god or goddess whose house it was , they had some practical object in view : some personal favor or advantage. They came and perhaps burn incenses. When praying they stood with upturned palms. Sometimes they got as close to the image of the god as they could in order to whisper their pleas; the feet of some of the images were worn by the kisses of generations of worshipers. In addition to paying a fee for admission, the grateful petitioner for divine aid also brought sacrifices and thankful offerings to the temples. Enormous numbers of livestock and cattle went to augment the wealth of the templ es, and to swell the incomes of the priests and attendants, many of whom became extremely wealthy. Temple worship was no essential part of Roman life. If it had been, it is difficult to understand why there were not more than about a hundred within the city confines, which is no large number in a city of some million inhabitants. Romans kept their religious faith because they grew up with it in their homes. Its strength did not depend so much upon visits to the temples or upon the services of the priests because every home had a domestic shrine and alter before which daily act of reverence could take place. There were lares of the cross roads also, who could be worshiped out doors by the homeless or by those too poor to maintain their own family shrine (Handbook To Life In Ancient Greece). Roman religion had been heavily influenced by its surrounding civilizations, especially Greek and Etruscan. Characteristic for early Roman religion are the so called function gods : gods that perf orm only one specific function that was mostly agricultural. Rome used to be an agricultural community before evolving into a world power. Apart from these , gods as Stercutus the god of the power of manure , nature itself was full of godly powers. In a later stage the Romans transformed under Greek influence. Since the beginning of their existence Romans tended to take over other cults and incorporate them into their own religion ; cults like the one of Cybele, originally from Anatolia, Mithras from the Persians and even Isis from Egypt where adapted and incorporated in Roman society. During the Empire an important new cult was institutionalized , the cult of the Emperor. Starting from Augustus onwards the emperor was deified and worshiped (Home Work Help : History). This was very handy to unify the empire and show loyalty to the emperor. Roman religion was intended to keep the relation god/human healthy. The relation between god and man was kept somewhat like a contract, I give yo u something and you give

Sierra Leone Politicians Redefining Purpose Essays

Sierra Leone Politicians Redefining Purpose Essays Sierra Leone Politicians Redefining Purpose Essay Sierra Leone Politicians Redefining Purpose Essay It sounds easy. The dictionary defines something â€Å"purposeful† simply as â€Å"full of meaning†. Yet, expressing our politicians purpose, as popular as it should be in other countries, is in reality not that simple. There are many things we see as having meaning that may be we can’t define the most popular politician(s) in Sierra Leone as of purpose. Or maybe because we have never tried to define our politicians’ purpose towards our country and the people in the hopes that they would just come to us suddenly. Is the purpose of our politicians about corporate responsibility?Well.. No. We want our country and communities to endure and thrive, but that cannot happen if the economic system is not thriving. Is the purpose of our politicians about doing well in Sierra Leone? Well.No. we may agree that majority of our politicians in Sierra Leone do not share the same definition of what it means to do good, and most of them do not feel that theirgood work makes a difference in the country. Is the purpose of our politicians about uniformity and consistency? Well..No. Our past and current government does not believe that we are most effective as a country when our values, goals and strategies align.But diverse perspectives have proven to help us innovate, excel and become more creative. One thing we can be sure about: purpose can be powerful, palatable and even tangible if we understand its true meaning on a multitude of levels – individual, collective, systemic – and how to activate it in a unified manner. Being a good political leader with purpose means being a good listener, great at your own work, able to look after, motivate and train others, tactful, decisive when it’s important and being able to judge circumstances and react proactively.So far our past and current politicians in Sierra Leone are lacking these qualities. Hence they continue to inflict their manmade poverty in the lives of our people, whilst

Gold Coast Tafe marketing and survey research Case Study

Gold Coast Tafe marketing and survey research - Case Study Example They possess the ability to make determinate relationship s between various constructs, they are easy to use, and have no researcher bias. The technique allows for precise definitions of concepts and relationships relating these concepts. This technique is also best used when those in participation have experience with the domain being studied (Fransella & Richard, 2012). For instance, they should identify representative elements and have the ability to compare them using a set of criteria. Performing a grid analysis with education experts on the value of an academic brand can be achieved through professionals and researchers who are familiar with current and recent advances in the education sector (Jankowicz, 2009). Repertory grids are best used when practical and concrete examples are available. For example, financial tools that study the current trends of education institutions in the same region as GCIT and regions that they want to expand to; this could be used to determine the value of the brand. To decipher this, there are certain procedures used in repertory grid analysis. The first is element elicitation where the researcher has to select elements that represent the topic. For instance, to analyze the value of a brand, the elements would include similar brands. For various types of knowledge elicitation interviews, cards are utilized with element names shown to participants. The second step is constructing elicitation where the researcher will perform knowledge elicitation using personal constructs from the elements (Peio, 2012). To understand the way in which the individual perceives the elements, the researcher elicits scalar constructs, for instance, using the triadic method where interviewed individuals compare various subjects and states how...This is important because the group should not have conflicts on the issue that is under discussion. In these discussions, future educational course trends and present trends are collected. To conduct focus group research, the candidates are screened to determine the composition of the specific group. The researcher will also avoid groups that have relatives and friends among them to avoid discussion bias. A key factor in focus groups is to have groups that are similar with six to eight groups being desirable. The criteria that will guide the researcher are whether the latter groups generate any additional information (Puchta & Potter, 2009). The moderator has a key role to ensure that the discussion proceeds in the right direction. In marketing, focus groups are essential tools for getting feedback with regards to launching a new product, for instance launching GCIT to a national and international market (Stewart et al, 2011). These focus groups will allow GCIT as they seek to develop and test a new market, to view, discuss, and test their brand before they make it available to these markets. This will give valuable information concerning the acceptance of the potential market for the institution’s products.

Complaint letter (Analysis of a unsatisfactory experience with a Essay

Complaint letter (Analysis of a unsatisfactory experience with a company) - Essay Example As a result of this situation created by your establishment, I was forced to seek for a cheaper accommodation in the nearby town, a situation that led in the delay of the opening of the International Orphan Conference I was supposed to attend. In fact, to state that I was subjected to a psychological and emotional torture accompanied with an outstanding public embarrassment would be an understatement. As it has been the custom, over the years I have had countless satisfying stays in your hotel located in San Francisco, a convenient place for the nature of programs that we hold within and outside the states. Prior booking has also been the most convenient business method between the hotel management and me until the recent event. As you can imagine, the experience went way below my expectations with much consideration of the huge amount of money that I spent in your facilities during the numerous visits. In addition, I have played a huge role in encouraging my friends to use your facilities for conveniences as it was the case before this disappointing incidence. In the light of this, I am not certain if I will ever feel comfortable seeking services from your establishment. As such, I humbly request for a thorough investigation to be conducted involving the accommodation arrangement to establish why I encountered such an embarrassing situation even after I had booked a room and paid for one of the most important events I was to attend. Furthermore, I would recommend that legal and ethical actions should be taken against the culprits to swiftly curb and/or reverse this worrying trend and resolve the grossly appalling issue. To be honest, your response to my concerns will highly determine on the further action I will take. If you have any further clarification or questions, you can contact me via md@kleenchildfoundation.uk .Thank you in advance for your prompt

Teen oriented dating reality shows are undermining the values of our Essay

Teen oriented dating reality shows are undermining the values of our youth - Essay Example Scholars and experts have engaged in thought-provoking debate on the impacts of the reality television programming on the society, with majority perceiving it have negative influence especially on the youth. With emphasis on teen-oriented dating reality shows, this paper seeks to differ with the assumption that these reality shows undermine the values of the youth in society (Bilandzic and Rossler 296). For the purpose of this paper, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette dating reality shows will be the primary example throughout the paper. Contrary to these assumptions, the paper reiterates that dating reality shows actually demonstrate a number of beneficial values to individuals, especially the youth. According to some portion of scholars, claiming that a television show has negative or positive influence over reality is to forgo the x factor. This has nothing to do with the show. The main contributing factor to such perception is what the viewer takes from an experience, similar to the interpretation of the Christian Bible. The presentations may largely vary, but the results will be the same: people will hear what their conscience wants to hear, and proceed to apply those experiences in their lives in ways that benefits them personally. However, this does not make the particular thing good or bad. If our judgment no everything based on their effects on people, then most of what we consider sacred and moral would be bad since religious fervor is the cause of many battles in the past. Just like people, the media can have both positive and negative impacts on the society at the same time. Indeed, the presentation may have some bias on one direction or the other, but the most import ant determinant is the individual doing the viewing (Reiss and Wiltz 364). It is thus important to look and evaluate the types of people watching a particular program before pointing fingers in any directions. In

The Psychological contract

The Psychological contract The psychological contract has been defined as the implicit relationship between an employee and their organization which outlines what each should expect to give and receive in the relationship (Gakovic Tetrick, 2003; pg 236). Rousseau (2000; pg 9) has defined psychological contract as the terms of an exchange agreement between individuals and their organizations. It can also be regarded as an individuals beliefs regarding the terms and conditions of a mutual exchange agreement between the person and the organisation (Saks, 2006; pg 613). Researchers have suggested that psychological contract can be shaped by personal/individual factors, past job experience and personality of employees. Saks (2006) suggests that early life experiences also shape an employee, influencing values about fairness, hard work and reciprocity. The study looks into the concept of psychological contract and determines the importance of this in the management context. It analyses the consequences of breaching the psychological contract and the effect it can have on the organisation. The purpose of this essay is to discuss whether managing the psychological contract is a core task. Discussion and Analysis The concept of psychological contract is led by the norm of reciprocity which implies that an individual, who provides benefits to another, obligates him or her to discharge these obligations by furnishing benefits in return (Wright et al., 2005; pg 409). It refers to employee expectations towards his job/organisation. Stemming from sociological and social exchange theories, the concept has recently extended to employee-employer relationships. In the psychological contract literature, employees exchange the treatment they receive from their employer by adjusting their perceived obligations and fulfilment to the employer (Ingham, 2006; pg 22). Similarly, employer perceptions of employee fulfilment of psychological contract have been shown to influence employer obligations and increase the likelihood of the fulfilment of these obligations (Lewis and Taylor 2001; Coyle-Shapiro 2001). Psychological contract is perceptual in nature and defined as a set of expectations held by the individual employee. There is a tendency to confuse psychological contract with other emotional attributes like job involvement and employee engagement (Rousseau, 2000; pg255). Psychological contract is different from organisation commitment or the feeling of desire, need or obligation to remain in an organisation. It also differs from job involvement. The feeling of fulfilment of expectations differentiates psychological contract from positive or negative evaluative judgments of the job, as in the job satisfaction construct, which is a result of fulfilment of psychological contract (May et al., 2004; pg 32). Over the years several researches have been carried on psychological contract and a consensus has developed within the research community that the psychological contract is an important determinant of employees behaviour and attitudes (Ashton Morton, 2005; pg 30). The concept of psychological contract provides a popular framework for advancing understanding of employees attitudes and behaviours in contemporary management research, mainly due to the much discussed changes in the employment relationship (Conway Briner, 2002). Employee engagement is closely linked to psychological contract and employees are cognitively engaged when they are aware of their mission and role in their work environment, have what they need at work and have opportunities to feel an impact and fulfilment in their work (Johnson J OLeary-Kelly, 2003). Employees are emotionally engaged when they perceive that they are part of something significant with co-workers whom they trust, form meaningful connection wit h and experience empathy and concern for, and also have chances to improve and develop. In an organizations psychological contract with a manager or the managers psychological contract with the organization, either side can have a major effect on the benefits derived from their mutual relationship. Additionally, either side can also affect the ability of an organization to attract and retain high quality managers. Management of psychological contract is important because modern organizations cannot succeed unless their employees agree to contribute to their mission and survival. In order todo so, workers and employers need to agree on the contributions that workers are expected to make to the firm, and vice versa. Understanding and effectively managing psychological contract can help firms thrive. Turnley et al., (2003) showed with his research that there has been a shift in workers psychological contract in the last few years, moving from a relational contract, based on trust to the company to a transactional relationship of limited duration, focused on economic exchange and limited worker involvement in the organization. This has largely been led by the rapid industrialisation of most economies. Macro Economic developments like technological changes, downsizing and restructuring and other social and labour market changes have forced individuals to change organizations many times throughout their career (Agee, 2000; pg 12). The changing organisational dynamics has meant that psychological contract is even more important proposition than it was some time ago. Vos et al. (2003; pg 419) suggest that a vital component of psychological contract theory is the concept of breach, defined as the cognition that ones organization has failed to meet one or more obligations within ones psychological contract in a manner commensurate with ones contributions. Researches done in the past have also shown that psychological contract and the breach of them can result in several consequences depending on the category of the employees. E.g. The most valuable employees, who possess the marketability to negotiate better deals in other companies, are those most likely to leave (Ashton Morton, 2005; pg 29). Study conducted by Chen Fang (2003; pg 2) argue that besides the general organization-employee psychological contract, there also exists a separate psychological contract between an organization and its managers. Several researches suggest that psychological contract breach is associated with increased intentions to leave the organization. Indeed, quitting ones job is one of the most frequent responses to a situation in which employees perceive that their employer has wilfully violated the deal (Rousseau 2004). Ingham (2006; pg 20) believes that the most defining character of social exchange in contrast to economic exchange is that it entails unspecific obligations. While there is a general expectation of return, the nature of the return is not stipulated in advance as in a strictly economic exchange. What makes matters difficult in order to manage psychological contracts is that there is no clear understanding of what the commitments are or how they can be fulfilled. When an employee believes that the organization has not kept its promises, then the employee perceives psychological contract breach which has a negative effect on a wide range of employee attitudes and behaviours, such as job satisfaction, organizational commitment, trust in the organization and employee motivation. All this can lead to lower productivity and result in the employee leaving the organisation. All this makes psychological contract a very important proposition to manage. Pate et al. (2003) indicate that the advent of the psychological contract is positively related to low job satisfaction and high turnover rates. Hui et al. (2004) further investigated and found that the psychological contract is positively related to employees exit and neglect and negatively related to employees loyalty. Employees are considered a source of competitive advantage and ways in which people work make a crucial difference between successful and unsuccessful firms. Psychological contract is recognised as a process for developing and retaining ability. Cassar (2001) suggests that if employee engagement affects financial outcomes and the bottom line, disengaged employees uncouple themselves from work, withdraw cognitively and emotionally, display incomplete role performance, put in less effort and become automatic and passive. This is a costly proposition for organisations and it is imperative for them to understand what employees primarily want. The psychological states of employees are key factors in determining their behaviour and responses at work. It is at least in part through the management of these psychological states that organisational effectiveness can be achieved. Management of psychological contract is an important management activity and it is important for both managers and organisation to believe in the concept of psychological contract at the beginning of the relationship. Employees with a history of psychological contract breach are more likely to view their psychological contracts in economic terms (Deery et al., 2006, pg 167). Previous research on psychological contract breach has also shown how breach perceptions reduce employees trust in the employer (Deery et al., 2006, pg 169). Contract breach perceptions undermine the social exchange basis of the relationship, eventually leading employees to watch over their investments and monitor closer the balance in the relationship (Turnley et al., 2003; pg 187). On the other hand, psychological contract fulfilment by the employer in turn presents a payback and provides value for the employee investments by bringing the exchange into a balanced state. What makes challenging for the management to manage the psychological contract is the fact that psychological contract lies in the eye of beholder. This means that even if the same deal (benefits, rewards) is offered to every employee, its psychological contract towards the organisation may vary. Also, psychological contract of employees evolves over a period of time as a result of experience and organisational policies. The recommendations for those trying to manage the psychological contract are to assess the implicit expectations from the employee at the interview stage. Also, at the same time, brief employees on the internal work environment and the organisation as much as possible. Some organisations make interviewees interact with employees so that the interviewee can informally discuss issues around working conditions, implicit rewards and expectations. The objective is to let the interviewee find out as much about the business and working conditions as possible. The roots of psychological contract formation lie in the recruitment process. During recruitment, employers should only make promises to their prospective employees, which the new employees expect them to uphold. In case an employer fails to do so, the employees may believe that their psychological contract has been violated. One of the ways of fostering psychological contract at the recruitment stage is the use of a realistic job pre view which tries to ensure that newcomers have accurate expectations about their new job and employer and thus avoid the experience of feeling short-changed thereafter. Managing of psychological contract can partly be done through training and development. Training is important in the make-up of psychological contract, not only in terms of employer expectations who consider the development of highly trained workers with firm specific skills a major factor for securing competitive advantage, but also because it acts as inducement for employees to maintain their commitment to the organisation (Lester Kickul, 2001; pg 10). The more employees perceive violation of organisational obligations with regard to providing skills and career development, the less satisfied they will be with their jobs. Conclusions The growing management interest in psychological contract can be attributed to the fact that the construct has the potential to predict employee outcomes, organisational success and financial performance (Pate et al., 2003; pg 558). Employee-employer relationships influence the economic as well as the behavioural outcomes of the organisation. Psychological contract is a multi-dimensional construct and unlike other constructs it is not only an affective but also a cognitive and physical state of involvement in ones job. It also focuses on the emerging issues in employment relationships. They are constructs that understand the concerns about employment relationships The review of literature suggests that psychological contract is extremely important for organisations to manage as it has an impact on job satisfaction, organisational commitment, intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour. What makes psychological contract more important is that as a construct, it has the potential to integrate a number of key organisational concepts. However, at the same time, its very difficult to manage something which is not clear. More so, because the psychological contact and the expectations might change in due course because of external and internal circumstances. The study concludes that it is important to manage the psychological contract and human resource practices significantly impacts employee development as well as assessment of psychological contract fulfilment. When employees are recruited, when they go through performance appraisals, when they evaluate their benefits packages or receive recognition for their efforts, they interpret the experience and the interpretation will influence how they react to it. The failure of a company to comply with its obligations (as perceived by an employee) can erode the employment relationship. References Agee J. (2000) Understanding psychological contract breach: An examination of its direct, indirect, and moderated effects. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Albany. Argyris, C (1960) Understanding Organisational Behavior, The Dorsey Press: Homewood Ill. Ashton, C, and L Morton (2005) Managing Talent for Competitive Advantage, Strategic HR Review, Vol 4, No 5, pp 28- 31. Cassar V. (2001). Violating psychological contract amongst Maltese public service employees: Occurrence and relationships. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 16, 194- 208 Chen M, Fang M. (2003). The impact of psychological contract breach on employees work behavior: An example in high-tech industry. Fu Jen Management Review (in Chinese), 11, 1-32. Conway N, Briner RB. (2002). Full-time versus part-time employees: Understanding the links between work status, the psychological contract, and attitudes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61, 279-301. Coyle-Shapiro J, Conway N. (2005). Exchange relationships: Examining psychological contracts and perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 774-781. Deery S, Iverson R,Walsh J. (2006). Toward a better understanding of psychological contract breach:Astudy of customer service employees. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 166-175. Gakovic A, Tetrick LE. (2003b). Psychological contract breach as a source of strain for employees. Journal of Business Psychology, 18, 235-246. Hui C, Lee C, Rousseau DM. (2004). Psychological contract and organizational citizenship behavior in China: Investigating generalizability and instrumentality. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 311-321. Ingham, J (2006) Closing the Talent Management Gap, Strategic HR Review, Vol 5, No 3, Mar-Apr, pp 20-23. Johnson J, OLeary-Kelly AM. (2003). The effects of psychological contract breach and organizational cynicism: Not all social exchange violations are created equal. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 24, 627-647. Lester, S, and J Kickul (2001) Psychological Contracts in the 21st Century: What Employees Value Most and How Well Organisations are Responding to These Expectations, Human Resource Planning, Vol 24, No 1, pp 10-21. May, D, A Gilson and L Harter (2004) The Psychological Conditions of Meaningfulness, Safety and Availability and the Engagement of Human Spirit at Work, Journal of Occupation and Organisational Psychology, Vol 77, pp 11-37. Pate, J, G Martin, and J McGoldrock (2003) The Impact of Psychological Contract Violations on Employee Attitudes and Behaviours, Employee Relations, Vol 25, pp 557-573. Robinson, D, S Perryman, and S Hayday (2004) The Drivers of Employee Engagement, Institute for Employment Studies, Brighton. Rousseau DM. (2000). Psychological contracts in the United States: Diversity, individualism, and associability in the marketplace. In Rousseau DM, Schalk R (Eds.), Psychological contracts in employment: Cross-national perspectives (pp. 250-282). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Saks, A (2006) Antecedents and Consequences of Employee Engagement, Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol 21, No 7, pp 600-618. Turnley, W H , M C Bolino, S W Lester, and J M Bloodgood (2003) The Impact of Psychological Contract Fulfilment on the Performance of In-Role and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour, Journal of Management, Vol 29, pp 187-206. Vos, A, D Buyens, and R Schalk (2003) Psychological Contract Development during Organisational Socialisation: Adaptation to Reality and the Role of Reciprocity, Journal of Organisational Behaviour, Vol 24, No 5, pp 537-559. Wright, P M, T M Gardner, L M Moynihan, and M R Allen (2005) The Relationship between HR Practices and Firm Performance: Examining Causal Order, Personnel Psychology, Vol 58, No 2, pp 409-38.

Budget Cuts Create Problems :: Financial Essays

Budget Cuts Create Problems After speaking with Kivanc Kahya, a fourth year international student from Turkey, I have found that international students don't always have problems created by being from a different country. Kivanc did not seem to find problems with being an international student alone, but just as a student in general. When asked if it was difficult being an international student, Kivanc responded that it depends on the individual. He, himself, is outgoing, intelligent, and can speak English very well, so he has not experienced very many problems. As an active member of student government and a resident advisor for the Towers, Kivanc seems to be very well aware of what takes place on the Iowa State campus. Overall he is happy with everything that concerns him. However, he has some ideas in improving education. The Board of Regents cut a grand total of $35 million from Iowa State's budget this year. Because of this budget cut, 160 faculty and staff have been eliminated; courses have been cut out of every college, and class sizes have grown. This means every aspect of education has been cut back, and that is one area, especially in a school, that should get sufficient funding and attention. Education is a very broad area, but to narrow it down is hard because it groups teachers, class size, and quality of learning all in one subject. Specifically, a student's education should not suffer from the current budget cuts at Iowa State. Therefore, I propose that funds get reallocated back into the education budget, in order to improve the quality of learning here at Iowa State. Do people know what happens when a significant amount of teachers are laid off? They may think they are saving money, which they are, but they also are hurting the students who are here paying for their education. A drop in the number of teachers at a school causes a whole string of problems. Since there are not as many teachers there can't possibly be as many classes. However, students still need to take their required amount of credits, so they pack the classrooms full, over a reasonable limit. Classes in the College of Business are 4% larger this year. This college already had the largest classes on campus, averaging 68 students per undergraduate course. Instead of firing teachers, they need to be hiring teachers in order to accommodate the growing numbers each year. Budget Cuts Create Problems :: Financial Essays Budget Cuts Create Problems After speaking with Kivanc Kahya, a fourth year international student from Turkey, I have found that international students don't always have problems created by being from a different country. Kivanc did not seem to find problems with being an international student alone, but just as a student in general. When asked if it was difficult being an international student, Kivanc responded that it depends on the individual. He, himself, is outgoing, intelligent, and can speak English very well, so he has not experienced very many problems. As an active member of student government and a resident advisor for the Towers, Kivanc seems to be very well aware of what takes place on the Iowa State campus. Overall he is happy with everything that concerns him. However, he has some ideas in improving education. The Board of Regents cut a grand total of $35 million from Iowa State's budget this year. Because of this budget cut, 160 faculty and staff have been eliminated; courses have been cut out of every college, and class sizes have grown. This means every aspect of education has been cut back, and that is one area, especially in a school, that should get sufficient funding and attention. Education is a very broad area, but to narrow it down is hard because it groups teachers, class size, and quality of learning all in one subject. Specifically, a student's education should not suffer from the current budget cuts at Iowa State. Therefore, I propose that funds get reallocated back into the education budget, in order to improve the quality of learning here at Iowa State. Do people know what happens when a significant amount of teachers are laid off? They may think they are saving money, which they are, but they also are hurting the students who are here paying for their education. A drop in the number of teachers at a school causes a whole string of problems. Since there are not as many teachers there can't possibly be as many classes. However, students still need to take their required amount of credits, so they pack the classrooms full, over a reasonable limit. Classes in the College of Business are 4% larger this year. This college already had the largest classes on campus, averaging 68 students per undergraduate course. Instead of firing teachers, they need to be hiring teachers in order to accommodate the growing numbers each year.