Understanding Performance Management Essay Example for Free

Understanding Performance Management Essay The mandate to operate at an optimal performance level and meet financial and organizational expectations are transforming the way organizations do business. This evolution is driving higher standards of competence in day-to-day operations and adding new pressure to increase stakeholder value. In today’s rapid-paced business climate, the agility with which a company manages performance can determine market position and company profitability. Defining Performance Management Performance management is the integrated process of defining, assessing, and reinforcing employee work behaviors and outcomes (Cummings and Worley 2005). Performance management focuses on understanding, optimizing, and aligning action and decisions and ensuring the collaboration and empowerment of all individuals across the business network. It includes practices and methods for goal setting, performance appraisal, coaching, employee development and reward systems. More than ever, organizations need broader measures of employee performance to ensure that (1) deficiencies are address in a timely manner through employee development programs that meet the needs of the organisation and its market, (2) employee behaviours are being directed toward performance of specific objectives that are consistent with the work unit and the organization strategy, and (3) employees are provided with proper and timely feed back to assist with their career development. These practices jointly influence the performance of individuals and work group, and enables them to work across strategic, tactical, and operational levels to align actions to ensure optimal performance. In order for effective performance management to take place, the process must utilize information from three time periods to do so. It makes use of data from the past in order to gather information form past performance. This information is then utilized in the present for the establishment of work plans, goals and the setting of development opportunities. These objectives therefore allow for high levels of performance in the future. The Purpose of the Performance Management System The main purpose of performance management is to make sure that employee goals, employee behaviours used to achieve these goals and feedback information about employee performance are all linked to the corporate strategy. However there is no one way to manage performance. What ever system is adopted needs to be congruent with the culture and principles that pervade the organization. Most systems of performance management has three purposes- Strategic, Administrative, and Developmental. The strategic purpose- Defining Performance One of the ways in which strategies are implemented is by management defining the desired results, behaviours and employee characteristics necessary for carrying out strategy. They can then develop measurement and feedback mechanisms which will show hoe effectively results are being achieved and what to do to produce results. The organization can achieve this strategic purpose if it is flexible and amendable to changes in the goals and strategies which can occur, and also to recognise that if such changes occur, then there needs to be change in results, behaviours and characteristics of the employees, which must of necessity change to correspond with such organizational changes. The Administrative Purpose-Measuring Performance Performance appraisal information is one of the main instruments used by organizations for making administrative decisions, for example, salary administration, in terms of pay raises; promotions, retention or termination, recognition of individual performance and identification of poor performance. The Developmental Purpose- Feedback and coaching This aspect of performance management seeks to develop further, employees who are good at their jobs. In instances where employees are not performing up to standard, performance management also seeks to improve their performance through coaching. The feedback from the performance evaluation process indicates or identifies the areas of strengths and weakness in the employee performance. It is therefore critical to businesses that they recognise and fulfill the purpose of an effective performance management system as this is central to gaining a competitive advantage through the management of human resources. They also need to develop the measures by which performance can be evaluated. The discussion now turns to the development of the performance management system. It describes the major strategic decisions that must be put in place if the task force is to effectively design a performance management system. In order for a successful performance management to be established, the process must utilize five strategic decisions. 1. How the system will be used be used? 2. Who does the evaluation? 3. What areas are to be evaluated? 4. How should the evaluation be done? 5. What are the ways in which the evaluation can be done? How will the system be used Planned employee development should be one of the basic concepts of any organization’s performance management system. This is an attempt to state a broad policy which removes any option about people development by stipulating that developing people is a pillar of whatever system of management the organization espouses. This people development should be planned, not given mere lip service or expected to happen by itself. Adoption of this policy would guard against the simplistic way in which some supervisors consider themselves to be results oriented as opposed to people oriented, thus absolving themselves from people development. The major thrust of employee development will be to emphasize that the development of people as the best means available to achieve results for the organization. Three new thoughts are intended in this policy rec ¬ommendation. First, because development is different for everyone, there should be individual development plans. While there may always be areas of growth or development common to many at the same time, these ought not to be the sum total of the people develop ¬ing process taking place. It is often an easy excuse for supervisors point to plant–wide or company–wide â€Å"people† programs as a way of absolving themselves of their people developing responsibility. The second operable word in this policy state ¬ment is review. The supervisor is required to follow up on the people development plans. They are not to be spoken of enthusiastically for a brief period and then forgotten. If documented on company forms, they ought not to be forwarded to some staff office as though float ¬ing off into never–never land. They require monitoring so that progress can be checked periodically. Third, individual plans should be reviewed at least annually. This is an attempt to offer some time frame for periodic review, so as not to make the task too time–consuming. Furthermore, a lot can happen in twelve months, so that this time span is not too soon for considering new situations that might warrant chang ¬ing or updating the plan. Many practicing managers indicate a twelve month time frame as a practical one, especially when the development plan is discussed in the context of the annual performance evaluation. Each of my subordinates should work out a specific plan of personal development. Two thoughts are contained in this policy statement. First, each subordinate is to have a development plan. Again, we speak of the universality of develop ¬ment. This isn’t only for the weak, or only for those identified as shinning stars, or only for any select lucky or unlucky few. Everyone has developmental needs in order to help achieve the mission of the organization. Second, there is the question of who works out this plan for development. Some may immediately think of some subordinates who do not appear capable of working out their own personal development, hence this may prompt a negative vote (or â€Å"false† mark) on this state ¬ment. Clearly there will be some individuals less qualified than others to work out such a plan. But the intent is not to expect people to do it alone – quite the contrary. The real point of this statement is to fix on the subordinate a sharing of the development responsibility for which the supervisor is accountable. It becomes then a shared responsibility between the supervisor and the subordinate. I should require individual development plans from each of my subordinates Again many mangers can point to individuals who might state, or have stated, they are not interested in development. We’ve all encountered people like that. They readily assert that they have no interest in getting promoted; they know their job, they do it well, they simply want to work 9 to 5 and leave the jockeying for positions to someone else. This is precisely why the uni ¬versality of the need for development needs reinforcing. It ought not to be an option. The organization cannot afford to let people maintain that attitude. It is not what we want to people to think of promotion or becoming managers or anything they truly do not want to become, but in order to continue to perform well in the present areas of responsibility, people must keep pace with develop ¬ments in their field. Because no job stays the same, no jobholder can stay the same. â€Å"Future shock† is a concept with which we are all familiar. So much happens in the work developments around us that no job remains the same very long. Hence, if a worker is doing the job the same way he or she did a year ago, that person is less effective, if not completely wrong. Periodic on–the–job coaching is a major part of an individual’s development. The hope here is that the supervisor will feel at home with the statement and its implications. Periodic instruction or assistance on the job is an everyday occurrence. No one will deny the need for giving instruction or assistance on the job to those who need it, and some need it more that others. If we can begin to see this part of the warp and weft of individual development, then the universal change envisioned in these statements will not be so threatening to some. Who evaluates Performance appraisal of the employee should be done by immediate supervisor. The supervisor is the one who is usually in the best position to observe and evaluate his or her subordinates’ performance and he or she is responsible for that person’s performance. References I/O psych text Another approach that can be used is peer appraisals. According to kane and Lawler(1978), three techniques are usually used : (1) Peer nomination- each person nomoinates a specified number of group members as being highest in particular dimension of performance. (2) Peer rating- each group member rates the others on a set of performance dimensions using several kinds of rating scales. 3) Peer ranking- each member ranks all others from the best to worst on one or more performance dimensions. The Appraisal of an employee by his or her peers can be effective in predicting future management success. One problem however is log rolling; that is all the peers simply get together to rate each other highly. Also many group members donot like to evaluate one another, so part of the method hinges on impressing participants with its values. There is also the rating committee which is usually composed of the employees’ immediate supervisors and three or four other supervisors. This type of rating is useful and advantageous because while there may be discrepancies in the rating s made by individual supervisors, the composite ratings tend to be more reliable, fair and valid. Another advantage is that several raters can cancel out problems like bias and the halo effect on the part of the individual rater. Employee evaluation can also be done by employees assessing their own behaviour. This is known as the self assessment technique. The basic problem with this is that employees usually rate themselves higher than they are rated by their supervisors or their peers. Meyer(1980) reorted a study in which engineers rated their own performance against their views of the performance of other engineers in the company. On average, each engineer thought he or she was performing better than 75% of the rest of the engineers in the study. Statically, it is quite a trick to have a 100% of the workforce be in the top 25%b of job performers. This underscores the biggest problem with self- assessment: positive leniency. Most people have higher opinions of their own performance than others do. There is also the other form of appraisal which is appraisal by subordinates, otherwise known as upward feedback. In this situation, subordinates are anonymously asked to evaluate their supervisor’s performance. When this type of appraisal is conducted throughout the firm it really helps the top managers to diagnose management styles, identify potential people problems and take corrective action with individual managers as required. Appraisal may also be conducted through performance feedback from all the persons with whom the employee has to interact; this interaction is referred to as 360-degrwee feedback. The appraisal can take place between coworkers, subordinates, and internal and external customers. The Performance Appraisal Interview and the Coaching Process The appraisal interview is one in which the supervisor and subordinate review the appraisal and make plans to remedy deficiencies and reinforce strengths. For many supervisors the formal performance appraisal interview is one of the most dreaded activities of the role. Of course, supervisors often have no problem evaluating the outstanding performer. The problem is with everyone else. They are put in the position of providing information to a subordinate that often runs contrary to the subordinates own self-evaluation or self-image. This can lead to a number of outcomes that many managers would prefer avoiding. In conducting appraisal interviews effectively there are four major things that supervisors must do in preparation for interview: 1. Spend a lot of time preparing; go over the subordinates performance, your own interactions, the history of the employee; if the employee reports to a number of supervisors, make sure you have input from all relevant sources 2. They must assemble data, study the person’s job description, compare the employee’s performance standards that would be evaluated against, and review the files of the employee’s previous appraisals. 3. Supervisors should also prepare employees, that is , give them at least a week notice to review their work, read over job description, analyze problems and gather their questions and comments so that the interview can be a two-way conversation. 4. A mutually agreeable time should be choosen ofr the interview. Enough time time should also be scheduled for the intertview. Having prepared for the interview there are four important things that supervisors need to cognizant of: ? Supervisors should attempt to be direct and specific all times. They should speak in terms of objective work data such as absences, tardiness, qulit records, inspection reports, productivity records and cost reduction. This is done so that employee is aware of all the areas that he or she is being appraised on. ?The supervisor should also encourage the appraisee to talk. Stop and listen to what the person is saying. The supervisor should ask opened questions such as â€Å" what do you think we can do to improve the situation ? ? Do not get personal. Supervisors should try to compare employees’ performance to given standards and not to othe performance of other people. This can help to avoid confrontation or misunderstanding between the appraiser and appraisee. This also ensures that the person know what they are doing wrong and what they are doing right. The supervisor s hould ensure the persons understands , and get agreement before he or she leaves on how things will be improved and by a give n date . An action plan shoud also be developed showing steps and expected results. Coaching: Some General Guidelines be as specific as possible take advantage of critical incidents-for example after a major project, sit down and reflect with your subordinate about lessons learned identify specific developmental agendas identify resources available to subordinates adapt your coaching style to the individual Link to compensation Many people may argue that a performance appraisal is little more than a tool for managers to use in wringing as much work as possible from individuals without adequately rewarding them. This perception is difficult to deny if you have ever been the victim of such exploitation. Indeed, it must be recognized that a dishonest and secretive performance appraisal system will only exacerbate poor employee relations. However, if employees believe that the system can assist them in furthering their own careers and economic prospects, performance appraisals can actually boost employee morale. Performance appraisals are particularly useful in facilitating equitable decisions about salary if the agency uses a merit pay system as the basis for salary progression. A merit pay system requires a method for translating judgments about work quality into appropriate salary actions. Pay increases of varying sizes must be rationally explained if a merit pay system is not to seem arbitrary. If an organization has an automatic pay system, with scheduled salary increases, performance appraisals will help identify (and justify the termination of) unsatisfactory employees who demoralize others, since they receive the same salary increases as good workers. Recent research (Bannister Balkin, 1990) has reported that appraisees seem to have greater acceptance of the appraisal process, and feel more satisfied with it, when the process is directly linked to rewards. Such findings are a serious challenge to those who feel that appraisal results and reward outcomes must be strictly isolated from each other. Methods for performance appraisal

The journey of Captain Thomas Sutherland to Australia in 1881 Essay

Greetings to you all. My name is Thomas Sutherland and, along with my wife Adelaide, was the first officer sent to Australia to commence the work of the Salvation Army by the General, William Booth. For me to give you all a true picture of my journey to Australia I need to go back to my youth. You see, I wasn?t always a true follower of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yes I went to Sunday school when I was a lad, but during my teen years I lost my way causing great concern to my parents. I began to behave in a wicked way and would become one of the best blasphemers going around. I became the leader of a gang of roughs having shown good leadership skills amongst the group. It wasn?t long before I moved from these wild ways to that of drinking at the public houses, became idle and loathsome. This is where I picked up the name of ?Drunken Tom?. I picked up work as a farrier and had several close shaves with horses that didn?t like me. I then decided to move from my home town of Brancaster, in the Norfolk County, to London. I had learned music during my younger days and I was able to put these skills to use as a strolling vagabond (or a busker as you would now call them). While in London I would often think about what my parents would think of me in my dishevelled state. This would lead me to become lonesome and I would delve deeper into my wicked ways as well as my drunkenness. I very rarely communicated with my parents as I was ashamed of what I had become and didn?t know how to stop it. One day while in the streets of Hackney, feeling lost and sorry for myself, I heard the pleasant sounds of singing. I had not heard such a cheerful and loving sounds since I stoped going to Sunday school. I followed the sound of the voices... ... at night, and God came very near as Mrs. Sutherland and myself spoke of His love. The devil raged and tried to upset us, but it proved an entire failure, so we got the victory through the blood. We are teaching a present salvation, and the captain, mate and sailors listen to us. Several of the passengers are very much interested in The Salvation Army. But above all, God is with us. We have some roughs on board, and they commence to play their games when we hold our meetings. But God says ?Go on!? and on we go. The journey would become a lot smoother as we headed into the southern summer and after 43 days of sea travel, on the 17th of February, we would finally reach our destination of Adelaide in South Australia. The temperature was well over 100 degrees when we arrived, but that wasn?t going to stop us from commencing the Lords work in this vast land.

7 Wonders of the World

7 WONDERS OF THE WORLD AIM: Is to apprise the house about 7 Wonders of The World. SEQUENCE: * History * Seven Wonders of the Ancient World * New Seven Wonders of the World * Ongoing Seven wonders of the Nature * Recapitulation * Conclusion HISTORY: The origin of the idea of Seven Wonders of the World dates back to Herodotus (484 BC – 425 BC) and Callimachus (305 BC – 240 BC), who made lists which included 7 famous place of ancient world, and from there the Idea of 7 wonders started. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza is still standing of those ancient wonders.The other six were destroyed by earthquake, fire, or other causes. New Seven Wonders of the World is a project that attempts to revive the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World concept with a list of modern wonders. A popularity poll was being led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber and organized by the Swiss-based, controlled by New7Wonders Foundation, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon, Portugal. Seven Wonders of the Ancient World Great Pyramid of Giza: * The Great Pyramid of Giza Built 2560 BC. * The  Great Pyramid of Giza  is the oldest and largest of the three  pyramids  in the  Giza.This is the only one of the  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World  that survives in the world. *   It is believed the pyramid was built as a tomb for  Fourth dynasty  Egyptian  Pharaoh Khufu and constructed over a 20 year period concluding around 2540 BC. * The Great Pyramid was the  tallest man-made structure  in the world for over 3,800 years. * Originally the Great Pyramid was covered by casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface. * The Great Pyramid of Giza is the main part of a complex setting of buildings that included two  mortuary temples  in honor of Khufu (one close to the pyramid and one near the Nile).Hanging Gardens of Babylon * The  Hanging Gardens of  Babylon are considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. They were built by the Chal dean  king  Nebuchadnezzar II  around 600 BC. * He is reported to have constructed the gardens to please his sick wife, who longed for the trees and fragrant plants of her homeland  Persia. * The lush Hanging Gardens are extensively documented by  Greek  historians  such as  Strabo  and  Diodorus Siculus. Through the ages, the location may have been confused with gardens that existed at  Nimrud. The gardens were destroyed by several earthquakes after the 2nd century BC. Statue of Zeus at Olympia * The  Statue of Zeus at Olympia  was made by the Greek sculptor  Phidias, circa 432 BC on the site where it was erected in the  Temple of Zeus, Olympia, Greece. *It was considered to be one of the  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. * For six hundred years after the death of the sculptor, people from all over the civilized world travelled to view it as it was thought to be a misfortune to die without seeing this work. The seated statue, some 12 meters (39 fe et) tall, occupied the whole width of the aisle of the temple built to house it. â€Å"It seems that if  Zeus  were to stand up,† the geographer  Strabo  noted early in the first century BC, â€Å"he would unroofed the temple. â€Å" Temple of Artemis * The  Temple of Artemis  also known less precisely as  Temple of  Diana, was a  temple dedicated to  Artemis  completed in its most famous phase around 550 BC at  Ephesus  (in present-day  Turkey). * Here were previous temples on its site, where evidence of a sanctuary dates as early as the  Bronze Age. The whole temple was made of marble except for the roof. The Temple of Artemis was located near the ancient city of Ephesus, about 50  km south from a modern port city of  Turkey.Today the site lies on the edge of the modern town of  Selcuk. * The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was destroyed on July 21, 356 BC in an act of arson committed by  Hero stratus. According to the story, his motivat ion was fame at any cost, thus the term  herostratic fame. * A man was found to plan the burning of the temple of Ephesian Diana so that through the destruction of this most beautiful building his name might be spread through the whole world. The temple was restored after Alexander's death, in 323 BC. * This reconstruction was itself destroyed during a war  in 262. * The Ephesians rebuilt the temple again. * In 401, the temple in its last version was finally destroyed by a mob led by St. John Chrysostom,  and the stones were used in construction of other buildingsMausoleum of Halicarnassus * The  Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was a  tomb  built between 353 and 350 BC in Turkey for  Mausolus, a  satrap  in the  Persian Empire, and  Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister. It stood approximately 45 meters (135 ft) in height, and each of the four sides was adorned with  sculptural  reliefs  created by each one of four Greek sculptors  . * The beauty of the Mausoleum was not only in the structure itself, but in the decorations and statues that adorned the outside at different levels on the podium and the roof: statues of people, lions, horses, and other animals in varying scales. The four Greek sculptors who carved the statues were each responsible for one side. * The Mausoleum overlooked the city of Halicarnassus for many years.It was untouched when the city fell to Alexander III of Macedon in 334 BC and still undamaged after attacks by  pirates  in 62 and 58 BC. It stood above the city's ruins for sixteen centuries. Then a series of earthquakes shattered the columns and sent the bronze chariot crashing to the ground. By 1404 AD only the very base of the Mausoleum was still recognizable. Lighthouse of Alexandria * The  Lighthouse of Alexandria  was a tower built in the 3rd century BC (between 285 and 247 BC) on the  island  of Pharos in  Alexandria. With a height variously estimated at between 115 and 135  m (380 and 440  ft) it was identified as one of the  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. * The lighthouse was completed in the 3rd century BC. * Alexander died unexpectedly at age 32, Ptolemy Soter (Saviour, named so by the inhabitants of Rhodes) made himself king in 305 BC and ordered the construction of the Pharos shortly thereafter. The building was finished during the reign of his son. * The two  earthquakes  in 1303 and 1323 damaged the lighthouse to the extent that the Arab traveler  Ibn Battuta  reported no longer being able to enter the ruin.Even the stubby remnant disappeared in 1480. Colossus of Rhodes * The  Colossus of Rhodes  was a  statue  of the Greek god  Helios, erected in the city of  Rhodes  on the  Greek  island of  Rhodes  by  Chares of Lindros  between 292 and 280 BC. It is considered one of the  Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Before its destruction, the Colossus of Rhodes stood over 30 meters (107  ft) high, making it one of the tallest statues of the ancient world. * The structure as being built with  iron  tie bars to which brass plates were fixed to form the skin.The interior of the structure, which stood on a 15-meter- (50-foot-) high white  marble  pedestal  near the harbor entrance, The statue itself was over 30 meters (107 ft) tall. Much of the iron . * The statue stood for only 56 years until Rhodes was hit by the  226 BC Rhodes earthquake, when significant damage was also done to large portions of the city, including the harbor and commercial buildings, which were destroyed. * The remains lay on the ground as described by  Strabo(  Greek  historian) for over 800 years, and even broken, they were so impressive that many traveled to see them. In 654, an Arab force captured Rhodes, the remains were sold to a Jewish merchant, The buyer had the statue broken down, and transported the bronze scrap on the backs of 900 camels to his home.There is compelling evidence, however, that al l traces of the Colossus had actually disappeared long before the Arab invasion. New Seven Wonders of the World Taj Mahal * The  Taj Mahal   is a  monument  located in  Agra, India, built by Mughal  Emperor  Shah Jahan  in memory of his wife,  Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is considered the finest example of  Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian,  Indian, and  Islamic  architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a  UNESCO  World Heritage Site. * In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the  Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their fourteenth child. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632, one year after her death. The principal construction was completed in 1648. * BY the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen badly into isrepair. During the time of the  Indian rebellion of 1857, It also damaged during British per iod, At the end of the 19th century,  Lord Curzon  ordered a massive restoration project, which was completed in 1908. Great Wall of China * The  Great Wall of China  is a series of stone and earthen  fortifications  in northern  China, built, rebuilt, and maintained between the 5th century BC and the 16th century to protect the northern borders of the  Chinese Empire  from  attacks during various  successive dynasties. Since the 5th century BC, several walls have been built that were referred to as the Great Wall.One of the most famous is the wall built between 220–206 BC by the first  Emperor of China. * Great Wall, with all of its branches, stretches for 8,851. 8  km (5,500. 3  mi). This is made up of 6,259. 6  km (3,889. 5  mi) of sections of actual wall, 359. 7  km (223. 5  mi) of trenches and 2,232. 5  km (1,387. 2  mi) of natural defensive barriers such as hills and rivers. * At present some portions north of Beijing and near tou rist centers have been preserved and even extensively renovated, in many locations the Wall is in disrepair.Many Parts have been destroyed because the Wall is in the way of construction. More than 60  kilometers (37  mi) of the wall in  Gansu  province may disappear in the next 20 years, due to erosion from  sandstorms. In places, the height of the wall has been reduced from more than five meters (16. 4  ft) to less than two meters. The square lookout towers that characterize the most famous images of the wall have disappeared completely. Many western sections of the wall are  constructed from mud, rather than brick and stone, and thus become more harmful for the building.Roman Coliseum * Roman Coliseum in the center of the city of  Rome,  Italy, the largest ever built in the  Roman Empire. It is one of the greatest works of  Roman architecture. its construction started between 70 and 72 AD under the emperor  Vespasian  and was completed in 80 AD. * Constru ction of the Colosseum began under the rule of the Emperor  Vespasian  in around 70–72AD. The site chosen was a flat area on the floor of a low valley between the Hills, By the 2nd century BC. * In 217, the Colosseum was badly damaged y a major fire (caused by lightning) which destroyed the wooden upper levels of the amphitheatre's interior. It was not fully repaired until about 240, again possibly to repair damage caused by a major earthquake in 443; and again constructed in 484 and 508. * Severe damage was inflicted on the Colosseum by the great earthquake in 1349, also country caused sevear damage by the earthquake. * Much of the tumbled stone was reused to build palaces, churches, hospitals and other buildings elsewhere in Rome. * But again at 19th centaury Roman rebuilt it. The Colosseum is today one of Rome's most popular tourist attractions, receiving millions of visitors annually. * On July 7, 2007, the Colosseum was voted as one of New Open World Corporation's  New Seven Wonders of the World. Petra * Petra  meaning  rock Its in  Jordan, lying on the slope of  Mount  in a  basin  among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah , the large valley running from the  Dead Sea  to the  Gulf of Aqaba. * Petra is also one of the  New Seven Wonders of the World. The constructed it as their capital city around 100 BC. The site suffers from a host of threats, including collapse of ancient structures, erosion due to flooding and improper rainwater drainage, weathering from salt upwelling, improper restoration of ancient structures, and unsustainable tourism. The latter has increased substantially ever since the site was named one of the  New Seven Wonders of the World  in 2007 Machu Picchu * Machu Picchu  located 2,430  meters (8,000  ft) above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the  Urubamba Valley  in  Peru, Often referred to as â€Å"The Lost City of the Incas†, Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols of the  Inca Empire. The Incas started building it around AD 1430. * Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historical Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO  World Heritage Site  in 1983. * Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with polished  dry-stone walls. Its primary buildings are the  Intihuatana, the  Temple of the Sun, and the  Room of the Three Windows. These are located in what is known by archaeologists as the  Sacred District  of Machu Picchu. * Machu Picchu was constructed around 1462, at the height of the Inca Empire.It is likely that most of its inhabitants were wiped out by smallpox  before the  Spanish  conquistadores  arrived in the area, and there is no record of the Spanish having known of the remote city. * An area of 325. 92 square kilometers surrounding Machu Picchu was declared a â€Å"Historical Sanctuary† of Peru in 1971. In addition to the ruins, this sanctuary area includes a large p ortion of adjoining region, rich with  flora  and  fauna. * Machu Picchu was designated as a  World Heritage Site  in 1983 when it was described as â€Å"an absolute masterpiece of architecture and a unique testimony to the Inca civilization† Christ the Redeemer Christ the Redeemer  is a  statue  of  Jesus Christ  in  Rio de Janeiro,  Brazil; considered the largest  art deco (Art Deco  was a popular international art design movement from 1925 until the 1940s)  statue in the world. The statue stands 39. 6  meters (130  ft) tall, including its 9. 5 meter (31 ft) pedestal, and 30  meters (98  ft) wide. It weighs 635 tons (700  short tons), and is located at the peak of the 700  meters (2,300  ft)  Corcovado  mountain. It is one of the tallest of its kind in the world. the statue has become an icon of Rio and Brazil. The idea for erecting a large statue atop Corcovado was first suggested in the mid 1850s, which financing from  Pri ncess Isabel  to build a large religious  monument. The second proposal for a large  landmark  statue on the mountain was made in 1921 by the Catholic Circle of Rio. The group organized an event called  Semana do Monumento  (â€Å"Monument Week†) to attract donations and collect signatures to support the building of the statue. The donations came mostly from  Brazilian Catholics. Chichen Itza *   Chichen Itza  is a large  pre-Columbian  archaeological site  built by the  Maya civilization  located in the northern center of the Mexico.Chichen Itza was a major regional focal point in the northern Maya lowlands from the  Late Classic  through the  Terminal Classic  and into the early portion of the  Early Postclassic  period. The site exhibits a multitude of architectural styles, from what is called â€Å"Mexicanized† * Chichen Itza is maintained by Mexico’s  Ã‚  (National Institute of Anthropology and History, INAH). The l and under the monuments, however, is privately-owned by the Barbican family. * Some  ethnohistoric  sources claim that in about 987 a  Toltec  king   arrived here with his army from central Mexico made Chichen Itza his capital.The art and architecture from this period shows an interesting mix of Maya and Toltec styles. * Chichen Itza was a major economic power in the northern Maya lowlands. * It’s a largest tourist place in Mexico but Over the past several years, INAH, which manages the site, has been closing monuments to public access. While visitors can walk around them, they can no longer climb them or go inside their chambers. The most recent was El Castillo, which was closed after a San Diego, Calif. , woman fell to her death in 2006.

Colorado College Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores

Colorado College is a private liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 15%. Located in Colorado Springs and founded in 1874, Colorado College has a rich history of education. The school nearly always finds itself on the lists of top colleges in the United States, and the school has a chapter of  Phi Beta Kappa. Academics at Colorado College are unusual because of the schools block plan. Students take a single class in each three-and-a-half week long semester. This allows faculty and students to devote all their attention and energy to a single subject at a time. Popular sports at Colorado College include basketball, lacrosse, track and field, swimming and diving, ice hockey, and volleyball. Considering applying to this highly selective school? Here are the Colorado College admissions statistics you should know. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, Colorado College had an acceptance rate of 15%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 15 students were admitted, making Colorado Colleges admissions process highly competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 8,552 Percent Admitted 15% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 42% SAT Scores and Requirements Colorado College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Colorado College may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required.  During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 43% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 650 720 Math 650 750 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of  Colorado Colleges admitted students fall within the  top 20% nationally  on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Colorado College scored between 650 and 720, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 720. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 650 and 750, while 25% scored below 650 and 25% scored above 750. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1470 or higher is competitive for Colorado College. Requirements Colorado College does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Colorado College participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Colorado College does not require the essay section of the SAT. ACT Scores and Requirements Colorado College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Colorado College may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required.  During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 52% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 30 35 Math 27 31 Composite 29 33 This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2017-18 admissions cycle, most of Colorado Colleges admitted students fall within the  top 9% nationally  on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Colorado Colleges received a composite ACT score between 29 and 33, while 25% scored above 33 and 25% scored below 29. Requirements Note that Colorado College does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, Colorado College does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Colorado College does not require the ACT writing section. GPA Colorado College does not provide data about admitted students high school GPAs. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph Colorado College Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Colorado College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances Colorado College, which accepts 15% of applicants,  has highly selective admissions. However, Colorado College has a  holistic admissions  process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong  application essay, supplemental essays,  and glowing  letters of recommendation  can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful  extracurricular activities  and a  rigorous course schedule. While not required, Colorado College offers optional interviews for interested applicants. In the scattergram above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. You can see that the majority of successful applicants had A averages, SAT scores of about 1300 or higher, and ACT composite scores of 27 or higher. The higher your grades, the better your chances of acceptance to Colorado College. If You Like Colorado College, You May Also Like These Schools Occidental CollegeBrown UniversityAmherst CollegeWesleyan UniversityStanford University All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Colorado College Undergraduate Admissions Office.