Analyzing Changes in Education - 1258 Words

Deborah Hastings SEC 501 February 24, 2016 Mr. M Analyzing Changes in Education We’ve come a long way, baby! Over the past 100 years of public education in the great state of Alabama, changes in education have been literally fought for by blood, sweat and tears. However, with the desegregation issues from 1964 closed for the past 50 years, state legislatures still find plenty of arguments concerning public education reforms. Most of these arguments, though, are essentially concerns about federal control over state. Thanks to several federal acts, such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 the students of Alabama schools are all getting a better education. Just by these two acts,†¦show more content†¦1). Unfortunately, because of prejudice beliefs, several private schools in Alabama were formed after integration took place. Today, the teachers’ ethical dispositions, for the most part, are as they should be in showing no discrimination toward any students they are teaching. Common Core Standards While the ESEA made no requirements for core academic subjects, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), reauthorized the 1965 act. No significant academic criterion requirements were required federally under the NCLB. The act required each state to set their own standards for achievement in the standardized testing. NCLB did, however, emphasize core academics standards to include reading, language arts, math and science for assessment of all students to receive federal funds. In 2012, President Obama allotted NCLB waivers to states that agreed â€Å"to raise standards, improve accountability, and undertake essential reforms to improve teacher effectiveness,(NCLB, Wikipedia, ref. 107). Alabama’s waiver initiated the states adoption of the international Core Curriculum along with their own Alabama College and Career Ready Standards which includes English Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies (ACCR, par.1). According to Alabama Board o f Education superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice, â€Å"Incorporating the Common Core Standards into our already highly regarded content standards brings a new level of rigor and perceptualShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Time To Change902 Words   |  4 PagesTime to Change has been successful in creating a movement and campaign against mental health stigma in England. Their national surveys show an overall attitude trend between 2008 and 2016 was positive with a 9.6% change, which is an estimated 4.1 million people with improved attitudes towards mental. They have also seen a positive trend in peoples willingness to live with, work with and continue a relationship with someone with mental health problems improved by 11% (Time to Change). These statisticsRead MoreSociology : An American Sociologist C. Wright Mills1204 Words   |  5 Pagesme make. He believed that our life and the history of society are related to each other and cannot be understood without any of them. The society sh apes our actions which means that factors such as age, gender, race, ethnicity, class and level of education shape our priority choices, our view point, and our opportunities. According to Mill, one of the ways to develop our sociological imagination is to know private troubles and public issues. Private problems are problems that we alone face them andRead MoreTraditional Research Methods Of Quantitative And Qualitative Research865 Words   |  4 Pagesmay be considered for use in the classroom. Action research can be implemented using mixed methods and conducted my an individual or in collaboration with other professionals. Inclusive Physical Education embraces the needs of students with physical impairments and includes them in the physical education curriculum (Goodwin, 2000). The research on students with physical disabilities has been limited here in the United States until recent legislation has required Governmental institutions to provideRead MoreThrough Women s Eyes By Ellen Carol Dubois And Lynn Dumenil898 Words   |  4 Pagescontextualizing and analyzing my oral history in which I would like to make some recommendations. My oral history included aspects of education such as Civil Rights Acts and equality in education. The first chapter, Chapter 6 â€Å"Reconstructing Women’s Lives North and South, 1865-1900† contained documents, and visual sources. I found the visual source on higher education very useful and informative. However, the chapter never explicitly discussed education or set the stage for education advancements duringRead MoreReflection Essay On Society In Print837 Words   |  4 Pageshave turned to fellow art educators and artists who have experience in implementing such lessons and evidence of how students benefit from creating and analyzing art based on social issues. This visual art lesson and the research and observations of my fellow educators and artists incorporate the national arts standard Respond, specifically analyzing how one’s understanding of the world is affected by experiencing visual imagery. The goal of â€Å"Society in Print† is to not only learn the process ofRead MoreThe Education System Of Kazakhstan Essay879 Words   |  4 PagesEducation is important in many cultures because it gives an opportunity to gain the skill which is needed to navigate in the world. It plays a crucial factor in all countries. Also, it is important in the country like Kazakhstan which is developing. The education system of Kazakhstan has changed a lot from the USSR’s collapsing. It was improved and modified. However, the result of PISA ranked the knowledge of the 15 years old students to 49th in 2012 (PISA 2012 Results in Focus, 2014). The rankingRead MoreHow Personal Computers Affect Student s Learning Processes Essay1691 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction As we moved into the turn of the century, technology like personal computers and tablets have become more accessible and inexpensive. The aim of this research is to inform the public and education institutions on how personal computers affect student’s learning processes in the classroom. Most universities require the access to computers in order to perform task and write assignments. This has manifested in having more computers in a classroom used by the lecturers and students. TheRead MoreBusiness Planning And Decision Making879 Words   |  4 PagesPeople are constantly making plans or making decisions. In morden business world, a plan has to be made if a new project been assigned, or there is going to have a major change in the direction of where the business will be reroute. A good plan will parepare us better for uncertainty, which can help to ensure the success in the future. Meanwhile, business decisions are constantly being made by managers at each management level. A good decision determines the fail or success of a business operationRead MoreMy Life And Education : Ball State University ( Bsu ) Essay940 Words   |  4 PagesI connected with this child and understood where I was from. I am from school. Throughout the inconstancy of a physical home, education was my only constant. Education dedicated its life to me and now I have chosen to dedicate my life to education. Ball State University (BSU) was the first step in affirming my educational beliefs.   I took on a major in Elementary Education, a concentration in Reading, and a minor in Theatre; three subjects that helped carry me through my childhood. These disciplinesRead MoreEvaluation Of A Performance Character780 Words   |  4 Pageslittle time this week and searched for ways to better understand character performance. I made a plan stuck with it and found that it really worked. Looking back I would say that implementing the character education concept has proved to be a success. Performance character is more than analyzing one’s own PERFORMANCE. It’s diving deep and discovering one’s motivation, shortcomings, abilities, skills, and abilities. Author Claudia Hazar of the University of Zurek had this to say about performance

Assignment 3 Teamwork and Motivation Example

Essays on Assignment 3: Teamwork and Motivation Assignment Teamwork and Motivation Introduction Employers face the duty of motivating and facilitating high job satisfaction among their employees. Creating policies and programs that enhance job satisfaction and motivate employees need money and enough time to create. When an employer understands the importance of motivation and job satisfaction in the workplace, the resources injected in employee-related programs can be justified. This paper provides design of my organization’s motivation plan; methods motivating employees and proposes ways that will motivate the minimum wage worker. Motivation plan High job satisfaction The main source of displeasure is from too much stress. A direct way to raise satisfaction of employees is to decrease stressors. My company will do this by reducing role ambiguity by defining job responsibilities and descriptions of employees. My company will also shift tasks or execute a job rotation exercise to reduce burnout and overload. Other causes of stress stem from inter-employee clash, which can be eliminated or decreased by providing a relationship-building specialist (Manzoor, 2012). Problems in communication within the company can be damaging to employees by hindering positive attitudes and lowering morale. Formal communication procedures help to improve productivity and positively affect satisfaction of employees by providing direct and prompt communication results. When a company fails to keep employees informed, rumors may begin to work at full speed, thus deteriorating employee commitment and satisfaction to the success of the company. The final strategy that the company will do to increase the satisfaction of employees is to put into practice an on-site wellness plan that improves mental and physical health, increases productivity, and reduces negative stressors (Deeprose, 2007). The costs of the programs differ significantly depending on the services provided. My company will plan and evaluate low-cost wellness opportunities which include a small area that will offer healthy beverages and snacks, designating a meditation and relaxation area, availing opportunities for medical and nutrition consultation, or scheduling irregular sessions of on-site massage therapy. Low turnover The following are some effective methods my company uses in order to keep my employees happy and feel part of the company: (Podmoroff, 2005). i. Mentoring: A mentoring program together with a goal feedback system offers a planned mechanism for enhancing strong relationships within the company, and it is a strong foundation for employee growth and retention. A mentoring program enables the company to pair an employee more experienced in a particular task with another employee who has less experience in the same area. ii. Instilling a positive culture: This company establishes some values as the foundation for the culture such as attitude, respect, honesty, excellence, and teamwork. The right culture gives the company an advantage in attracting and retaining good employees. iii. Providing growth opportunities: This company will provide software, workshops, and other tools that will assist employees increase an awareness of themselves and what they need from their careers and augment their efforts of setting goals. It is important to give employees enough job challenges that will develop their knowledge and skills in their areas of operation. Employees are expected to be engaged in their jobs and remain committed to the company since it invests in their career development. iv. Training: Training reinforces employees’ sense of value. Training helps employees realize goals and guarantee that they get an understanding of job requirements. v. Coaching/feedback: It is critical to give coaching and feedback to employees in order for their efforts to be aligned with the company’s goals and meet expectations. Employees are given intensive feedback in their few days on the job. High productivity The following strategies help the workforce to perform at high levels: (Podmoroff, 2005). i. Promotion from within the company: Promotion inside the organization give employees an additional incentive to enlarge their productivity and overall performance. Employees do not like to be stuck in a blind alley job, or else their efforts will be unnoticed. Promotion helps employees to work hard and achieve their goals. ii. Profit-sharing: Profit sharing gives employees a personal stake in the results of the company. The company will introduce a profit-sharing program where employees will receive a percentage of profits that the company will realize. Additional revenue that the company gets means that employees will receive increased salaries. iii. A piecework Compensation plan: One way to improve the productivity of employees is to generate a link between pay and output by the implementation of a piecework compensation program. In this plan, the company does not implement hourly wages. The company’s employees will get paid depending on how many parts they manage to assemble, sell, and hours they bill. iv. Achievement awards: Besides financial incentives, the majority of employees get motivation by having social recognition. Giving achievement awards to exceptional employees is a superb way to increase productivity. The company’s Achievement awards take the form of certificates, plaques, prizes, jackets, or even unique parking spaces. The awards are given to employees who obtain set performance standards. v. Adequate breaks: Providing employees with sufficient breaks is vital for improving general productivity. Break time gives employees something to anticipate and give them an opportunity to regain their energy before going back to work. The employees will come back refreshed, and become ready to concentrate for additional hours till the next break. High-quality work A better way to promote quality work among employees is to start an incentive program. This company uses incentives to motivate employees and allow them do a good job (Manzoor, 2012). The incentive programs go on to improve the quality of employees as they motivate employees. My company organizes meetings that discuss the right way to motivate employees to put in more effort. Employees who are motivated give all of their efforts to the company. Employees feel valued and respected when they receive awards for their efforts. 1. Ways to motivate employees The following are two ways to motivate employees: (Valtanen Sihvonen, 2008). i. Listen: An employer needs to listen to ideas from employees. The employer needs to identify problems, frustrations, conflicts, and concerns of employees in order to help them. When an employer listens to employees, employees will feel motivated and feel part of the company. ii. Everyone must get engaged: Employees who feel connected will be productive. Successful organizations allowed employees to participate in decision-making and planning of the organizations. 2. Motivating the minimum wage service worker The incentive theory proposes that employees receive motivation because of rewards (Berg Frost, 2005). i. Assisting them in their career: A majority of minimum-wage workers has ambition and drive, but they face challenges getting up the career ladder. An employee with a potential to succeed needs to get some trainings. ii. Be aware of what drives employees: Many employees in this category live paycheck to paycheck. They have troubles getting money for luxury products. For these employees to be motivated, they require something they can enjoy such as tickets for concerts or some money for to buy pizza for lunch. iii. Remain positive: When a company provides positive work surroundings, employees will have a reason to stay around. Employees must be praised for a job well-done. Once a sense of trust is established, workers will be happy and work hard. 3. The importance of the employee in todays organizational context Individuals play a critical role in the running of organizations. The individual motives help in the accomplishment of the goals of the organization. Employees cannot work in any company without a motive or a purpose (Manzoor, 2012). The achievement of any organization depends on the proper co-operation and co-ordination of its members while co-operating with others. The others need to contribute to a smooth running of the company. An organization attains equilibrium when it can maintain the sustained contribution of all individual workers. Every individual has a role to play since they have a specific job to do. When efforts are combined, the organization will enjoy success. References Berg, P., Frost, A. C. (2005). Dignity at work for low wage, low skill service workers. Relations Industrial Relations, 650-682. Deeprose, D. (2007). How to recognize reward employees: ways to inspire peak performance. AMACOM Div Mgmt Assn. Manzoor, Q. A. (2012). Impact of employees’ motivation on organizational effectiveness. Business Management and Strategy, 3(1), pp.1. Podmoroff, D. (2005). 365 Ways to Motivate and Reward Employees Every Day—with Little Or No Money. Atlantic Publishing Company. Valtanen, A., Sihvonen, H. M. (2008). Motivation of employees for SPI: Case study in a small Finnish software company. In Software Process Improvement. Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

Kfc Vietnam Essay Example For Students

Kfc Vietnam Essay MARKETING AND MANAGEMENT EXECUTIVE SUMARY Table of Contents 1. Company Profile and History4 2. Current Market Situation4 2. 1 PEST Analysis4 2. 2 Porter’s Five Forces6 2. 3 Competitor Analysis7 2. 4 Market Segmentation8 3. SWOT and issue analysis11 3. 1 SWOT analysis11 3. 2 Key Successful Factors13 3. 3 Issue Analysis13 4. Objectives14 5. Marketing Strategy14 Appendix15 Figure 215 Reference16 1. Company Profile and History Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), founded by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1930, has developed to become one of the largest fast-food chicken operator and franchiser around the world with more than a billion finger lickin good. In 1966, it went public and was acquired by PepsiCo, Inc. In 1997, PepsiCo spun-off of its quick service restaurants including KFC into an independent restaurant company, Tricon Global Restaurants, Inc (KFC Vietnam 2008). The company now was known as Yum! Brands Inc which included all the restaurants: AW Restaurants, Long John Silvers, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. KFC has more than 11,000 restaurants operating in more than 80 countries and territories in the world. Today it is one of the most famous and strongest brand names in the fast food market (Entrepreneur Media 2009). In 1997, KFC restaurants opened its first outlet in Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam. Today, due to the trend of the busy life style and the increase in earnings of people in big cities like Ho Chi Minh City, KFC Vietnam franchise expanded its network so far to 75 restaurants with 47 outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, 15 outlets in Hanoi and others in many Vietnamese provinces (KFC Viet Nam 2008). Company officials considered Vietnam as a potential growth market in fast food industry. KFC’s goal is to secure its position as a market leader and increase the market share in Vietnam. . Current Market Situation 2. 1 PEST Analysis This section presents relevant background data on the current Vietnamese macro-environment. Political Factors After the join of Vietnam to the WTO, Vietnam’s new commercial franchising law provided for a legal regulatory climate conductive to the franchising sector. The government policy encouraged the opening up of foreign franchises which are expected to grow . With an annual growth of 30 percent in recent years, franchising showed great potential as a form of business in Vietnam (U. S Commercial Service 2009a). The stability and safety in politic environment was the key success for KFC Vietnam to grow expands its business and become the market leader in Vietnam’s fast food industry. Economic Factors In recent years, Vietnam’s economic growth rate has annually increased at 7 to 8. 5 percent and has been one of the highest in the world. With the estimated increase in GDP 6. 5 percents in 2009, Vietnam is considered to be a true emerging market for U. S investors. In respond to face the high inflation rate, Vietnamese government implemented a monetary tighten measures to stabilize the Vietnamese Dong, cutting government expenditures in order to slow inflation (U. S Commercial Service 2009a). According to the market research company Nielsen estimated the fast food industry in Vietnam could grow by 40 percents and generate VND500 billion (Tuoi Tre  2009). With advantages on economic environment, KFC Vietnam has many opportunities to develop its market share, increase profits and expand number of restaurants to 80 (ITPC 2008). Socio-cultural Factors Due to the rise of fast food in Vietnam and the change in eating habits of Vietnamese people, they were busier than ever before so they tended to eat fast food more often than traditional meals (Vietnamnet Bridge 2008). KFC always concerned about the social, cultural and ethical values of local community. Its restaurants had done product adaptation in order to suit local tastes, cultures and religion in Vietnam. This gave KFC an opportunity to grow and increase profits in Vietnamese market. Technology Factors KFC always support the work of research development in order to introduce the new technology. It used latest technology on machines and boilers with technical checkup and maintenance every six months. It made the cooking become faster to order and reduced the serving time. KFC Vietnam also use online website to provide customers another tool for ordering via phone. In the future, customers may also purchase KFC products and perform online transactions (KFC Vietnam 2008). 2. 2 Porter’s Five Forces Threat of new entrants (Strong) Recently, Vietnamese government has applied Commercial Law that encourages foreign franchises coming to Vietnam market. Costs for establishing location, buying furniture etc. are not very high. Because the awareness of American franchise businesses is strong, many Vietnamese businesses interested in taking possession to operate American franchises (U. S Commercial Service 2009b). The American’s potential new entrants could enter Vietnamese market are McDonald’s, Carls Jr, Burger King, Taco Bell, Subway and etc. Bargaining power of suppliers (Moderate) The suppliers in Vietnam had moderate bargaining power. KFC Vietnam took the supply of fresh and quality chicken meat from Thai-invested CP Viet Nam Livestock Company and Long Binh which is a joint venture with France (ICARD 2004). KFC started helping local suppliers with technological support to improve their product. The strong relations between KFC and local suppliers lowered supplier bargaining power. Bargaining power of buyers (Moderate) The bargaining power of buyers in Vietnam is moderate and they have varying degree. Individual buyers are less powerful because they purchase in small items. A buyer for occasion such as birthday party is stronger with the demand for more service and additional promotion like invitation card and discount price. Threat of substitute (Strong) Substitute competitors of KFC are all small restaurants that offer food service. The threat is strong with the variety in kinds and traditional Vietnamese taste such as Pho Hoa or Com Tam Moc. KFC needs to lower this threat by enhancing its promotion in order to popularize products so that the consumer will purchase KFC rather than other substitute products. Competitive Rivalry (Moderate) Threat of direct competitors is moderate because KFC is the market leader in Vietnam with 75 restaurants. There are two main competitors: Lotteria and Jollibee (KFC Vietnam 2008). The threat may rise in 2010 because Lotteria will increase their restaurants to 80 outlets. Regarding to this competition, KFC also plans to growth total restaurant to 100 units and recently enhances their service by cutting short its delivery time to less than 30 minutes (Look At Vietnam 2008). 2. 3 Competitor Analysis Direct competitors: Lotteria and Jollibee Whether It Be Through Intensified Media Attention, Or Due To The Effor EssayThis is very important to customer loyalty and is pivotal to the success of the franchise. †¢ The food quality is a main key strength to KFC. Its quality is defined by the Yum! Brand and controlled by the local franchises. The raw material that supplied from local suppliers, met a global standard for quality meats. †¢ KFC has a large number of restaurants in prime locations such as 45 restaurants in HCM city (17 restaurants in District 1 and 5 in district 3) and 19 in Hanoi (KFC Viet Nam 2008). Moreover, KFC Vietnam mainly aimed to open restaurants at supermarkets and trading centers. With good locations, KFC’s marketing and activities/PR has been very strong (Kotler et al. 005) †¢ The processing time for KFC recipes is very quick that brings more comfortable to customers. †¢ KFC is ranked as the highest among all chicken restaurant brands for the convenience and variety in menu w ith Vietnamese traditional meals – rice. †¢ KFC has sophisticated financial revenue which is support by Yum! Brands. 3. 1. 2 Weaknesses †¢ KFC restaurants chains have not covered widely in Vietnam. It only concentrated on large cities especially focused too much on HCMC (45 in total of 75 restaurants). †¢ KFC price is still high for the average income of Vietnamese people especially for those who come from other provinces. †¢ KFC needs to pay more attention to improve the staff quality by offering more training. 3. 1. 3 Opportunities Fast growth of 15-24 age group in Vietnam’s demographic which is the main target segment of KFC (Figure 1) †¢ The rise of fast food trends in Vietnam market (CommonDreams 2009) †¢ The increase in the Vietnamese income especially in HCM city and Ha Noi(Figure 2) 3. 1. 4 Threats †¢ The threat of strong competition in Vietnam’s fast food industry. There are many competitors such as Lotteria, Jollibee, Pizza Hut and they will increase their service, quality of food and expand their market share. †¢ The threat of new entrants of American fast food chain such as McDonald, Taco Bell and Carl’s Jr is going to enter Vietnamese market. †¢ The competitor may intimate the way that KFC render their menu with more traditional Vietnamese food to keep up the trends. †¢ The potential threat of bird flu especially in Vietnam that caused the increase in raw materials. This can lead to the drop in profitability of KFC. †¢ The government taxes for franchising can increase each year. 3. 2 Key Successful Factors KFC’s key success factors are the strong brand name, the secret recipe and operating in good prime locations. These sustainable competitive advantages made KFC become the market leader in Vietnam fast food industry. 3. 3 Issue Analysis In this section of marketing plan, SWOT analysis is used to define the main issues that the plan must address. The company must consider the following basic issues: ? Should KFC Vietnam expand the market share by increasing the number of restaurants in HCM city, Ha Noi, Vung Tau, Can Tho and many other regions? Should KFC Vietnam invest more budgets for advertising and promotional activities to growth its business brand name? ? Should KFC Vietnam focus on the children target market by creating more children programs? 4. Objectives After defining issues in the product line, KFC Vietnam must decide on the plan’s objectives. KFC’s marketing objectives are: ? To increase the number of KFC’s restaurants from 75 at the present to 100 restaurants in 2010 ? To develop the children programs by introducing 20 kindergarten corners in KFC restaurants. ? To increase the revenue 20% compare with 2009. 5. Marketing Strategy Appendix Figure1 Figure 2 Reference CommonDreams. rg 2009, Vietnam: Rise of the New Fast Food Nation, viewed 30 December 2009, . Entrepreneur Media 2009, KFC Corp Chicken, Entrepreneur, viewed 27 December 2009, . GoodLand Informatics 2006, Project Portfolio, viewed 29 December 2009, . ICARD 2004, City customers crave chickens and eggs, viewed 29 December 2009, . ITPC 2008, Foreign giants dominate fast food market, viewed 29 December 2009, . Kotler, P. Armstrong, G. Hoon Ang, S. Meng Leong, S. Tiong Tan, C. K. Tse, D. 2005, ‘Market Segmentation, Principles of Marketing – An Asian Perspective, 10th edn, Prentice Hall, Singapore, pp. 193-196 . Kotler, P. Armstrong, G. Hoon Ang, S. Meng Leong, S. Tiong Tan, C. K. Tse, D. 005, ‘Retailing and Wholesaling’, Principles of Marketing – An Asian Perspective, 10th edn, Prentice Hall, Singapore, pp. 364-366. KFC Viet Nam 2008, Store List, viewed 30 December 2009, . Look At Vietnam 2008, When fast food is localized, WordPress Skin, viewed 1 January 2010, . National Public Radio 2009, KFC Brings Tasty Treats to North Vietnam, viewed 30 December 2009, . The Nielsen Company 2007, ‘Consumer Fact Pack’, Acnielsen. com The Saigon Times 2009, When fast food is localized, Mat Bao Company, viewed 30 December 2009, . Tran 2008, Saying no to KFC, Vietnam News Agency, viewed 1 January 2010, . Tuoi Tre  2009, Foreign giants dominate fast food market, Moore Cop, viewed 27 December 2009, . U. S Commercial Service 2009a, ‘Market Overview’, DOING BUSINESS in VIETNAM: 2009 COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDE for U. S. COMPANIES, March, pp. 2. U. S Commercial Service 2009b, ‘Franchising Overview’, DOING BUSINESS in VIETNAM: 2009 COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDE for U. S. COMPANIES, March, pp. 76. U. S Commercial Service 2009c, ‘Market Segmentation’, DOING BUSINESS in VIETNAM: 2009 COUNTRY COMMERCIAL GUIDE for U. S. COMPANIES, March, pp. 18. Vietnamnet Bridge  2006, KFC exec speaks on the growth of fried chicken, viewed 1 January 2009, . Vietnamnet Bridge 2008, The rise of fast food, viewed 29 December 2009, . STAR CASH COW QUESTION MARK DOG

The Papacy Essays - Election Of The Pope, Christian Humanists

The Papacy The Papacy Did you know the Pope is not referred to by only one title? He is also referred to as such titles as: the bishop of Rome, Vicar of Christ, supreme pontiff of the universal church, primate of Italy, patriarch of the West, sovereign of the State of Vatican City, and servant of the servants of God. The Pope is believed to be the successor of Saint Peter. The Pope, being the supreme head of the Roman Catholic Church, holds the position of the papacy. The Papacy is an official position of the Church, which presently is held by Pope John Paul II. The election of a Pope is a very special process. A new Pope can only be elected when the previous has passed. When the previous Pope dies, the Cardinal Camerlango must verify the death of the pontiff. The Cardinal calls the Popes name three times and without response from the Pope he is pronounced dead. He must then authorize a death certificate and make the event public. The event is made public by notifying the Cardinal Vicar for the Diocese of Rome. He then would arrange for the papal seal to be broken. After this he must prepare for the Papal funeral and the nine days of mourning which follow. After fifteen to twenty days of sermons the Cardinal Electors enter the Conclave to choose which Cardinal will be the next Pope. The Cardinals first must take an oath when entering the Conclave. The oath states that they will follow the rules given by the Pope and will be secret about the voting and deliberations. The penalty for breaking the oath given in the Conclave is immediate and automatic excommunication. The Cardinals are seated around the walls of the Sistine Chapel, then they are given a ballot of paper. After they have placed a name on their ballot they proceed to turn the ballots in, one by one. The Cardinal Camerlango and his three assistants then count the votes. After they are counted the ballots are all burned together to give off smoke. This smoke is white if a new Pope has been elected, and black if not. For one to be elected Pope, any Cardinal must receive more than two-thirds of the votes. Once the Cardinal has received the votes, the Dean of the College of Cardinals asks him to accept his election. If he accepts he is then asked what name he wishes to be called; the Cardinal then becomes the Pontifex Maximus, the Holy Roman Pontiff. He is then pledged obedience to by the other Cardinals. Then the new is then given his Pontifical clericals. The Dean of the College of Cardinals then walks out on the main balcony of the chapel and declares to the world: We have a Pope. The new appointed Pope then steps out on the balcony and delivers his Apostolic Blessing to the World. Before the Cardinals return home the Pope receives a formal ceremony and inauguration. At this ceremony the woollen pallium is bestowed upon him. When Pope John Paul I became Pope he abolished the tradition of Papal Coronation. During this the Pope would be carried around Saint Peters Square on the Papal Throne. The Pope is the highest power of the church. As the highest power he issues doctrinal statements, summons council, appoints bishops, establishes dioceses and settles legal questions. The Curia assists the Pope; it is composed of three different groups. The first group is made up of congregation, the second is made of tribunals and the third is made of offices, councils, and secretariats. The current Pope today is Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II was born in Wadowice, Poland. He was born Karol Wojtyla on May 18, 1920. He was born to a working-class family. His father died in World War II and his mother when he was nine. He became a student at Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 1938. He studied literature and philology. During World War II Karol was a member of an underground theatrical group. This group performed anti-Nazi plays, and also helped Polish Jews escape persecution. After World War II he studied in a seminary in Krakow and was