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April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Advising the VP for Human Resources

This exercise is designed to provide you the opportunity to demonstrate your comprehensive knowledge of the course material we have studied this semester — frameworks for decision making from legal perspectives — and to apply your knowledge to a practical scenario.

The parameters for the assignment are designed to match the actual practice of higher education leadership including the following:,

1. You may spend as much time preparing your work product as you would like between the time it is posted and the deadline, balanced with your other personal and professional commitments.,

2. While I’ve provided guidance for the length of your final work product it generally takes more time to create a better, complete but more concise (shorter) final product.,

3. This assignment depends on your course materials and does not require additional legal research.,

4. You may review course materials and concepts with your classmates at any point (as you would consult colleagues on a difficult issue).,

5. You must produce your own unique final product.,

Advising the VP for Human Resources – A Summative Practice Exercise for Assessment

You have been asked to brief the VP of Human Resources of the institution on the scenario presented below. Because of limited time and other pressing matters, the VP needs to know the important facts and legal and policy issues they raise.

Advising the VP for Human Resources

Prepare a a written memo (approx. 2,000-3,000 words) that the VP can digest without doing additional research.

1. Organize your thoughts.

2. Use clear, concise language.

3. Summarize the relevant facts briefly at the beginning. Presume that the VP is familiar with the persons involved and has already heard generally about what happened but needs a refresher of the specific facts that are most relevant to your analysis. Do not allocate more than 20% of your briefing or memo to factual background.

4. Then list and analyze each legal or policy issue separately, including arguments that a plaintiff might make against the institution and how the institution might respond.

1. Remember the IRAC method: for each issue, identify the Issue/question, state the legal Rule, Analysis/Application of the rule to the facts, and Conclusion.

2. Here is an IRAC template

3. Download IRAC template

4. that you might use

5. Download Here is an IRAC template Download IRAC templatethat you might use

6. to work through the IRAC analysis. But, you do not need to use or submit that template (in fact, don’t submit it; your response should be in memo form).

7. Identify the applicable legal rules and name the relevant cases.

8. If the conclusion depends on additional facts that are not included in the scenario, identify what additional facts the institution needs to gather.

9. Identify specific questions that you think the VP should ask legal counsel.

10. Finally, the VP knows that you took this course and has asked you specifically to make a recommendation about the best course of action in case legal counsel is not available to advise. Provide your recommendation.

Advising the VP for Human Resources

Case study

On August 1, 2023, Pat Jones began working as an instructor at Woods Park Community College (WPCC). She was hired as a math instructor shortly before the academic year began. Finding and hiring highly qualified math instructors has been a real challenge at Woods Park, a rural community college that serves significant numbers of low-income students. Pat identifies as female, and all of the other faculty members in the math department are male. The math department has monthly department meetings, and it has been the culture of the math department to go out for drinks socially during happy hour on one Friday afternoon per month. For the first few months working at WPCC, everything was fine for Pat. Work was hard because this was her first full time teaching job in higher education; she had been working as a substitute teacher on a provisional license at a local high school. Pat was eager to be a good instructor, but she was also eager to get along with her colleagues and to make a good impression on the department chairperson, Dr. Rick Wiliams. A few months into her time at WPCC, Pat decided to attend the monthly math department happy hour outing. She knew she would be the only woman there, but she felt it was important to be part of the team and to build camaraderie among the team. Things were going reasonably well, but she did overhear a comment from one of the other faculty members about how “the world was better off when women stayed home with their kids.” She wasn’t involved in that conversation, so she decided to stay silent. A few weeks later, Pat walked into the room where the department meeting was to be held. In that room, one of the male teachers was discussing a new print that Dr. Williams, the department chair, had hung in his office. It was a print of Manet’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe, which depicts a nude woman picnicking with two clothed men. That conversation stopped suddenly as soon as Pat sat down at the table for the meeting. Pat began to grow a little concerned that the department wasn’t particularly welcoming to a woman. She decided to talk to Dr. Williams in a one-on-one meeting just to let him know about her growing concern; she wanted to nip it in the bud. Pat was anxious about this meeting and spent the whole evening prior working on exactly what she was going to say. After saying what she wanted to say, Dr. Williams paused for a bit, and then said, “Listen, sweetie, I get it. You’re the only woman. I recognize that, but there’s nothing I can do about that. We’re a strong department and our students do well in our courses. Our DFW rate has dropped dramatically. That’s what matters around here.” Pat left, naturally, demoralized. A few weeks later, at the next math department meeting, one of Pat’s male colleagues asked her about her hair. Pat had shoulder length hair. The male teacher asked her if she ever considered growing it longer. “I think long hair looks nicer on women,” he said. Pat shrugged and said that she was happy with her hair. Conversation then abruptly turned back to discussion about changes to the curriculum in one of the math courses. As the academic year turned to spring, Dr. Williams showed up to workl for the first time wearing a short-sleeved shirt. When Pat saw Dr. Williams on her way into his office, she noticed that he had a small tattoo on his forearm. She couldn’t quite make out what it was, but she was oddly curious. She didn’t want to let her curiosity be too obvious, though, so she didn’t try to look any closer. Later that day, though, while eating lunch in the faculty lounge, Pat got a better glimpse of the tattoo. It was still hard to decipher, but she did notice a fist and the capital letters V and M. That night, Pat did some poking around on Google and ultimately realized that the tattoo was the logo of a group called A Voice For Men. (see image below). That group puts out an online publication and has a podcast. Their focus is “Men’s Human Rights Activism” and they claim to be one of the largest and most influential men’s rights groups. This discovery bothered Pat, particularly given how she had been feeling as the only female member of the department. After a few days and nights with not much sleep, Pat decided to contact you, the Associate VP for Human Relations, and you agreed to a meeting. At that meeting, Pat recounted the facts above. And, then she said that she believes her rights as a woman are being violated. She couldn’t explain exactly what those rights were, nor could she fully articulate what kind of remedy she was seeking. However, she did say that, at the very least, she would like for the WPCC administration to require Dr. Williams to wear long-sleeved shirts or cover the tattoo in some way during official WPCC activities. She would also like the Manet print removed from the wall of Dr. Williams’ office. You thanked Pat for her candor and told Pat that you would share your notes and concerns with Dr. Jones, the VP for Human Resources. After sharing your notes and discussing the situation with Dr. Jones, you were asked to write a memo outlining and discussing all of the potential legal issues in this case. Dr. Jones asked you to be sure to write about ALL of the possible issues, to articulate all sides of the issues, and to offer your considered opinion about how a court might rule on the issues.

Advising the VP for Human Resources

April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Case Study Six: The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

On Monday, April 5, 2010, just before 3:00 in the afternoon, miners at Massey Energy Corporation’s Upper Big Branch coal mine in southern West Virginia were in the process of a routine shift change. Workers on the evening shift were climbing aboard “mantrips,” low-slung electric railcars that would carry them into the sprawling, three-mile-wide drift mine, cut horizontally into the side of a mountain. Many day shift workers inside the mine had begun packing up and were preparing to leave, and some were already on their way to the portals. At one of the mine’s main “longwalls,” one thousand feet below the surface, a team of four highly experienced miners was operating a shearer, a massive machine that cut coal from the face with huge rotating blades. The shearer had been shut down for part of the day because of mechanical difficulties, and the miners were making one last pass before the evening shift arrived to take their places.

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

Suddenly, a spark thrown off as the shearer’s blades cut into hard sandstone ignited a small pocket of flammable methane gas. One of the operators immediately switched off the high-voltage power to the machine. Seconds later, the flame reached a larger pocket of methane, creating a small fireball. Apparently recognizing the danger, the four miners on the longwall crew began running for the exit opposite the fire. They had traveled no more than 400 feet when coal dust on the ground and in the air ignited violently, setting off a wave of powerful explosions that raced through the mine’s seven miles of underground tunnels. When it was over three minutes later, 29 miners (including all four members of the longwall crew) were dead, and two were seriously injured. Some had died from injuries caused by the blast itself, others from carbon monoxide suffocation as the explosion sucked the oxygen out of the mine. It was the worse mining disaster in the United States in almost 40 years.

 

An evening shift miner who had just entered the mine and boarded a mantrip for the ride to the coal face later told investigators what he had experienced:

 

All of a sudden you heard this big roar, and that’s when the air picked up. I’d say it was probably 60-some miles per hour. Instantly black. It took my hardhat and ripped it off my head, it was so powerful.

 

This miner and the rest of his group abandoned the mantrip and ran for the entrance, clutching each other in the darkness. On the outside, stunned and shaken, they turned to the most senior member of their crew for an explanation. “Boys …, I’ve been in the mines a long time,” the veteran miner said “That [was] no [roof] fall…. The place blew up.”1

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

(page 489)

 

Massey Energy Corporation

At the time of the explosion, Massey Energy Corporation, the owner and operator of the Upper Big Branch mine, was one of the leading coal producers in the United States. The company, which specialized in the production of high-grade metallurgical coal, described itself as “the most enduring and successful coal company in central Appalachia,” where it owned one-third of the known coal reserves. Massey extracted 37 million tons of coal a year, ranking it sixth among U.S. producers in tonnage. The company sold its coal to more than a hundred utility, metallurgical, and industrial customers (mostly on long-term contracts) and exported to 13 countries. In 2009, Massey earned $227 million on revenue of $2.7 billion. The company and its subsidiaries employed 5,800 people in 42 underground and 14 surface mines and several coal processing facilities in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Virginia.

 

Massey maintained that it brought many benefits to the nation as a whole and to the Appalachian region. The coal industry in the United States, of which Massey was an important part, provided the fuel for about half of the electricity generated in the United States, lessening the country’s reliance on imported oil. The company provided thousands of relatively well-paying jobs in a region that had long been marked by poverty and unemployment. Economists estimated that for every job in the coal industry, around three and a half jobs were created elsewhere. The company donated to scholarship programs, partnered with local schools, and provided emergency support during natural disasters, such as severe flooding in West Virginia in May 2009. “We recognize that it takes healthy and viable communities for our company to continue to grow and succeed,” Massey declared in its 2009 report to shareholders.

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

But critics saw a darker side of Massey. The company was one of the leading practitioners of mountaintop removal mining, in which explosives were used to blast away the tops of mountains to expose valuable seams of coal. The resulting waste was frequently dumped into adjacent valleys, polluting streams, harming wildlife, and contaminating drinking water. In 2008, Massey paid $20 million to resolve violations of the Clean Water Act, the largest-ever settlement under that law. In an earlier incident, toxic mine sludge spilled from an impoundment operated by the company in Martin County, Kentucky, contaminating hundreds of miles of the Big Sandy and Ohio rivers, necessitating a $50 million cleanup. Worker safety was also a concern. An independent study found that Massey had the worst fatality rate of any coal company in the United States. For example, in the decade leading up to the Upper Big Branch disaster, Peabody Coal (the industry leader in tons produced) had one fatality for every 296 million tons of coal mined; Massey’s rate was one fatality per 18 million tons—more than 16 times as high.

 

Donald L. Blankenship

At the time of the Upper Big Branch mine disaster, the chief executive officer and undisputed boss of Massey Energy was Don Blankenship. A descendant of the McCoy family of the famous warring clans the Hatfields and the McCoys, Blankenship was raised by a single mother in a trailer in Delorme, a railroad depot in the coalfields of West Virginia. His mother supported the family by working 6 days a week, 16 hours a day, running a convenience store and gas station. Michael Shnayerson, who wrote about Blankenship in his book, Coal River, reported that the executive had absorbed from his mother the value of hard work—as well as contempt for others who might be less fortunate. “Anyone who didn’t work as hard as she did deserved to fail,” Shnayerson wrote. “Sympathy appeared to play no part in her reckonings.”2

 

(page 490)

 

Blankenship graduated from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, with a degree in accounting. As a college student, he worked briefly in a coal mine to earn money for tuition. In 1982, at age 32, he returned to the coalfields to join Massey Energy, taking a job as an office manager for a subsidiary called Rawls. Soon after, Massey announced it intended to spin off its subsidiaries as separate companies and re-open them as nonunion operations. The United Mine Workers, the union that then represented many Massey workers, struck the company. Jeff Goodell, a journalist who profiled Blankenship in Rolling Stone, described the young manager’s technique for defeating the union at Rawls:

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

Blankenship erected two miles of chain link fence around the facility, brought in dogs and armed guards, and ferried nonunion workers through the union’s blockades. The strike, which lasted more than a year, grew increasingly violent—strikers took up baseball bats against the workers trying to take their jobs, and a few even fired shots at the scabs. A volley of bullets zinged into Blankenship’s office and smashed into an old TV…. For years afterward, Blankenship kept the TV with a bullet hole through it in his office as a souvenir.3

 

The union’s defeat at Massey (by 2010, only about 1 percent of Massey’s workers were union members, all of them in coal preparation plants rather than mines) contributed to the overall decline of the United Mine Workers in the coalfields. In the 1960s, unions represented nearly 90 percent of the nation’s mine workers; by 2010, they represented just 19 percent.

 

Blankenship quickly moved through the management ranks. In 1990, only eight years after he joined the company, he became president and chief operating officer of the Massey Coal Company and in 1992 was promoted to CEO and chairman. (The company was renamed Massey Energy in 2000 when it separated from its parent, Fluor Corp.) By some measures, he was a successful CEO. Between 2001, the first full year of Massey’s in-dependent operation, and 2009, annual revenue increased from $1.2 billion to $2.7 billion. During this period, employment rose from around 3,700 to 5,800. Blankenship more than doubled the company’s coal reserves, mainly through acquisitions of smaller firms. Massey shareholders, like all investors, were buffeted by the extreme volatility of the stock market during the 2000s. Nevertheless, an investor who purchased $10,000 worth of Massey stock in December 2004 would have a holding valued at $12,800 in December 2010—a rate of return close to that of the coal industry as a whole during this period.4

 

As CEO, Blankenship developed a reputation as a hands-on, detail-oriented manager. He lived in the coalfields and ran the company out of a double-wide trailer in Belfry, Kentucky, just over the West Virginia line. He signed off on all hires, all the way down to janitors. One manager expressed amazement when he learned that the CEO would have to approve a tankful of gasoline for his truck. Managers were required to fax production figures to Blankenship every half hour. Red phones connected mine managers directly to the CEO. “If the report was late or the numbers weren’t good, or the mine was shut down for any reason,” Shnayerson reported, “the red phone would ring. The terrified manager would pick it up to hear Mr. B demanding to know why the numbers weren’t right.”5 Blankenship told an interviewer, “People talk about character being what you do when no one else is looking. But the truth of the matter is character is doing that which is unpopular if it’s right, even if it causes you to be vilified.”6

 

(page 491)

 

As CEO, Blankenship maintained a laser focus on productivity. In 2005, he sent a memo titled “RUNNING COAL” to all Massey underground mine superintendents that stated:

 

If any of you have been asked by your group presidents, your supervisors, engineers, or anyone else to do anything other than run coal (i.e., build overcasts, do construction jobs, or whatever) you need to ignore them and run coal. This memo is necessary only because we seem not to understand that coal pays the bills.

 

A week later, after this memo had been widely circulated, he followed up with another one which referred to the company’s S-1, P-2 (safety first, production second) program. He wrote: “By now each of you should know that safety and S-1 is our first responsibility. Productivity and P-2 are second.”

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

Executive Compensation

Blankenship was well compensated for running Massey. As shown in Exhibit A, his total compensation in 2009 was almost $18 million; this was up from $11 million in 2008 and $9 million in 2007. Blankenship’s base salary in all three years was close to $1 million. By far the greatest proportion of his total pay came from a performance-based incentive system established by Massey’s board of directors. In its filings with the SEC, the board described its philosophy of compensation this way:7

 

We compensate our named executive officers in a manner that is meant to attract and retain highly qualified and gifted individuals and to appropriately incentivize and motivate the named executive officers to achieve continuous improvements in company-wide performance for the benefit of our stockholders.8

Exhibit A Don Blankenship, Total Compensation 2007–2009, in Dollars

Note: “Other” includes personal use of company cars, aircraft (Challenger 601 corporate jet), housing, and related costs and services.

 

Source: Massey Energy 2010 Proxy, “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” and “Compensation of Named Executive Officers.”

 

(page 492)

 

Accordingly, the compensation committee of the board established an incentive plan for Massey’s CEO. (Similar plans were in place for other senior executives as well.) The plan set specific performance measures for “areas over which Mr. Blankenship was responsible and positioned to directly influence outcome.” These areas, and the proportion of his incentive compensation based on them, are shown in Exhibit B.

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

 

Exhibit B Incentive Compensation Plan for Massey Energy’s CEO, 2009

The calculation of incentive plan compensation was based on achievement of specific targets in these areas:

 

EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) -15%

Produced tons – 15%

Continuous miner productivity (feet/shift) – 5%

Surface mining productivity (tons/man-hour) – 5%

Environmental violations (% reduction) – 10%

Fulfillment of contracts – 15%

Nonfatal days lost due to injury and accident (% reduction) – 10%

Identification of successor – 5%

Employee retention – 15%

Diversity of members – 5%

Source: Massey Energy 2010 Proxy.

Note: A “continuous miner” is a large machine that extracts coal underground.

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

By one estimate, in the 10 years leading up to the disaster Blankenship received a total of $129 million in compensation from Massey.9 “I don’t care what people think,” he once said during a talk to a gathering of Republican Party leaders in West Virginia, speaking of himself in the third person. “At the end of the day, Don Blankenship is going to die with more money than he needs.”10

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

Government Regulation of Mining Safety and Health

Coal mining had always been a hazardous occupation. Methane gas, an odorless and colorless by-product of decomposing organic matter that was often present alongside coal, was highly flammable. Methane explosions had contributed to the deaths of more than 10,000 miners in the United States since 1920. To mine safely, methane levels had to be constantly monitored, and ventilation systems had to be effective enough to remove it from the mine. Coal dust itself—whether on the floor or other surfaces, or suspended in the air—was also highly flammable. The standard practice was to apply layers of rock dust (crushed limestone) over the coal dust to render it inert. In addition to the ever-present danger of fire, miners had long contended with the threat of collapsing roofs and walls, dangerous mechanical equipment, and suffocation. Miners often developed coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, commonly called black lung, a chronic, irreversible disease caused by breathing coal dust. (Black lung was preventable with proper coal dust control.)

 

(page 493)

 

Health and safety in the mining industry had long been regulated at both the federal and state levels. Over the years, lawmakers have periodically strengthened government regulatory control, mostly in response to mining disasters.

· In 1910, following an explosion at the Monongah mine in West Virginia in which 362 men died, Congress established the U.S. Bureau of Mines to conduct research on the safety and health of miners.

· The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act, known as the Coal Act—which passed in 1969 after the death of 78 miners at the Consol Number 9 mine in Farmington, West Virginia—greatly increased federal enforcement powers. This law established fines for violations and criminal penalties for “knowing and willful” violations. It also provided compensation for miners disabled by black lung disease.

The Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster

· The 1977 Mine Act further strengthened the rights of miners and established the Mine Safety and Health Administration, MSHA (pronounced “Em-shah”) to carry out its regulatory mandates. The law required at least four full inspections of underground mines annually.

· Then in 2006, after yet another string of mine tragedies focused public attention on the dangers of mining, Congress passed the Mine Improvement and New Emergency Response Act, known at the MINER Act. This law created new rules to help miners survive underground explosions and accidents.11

States like West Virginia that had significant mining industries also had their own regulatory rules and agencies.

Although MSHA was empowered to inspect mines unannounced and to fine operators for violations, the agency had limited authority to shut down a mine if a serious problem was present or if the operator refused to pay its fines. Criminal violations of mine safety laws were normally considered misdemeanors rather than felonies.

Over time, fatalities in the industry had declined. At the turn of the 20th century, around 300 to 400 miners died every year in the nation’s coal mines; by the 1980s, this number had dropped to less than 50. Injuries and illnesses had also dropped. In part, these declines reflected tougher government regulations. They also reflected the rise of surface mining (mostly in the western United States), which tended to be safer, and the emergence of new technologies that mechanized the process of underground mining. The unionization of the mining industry had also given workers a greater voice and the right to elect safety representatives in many workplaces.

The Upper Big Branch Mine

Massey had bought the Upper Big Branch mine in 1993 from Peabody Coal. It was a particularly valuable property because its thick coal seam produced the high-grade metallurgic coal favored by utilities and the steel industry. Two hundred employees worked there on three, round-the-clock shifts. In 2009, Upper Big Branch produced 1.2 million tons of coal, about 3 percent of Massey’s total. The mine, like all of those operated by Massey, was nonunion.

The regulatory record revealed a widespread pattern of safety violations at the Upper Big Branch mine and an increasingly contentious relationship between its managers and government regulators. As shown in Exhibit C, government inspectors had issued an increasing number of violations over time, with a sharp spike upward the year before the disaster. These page 494data also showed that around 2006, management had begun to contest regulatory penalties rather than pay them. The state investigation reported the story that at one point Massey’s vice president for safety—an attorney—“took a violation written by an inspector, looked at her people, and said, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll litigate it away.’” Appealing the citations not only allowed the company to delay or avoid paying; it also blocked tougher sanctions, such as shutting down the mine.

Exhibit C: Safety and Health Citations, Upper Big Branch Mine, Assessed Penalties and Amount Paid, 2000–2009

Source: MSHA data, reported in the appendices of Industrial Homicide: Report on the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster.

Miners testified that they were intimidated or disciplined if they complained about safety. When one foreman told his men not to run coal until a ventilation problem was fixed, he was suspended for three days for “poor work performance.” Another miner, who was killed in the blast, had told his wife that a manager had told him when he complained about conditions, “If you can’t go up there and run coal, just bring your [lunch] bucket outside and go home.” The father of a young miner who was still a trainee when he was killed at Upper Big Branch related his son’s experience to investigators. The young man had told his father that when he had expressed concerns about safety to his supervisor, he was told, “If you’re going to be that scared of your job here, you need to rethink your career.”12 Miners who were hurt on the job were told not to report their injuries, so an NFDL (non-fatal day lost) would not be recorded. A former Massey miner who testified before a Senate committee explained, “If you got hurt, you were told not to fill out the lost-time accident paperwork. The company would just pay guys to sit in the bathhouse or to stay at home if they got hurt.”13

Investigators found that the company had kept two sets of books at UBB, one for its own record keeping and the other to show inspectors. “If a coal mine wants to keep two sets of books, that’s their business,” the administrator for MSHA later commented. “They can keep five sets of books if they want. But they’re required to record the hazards in the official set of books.”14 Conditions that were recorded in the company’s own books—but not the official set—included sudden methane spikes, inoperative safety equipment, and other dangers.

 

(page 495)

 

The Upper Big Branch Mine

The mine also had a system in place, set up by its chief of security, to warn underground managers that an inspector was on the way—a clear violation of the law. A miner who survived the explosion later told Congress, “The code word would go out we’ve got a man [government inspector] on the property…. When the word goes out, all effort is made to correct the deficiencies.”15 A surviving miner testified:

 

Nobody shuts one of Don Blankenship’s mines down. It has never happened. Everyone knows when mine inspectors are coming, you clean things up for a few minutes, make it look good, then you go back to the business of running coal. That’s how things work at Massey. When inspectors write a violation, the company lawyers challenge it in court. It’s just all a game. Don Blankenship does what he wants.16

 

After the disaster, Blankenship stated, “Violations are unfortunately a normal part of the mining process. There are violations in every coal mine in America, and UBB was a mine that had violations.”

 

Causes of the Disaster

In the months following the tragedy at Upper Big Branch, three separate investigations—conducted by the federal MSHA, a commission established by the governor of West Virginia, and the United Mine Workers—examined the causes of the fatal explosion. All came to the same conclusion: that a spark from the longwall shearer had ignited a pocket of methane, which had then set off a series of explosions of volatile coal dust that had raced through the mine. Such events could only have happened in the presence of serious, systematic safety violations. Among the problems cited by the investigators were these:

 

· Rock Dust. Investigators found that the company had failed to meet government standards for the application of rock dust. As a result, explosive coal dust had built up on surfaces and in the air throughout the mine.

 

The state commission reported that the Upper Big Branch mine had only two workers assigned to rock dusting, and they typically worked at the task only three days a week and were frequently called away to do other jobs. Moreover, their task was often impossible because the mine’s single dusting machine, which was about 30 years old, was broken most of the time. Federal investigators later determined that more than 90 percent of the area of the mine where the explosion occurred was inadequately rock dusted at the time of the explosion. They also found that the area of the longwall where the explosion began had not been rock dusted a single time since production started there in September 2009. The presence of large amounts of floating coal dust in the mine was also suggested by medical evidence. Seventy-one percent of the autopsied victims showed clinical signs of black lung disease, caused by breathing airborne coal dust. Nationally, the rate of black lung disease in underground coal miners was around 3 percent.

 

· Ventilation. Investigators found that the Upper Big Branch Mine did not have sufficient ventilation to provide the miners with fresh, breathable air, and to remove coal dust as well as methane and other dangerous gases.

Upper Big Branch, like many mines, used a so-called push-pull system in which large fans at the portal blew fresh air into the mine, and a fan on the other end pulled air out. The state page 496investigation found that this system did not work very well at Upper Big Branch. The fans were powerful enough, but the plan was not properly engineered.

 

The push-pull ventilation system at Upper Big Branch … had a design flaw: its fans were configured so that air was directed in a straight line even though miners worked in areas away from the horizontal path. As a result, air had to be diverted from its natural flow pattern into the working sections…. Because these sections were located on different sides of the natural flow pattern, multiple diversionary controls had to be constructed and frequently were in competition with one another.17

 

Poor ventilation had likely caused methane to build up near the longwall shearer, providing the fuel for the initial fireball, investigators found.

 

· Equipment Maintenance. Investigators concluded that water sprays on the longwall shearer were not functioning properly, and as a result were unable to extinguish the initial spark.

 

After the disaster, investigators closely studied the longwall shearer where the initial fire had started. They found that several of the cutting teeth on the rotating blades (called “bits”) had worn flat and lost their carbide tips, so they were likely to create sparks when hitting sandstone. The investigators also examined the water nozzles on the shearer, which normally sprayed water onto the coal face during operation to cool the cutting bits, extinguish sparks, and push away any methane that might have leaked into the area. They found that seven of the nozzles were either missing or clogged. Tests found that the longwall shearer did not have adequate water pressure to keep the surface wet and cool. As a result, any small sparks thrown off during the mining process could not be extinguished.

 

In short, a series of interrelated safety violations had combined to produce a preventable tragedy. The United Mine Workers called the disaster “industrial homicide” and called for the criminal prosecution of Massey’s managers.

 

For its part, Massey had a completely different interpretation of the causes of the events of April 5. An investigation commissioned by the company and headed by Bobby R. Inman, its lead independent director, said that the explosion was caused by a sudden, massive inundation of natural gas through a crack in the mine’s floor—an Act of God that the company could not have anticipated or prevented. The company report stated:

 

… the scientific data that [Massey] has painstakingly assembled over the last year with the assistance of a team of nationally renowned experts so far compels at least five conclusions. First, a massive inundation of natural gas caused the UBB explosion and coal dust did not contribute materially to the magnitude or severity of the blast; second, although an ignition source may never be determined, the explosion likely originated in the Tailgate 21 entries, but certainly not as a result of faulty shearer maintenance; third, [the company] adequately rock dusted the mine prior to the explosion such that coal dust could not have played a causal role in the accident; fourth, the mine’s underground ventilation system provided significantly more fresh air than required by law and there is no evidence that ventilation contributed to the explosion; and fifth, MSHA has conducted a deeply flawed accident investigation that has been predicated, in part, upon secrecy, protecting its own self-interest, witness intimidation, obstruction of [company] investigators, and retaliatory citations.18

 

In a conversation with stock analysts six months after the disaster, Blankenship stated that he had a “totally clear conscience” and that he did not believe Massey had “contributed in any way to the accident.”19

 

The Upper Big Branch Mine

Discussion Questions

 

1) What were the costs and benefits to stakeholders of the actions taken by Massey Energy and its managers?,

 

2) Applying the four methods of ethical reasoning (utilitarianism rights justice and virtue do you believe Massey Energy behaved in an ethical manner?, Why or why not?,

 

3) Who or what caused the Upper Big Branch mine disaster and why do you think so?,

 

4) Who or what caused the Upper Big Branch mine disaster and why do you think so?,

 

 

Reference:

 

Lawrence, A., & Weber, J. (2022). Business and Society (17th ed.). McGraw-Hill Higher

Education (US). https://reader2.yuzu.com/books/9781265914769

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April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Small Business Management

Explore three key ways this course (Small Business) has prepared you for managing a small business effectively. Provide a detailed analysis of your personal growth and the insights gained, using specific concepts from the course to support your discussion.

Check tips on how to do your Online Assignment Help.

Small Business Management

 

Requirements:

  • Identify three key aspects of your development in small business management, highlighting how the course has equipped you with practical skills and knowledge.,
  • Incorporate and explain five core concepts from the course to support your reflection. ,,Examples of concepts you may choose include:,,
    • Business Planning: The importance of creating a comprehensive business plan and how it impacts business success.,
    • Financial Management: Techniques for managing cash flow budgeting and understanding financial statements.,
    • Marketing Strategies: Approaches to effectively market a small business including digital and traditional methods.,
    • Operational Efficiency: Methods for streamlining business operations and maximizing productivity.
    • Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them.,

Use a real-world example (Mama & Daughter Diner) to illustrate how these concepts can be applied to small business management. https://www.mamasdaughtersdiner.com/

NO AI (Turnitin applied)

3-4 pages

APA Format

Sources:

https://www.mamasdaughtersdiner.com/

Book attached

Explore three key ways this course (Small Business) has prepared you for managing a small business effectively. Provide a detailed analysis of your personal growth and the insights gained, using specific concepts from the course to support your discussion.

Requirements:

  • Identify three key aspects of your development in small business management, highlighting how the course has equipped you with practical skills and knowledge.
  • Incorporate and explain five core concepts from the course to support your reflection. Examples of concepts you may choose include:
    • Business Planning: The importance of creating a comprehensive business plan and how it impacts business success.
    • Financial Management: Techniques for managing cash flow, budgeting, and understanding financial statements.
    • Marketing Strategies: Approaches to effectively market a small business, including digital and traditional methods.
    • Operational Efficiency: Methods for streamlining business operations and maximizing productivity.
    • Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and developing strategies to mitigate them.

Use a real-world example (Mama & Daughter Diner) to illustrate how these concepts can be applied to small business management. https://www.mamasdaught

April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

In 250 words total, answer the questions below with 4 evidence base scholarly articles. APA format.

Cryptology

Based on the readings for chapter 3 Information Security Fundamentals and chapter 3&4 Information Security: Design, Implementation, Measurement, and Compliance, Discuss the following.

1. What are some of the cryptology methods used in my work organizations?,

2. What do you find to be an advantage and disadvantage?,

3. What are some things you think that may be lacking and or should be improved in the future?,

400 words total, replying to the two posts below. Each reply must be 200 words for post 1 and post 2.

 

S.B POST 1

Cryptology

In my organization, which operates within the public sector, cryptology plays a central role in protecting sensitive data, particularly within our records management systems and inter-agency communications. One of the most widely used cryptographic methods is AES-256 encryption, especially for database storage and file transfer protocols. This symmetric key encryption standard provides a strong balance of speed and security, and its adoption has helped ensure compliance with CJIS and other government data protection requirements (Peltier, 2013).

For secure external communication, we also rely heavily on TLS (Transport Layer Security), particularly for web-based applications and email systems. TLS ensures data confidentiality and integrity during transmission and is integrated into many of our public-facing platforms, such as citizen complaint portals and department-wide internal communications. Additionally, SHA-2 hashing is used for data integrity checks on documents submitted through our digital evidence systems.

A clear advantage of these methods is their maturity and wide adoption, which allows for relatively seamless integration into commercial off-the-shelf software and platforms. The downside, however, is that key management—especially for encrypted backup archives—can become cumbersome. We’ve experienced issues in the past where decryption keys weren’t properly maintained or rotated, leading to accessibility problems during audits or recovery efforts. As Peltier (2013) notes, poor key management can be a critical failure point, even when robust cryptographic tools are in place.

One area I believe needs improvement is end-user awareness and handling of encrypted data. While the backend systems are fairly secure, human error remains a vulnerability. For example, employees sometimes download sensitive encrypted files to personal devices or cloud drives, defeating the purpose of organizational encryption policies. Improving this would require stronger endpoint controls and mandatory encryption for local storage (Whitman & Mattord, 2021).

Going forward, I believe we need to evaluate quantum-resistant cryptography for long-term data protection, especially as federal agencies begin laying the groundwork for post-quantum encryption standards (NIST, 2023). While this might seem premature, critical data archived for 10+ years could be at risk once quantum computing becomes mainstream.

References

National Institute of Standards and Technology. (2023). Post-quantum cryptography: NIST’s approach and latest updates.  https://www.nist.gov/pqcrypto

Peltier, T. R. (2013). Information security fundamentals (2nd ed.). CRC Press.

Whitman, M. E., & Mattord, H. J. (2021). Principles of information security (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

J.N POST 2

Cryptology

Currently, I am engaged in Communications Security (COMSEC) operations for the wing’s cybersecurity division, which plays a foundational role in safeguarding classified and sensitive information.  This vital role requires vigilance and expertise in implementing cryptologic methods designed to secure voice, data, and network communication.  These methods adherer strictly to standards approved by the National Security Agency (NSA), ensuring robust encryption and protection against potential breaches.  We operate on Key Management Infrastructure (KMI), a system that centralize control over key distribution, auding, and accountability.  The KMI’s integrated framework bring numerous advantages, including the enhanced security and automation of key lifecycle management processes such as distribution, revocation, and destruction.  Some challenges we face in COMSEC include the complexity of KMI, which can slow down operation when agility is needed in dynamic operational environments, particularly during emergencies.   KMI training is highly specialized and provided at only one location for the entire Air Force.  Training takes one month to complete, creating gaps in staffing.  Mastery of KMI operations takes years to fully grasp both operational and administrative to run the account effectively.  This steep learning curve places additional pressure on personnel to perform flawlessly in high-stakes scenarios.

 

For future improvement in the administrative processes of COMSEC, unifying all documents to include digital signature would be highly beneficial.  Currently, handle numerous documents, with some requiring wet signatures and others relying solely on digital ones.  Standardizing this process would streamline operations and reduce complexity.  Interestingly, COMSEC falls under the IT domain, yet it often feels more like an administrative role.  Many of my co-workers who have spent the majority of their careers in COMSEC enjoy job security within this field but struggle to qualify for other positions in IT.

Cryptology

Reference:

 

Layton, Timothy P.. Information Security : Design, Implementation, Measurement, and Compliance, Auerbach Publishers, Incorporated, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apus/detail.action?docID=267956.

April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Jeffreys’s Amazing Software Program ($0.00)

· JASP v19.03 available for free download

· Download JASP – JASP – Free and User-Friendly Statistical SoftwareLinks to an external site.

 

Data Analysis

This Assignment will use the same Texas STAAR Test Data from the One-Way Assignment. Similar to the first one, you will follow the instructions to create a 2×2 Full Factorial model to test whether the Test Prep Course significantly influences test scores, and whether this effect is greater in Females or Males.  To do this, you will use Test Prep and Gender as treatments and/or blocking factors, then test for a significant interaction.  You will follow steps to do this for all three test subjects in Questions 1-3, then upload the results in Question 4 just like last time.

(If you are lost, don’t worry.  I will post a video in which I work through Reading for both assignments by Wednesday.  Then you can use that for direction in how to tackle the other two, so it’s probably worth waiting and not trying to rush through just to be done with it.)

Week 5 Analytical Assignment – Texas STAAR Exam Data.docx  Download Week 5 Analytical Assignment – Texas STAAR Exam Data.docx

Texas STAAR Filter ANOVA Week 5 Data.csv Download Texas STAAR Filter ANOVA Week 5 Data.csv

Data Analysis

Top of Form

Data Analysis

Flag question: Question 1

Question 130 pts

For large complex analyses such as these, you may wish to reboot your computer before you begin.  JASP uses a lot of virtual memory.  Load the Texas STAAR file into JASP, then make sure the that your data loaded correctly.  Since we have already examined the data, we will skip the descriptives this time.  Proceed to ANOVA and begin.

Question 1: Analyze Math Scores

Next, you will use statistical analysis to determine whether the parent’s education level significantly influences a child’s test scores in math.  Open the correct module and name it ANOVA PrepxGen-Math.  Choose the appropriate analytical technique to test the following hypotheses for α=.05.:

H0:μCompleted=μNone

H1:μCompleted≠μNone

Data Analysis

H0:μFemale=μMale

H2:μFemale≠μMale

 

H0:μPrepij∗Female=μPrepij∗Male

H3:μPrepij∗Female≠μPrepij∗Male

 

Perform all necessary omnibus tests to ensure that the assumptions for the analysis have been met.  Include the Q-Q plot as a test for normality, but you may assume that normality has been met for all three dependent variables. We will not be performing nonparametric analyses in this assignment.  Test for homogeneity of variances, however if Levene’s test is significant (p < .05), then we will still perform the analyses using Type III Model since there is no variance correction for factorial ANOVA and we cannot test interactions using KW nonparametric techniques.

Use the default Type III sum of squares model if homogeneity of variances can be assumed.  Include the descriptive statistics table for this analysis and use partial eta square to estimate the effect size of the treatment, block, and interaction.

Perform post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s test for pairwise comparisons of the treatment, block, and interaction if appropriate.  Flag significant values, show the 95% CI, calculate Cohen’s d for effect size, select conditional comparisons for interactions, and also present the simple main effects.

For visual presentation, also include descriptive plots with 95% error bars for Test Prep, with Gender displayed separately.  Then include raincloud plots displayed horizontally with Gender plotted separately.

Data Analysis

Use the results from ANOVA Parent-Math to answer the following questions:

 

Q1p1– What is the test statistic (F-value) for the Test Prep Course?          [ Select ]      [“14.551”, “”] 

Q1p2- What is the test statistic (F-value) for Gender?          [ Select ]      [“5.155”, “”] 

Q1p3- What is the test statistic (F-value) for the Interaction Term?          [ Select ]      [“3.188”, “”] 

Q1p4- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for the Test Prep Course?          [ Select ]      [“.067”, “0.067”] 

Q1p5- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for Gender?          [ Select ]      [“.025”, “0.025”] 

Q1p6- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for the Interaction Term?          [ Select ]      [“.015”, “0.015”] 

Q1p7- What is the p-value for Levene’s test?          [ Select ]      [“.784”, “0.784”] 

Q1p8- What is the p-value for the interaction term?          [ Select ]      [“.076”, “0.076”] 

Q1p9– Does the Test Prep Course significantly increase math exam scores? (yes/no)          [ Select ]      [“yes”, “”] 

Q1p10– Does the Test Prep Course benefit Females significantly more than Males? (yes/no)          [ Select ]      [“no”, “”] 

 

Move on to Question 2, where you will repeat this process using the reading exam scores. Do not close or delete the previous modules as you will only upload ONE results file for this assignment. 

 

Data Analysis

Flag question: Question 2

Question 230 pts

Question 2: Analyze Reading Scores

Next, you will use statistical analysis to determine whether the parent’s education level significantly influences a child’s test scores in reading.  Open the correct module and name it ANOVA PrepxGen-Reading.  Choose the appropriate analytical technique to test the following hypotheses for α=.05.:

H0:μCompleted=μNone

H1:μCompleted≠μNone

 

H0:μFemale=μMale

H2:μFemale≠μMale

 

H0:μPrepij∗Female=μPrepij∗Male

H3:μPrepij∗Female≠μPrepij∗Male

Data Analysis

Perform all necessary omnibus tests to ensure that the assumptions for the analysis have been met.  Include the Q-Q plot as a test for normality, but you may assume that normality has been met for all three dependent variables. We will not be performing nonparametric analyses in this assignment.  Test for homogeneity of variances, however if Levene’s test is significant (p < .05), then we will still perform the analyses using Type III Model since there is no variance correction for factorial ANOVA and we cannot test interactions using KW nonparametric techniques.

Use the default Type III sum of squares model if homogeneity of variances can be assumed.  Include the descriptive statistics table for this analysis and use partial eta square to estimate the effect size of the treatment, block, and interaction.

Perform post-hoc analysis using Tukey’s test for pairwise comparisons of the treatment, block, and interaction if appropriate.  Flag significant values, show the 95% CI, calculate Cohen’s d for effect size, select conditional comparisons for interactions, and also present the simple main effects.

For visual presentation, also include descriptive plots with 95% error bars for Test Prep, with Gender displayed separately.  Then include raincloud plots displayed horizontally with Gender plotted separately.

Data Analysis

Use the results from ANOVA PrepxGen -Reading to answer the following questions:,

 

Q2p1– What is the test statistic (F-value) for the Test Prep Course? ,

Q2p2- What is the test statistic (F-value) for Gender?  ,

Q2p3- What is the test statistic (F-value) for the Interaction Term?,  

Q2p4- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for the Test Prep Course? , 

Q2p5- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for Gender? , 

Q2p6- What is the effect size (partial eta squared) for the Interaction Term?,  

Q2p7- What is the p-value for Levene’s test?  ,

Q2p8- What is the p-value for the interaction term? , 

Q2p9– Does the Test Prep Course significantly increase reading exam scores? (yes/no)

Q2p10– Does the Test Prep Course benefit Females significantly more than Males? (yes/no)

 

Move on to Question 3, where you will repeat this process using the writing exam scores. Do not close or delete the previous modules as you will only upload ONE results file for this assignment. 

 

Data Analysis

Flag question: Question 3

Question 330 pts

Question 3: Analyze Writing Scores

Next, you will use statistical analysis to determine whether the parent’s education level significantly influences a child’s test scores in writing.  Open the correct module and name it ANOVA PrepxGen-Writing.  Choose the appropriate analytical technique to test the following hypotheses for α=.05.:

H0:μCompleted=μNone

H1:μCompleted≠μNone

 

H0:μFemale=μMale

H2:μFemale≠μMale

 

H0:μPrepij∗Female=μPrepij∗Male

H3:μPrepij∗Female≠μPrepij∗Male

April 18, 2025

Response of the Poet to the Very Eminent Sor Filotea de la Cruz

In her famous “Respuesta” or “,” Sor Juana writes a masterful rhetorical piece. Use the following prompts and questions to help you explore Sor Juana’s reply.

Response of the Poet to the Very Eminent Sor Filotea de la Cruz

1–The writer provides autobiographical details of the progress of her learning. Sor Juana explains her rigorous methods for disciplining herself to learn. Tracing her education identify and explain two of the methods she used to discipline herself.,

2–Explain the reasons Sor Juana gives for joining a convent.,

3–Explain the circumstances that led Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz to write her “Response of the Poet to the Very Eminent Sor Filotea de la Cruz.” (Be sure that you have read the introduction to the work.),

4–Sor Juana supports her argument for learning with examples from the bible. Identify one of these examples and explain how Sor Juana uses this religious example to support and strengthen her ideas.,

5–In her “Response” Sor Juana argues that women, just as men, quest for knowledge and desire to write. Then she asks this question: “where is the evil in my being a woman?” (253). How does the author defend her right to write as both a nun and a woman?

 

Remember to receive full credit for this assignment, students must present thoughtful posts, and they must respond meaningfully to at least two other students’ posts.

NOTE: Write the response in the Discussion forum’s textbox. Do not upload a document.

Sor Juana

Remember to receive full credit for this assignment, students must present thoughtful posts, and they must respond meaningfully to at least two other students’ posts.

NOTE: Write the response in the Discussion forum’s textbox. Do not upload a document.

April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Please provide a speak-over PowerPoint presentation on the utilization of Psychotherapeutic Approaches for Addictions.

Presentation Guidelines

Your PowerPoint should include the following slides:

  1. Title Slide
    • Include your name, course, date, and title of your presentation.
  2. Introduction Slide
    • Provide a brief overview of what your presentation will cover.
  3. Current Trends and Practices
    • Highlight contemporary approaches and innovations in addiction treatment.
  4. Principles of Effective Treatment
    • Discuss the key principles that make treatment approaches successful.
  5. Models of Treatment
    • Present at least two models of addiction treatment and their applications.
  6. Conclusion Slide
    • Summarize the key points discussed in your presentation.
      • References Slide
        • Include all sources used in APA format.
        • Please provide a speak-over PowerPoint presentation on the utilization of Psychotherapeutic Approaches for Addictions.
        • Psychotherapeutic Approaches
        • Presentation Guidelines 

          Your PowerPoint should include the following slides:,

          1. Title Slide
            • Include your name course date and title of your presentation.,
          2. Introduction Slide
            • Provide a brief overview of what your presentation will cover.,
          3. Current Trends and Practices
            • Highlight contemporary approaches and innovations in addiction treatment.,
          4. Principles of Effective Treatment
            • Discuss the key principles that make treatment approaches successful.,
          5. Models of Treatment
            • Present at least two models of addiction treatment and their applications.,
          6. Conclusion Slide
            • Summarize the key points discussed in your presentation.
          7. References Slide
            • Include all sources used in APA format.
            • Please provide a speak-over PowerPoint presentation on the utilization of Psychotherapeutic Approaches for Addictions.Presentation Guidelines

              Your PowerPoint should include the following slides:

              1. Title Slide
                • Include your name, course, date, and title of your presentation.
              2. Introduction Slide
                • Provide a brief overview of what your presentation will cover.
              3. Current Trends and Practices
                • Highlight contemporary approaches and innovations in addiction treatment.
              4. Principles of Effective Treatment
                • Discuss the key principles that make treatment approaches successful.
              5. Models of Treatment
                • Present at least two models of addiction treatment and their applications.
              6. Conclusion Slide
                • Summarize the key points discussed in your presentation.
              7. References Slide
                • Include all sources used in APA format.
April 18, 2025
April 18, 2025

Anna Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World introduces the concept of Salvage Rhythms. Begin by defining salvage rhythms in your own words , explain what the salvage rhythms of dumpster diving might reflect about our current social and economic systems., What is another example of a resource or industry with salvage rhythms? How would you explain this to a friend?,

Then, compare and contrast how markets, regulations, and local norms were represented in the simulation. What seemed most effective in governing the shared resource of food waste, and why? How might you design a governance system for the resource or industry you identified?

Salvage Rhythms

Anna Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World introduces the concept of . Begin by defining salvage rhythms in your own words and explain what the of dumpster diving might reflect about our current social and economic systems. What is another example of a resource or industry with  How would you explain this to a friend?

Then, compare and contrast how markets, regulations, and local norms were represented in the simulation. What seemed most effective in governing the shared resource of food waste, and why? How might you design a governance system for the resource or industry you identified?

Anna Tsing’s The Mushroom at the End of the World introduces the concept of . Begin by defining in your own words and explain what the  of dumpster diving might reflect about our current social and economic systems. What is another example of a resource or industry with salvage rhythms? How would you explain this to a friend?

Then, compare and contrast how markets, regulations, and local norms were represented in the simulation. What seemed most effective in governing the shared resource of food waste, and why? How might you design a governance system for the resource or industry you identified?

April 17, 2025
April 17, 2025

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Read the directions carefully for each section and completely fill in the table for all 4 parts.
Part 1: Source Review
For Part I, review Adira, et al.’s (2022) article, “Difficulties in emotion regulation and optimistic bias in
young drivers’ risky driving behaviors.” Based on this article, completely fill in the following table.
Scoring Criterion: Describe research methods and quantitative data used in research.

Difficulties in emotion regulation

Research Summary
In your own words describe the primary goal of this research study.,
What are the independent
variables?,
What is the dependent
variable?,
What was the valid sample size? (i.e.
number of participants whose data was
used in the study),
How were the data collected? What statistical analyses were used?,
Summarize two or three key findings,
Where was this study conducted? How do you think the results would be different if the study
were conducted in the United States? Explain why.
Source Used
In the tables below, provide the APA Style reference as well as an example of what a parenthetical and intext (narrative) citation would look like for Adira, et al.’s (2022) article, “Difficulties in emotion
regulation and optimistic bias in young drivers’ risky driving behaviors.”

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
Scoring Criterion: Use APA style format for a reference and citations.
APA Style Reference (i.e., what you would put on your “References page” if you were writing a
paper)
Parenthetical Citation In-text Citation
https://inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net/files/11c0ebdd-7375KPdoX9VEjUBu6Z7zfytFwrz1ojwFNV_q_4lO7LdoE10ix52x1OA 4/9/25, 9:36 PM
Page 1 of 4
Part 2: Connecting Concepts
Gathering Information
Review your textbook for information on the topic you chose last week (i.e., cultural responses to puberty,
brain development in adolescence, or religious practices during adolescence).
Scoring Criterion: Relate developmental psychological terminology, concepts, and research to mental
processes.

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
1. Choose a concept in your textbook that relates to your topic. Quote your textbook on this
concept. Cite your quotation.
2. Paraphrase the quote above. (Note: This will be one piece of evidence for your paragraph
below.) Cite your paraphrase.
3. Quote a second part of your textbook related to your topic. Cite your quotation.
4. Paraphrase quote above. (Note: This will be one piece of evidence for your paragraph
below.) Cite your paraphrase.
5. Compare the two thoughts you paraphrased. Write a sentence or two that highlights what
they have in common. (Note: This will be your analysis for your paragraph below.)
Putting It All Together
Using the information you put together above, put together a paragraph.
What is the main idea for your paragraph? Write one complete sentence.
Write a paragraph using the MEAL Plan structure (for more information, see the MEAL Plan
Paragraph Organization page on Campus). Place the sentences in the following manner: your
main idea from above, your paraphrase of the textbook (#2 above), your paraphrase of the
article (#4 above), your comparison of article to textbook (#5 above)
Part 3: Values, Ethics, and Interpersonal Relationships
Review the general principles in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. Then fill in
the following table, using 1–2 sentences for each block.
Scoring Criterion: Describe the need for positive personal values in building strong relationships with
others.

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation
https://inst-fs-iad-prod.inscloudgate.net/files/11c0ebdd-7375KPdoX9VEjUBu6Z7zfytFwrz1ojwFNV_q_4lO7LdoE10ix52x1OA 4/9/25, 9:36 PM
Page 2 of 4
In your own words, describe the
APA’s Principle of Beneficence
and Nonmaleficence.
Describe how this principle
applies to interacting with other
people.
Describe how this principle
applies to going to school.
Part 4: Project Management
Review the directions of the Week 4 assignment. Think through what you need to complete the paper and
how you will complete it. Then fill in the following table, using 1–2 sentences for each block.
Scoring Criterion: Describe how to find information needed to complete the Week 4 assignment