blog 12

Thesis: Budget cuts from universities shouldn’t be happening because it is raising tuition

Introduction:

Talk about the importance of a higher education, including statistical data about how much more a college degree person earns in a life time. Then talk about the recent budget cuts happening across universities in the United States. This will lead into the inflation of tuition. This will lead to thesis statement-budget cuts from universities shouldn’t be happening reasons it is raising tuition because students aren’t able to afford the tuition, financial aid is depleting, and student loans are on a rampage.

Supporting Paragraph:

Reason 1: Tuition increases are making it hard for students to earn a college degree

Evidence: Include data and source of tuition increasing around 7% since Fall 2010

Evidence: Show interview from Ohio State and Iowa State on students and their perspective of the tuition increase

Supporting Paragraph:

Reason 2: Financial aid is depleting and having strict qualifying guidelines

Evidence: Show statics from FASFA on the money available for students

Evidence: Include the guidelines for qualifying for financial aid

Supporting Paragraph:

Objection from Opposition: Due to recent budget cuts, universities only choice is to raise tuition costs.

Rebuttal: Budget cuts from universities shouldn’t be happening in the first place.

Evidence to support rebuttal: Number that has been cut from universities

Evidence to support rebuttal: Why state government chooses to take funding away from universities.

Evidence to support rebuttal: Where other money to fund universities is coming from and increasing tuition is not the only option

Objection from Opposition: A person chooses to attend college, therefore choose to pay tuition

Evidence to support rebuttal: Job competition-employers choose college degree obtainer over non.

Evidence to support rebuttal: The amount a college degree holder makes is over a million more than a non degree.

Evidence to support rebuttal: list of jobs that do not require a degree compared to those that do.

Supporting Paragraph:

Reason 3: Student loans are at a all time high

Evidence: average student owes around $25,000 after graduating

Evidence: Loan forgiveness only occurs after 25 years of paying regularly

Conclusion: Use student’s statement about not being aware of the tuition increase but is worrisome now that she knows. Most students are in the same boat as this particular student. With recent budget cuts tuition inflation is at a all time high. Financial support is helping enough and students are forced to burry themselves in loans. State government should realize the importance of a higher education, for all, and stop having budget cuts from universities.

Mission Statement

To stop the increasing of tuition for universities, private, public, community, or junior all of the United States by eliminating budget cuts that are forcing higher education facilities to raise fees. Since Fall 2010, tuition for students has increase by an average of 8%, nearly $700.  In most cases, an universities only choice is to increase the student’s fees because of the shortage of money given by the government. Our nations recession is causing a hard time for all, but putting an expensive price tag on an education is not the answer. Money should not be cut from an individuals learning experience but implemented in other factors such as taxes. The increase of tuition is creating problems for students and their families. Most students are having to take out large loans to pay for their tuition and by the time they graduate will owe up to $25,000. Other students rely on financial aid, however qualifying for financial aid is becoming more difficult because of strict guidelines and a decrease in funds.  Parents who have saved money for their child’s tuition since they day they were born are now coming up short for covering the full cost.  By becoming aware of tuition increases that is happening all over the country and the world, students, parents, soon to be students and graduates can all take a stand against budget cuts that are happening to universities. They can petition the right to have a higher education at a reasonable price and that the government has no right in inflating these costs.

Blog 10 Annotated Bibliography and multiomodel research

 

Burton, Nsenga. “College Tuition Increases; State Funding Is Slashed.” The Root. The Slate

            Group, 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://http://www.theroot.com/buzz/college-

            tuition-increases-state-funding-slashed>.

This source is about tuition increase and the decrease of state funding. It explains how tuition has gone up about 8% this year. It states that colleges are now using tuition to provide revenue lost from other sources. It also explains Obama’s plan to help ease student load debt. The plan will allow students to cap their federal student-loan payments at 10 percent of their discretionary income starting in January, two years before the cap was slated to take effect under law. It will also forgive all remaining debt on federal loans after 20 years instead of the 25-year trigger allowed under the current law. This plan doesn’t help with tuition increase however and it is up to students to fight this increase. This source is credible because is published by the Slant which is a well known database. The article includes definition and data that are relevant to the subject. It addresses the issue directly. This source will be helpful because Obama’s plan can be used for  an alternative to tuition increase.

Cohan, William D. “Degrees of Influence? The Opinion Pages 16 Mar. 2011. New York Times.

            Web. Aug. 2011. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/16/degrees-of-influence/

This sources main idea is higher education worth the expense? The author explains the increase of tuition, particularly at Harvard University. He discusses the average tuition at Harvard and how much a person must make annually to be able to afford this tuition. He also states that well known and successful people such as Bill Gates, Steven Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are all college drop outs who are now billionaires. Cohan insinuates that having a higher degree might not be worth the tuition increase. However Cohan also states that having a college degree will potentially lead an individual to earn more in a life time and is worth the investment. This source is credible because the New York Times is known for having reliable information. The author is also popular and has written several books and writes for other credible sources. This source has clear exigence and will help me back up the importance of high tuition. He also states why it is important to have a college education but the tuition cost is getting ridiculous.

Clark, Kim. “College Cost Climb, Yet Again.” CNN Money. CNN, 29 Oct. 2011. Web. 6 Nov.

            2011.<http://http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/26/pf/college/college_tuition_cost/index.htm

This source discusses the tuition increase at community college, 4 year universities, and at private universities. Each higher education facility has had an increase of 1,100, to $21,447. However it argues students receive scholarships and financial aid to cover these cost and rarely pay the full price. But low income and middle income families are still struggling to pay for this increase. The source also has a calculator that will help a family estimate the cost of tuition depending on their annual income. University websites are also supposed to offer this calculator to help estimate costs. The source says these calculators are most likely to underestimate the true cost of tuition. This source is a credible because it is a national news source. Facts and information are also given with exact numerical data. This will be a helpful source because of the data given and how much it costs for a student to attend different higher education facilities.  Huffington, Arianna. “School of Bush.” Salon. Salon Media Group, 18 June 2004. Web. 03 Nov.

            2011.  http://www.salon.com/2004/06/18/college_costs/

This sources main idea is that tuition increase started in 2003 with President Bush. It has increased 25% after he forced all states but one to raise the tuition fees. He also had a 550 million reduction in federal assistance to those college students in need of financial aid. The article asks when low taxes became more important than having an opportunity for children to receive a higher education. The article also argues how an education is a necessity and not a luxury anymore. Statics are used in this article and explains that degree holding people earn up to a million more in a life time compared to non degree people. Huffington argues that it is up to Democrats in Washington to stop the increase. Praise is also given to students who rallies and movements to stop increases have been happening all over the country. The credibility of this source high. The author Arianna Huffington is a well known journalist and writes on the liberal side of the issue. This source has explained where the increase of tuition started and why. It also has explained what needs to happen to stop the increase. This will be useful in my project because of the statics given for tuition increase.

Iowa Students Face New Tuition Increase. KCCI, 2011. YouTube. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.

            <http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL9cuwS8JOg&gt;.

This video is a news clip from KCCI Channel 8 news in Iowa. The clip talks about Obama’s plan about forgiving debt after 20 years. The news piece states that Iowa is 4^th in the nation for students leaving with a high amount of debt. Two students are interviewed from Drake University. One student says he will owe $20,000 when he graduates and the other will owe $10,00. The average student from Drake owes $28,000 when they graduate. It states that Obama’s program will be for students after the leave college and won’t affect current students. Students work with financial aid starting as early as 8^th grade to help save money and apply for scholarships for college. This source is credible because it has expert testimony from students affected by tuition increase and the debt accumulated from it. It has anecdotal evidence too by interviewing students. It addresses the issue directly and focuses on Iowa’s tuition increase. This source will be useful because it shows ethos and logos. It also incorporates how Obama’s plan doesn’t help students now but can help them after they have graduated.

Tuition Increase. YouTube, 23 Mar. 2011. Web. Nov. 2011.

This news clip is from a local station in Ohio and focuses on the tuition increase at Ohio State University. The video is from YouTube. The clip shows interviews of current students and their stance about the increase in tuition. However, some of the students weren’t aware of the additional fees they were going to have to pay for their education. Three students were interviewed and each had something different to say. One student understood the need for the increase, another was skeptical about it, and an international student was very worried about how she would afford the tuition. This source is credible because it is a primary source. It includes testimonies, facts, and informed opinions. It addresses the issue directly and is a neutral on the subject. This source will be helpful to my presentation because it uses ethos and my audience will be able to relate to one of the three interviewed students.

“Tuition Inflation.” FinAid. Mark Kantrowitz, 2011. Web. 6 Nov. 2011.

            <http://http://www.finaid.org/savings/tuition-inflation.phtml&gt;.

This source is database from financial aid for students.  It explains that the rate in inflation will influence the increase in tuition increase, by double that increase. It has charts that show college inflation and inflation and the ratio starting from 1958. It claims that there is no correlation between the two inflations but is a rule of thumb to some people. This is a credible source because it is a primary source and presents original data. It also has facts and data included in it. It addresses my topic but remains neutral on the subject. This source will help me by giving me yearly tuition increases. This evidence will help me be credible when presenting how much tuition has actually increased over the years.

Multiomodel Research Narrative:

1. http://goanimate.com/movie/0Qmg57hfWBZY?utm_source=linkshare&uid=055Fc1qSMCZ4

2.http://goanimate.com/movie/0UU9O0EvgRwQ?utm_source=linkshare&uid=055Fc1qSMCZ4

3. http://goanimate.com/movie/0zNjd435edTY?utm_source=linkshare&uid=055Fc1qSMCZ4

Blog 9

 

1.      http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/21/after-alabama-immigration-law-few-americans-taking-immigrants-work_n_1023635.html

The information in this  source is accurate and trustworthy. I say this because farmers who employ illegal immigrant workers were interviewed. More than just one and they all had similar things to say. Also interviewed were government officials who had positive things to say about the new law. The source showed both sides of the problem making it more accurate. The source is appropriate for an academic paper because it is an example of pathos. The people interviewed are stating their personal case making it easy to relate to them. This source addresses some of my topics issues, mostly just about illegal immigrants working and not the major issue. However it addresses my developing stance because I now feel sorry for the people who lost their jobs because of this new law, even if they are illegal.

 

 

1.      http://immigrationreform.com/2011/10/14/soviet-style-disinformation-in-alabama/

The information in this source doesn’t seem very trustworthy or accurate because it is more of an opinion than fact. Only one side of the situation is discussed and it is bashing the website the Huffington Post. The information isn’t an appropriate source for an academic paper because the information doesn’t seem to be very accurate. Since it’s more of an opinionated paper than factual the information in it could be wrong. The source doesn’t address my topic more just how people are over reacting to disinformation. This source doesn’t change my stance.

http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2011/feb/06/terry-gorman/gorman-says-illegal-immigrants-cost-rhode-island-4/

 

The information in this source is accurate and trustworthy. The author of this source has credible data. He interviewed reliable sources and seems to have an accurate estimate on all the costs. For example the Census Bureau and Homeland Security were both asked for estimates and they both are credible sources therefore trustworthy. The information in this source is appropriate for an academic paper. The costs and numbers given are an example of logos and support any claim being made. This source addresses my topic because it explain the average cost for illegal immigrants to be in the United States. The

Blog 8

Blog 8: Rhetorical Context Analysis for Unit 3 and 4

Copy the following questions into your Blog 8 blog posting and type your answers below each. Blog 8 must be posted by the start of class on Friday, Oct. 21.

1. What will you research and write about? Why are you interested in this topic? I am researching about tuition increase in college and universities in the United States. I am intesrted in this topic because it targets me and I am a college student who is experiencing this situation.

 

1. How is your topic in need of urgent, immediate attention—how is it exigent? This topic is urgent because tuition is increasing yearly at a significant rate. If it continues to increase as this rate than students won’t be able to afford a higher education.

 

1. What do you already know about your topic? What do you need to learn about your topic? I know that most university have tuition increase because of budget cuts that are given by the government. There are additional fees a student must pay. Tuition at CSU went up 7%  and will continue to increase. I also need to learn how this effecting other schools and if there is a drop out rate increase, loan increase, ect.

 

1. What is your stance on your topic—what you will be arguing with regard to your topic? I will be arguing that budget cuts in universities shouldn’t be made and that higher education is a must and that students intution should not be increasing so drastically.

 

1. What oppositional or differing stances will you need to refute in your argument? How much do you know so far about why people might disagree with you? A differing stance is that tuition increase is needed because the schools are losing government provided money. And its necessary to have these tuition to cover the loss of money. I know some information about this stance however I need to do more research on it.

 

1. What kinds of research do you intend to gather? Why? I tend on looking at research that polls people on their opinion, tuition increase annually, and how the economy slump has affected tuition. This all will support my case that budget cuts shouldn’t be made at universities because due to government cutting money.

 

1. Who is your target audience? Why have you chosen this group to address? My target audience will mostly be students. They are the people most affected by tuition increase, along with their parents.

 

1. What are some possible limitations and opportunities posed by your rhetorical situation? Limitations will be students who can’t afford school and who have dropped out. Also people who don’t attend school or have family in school.

Consider the requirements of the assignment, the publication medium, your topic, your research, your past work on this topic, etc.

Unit 1 Reflection

I chose to do my final analysis papers on the Bitzer argument and the visual analysis.  I chose to do the Bitzer argument because I understood it very well and though it was most effective.  I am able to find the exigence, audience, and constraints in almost any argument and discuss their effectiveness.  I also chose this analysis because I thought the opinion article I wrote about was interesting and showed a different point of view of tuition increase. I did the visual analysis because I was able to incorporate everything I have learned in this unit and analyze an argument.  I used bits and parts of Bitzer, Toulmin, Rogerian agruments to dissect a visual argument and rate its effectiveness. I liked being able to use what parts I knew best of each argument to analyze the rhetorical argument of an image.

Bitzer, Toulmin, Rogerian, and visual analysis are all similar in that they are evaluating the effectiveness of an argument.  Each have a different set up and has different criteria, however they all have a particular audience in mind when exploring the argument.  They each also have a claim that must be stated. They are different in the criteria that each  model uses. Bitzer uses exigence, audience and constraints. Toulmin uses claim, warrants, qualifiers, backing, data, and rebuttals. Rogerian model uses connects the audience by using common ground and goals, explores audience perspective and the authors perspective, the conclusion is a compromise between the two different points of view.  The visual analysis uses sound, music, images, graphics, logos, written text, target audience, and credibility of information. Each model isn’t completely different yet the all have certain attributions that make them different.

The Rogerian style is more appealing to me. I say this because it explores both sides of the argument, the audience and authors and then comes to a compromise.  Its used to show credibility and build validity of two different points of view. The Toulmin style can hard to apply to arguments because not all arguments have clear cut qualifiers, warrants, or backing. When I used the Toulmin model, I had a  hard time with the criteria of this model. I wasn’t sure if I was using rebuttals or qualifiers correctly and wasn’t sure if a warrant existed in the argument. Using the Toulmin model was the most challenging part of Unit 1 because I didn’t understand it like I did the other models and wasn’t able to successfully apply it to an argument.

For the most part my stance on my topic of tuition increase has been reinforced by the reading and writing I have done.  Especially after watching a news clip of this issue. Student’s were interviewed about tuition increase at the university they were currently attending. I was able to relate to these student’s about the increase and the use of pathos was used effectively. However, during some of my readings I could also side with the need for tuition increase because of university budget cuts handed out by the government. The more research and reading I do on this topic, the more uneasy I am on which side I choose.

 

Blair and Visual Agruments

Tuition Price Hikes for Private Colleges and Universities

 

I would say that this image has criteria for an argument according to Blair.  When you first look at it you understand its trying to argue that paying for tuition is expensive and basically you need to sell your organs on the black  market to pay for it. The image is arguing that the higher education tuition increases are extremely expensive and becoming less and less affordable.  I depicted this message by the cartoon and the writing bubble that says “College Tuition Tips: Paying for first semester.” This makes it obvious to the reader what the image is about.  I agree with Blair that the image does make an argument and its components are explicit and easily translated into words.  I say this because it flat out says that this guy its trying to pay for college tuition and the picture shows him with his own organs. Its up to the audience however to decipher that he is going to sell his organs for money to pay for tuition.  The image doesn’t exactly evoke powerful emotions. The image is more sarcastic or funny compared to powerful or emotional. I think students or parents who pay tuition would look at this picture and laugh and say “that’s basically about right” when having to pay for tuition. According to Blair the image also is an argument because the claim is easily put into words, it shows reasons (the selling of organs to pay for tuition), and the intended audience is tuition payers. However the image’s reasons are clearly expressed for why tuition is expensive or should be lowered and its not really trying to convince an audience of anything they don’t already know.  For the most part, I believe this image is beginning to start an argument but is missing some key components.

Rogerian Method

Introduction:  Tuition for higher education is continuing to rise but the increase isn’t enough to cover the gaps of lost money.

Audience Stance: Even with the increase of tuition, it is making  up for less than half, on average, of what institutions lost in state funds.

My (author) Stance: At public universities, which enroll 4.1 million students, net tuition increased by $369 — but appropriations declined by $751 per student, and spending per student increased only $92.  Private research universities’ per-student spending increased by $907, and private liberal arts colleges’ $298, while their net tuition increased $293 and $381, respectively.

Call for compromise: Lowering the number of credits needed to complete a degree, which in turn would lower tuition fees but would still obtain a degree and pay the fees.

Toulmin Model of Argument

Claim-Tuition for higher education shouldn’t be increasing each year.

Data-Since 2003 the cost of tution has increased 35%

Warrant-The need for a higher education is more important than lowering taxes.

Backing-A person with a college degree will make on average one million more in their life time than a person without a degree

Qualifier-The increase has been needed since the economy slump but shouldn’t the increase should be so drastic

Rebuttal-Having no increase over a period of time wouldn’t be beneficial for our economy.

Summary of the “I Had an Abortion” T-shirt

“I had an abortion” the rhetorical situation of a planned parenthood t-shirt explains how Bitzer’s Rhetorical Situation Theory is used. First off the t-shirt provides exigence because the abortion debate has been public for many years. The imperfection is for pro-life people that abortion is legal and for pro-choice people that reproduction rights are being challenged. This situation is also directed to a specific audience. The audience has the power to influence change with in current state reproduction rights. Finally There are many constraints including political, by defining oneself by pro-life or pro-choice depending if you decided to wear and or support the shirt or not.