The Toulmin assignment directions are as follows: This essay, not the quiz, should be between 900 and 1000 words. This essay will help you practice what you have learned so far in this course. First, you will choose a topic of interest. Make sure that you choose a topic with two opposing sides. Then, you need to research that topic in order to specify the topic’s scope, so it can be easily discussed in a shorter, 1000 word essay. For example, you may be interested in learning more about traffic issues in the United States. However, that topic is too large to cover in a 1000 word essay. After researching peer reviewed articles that discuss US traffic issues in general, you may discover that the metro system in the District of Columbia is underfunded and underutilized. Through your research, you found that you could make a claim that more funds should be made available in order to upgrade the metro system, which would improve traffic issues in the District of Columbia. This would make for a stronger, specific argument. The following overused topics may not be used in your essay: gun control, abortion, capital punishment, gay marriage, gays in the military, mandatory drug testing, euthanasia, childhood obesity, women in the military, diets (including the Paleo diet), workout regimens (including CrossFit), underage drinking, and the legalization of marijuana. This essay must include a minimum of five sources. Three should peer-reviewed sources preferably from the APUS databases. You may use eBooks; however, as discussed earlier this semester, books generally are not as current as peer-reviewed articles. You may also use primary sources (interviews, statistics, etc); however, these primary sources should be obtained from experts within that field. If you cannot find strong sources for your chosen topic, then change your topic. If you have a question about the validity of a source, please email me, or post your question to the open forum. Make sure to include the following sections in your essay: introduction and claim, background, body, and conclusion. Within the body of your Toulmin essay, make sure to include the following in any order: support for your claim, opposing or alternate views, scholarly research, and rebuttals. After you have written your essay, please make sure to revise the content of your essay. Lastly, be sure to edit your essay by checking grammar, format, and smaller technical details. Please make sure your essay is written in third person. Also, please include an outline for your essay on a separate page.

After all our discussions on trends in higher education and preparing to address these areas through assessment, evaluation, and strategic planning, in this discussion you’ll discuss the most pressing issue faced by Universities. Prior to completing this discussion read Chapter 7 in Clawson & Page (2011).Initial Post: Create an initial response that addresses the following:Part 1: IdentifyWhat do you think is the most pressing issue in higher education today that will require proper planning by university administrators to adequately address? Please be sure to explain your selection.Part 2: OutlineOutline a series of objectives for addressing the issue. Be sure to identify at least three objectives.For each objective, list at least two tasks that would need to be carried out by the university to accomplish that objective.The initial post should be a minimum of 300 words.Guided Response: Post responses to at least two classmates. In your response, reflect on your classmate’s responses. Questions you might consider in your response include:Do you agree with the issue selected by your classmate?Are there any objectives that you feel should been included that were not?How well do you feel the tasks align to the objectives?

Sometimes experiencing a crisis leads people to consider suicide. It is important for social workers and human service professionals to feel comfortable with the topic of suicide and confident in their ability to assess potential lethality and intervene with the appropriate level of care.For this Discussion, reflect on the following scenario. Then consider how you might intervene with Paul.Scenario: Paul is a recent widow after his wife of 45 years passed away from cancer. Paul admits that he has been struggling to manage his grief and admits that he has been having suicidal thoughts since his wife died.By Day 4Post a description of the feelings you experience when thinking about working with a suicidal client. Explain what questions you would ask Paul to assess his suicidality and why it would be important to obtain this information. Finally, explain how you would intervene to address both the suicidal thoughts and the grief that he is experiencing from his loss. Be sure to support your postings and responses with specific references to the resources.Read a selection of your colleagues’ postings.By Day 6Respond to at least two of your colleagues’ postings in one or more of the following ways:Ask a probing question.Share an insight from having read your colleague’s posting.Offer and support an opinion.Validate an idea with your own experience.Make a suggestion.Expand on your colleague’s posting.