Hector Rodriguez Answer template 1. Topic selection (from a list of choices in the course): College Dept. 2. One source from the Excelsior College Library on your topic: · Title: Casualties of college debt: What data shows and Experts say about Who Defaults and why · Date: 2018 · Author: Bonamici, Suzann · URL for the source: https://bit.ly/2WsUSpn Example of APA format: Bonamici, Suzanne. July 24, 2018. “Bonamici Plays Key Role in Plan to Improve Student Loan System, Increase Higher Education Affordability, and Access." https://bit.ly/2WsUSpn; Andrew Kreighbaum. December 21, 2018. “Senate Passes Bill to Streamline FAFSA.” Inside Higher Ed. https://bit. ly/2SGZkQm. 3. At least three interesting or troubling facts about the topic (in your own words) that come from your source listed above: a. The government is the main stakeholder in securing the future of students. Every year, millions of students are sponsored to ensure that they pursue their tertiary education. b. Although there are many loan defaulters after college, it is not their wish to remain in that situation, but the prolonged expenses of homeownership and minimal retirement savings are the key aspects of every situation. c. Although there are new policies regarding student loans, including reduced interest rates, there is still a long way to go to ensure that the students do not dig up into bad debts in the pursuit of higher education. 4. At least three questions you have about this topic and how it might impact the future of our society: a. Who is delinquent but not yet in default? b. What will happen to future defaulters? c. What is the role of the government in preventing emotional and financial challenges to students in the future? d. How much will education change in the next century? e. What are the roles of other financial hardships? 5. A short paragraph (approx. 200–250 words) reflecting on this process. Consider the following as you reflect: Why did you choose this topic? Do you think you have any biases toward a particular perspective on it? How will you try to minimize your own preferences as you conduct research? Did you find it challenging to find a source or come up with facts and questions about your topic or to think about how this topic relates to the future? I chose casualties of college debt because there are many graduates suffering both financially and emotionally with this debt because of their education out there. Even though the effects of college debt vary depending on the country of residence, the impacts always have the same weight on graduates. I do not think I have any bias in the points of view about the topic. As a student, I know what it means to have a student loan to pursue higher education. Although the money is intended to give the students school fees and upkeep, the process of repayment is not often favorable. The economy and the job market are not agreeable to graduates at any point. As I conduct my research on the topic, I will mi ...

1. Hector Rodriguez
Answer template
1. Topic selection (from a list of choices in the course): College
Dept.
2. One source from the Excelsior College Library on your topic:
· Title: Casualties of college debt: What data shows and Experts
say about Who Defaults and why
· Date: 2018
· Author: Bonamici, Suzann
· URL for the source: https://bit.ly/2WsUSpn
Example of APA format: Bonamici, Suzanne. July 24, 2018.
“Bonamici Plays Key Role in Plan to Improve Student Loan
System, Increase Higher Education Affordability, and Access."
https://bit.ly/2WsUSpn; Andrew Kreighbaum. December 21,
2018. “Senate Passes Bill to Streamline FAFSA.” Inside Higher
Ed. https://bit. ly/2SGZkQm.
3. At least three interesting or troubling facts about the topic (in
your own words) that come from your source listed above:
a. The government is the main stakeholder in securing the future
of students. Every year, millions of students are sponsored to
ensure that they pursue their tertiary education.
b. Although there are many loan defaulters after college, it is
not their wish to remain in that situation, but the prolonged
expenses of homeownership and minimal retirement savings are
the key aspects of every situation.
c. Although there are new policies regarding student loans,
including reduced interest rates, there is still a long way to go

2. to ensure that the students do not dig up into bad debts in the
pursuit of higher education.
4. At least three questions you have about this topic and how it
might impact the future of our society:
a. Who is delinquent but not yet in default?
b. What will happen to future defaulters?
c. What is the role of the government in preventing emotional
and financial challenges to students in the future?
d. How much will education change in the next century?
e. What are the roles of other financial hardships?
5. A short paragraph (approx. 200–250 words) reflecting on this
process. Consider the following as you reflect: Why did you
choose this topic? Do you think you have any biases toward a
particular perspective on it? How will you try to minimize your
own preferences as you conduct research? Did you find it
challenging to find a source or come up with facts and questions
about your topic or to think about how this topic relates to the
future?
I chose casualties of college debt because there are many
graduates suffering both financially and emotionally with this
debt because of their education out there. Even though the
effects of college debt vary depending on the country of
residence, the impacts always have the same weight on
graduates. I do not think I have any bias in the points of view
about the topic. As a student, I know what it means to have a
student loan to pursue higher education. Although the money is
intended to give the students school fees and upkeep, the
process of repayment is not often favorable. The economy and
the job market are not agreeable to graduates at any point. As I
conduct my research on the topic, I will minimize my business
by studying students and the non-student population. This will
ensure that I get the point of view of both sides. Having data
that relates to graduates, students, and the rest of the

3. community will offer a room for drawing relevant conclusions. I
did get some challenges in coming up with questions for
researching this topic. When it comes to student financing, the
item is more emotionally oriented and can, therefore, drain the
self-esteem of most of the students. I had, therefore, to ensure
that I did not affect the emotions of my target audience. The
topic relates to the future by laying out a background of the
impacts that the current students are going through in financing
their education. It analyses the drawbacks of student financing,
which has to be rectified for a better tomorrow.
IND301 Course Project – Milestone 2 Grading Rubric
Criteria A+ (100) A (95) B (85) C (75) D (65) F (55) F (0)
Possible Points: 30 30 28.5 25.5 22.5 19.5 16.5 0
List of Ideas Based
on the Freewrite
and Description
Sentences: The
work includes a list
of at least 7 ideas
and phrases on

4. the student’s topic
emerging from a
freewrite exercise
and a 1–2
sentence
description of a
narrowed topic for
the final project.
The list of ideas is
clearly relevant to
the chosen topic
and important in
building the
foundation for
the project.
Information
about the chosen
narrowed topic is

5. unique, described
concisely (1–2
sentences), and
highlights the
importance/
significance of
the topic.
The list of ideas
is clearly
relevant to the
chosen topic.
Information
about the
chosen
narrowed topic
is described
concisely (1–2
sentences) and

6. highlights the
importance/
significance of
the topic.
The list of
ideas is
relevant to
the chosen
topic.
Information
about the
chosen
narrowed
topic is
described
somewhat
concisely (1–2
sentences)

7. and highlights
some
important and
significant
aspects of the
topic.
Some of the ideas
are relevant to the
chosen topic.
Information about
the chosen
narrowed topic is
described
adequately but
may not be
concise or
highlight the
importance or

8. significance of the
topic.
Many of the ideas
are irrelevant to
the chosen topic.
Information
about the chosen
narrowed topic is
mostly unclear,
incomplete,
mostly irrelevant,
or not concise.
The list of ideas is
irrelevant to the
chosen topic.
Information
about the chosen

9. narrowed topic is
unclear,
incomplete,
mostly irrelevant,
and not concise.
No list of
ideas and
description
or no
submission.
Possible Points: 30 30 28.5 25.5 22.5 19.5 16.5 0
Underlined
Keywords and
Synonyms: The
work includes at
least 5–6
underlined
keywords that are
the key phrases
and ideas from the

10. description. The
work also includes
2–3 appropriate
synonyms,
abbreviations,
acronyms, or
alternative
keyword terms.
The work
includes at least 6
underlined
keywords that
are all the most
important, key
phrases and ideas
and includes
at least 3
appropriate,
relevant
synonyms or
alternatives for
each.

11. The work
includes 5–6
underlined
keywords that
are all key
phrases and
ideas and
includes
at least 2–3
appropriate,
relevant
synonyms or
alternatives for
each.
The work
includes 5–6
underlined

12. keywords that
are mostly key
phrases and
ideas. The
work includes
2–3 synonyms
or alternatives
for each that
are mostly
relevant and
appropriate.
The work includes
5–6 underlined
keywords, some of
which are key
phrases or ideas.
The work includes
2–3 synonyms or

13. alternatives, but
some are not
relevant or
appropriate.
The work
includes fewer
than 5 underlined
keywords, and
most are not key
phrases or ideas.
The work
includes fewer
than 2 synonyms
or alternatives, or
they are mostly
irrelevant or
inappropriate.

14. The work
includes fewer
than 5 underlined
keywords.
Keywords chosen
are not key
phrases or ideas.
The work does
not include 2
synonyms or
alternatives for
the keywords, or
they are totally
irrelevant and
inappropriate.
The work
does not
include

15. underlined
keywords
or
synonyms
or no
submission.
Possible Points: 30 30 28.5 25.5 22.5 19.5 16.5 0
Sources: The work
includes at least 6
appropriate
sources from the
Excelsior College
Library on the
topic with all of
the necessary
information about
the sources
included (author,
date, title, URL).
The 6 or more
selected sources
from the library
are credible and

16. have clear
relevance to the
selected topic.
Information
about the sources
is detailed,
accurate, and
complete.
The 6 or more
selected sources
from the library
are credible and
relevant to the
selected topic.
Information
about the
sources is

17. accurate and
complete.
The 6 selected
sources from
the library are
mostly
credible and
generally
relevant to
the selected
topic.
Information is
complete for
almost all
sources.
Several of the 6
selected sources
from the library

18. are not the most
relevant (i.e., may
be outdated or not
clearly tied to the
topic) to the
selected topic.
Some of the
information is
provided, but it is
incomplete for
some sources.
Many of the 6
selected sources
are not from the
library or not
credible. Sources
have little
relevance to the

19. selected topic.
Little information
about the sources
is provided.
The selected
sources are too
few and not from
the library,
credible, or
relevant to the
selected topic.
Little to no
information
about the sources
is provided.
The work
includes no
sources or

20. no
submission.
Possible Points: 10 10 9.5 8.5 7.5 6.5 5.5 0
Writing Skills:
Grammar,
spelling, and
syntax are
appropriate for
college writing.
The work
contains no
errors in spelling
or grammar;
word choice
demonstrates a
deep
understanding of
the topic, always
using relevant
key terms

21. appropriately.
The work
contains no
errors in spelling
or
grammar; word
choice
demonstrates a
good
understanding
of the topic,
using relevant
terms
appropriately.
The work
contains a few
spelling
and/or
grammatical
errors; word
choice
demonstrates

22. proficiency on
the topic using
relevant terms
for the most
part.
The work contains
a few minor
spelling
and grammatical
errors; word
choice
demonstrates
basic
understanding of
the topic,
sometimes using
relevant and

23. appropriate terms.
The work exhibits
consistently
poor spelling
and grammar;
word choice
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding of
the topic, often
using irrelevant
or inappropriate
terms.
The work exhibits
extremely poor
writing skills;
incorrect spelling
and grammar

24. limits the
reader’s ability to
follow ideas or
thoughts. Word
choice
demonstrates a
lack of
understanding of
the topic, with
many irrelevant
or inappropriate
terms.
No
submission.
[Delete the examples in Red and fill in your own work.]

25. Student Name
IND301 Milestone 2 Template
Original Topic: Climate Change
1. List of narrowed ideas from the freewrite activity:
· Warmer ocean temperatures
· Melting ice caps
· Greenhouse gases
· Fossil fuels
· Disagreement about whether climate change is real
· How politicians talk about climate change
· Electric cars
· Policies to reduce cost of electric vehicles
· Wind farms
· Solar power
· The cost of alternative energy
· How the international community is addressing climate change
· Global leaders in addressing climate change
· How the US compares to other nations in addressing climate
change
2. Description with underlined key terms and phrases:
Electric cars are an important step toward addressing climate
change by reducing our reliance on gasoline. However, electric
cars are still too expensive for the average American to buy, so
the government should provide financial incentives to car
companies to reduce the price for consumers and increase the
availability of charging stations.
3. Synonyms and alternate terms:
· Electric cars: electric vehicles, plug-in, EV
· Climate change: global warming, temperature change,
environmental change
· Gasoline: petroleum, fuel
· Expensive: pricey, costly
· Financial incentives: inducement, tax credit, government

26. subsidy
· Car companies: car manufacturers, automobile manufacturers
(also: Tesla, Chevrolet, Ford, etc.)
· Consumers: shopper, buyer
· Charging stations: recharging hub, electric recharging point
4. Sources
Source 1:
· Title: Hidden benefits of electric vehicles for addressing
climate change
· Date: 2015
· Author: Li, C., Cao, Y., Zhang, M., Wang, J., Liu, J., Shi, H.,
& Geng, Y.
· Link: https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09213
Source 2:
· Title:
· Date:
· Author:
· Link:
Source 3:
· Title:
· Date:
· Author:
· Link:
Source 4:
· Title:
· Date:
· Author:
· Link:
Source 5:
· Title:

27. · Date:
· Author:
· Link:
Source 6:
· Title:
· Date:
· Author:
· Link:
[Optional: Instead of bulleted source information above, include
APA Style reference list.]
Li, C., Cao, Y., Zhang, M., Wang, J., Liu, J., Shi, H., & Geng,
Y. (2015). Hidden benefits of electric vehicles for addressing
climate change. Scientific Reports, 5, 9213.
https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09213
National Research Council (U.S.). (2015). Overcoming barriers
to deployment of plug-in electricvehicles. Washington, DC:
National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/21725
Noori, M., & Tatari, O. (2016). Development of an agent-based
model for regional market penetration projections of electric
vehicles in the United States. Energy, 96, 215–230.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2015.12.018
Sandalow, D. B. (Ed.). (2009). Plug-in electric vehicles: What
role for Washington? Washington, DC: Brookings Institution.
Retrieved from
http://vlib.excelsior.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsjbk&AN=edsjbk.j.ctt1262t0&site
=eds-live&scope=site
Sperling, D. (2018). Electric vehicles: Approaching the tipping
point. Bulletin of the AtomicScientists, 74(1), 11–18.
https://doi.org/10.1080/00963402.2017.1413055
Zhang, X., Bai, X., & Shang, J. (2018). Is subsidized electric
vehicles adoption sustainable: Consumers’ perceptions and
motivation toward incentive policies, environmental benefits,
and risks. Journal of Cleaner Production, 192, 7179.

28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.04.252