Thanks, Emma.  I'm glad someone enjoyed the survey as much as I did. I hope it has been captured; I'm afraid it will disappear once the powers that be tumble onto how foolish it is.

Most of the questions kinda, sorta make sense. A little bit. But I am having real trouble with this one:  "Do you . . . have the opportunity to leverage a research-based Ph.D. in either the private or public sectors to continue along a career path?" 

All I can figure is that someone wanted to squeeze "opportunity," "leverage,"  "research-based Ph.D.," "private or public sectors," and "career path" into one sentence. 

Just for grins, I used the AltaVista Babel Fish translation program to convert the question to German, then back to English.  The result:

"Do you have to use the opportunity, a research-created Ph.D. either in the private or general sectors effectively, in order to continue along a career way?"
Makes just about as much sense, huh?

I like the question asking if the prospective student wants a school with a football team. Wow! No prospective Ph.D. would ever even think of attending a school without a football team. Rah! Rah! Rah!

I am appalled by the amateurish nature of this survey.  Did whoever write it honestly think it would appeal to anyone with a modicum of intellegence and give them the urge to apply?  Having teenagers in high school, my mail is constantly filled with literature from every university in the nation, and even the undergraduate programs at these schools address high schoolers with more professionalism.  I must admit, the survey might appeal to my grade schooler.  Naw, I think even an intellegent, well-informed child would call it "stupid."

Googler - I remember that, and I remember trying to qualify for that art school. I was only 8 at the time, and it made so much sense!!

quote:

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Originally posted by: Googler
"For some reason this survey reminds me of the magazine ad for art school (or maybe it's an art institute) with the little drawing you're supposed to draw-- and if you can, you are qualified for admission to the art school/institute. I'm "drawing" a blank on the particulars of the ad, but I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about."

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Googler, we've come full circle. When Emma started this thread, she was referring to my post on the latest Liberty and Power thread, where I said, "It put me in mind of the old 'Famous Artist School' ads in the comics of my youth: 'Can you Draw this Pirate?'"  There were actually a lot of the samples that would-be artists could copy and submit. I think Paint by Numbers spotted the similarity to the USM "survey": ". . . if you drew a terrible pirate the school would . . . say you need training desperately; and if you drew a creditable pirate [they would] say that you have great art ability and that their school can develop it to its maximum potential." 

Either way, take the bait, and they got you hooked.

Now I offer a challenge for your Googling skills.

If you open the survey site, you will see that the page name is "Triton Educational Needs Assessment." Can you figure out who or what that is? 

quote:

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Originally posted by: ram
". . . Now I offer a challenge for your Googling skills. If you open the survey site, you will see that the page name is "Triton Educational Needs Assessment." Can you figure out who or what that is? "

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The Triton Educational Needs Assessment may be something that was developed at Triton College in Illinois. http://www.triton.edu/cgi-bin/r.cgi/index.html?SESSION=Sev0SCgkFK 

Triton has hosted an assessment conference (I found this by Googling "Triton assessment" and coming up with the online CV for an instructor at another Illinois college, which may or may not be coincidental).