new IDV brochure - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Feb 14, 2005

RE: RE: new IDV brochure

Date: Feb 14, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by: Angeline
"Hopefully Amy Young will update this thread, but my understanding is that the brochure has been scrapped and Butler has a red face."

I don't know about the red face, but the link to the brochure no longer works. Ha!

Date: Feb 14, 2005

Does your IDV program offer graduate degrees with MA or PHD theses? If it does, I bet it wouldn't be too hard to find other cases of plagiarism. I guess you'd google the passages that were competently written to find the webpages they were lifted from.

Date: Feb 14, 2005

I read an IDV brochure the other day that promised that the degree would make me the Queen of England! I thought it was strange, since I'm a man and all...those guys wouldn't lie to me, would they? I mean, they are "wurl' class," aren't they? I will get my money back, won't I? Why does the message say the phone number for "i-squared" has been disconnected? I'm gonna kick David Butler's fat a$$.

Date: Feb 15, 2005

You might look into a sample of Ed. Leadership theses. Plagiarism is rampant there, and it was consistently swept under the rug whenever it was exposed. The faculty members who consistently identified the plagiarism are gone now. Figure that.

DS

Date: Feb 15, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Down Southern
"You might look into a sample of Ed. Leadership theses. Plagiarism is rampant there, and it was consistently swept under the rug whenever it was exposed. The faculty members who consistently identified the plagiarism are gone now. Figure that."

Plagiarism aside, take a look at the theses. The "standard" research is a survey with a simple set of descriptive statistics, stuff that many high-ability high school students could do. Moreover, the candidates themselves very often "contract" these surveys & the statistical "analyses" to consultants.

That is taken as proof that the candidate knows how educational administration actually works.

About 20 years ago, I took a statistics class in Educational "Leadership." Three of us in the class actually passed the first exam, but there were four "A" grades posted. When we asked the professor why this was so, he pointed out that the majority of the students in the course were already principals or superintendents. Although it's been a long time, I believe his words were, "I'd be crazy to fail an elected school superintendent."

And people have the unmitigated audacity to wonder why the quality of education at all levels in this state isn't any better than it is...

Date: Feb 15, 2005

Leaving the issues of plagerism and methodology aside, I have noticed that there appears to be an inverse relationship between the size of a dissertation and its quality. Thick dissertations are, in my field at least, usually terrible. Plagerism + Bad Methodology + a 3-inch manuscript = s**t.

Date: Feb 15, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: More is better
"Leaving the issues of plagerism and methodology aside, I have noticed that there appears to be an inverse relationship between the size of a dissertation and its quality. Thick dissertations are, in my field at least, usually terrible. Plagerism + Bad Methodology + a 3-inch manuscript = s**t."

Not if the dissertation's methodology is qualitative, the thicker the better. Indeed if a qualitiative dissertation is thin then the researcher did not do her/his job.

Date: Feb 16, 2005

kicking in response to a question on another thread.

Date: Feb 16, 2005

I spoke with an individual today who found a recent PhD fromIDV who is working at a local rental car place. The recent graduate in question thought he did very well in the program.

I understand that the brochure matter is being handled as a possible copyright infringement, and since the brochures have been shredded and the online version pulled, I suppose they believe there is no foul.

I find the whole thing amazing.

Amy Young

Date: Feb 16, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Amy Young
"I spoke with an individual today who found a recent PhD fromIDV who is working at a local rental car place. The recent graduate in question thought he did very well in the program. I understand that the brochure matter is being handled as a possible copyright infringement, and since the brochures have been shredded and the online version pulled, I suppose they believe there is no foul. I find the whole thing amazing. Amy Young"

Amy,

I find it amazing that this brochure was allowed to see the "light of day" because my experience with printed material (and on-line/webpages) is that it must be cleared by Mader's staff................so who "really" screwed up?

Date: Feb 17, 2005

Green Hornet, you are buzzing around the wrong stink.

As former university proofreader, I can tell you straight that the current proofreader is not to blame, nor is the assistant proofreader, nor am I (I still helped out proofing a little). It is common knowledge that some people at the university refuse to make the changes we demand, which are based on style and professional experience ideals. Most people are not allowed to refuse to make the changes; some get away with it: The proofreaders have no control over who is who.

I don't know if the brochure came through the offices or not, but if it did, it wouldn't have left looking the way it did once it was printed. In my experience, it was difficult to get the author to ever make any changes at all.

One thing I can tell you is that the proofreaders take their duties very seriously and deserve respect for a low-paying yet vital job.

Date: Feb 17, 2005

Angela, this is not the first time you have spoken bravely on this website. You have confrimed what many of us have known for too long a time. Some people don't have to play by the rules. Why is that folks? Who is really benefitting from the Economic Development hype?

Date: Feb 17, 2005

Thanks for your comments, Angela. I noted on another thread that it's certainly not the proofreader's job to check for plagiarism.
One of the interesting characteristics of the present regime is the belief that the rules are for other people.

Date: Feb 17, 2005

If the proof reader did see the brochures, she sure wasn't looking for plagerism by a PhD but rather grammar, spelling, style, etc. It is not her job to look for stolen works, especially when a director of a PhD program is the author.

Date: Feb 17, 2005

quote:
Originally posted by: Angela Cutrer
"Green Hornet, you are buzzing around the wrong stink. As former university proofreader, I can tell you straight that the current proofreader is not to blame, nor is the assistant proofreader, nor am I (I still helped out proofing a little). It is common knowledge that some people at the university refuse to make the changes we demand, which are based on style and professional experience ideals. Most people are not allowed to refuse to make the changes; some get away with it: The proofreaders have no control over who is who. I don't know if the brochure came through the offices or not, but if it did, it wouldn't have left looking the way it did once it was printed. In my experience, it was difficult to get the author to ever make any changes at all. One thing I can tell you is that the proofreaders take their duties very seriously and deserve respect for a low-paying yet vital job. "

It's true that the university proofreaders did not get the brochure.

And thanks to our university proofreaders! They deserve our respect.

Amy Young

Date: Feb 17, 2005

I didn't mean to speak for anyone else, but we proofreaders worked so hard for this university, and still do. Though I'm no longer at Southern Miss (I teach for Tulane now), I love Southern Miss - and the proofreading co-workers who worked day (and night, believe me) to do the job hired to do.

Thank you from us all.