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Paul Sperry goes back to school with government "Doctors" and their dishonorary degrees.
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Nathan|1.27.05 @ 12:12PM|#
DC's school system has 'em as well. Interestingly enough the principal in question was finally "removed" from her position, but not fired by DCPS. In fact, she was moved on to another crappy school to assist in its "turnaround."
drf|1.27.05 @ 12:17PM|#
as a hamilton college (clinton, ny) grad, i would strongly object to the positive description of that PC fuck factory. ("...not Hamilton College, the highly competitive school in Clinton, New York, but Hamilton University...")
if you were a straight white male, some member of the united, unshorn sisters of the apocolypst would repeatedly sodomize you with a copy of "heather has two mommies" until you confessed your alleged crimes.
see, looney libs have their own versions of abu grhaib...
|1.27.05 @ 12:17PM|#
She got ripped off. I attained minister status through the Universal Life Church in order to perform the marriage ceremony for some friends. While this was free, they also offered me a PhD for under $200. I passed on this as I'm currently working through one the old fashioned way (though sometimes I regret it).
They also offer a Master of the Universe degree for only slightly more. I'm considering getting this in the future as I can't find it offered by any campus-based school and I grew up watching He-Man cartoons
|1.27.05 @ 12:27PM|#
somebody's not proofreading.."Whn she received it" ... "nature loers"..i'm not even done reading yet..
|1.27.05 @ 12:28PM|#
but a fascinating read nonetheless.
BBB
|1.27.05 @ 12:29PM|#
"securiy clearance"
|1.27.05 @ 12:30PM|#
Just think, I destroyed my health preparing for my Masters exam (technically referred to as "advancement to candidacy"), when I could have become a Master of the Universe for $200!
|1.27.05 @ 12:33PM|#
"Thomas Edison administes"
|1.27.05 @ 12:38PM|#
I hope they investigate the DEA and the ONDCP next, and I hope it's embarassing.
|1.27.05 @ 12:38PM|#
As a long time (~36 years) ULC minister, I was disappointed that I could not find a Master of the Universe degree on their web page.
A glance at the basis of their philosophy (Life is a Trinity of three aspects: Freedom, Food and Sex) convinced me once again they I did the right thing those many years ago.
sage|1.27.05 @ 12:40PM|#
It's OK, thoreau, I can help you with that.
Dr. Sage
|1.27.05 @ 1:03PM|#
Somewhat devils advocate here, but is the author really arguing that the free market fails in educational accreditation? If a diploma mill wants to assert their own proprietary acceditation scheme, well, that's their right, I suppose.
Consumers of the educational product (students) or the consumers of the students (employers and the government) can make up their own minds about the merits of an accreditation scheme or a particular university... right?
If Hamilton C. (for instance) feels that their brand is being encroached by Hamilton U., then isn't it incumbent on H.C. to monitor their brand space, maintain their own marketing operations, and if legally wronged by copyright or other IP infringement, bring appropriate action against their interloper until there is a finding one way or the other... right?
The anecdotal reports from the good Doctor's former co-workers carry more weight with me (and I say this even as I'm currently shelling out the bucks for for a Masters in Information Systems degree from a "real" university myself), but are buried deeper it the article and given less room than the educational accreditation angle. I find this a strange balance in the arguments for a Reason piece (though not recognizing the author I guess this is a freelance or reprint piece?)
If the author's point is that the government isn't using it's own accreditation scheme on personnel, OK, fair enough. But that has far less to do with degree-millism than bad HR process design in the government. In my opinion, that should have been the primary thrust of the article.
Tim Cavanaugh|1.27.05 @ 1:05PM|#
Is anybody other than Bitch Bitch Bitch seeing these typos? I can't locate any of them, but you never know how things are displaying for other people on this here newfangled internet thingy.
drf|1.27.05 @ 1:07PM|#
Tim --
i had just figured that kyle's mom learned how to use the internet...
cheers,
drf
|1.27.05 @ 1:09PM|#
Tim, I noticed several of the typos that BBB pointed out. I read the article at around 11:30 EST...
|1.27.05 @ 2:03PM|#
These 'institutions' perform an important function for foreigners looking to work in the States. For example, if a Canadian is offered a job by a U.S. firm that can't be filled locally, then the Canadian must usually show proof of a degree to obtain a work permit, even if that degree is not required for the job. These places provide a handy way to meet government requirements.
|1.27.05 @ 2:08PM|#
DnB,
I hadn't looked in a while, but you are correct, the Master of the Universe degree is gone. Maybe there was only one to be had, and this gentleman scooped it up:
The CEO From Cyberspace: Joe Firmage, A Master of the Universe at 28
Washington Post, Mar. 31, 1999
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/an990404.html#37
|1.27.05 @ 2:17PM|#
There can only be ONE master of the universe.
$200 was a cheap price to pay. "I HAVE THE POWER!!!!!!"
sage|1.27.05 @ 2:22PM|#
Mr. Cavanaugh,
I didn't see any of those typos today. And I'm sure I would have noticed them in the print version when I read that like a month ago.
|1.27.05 @ 3:51PM|#
Everything is lookin' good now.
|1.27.05 @ 4:01PM|#
Did the Master of the Universe degree come with the Sword of Power, and Battlecat?
$200 is a pittance for all that.
The truly sad part is that I've been working in the low 30's to pay off my Bachelors while no decent work exists while "Dr." Callahan parlayed the cost of three bogus degree into 128K& benefits. Her ego is unbelievable.
|1.27.05 @ 4:04PM|#
Hiring employees is a game of having people sell themselves to you. It isn't shocking that some people in order to make the sale will resort to exaggerations and out right lies.
The issue is that few HR departments and hiring managers actually do a good job researching what they're trying to buy. I suspect that HR types are the type of people who don't check consumer reports prior to buying a VW. This is epidemic, and though we are picking on the govt here, it isn't restricted to them.
|1.27.05 @ 4:38PM|#
Deron, agreed. The lack of due dilligence that happens in hiring, both in private and public enterprise is shocking. I've started to come round to type of methodology that Google and others use: putting a series of intellectual challenges in front of a candidate during the interview and see how they react. Not a silver bullet, but better than the standard set of questions typically asked by HR departments.
|1.27.05 @ 4:44PM|#
Hey, I want to be Master of the Universe---er, make that Mistress of the Universe...no wait...never mind.
|1.27.05 @ 4:51PM|#
feek:
How do you look in a She-Ra outfit?
It is better to be a Guardian of The Universe, than a master.
|1.27.05 @ 5:54PM|#
"It is better to be a Guardian of The Universe, than a master."
Hey, no way. The Guardian biz is dangerous. The Guardian has to spend time protecting the Master from black holes and stuff.
|1.28.05 @ 2:41AM|#
DnB: that's why we have cannon fodd..er...Green Lanterns. :)
|1.28.05 @ 7:42AM|#
Sperry is a bit off the rail with the following:
But at least give Callahan credit for getting her associate's degree; she did some legitimate schooling after high school, right? Actually, even that is debatable. Much like Hamilton, Thomas Edison administers an external degree program for older students that gives course credits for life and work experience, with no required attendance. It has no resident faculty, no classrooms or library. The SAT is not required, and all applicants are accepted. It's a noncompetitive correspondence school.
From the TESC site:
"Undergraduate Programs � Ways to Earn Credit
At Thomas Edison State College, students have the opportunity to earn degrees through traditional and nontraditional methods. These methods take into consideration your personal needs and interests while ensuring both breadth and depth of knowledge within the degree program. You will need 60 credits for an Associate's degree and 120 credits for a Baccalaureate degree. Depending upon individual learning styles and preferences, students at Thomas Edison State College may use several convenient methods of meeting degree requirements. Thomas Edison State College courses, (Guided Study, online and e-Pack� courses) standardized examinations, Prior Learning Assessment, corporate or military training, approved correspondence courses, credit for licenses and certificates already earned and credits earned at other accredited colleges and universities may be combined in a number of ways to earn credits toward an undergraduate degree. You select the best ways to complete a degree based on what you know, what you need to learn and how you prefer to demonstrate or gain knowledge."
Whatever TESC is, it is not, like Hamilton U, a degree mill. TESC, unlike Hamilton, is regionally accredited.
I have no affiliation with TESC.