Just how high are the standards for doctoral dissertations? A friend sent me the thesis statement for one recently written and approved at a large Southern Baptist seminary in Louisville.
“The thesis of this dissertation is that the city gate of Iron Age II was used for multifunctional one.”
I don’t know whether to laugh, shake my head, or cry.
And here’s a sentence from the conclusion:
“The Iron Age II city gate and its area are the physical locations for the society (or the institution) that fostered multifaceted civic functional emphasis.”
[In case you think that you don’t understand that sentence because you’re not smart enough, let me clear it up: the sentence makes no sense.]
Somebody should be whipped and fired (namely all of the advisers). Did they read the dissertation? Do they care? Sometimes I think doctoral work and standards (at least in my program) are too much out of reach of mere mortals, but passing this kind of garbage is not an appropriate corrective. When the kid is in 5th grade, you hold your nose and pass him on to 6th grade. When he is in a doctoral program, you kick him out. Does Al Mohler know this is what his seminary is producing?
Update: See my follow-up post.
Haha! Wow…
Oh, my word…that’s both hilarious and sad. I’m glad you clarified on the conclusion sentence–I was stumped, thinking I’d somehow missed something. It looks like the result of some disorganized editing…among other things. ;-)
Todd,
I’m a PhD student in NT at Southern. My only experience is in that department, but I have found the requirements in our program to be rigorous. Many of the students who have gone before me have had their dissertations published as well, which seems to indicate that they are producing good work.
Kevin
I also am a PhD student at Southern, and I know the guy who wrote the dissertation you quote above. You definitely have a point about having higher standards for dissertations, and I agree. At the same time, Southern has a large number of Korean students who learn English as a second language. It could be argued that they should attain a higher level of competency in English before they are allowed to successfully defend their dissertation. At the same time, Southern has a 6-year time limit for completing a PhD and the Korean students are often supported by their churches back home, so they don’t always have the luxury of time to thoroughly learn English; nor is it a necessary for their future ministry since most of them go back to Korea after graduation. So as with many other things in life, the school has to do what is pragmatic and pass what is “good enough” when it comes to English grammar. However, I can vouch for this student ‘s scholarship and I know that the content of the dissertation definitely had to pass a high standard in order for it to be successfully defended.
Seth
Seth – how can you determine the content is at a higher standard if you can’t understand that content? In other words, is it possible to separate content from the words that convey the content?
As for those who for whom English is a second language, should the program change to accommodate them, or should the student who desires to be part of that program submit to its rules and standards?
If the student doesn’t “need” to be proficient in English for his future ministry, should he go to an English-speaking school and demand (by virtue of what he submits) that his level is sufficient?
What does the accreditation committee think about such things?
Should similar “exemptions” be granted to American students who simply did not have a good elementary education?
Doesn’t having a degree from a school suggest that you actually achieved the program’s requirements? Or should they establish a Korean Southern Baptist Seminary, which has different standards?
Why do foreign students come to the U.S., particularly for PhD studies? Does it give them greater credibility back in their homeland? Would it change anything if their constituents knew that they really cheated and did not qualify to earn that degree? Again, note that all of this discussion concerns a PhD program, not an MDiv program.
Seth – read that thesis sentence again. That is not only an English problem. Put it in the best English style and you are nowhere near an acceptable thesis sentence.
Ken and Seth – I believe you when you say that your school produces good quality students. I would think those good quality students would realize the quality of their degree is tarnished if work of this quality is considered passing. The last thing you want to do is spend the rest of your life defending your degree against attacks like this one.
The point of this post and this comment concerns a principle and not an individual person or an individual school. It’s possible that the problem is more widespread. But even if it is part of the system, I don’t think that excuses those in a position from addressing the issue from doing so.
Or rather “… nor is it a necessity for their future ministry …”
(Way set a good example, Seth.) :-\
“It could be argued that they should attain a higher level of competency in English before they are allowed to successfully defend their dissertation.” (Seth)
Uh…yes. Even better: before they are admitted to the program. Many programs requre a sample of academic writing as part of the application process. Is this not true at Southern?
“That is not only an English problem.” (Todd)
Very true. This also applies to much of the dissertation in question, not just a sentence or two. Coherent prose doesn’t make a thoughtful or well-argued, persuasive dissertation.
To be fair, there are many different departments and advisors at Southern and doubtlessly different academic standards among them. I have no doubt that there are rigorous requirements in some of the programs. And of course its *possible* to write a first-rate dissertation for any advisor at any institution. But the example above is scandalous and unacceptable. Todd’ point is well-taken: this reflects on other degrees from the school, whether the generalization is fair or not. I wouldn’t rush to defend the school or the author of this dissertation. If I were Seth, I’d be up in arms.
Todd,
That’s amazing!!! I can’t believe they would actually accept that stuff. I know for my current Credential/Masters program there is a portfolio I have to create for the credential, followed by a Capstone project (looks to be research based) for the Masters. Now, given the way my papers have been graded so far, one has to wonder how they will treat the rubric for these two.
Some of my professors have taken several days to grade my papers, but my current professor literally grades things overnight. I turned in my latest paper yesterday afternoon and it was graded this morning. To his credit, he did find a few things I skimped on/left out, so he did read it. That said, you have to wonder how well these professors look at things.
My guess is that some professors in online, non-traditional, correspondance-based courses, tend to be a bit more liberal than others when it comes to grading. I did use a correspondance course through Taylor to complete my BA at Masters. That professor was a tough grader with high expectations.
It is examples like those above that have lead those in the K-12 ranks to create common assessments, common rubrics, and common expectation in their usage.
BTW, that thesis would result in an F grade for any of my high school students. Or, as I do my grading, an R for redo. I make my students redo it until they master it and if they don’t master it by the end of the term — it is an F.
Brian – good for you. Your students should be better prepared when they get to college and less likely to drop out of college courses that require a research paper.
Thanks, Todd, as always, for your keen analysis. You are right about the necessity of careful editing and clear communication in scholarship. However, at this point in my dissertation, three years into research and writing, I wouldn’t mind if I passed my committee with my own name misspelled!
“Would it change anything if their constituents knew that they really cheated and did not qualify to earn that degree?”
Todd, it’s a little over the top to suggest that this student cheated. Unless there’s more to the story, the issue here is academic standards not the immoral behavior of the student. Don’t confuse the two.
Craig – your observation is correct. I meant the word in the sense that they achieved what they did not earn, but it is subject to another interpretation which I did not intend.