Professors As Con Artists.Professors As Con Artists Don D. Davis Prytaneum Press PO Box 2281, Amarillo, TX 79105 9780907152033 $10.00 www.prytaneumpress.com Written by veteran challenger of the academic system Don D. Davis, Professors As Con Artists is a little black book that concisely details several glaring flaws in the modern academic system that severely choke (jargon) choke - To fail to process input or, more generally, to fail at any endeavor. E.g. "NULs make System V's "lpr(1)" choke." See barf, gag. the system's ability to produce educated experts and worthwhile academic publications. Love of money is the root of evil--and the monstrous financial incentive provided by monetary research grants drives some of the most egregious e·gre·gious adj. Conspicuously bad or offensive. See Synonyms at flagrant. [From Latin corruption. The lack of blind reviewing for grant proposals and submissions for publication in academic journals cause papers to be published or proposals to be awarded money on basis of authorship (is the author a Ph.D.? Is he connected to a well-heeled university?) rather than merit; the immense pressure to "publish or perish "Publish or perish" refers to the pressure to publish work constantly in order to further or sustain one's career in academia. The competition for tenure-track faculty positions in academia puts increasing pressure on scholars to publish new work frequently. " upon professors cause them to delegate nearly all aspects of teaching undergraduate courses to less qualified TAs; and any graduate student pursuing a Ph.D. is literally at the mercy of their advising professor, usually forced to surrender co-authorship of their dissertation, perform legwork leg·work n. Informal Work, such as collecting information or doing research in preparation for a project, that involves much walking or traveling about. for the professor's research, or suffer sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. . Davis especially advises anyone seeking their Ph.D. not to use their own original idea, since their advising professor will most likely take co-author co·au·thor or co-au·thor n. A collaborating or joint author. tr.v. co·au·thored, co·au·thor·ing, co·au·thors To be a collaborating or joint author of: "He and a colleague . . . credit for it, but rather to go along with the professor's legwork "guidance" and defer research on original ideas until after the coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. Ph.D. is achieved. Davis also proposes immediate and effective reforms, such as mandatory blind reviewing, blanket prohibition of any professor-student sexual contact, prohibition of joint authorship claims between a professor and the dissertation of his student, and the end of having graduate students teach university classes. A "must-read" for college students and officials everywhere, and particularly valuable before one sinks one's life savings into a college education for oneself or one's children. |
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