On 25 Mar 2002 07:33:42 -0800, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Simon, Steve, PhD) wrote:
>This message is in MIME format. Since your mail reader does not understand >this format, some or all of this message may not be legible. > >------_=_NextPart_001_01C1D411.A123B910 >Content-Type: text/plain; > charset="iso-8859-1" > >I think some of you all might have been a bit harsh on the dissertation >process in general, and George Caine in particular. > >A lot of these people working on their theses and dissertations are very >insecure. It's the first time that they've had to do serious research. And >they are a bit intimidated by their committee and don't want to ask a >question of one of them that might them appear foolish. > >More often than not, they just need a bit of reassurance or maybe they need >to be pointed in the right direction. I hardly see this as evidence of the >decline in the quality of our educational system. I agree with you completely. I retired a couple of years back, but saw no evidence of the diminution of "quality." When I completed my own graduate work in the 60s, were my cohorts (on average) a higher quality product than today's candidates? I don't think so. At least I was not. Even after passing the foreign language requirement? I doubt it. Of course, access to doctoral programs today is broader. Some say it is easier. Is this a bad thing? > . . ================================================================= Instructions for joining and leaving this list, remarks about the problem of INAPPROPRIATE MESSAGES, and archives are available at: . http://jse.stat.ncsu.edu/ . =================================================================
