A Pedagogy of Profit: Academics & Economics in the New "MILL"-ennium

For all the degree mill advocates who lurk in the darkness of DegreeInfo, this would be an excellent dissertation/thesis title for your proposed degree mill doctorate. I have included a provisional classification of chapters to make the research easier.

A Pedagogy of Profit: Academics & Economics in the New "MILL"-ennium

Chapter 1: Pedagogical Foundations
Chapter 2: Distance Learning as a Discipline
Chapter 3: Twelve Degree Mills--A Case Study in Economics & Profiteering
Chapter 4: Methodology--A Pragmatic Approach to Overcoming Ethical & Moral Concerns
Chapter 5: Mills of the Millennium: A Prognosis for Success
Chapter 6: A 12-Step Program for Implementing One's Own Mill
Bibliography

I really think this has the ingredients of a successful research project.

Russell
Chapter 5:

 

Your list of chapters has exceeded the maximum dissertation length; please rework.

--Your advisor

 

Don't forget the lit. review!

 

I wrestled with the chapter classification, however, knowing that each chapter would only be one (1) page in length at the average degree mill, it seemed plausible.

Actually, the longest part of the document would be the title page.

Russell

 

Not to worry, Barry. The literature review is only required at RA institutions--Degree Mills are exempt from this requirement.

Russell

 

Too much work. Here's my proposed dissertation:

Research: Find a suitable degree mill on the web.

Methodology: Send in check.

Conclusion: Hot damn! I'm a Ph.D.!!

Seriously though, I think that non-accredited schools in general and degree mills in particular are a subject that is *begging* for real scrutiny, by both educational researchers and law enforcement agencies. Spurious "on-line universities" are a large and rapidly growing business category that seems to be totally unregulated, operating on the edge of a lot of things from educational standards to fraud and tax laws. Apart from a few people like John Bear, nobody seems to have any interest at all in charting this obscure area.

 

With the exception of the expletive, Bill , I like your paradigm. This is how it really works at most degree mills, i.e., a monetary transaction obtains one a degree.

I agree that this is an area which warrants a lengthy dissertation.

Russell

 

I have been known to dance, listen to music and even have a drink or two, too.

You would have to be careful to avoid lawsuits. Perhaps that's why authors and other researchers have steered clear of the subject. If a dissertation was in any way critical of one of these enterprises, its author and his/her university might find themselves facing a Levicoff-style lawsuit.

Although if a university applied their legal department to defending it, bringing such a suit might be suicidal. (MIGS certainly didn't do themselves any good against an individual in pro per.) But the potential expense and simple hassle-factor might lead dissertation advisors to counsel their students to play safe.

But whatever the answer to that is, I certainly have a great many questions about the ownership, inter-relations, administrative organization, profitability, teachers, student populations, research productivity and post-graduation outcomes of these institutions.

Considering that there are hundreds of these things and that they seemingly represent the majority of DL doctoral programs, you would think that the legal and educational establishments would show a little more interest in them.

If the general public ever comes to equate 'degree mill' = 'distance learning', we are all dead.