Hah-vahd

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by telefax, Sep 5, 2002.

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  1. telefax

    telefax Member

    I thought this Washington Times story was an interesting comment on higher education, although not related to distance education.

    Harvard is a "top-tier" US News & World Report school, and regionally accredited. Yet from what Harvard professor Ignatiev says about abolishing the white race, it looks like unaccredited schools don't hold the monopoly on foolishness. I point this out not to suggest that unaccredited schools are superior to Harvard, but just for perspective. People often claim on this forum that regional accreditation or high US News rankings guarantee a quality education, but I think it identifying a quality education is more complicated than that.


    http://washingtontimes.com/national/20020904-4292682.htm
     
  2. Dennis Ruhl

    Dennis Ruhl member

    Entered a graduate program at Harvard without an undergraduate degree. Oh!

    Anyone is welcome to abolish my privilege. My privilege being the privilege of working 10-12 hour days, paying taxes, raising a family and running the gauntlet with bill collectors every month.

    I am just a cog in the system. I neither lead nor follow. To ascribe any privilege to me because of race is grossly ludicrous.

    Now if I got into a masters program at Harvard without an undergraduate degree, that would be privilege.
     
  3. Myoptimism

    Myoptimism New Member

    Maybe he is only using union negotiating tactics. You know, demand something ludicrous up front to get your opposition to feel good when they meet you somewhere closer to their side of the middle. Yet, who is really more successful?

    Tony
     
  4. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

    From my perspective, the important issue discussed much more often is utility of the credential not the quality of education. Degree mill apologists will frequently try to confuse the two. You can get a quality education by going to the library. You won't get a quality credential that way, though. A quality credential means a degree that will open doors of opportunity. A quality education means that once the door is open that you'll more likely succeed. Without that quality credential though, it is too likely that you won't even get a chance to utilize your education.
     
  5. telefax

    telefax Member

    accreditation

    I have also noticed that many people try to use this issue to defend unworthy schools. However, my point is that R.A. is a minimum standard. There are degrees of quality beyond "is it accredited?" Picking the best school for you should not devolve into merely checking the "R.A." box next to the names of potential schools. I think that the level of qualitative difference between schools that have DoE/CHEA accreditation is very broad and affects utility of a degree as well.

    One should also look at the insanity perpetrated by the faculty before attending a school. While this is a subjective evaluation, I think Dr. Ignatiev presents Harvard and the administration that allows him to teach there in a very bad light.
     
  6. Nosborne

    Nosborne New Member

    Once a professor is installed, I understand that "academic freedom" means that he can espouse any foolishness he desires without fearing for his job.

    As stupid as this man's ideas may seem, censoring him would rapidly lead to censorship of other unpopular speech, some of which might have genuine value.

    This is historically particularly true in the world of science versus religion. Remember the Scopes Monkey Trial? The dominant Christian culture did not want evolution to be taught in its schools. Trouble is, NO reputable biologist can afford to ignore that theory and NO education in life sciences is complete without a thorough grounding in evolutionary ideas. Kansas just found this out anew.

    Academia cannot function without protecting its researchers and teachers from politically or religiously or even scientifically based censorship. In the long run, erroneous teachings will die out, at least in the mainstream universities.

    Nosborne, J.D
    (who has no intention of dying out)
     
  7. gmanmikey

    gmanmikey New Member

    Other contendersfor the academic loon of the year:

    1. Arthur R. Butz, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, USA.

    Professor Butz's web page

    A coworker who took at least one class with Dr. Butz at NU told me at least Dr. Butz confines his lectures to electrical engineering topics.

    2. Nobel Laureate William Shockley took up half baked IQ research is his later years:

    William Shockley

    Too bad he isn't alive to debate Dr. Ignatiev.

    Mike Goldberg,
    B.S.E.E. expected this December
     

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