Ireland's Chief Science Advisor has bogus degree

Discussion in 'Accreditation Discussions (RA, DETC, state approva' started by galanga, Oct 11, 2005.

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  1. Kirkland

    Kirkland Member

    Re: Going back to McSweeney....

    My opinion: If PWU was licensed to operate in Hawaii at the time he graduated and they offered doctorates in Biotechnology/Biochemistry then the degree is legal (varying degrees of perceived wonder notwithstanding). If the school was licensed to operate but did not offer doctorates in that discipline, the claim could be considered fraudulent, regardless of what job was held or what the research project entailed. If the school was not licensed to operate at the time, the degree is not legal.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 21, 2005
  2. Qwerty

    Qwerty New Member

    McSweeney

    Was PWU licensed by Hawaii in 1994?

    And in terms of "offering" a degree in Biotechnology/Biochemistry, is there any way of establishing at this stage whether a Biotechnology/Biochemistry expert was attached to PWU in 1994 and in a position to validate such a degree?
     
  3. Kirkland

    Kirkland Member

    Re: McSweeney

    The school was sued by the State of Hawaii in 1997 for violating consumer protection laws. I just completed a Google search and could not find any reference to the school offering or any individual (other than the subject) claiming biotechnology degrees.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 21, 2005
  4. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

    Re: Re: Going back to McSweeney....

    In my own opinion, the question regarding the "legality" of the degree is only one hurdle that must be jumped. Even if the school existed as some sort of legal entity, that does not even begin to address the process by which the degree was earned. Specifically, the dissertation process must have proceeded through certain specific stages and the quality of the final product must be seen to have risen to a certain level. There are other ssues as well but without these criteria being satisfied then McSweeney will be in trouble.
    Jack
     
  5. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Labour Party calls for more regulation of foreign degrees

    Not surprisingly, McSweeney's degree has become a political issue in Ireland. Press release from Jan O'Sullivan, Labour Party Spokesperson on Education and Science, here.

     
  6. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    Re: Re: Going back to McSweeney....

    Yeah, "legal." So what? "Legal" means he isn't a criminal. Again, so what? Is that the standard? I mean, besides those serving in the Bush administration?:rolleyes:

    No, the standard isn't "legal." Just as there are moral standards above legal ones, there are educative standards above legal ones. Claiming a degree from an unrecognized school invites a great deal of scrutiny. And as we know, PWU doesn't stand up to that.
     
  7. Guest

    Guest Guest

  8. Qwerty

    Qwerty New Member

    In the latest parliamentary replies on the McSweeney affair, the Minister for Enterprise Trade and Employment of Ireland, Micheal Martin stated that he was examining the issue of McSweeney's PhD from Pacific Western University.

    If anyone would like to help the Minister with information that might assist his enquiries I would suggest that they email his private secretary Bridget Flynn whose email address is -

    [email protected]

    I'm sure the Minister would be interested to know how people outside Ireland view the idea of Ireland's Chief Science Adviser having such a PhD.

    Incidentally the PWU PhD is the only doctorate claimed on his official cv
     
  9. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    On the other hand, maybe not.

    I'm sure the Minister's office is capable of figuring this out for themselves, without a swarm of self-righteous assholes pestering them with half-informed comments.
     
  10. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

  11. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Yeah, I know what you mean. This past summer I got away with a half-dozen stings from disturbing a nest of yellowjackets. Swarming assholes would have been worse.
     
  12. oxpecker

    oxpecker New Member

    Swarming assholes are merely irritating (though admittedly extremely irritating).

    But it's the snapping assholes that are dangerous.
     
  13. decimon

    decimon Well-Known Member

    Ya gotta grab 'em by the carapace.
     
  14. DesElms

    DesElms New Member

    Oy. :rolleyes:

    So, anyway... back to Ireland's Chief Science Advisor...
     
  15. uncle janko

    uncle janko member

    for better or for Erse

    Indeed. I fear that decimon may be about to engage in plastromancy without Imperial authorisation (a bit hard to come by since 1912, admittedly). Let us return to Mr McSweeney and his regrettable "degree".
     
  16. Jack Tracey

    Jack Tracey New Member

  17. Rich Douglas

    Rich Douglas Well-Known Member

    This would be insulting, except that it came from a member of the swarm....:rolleyes:
     
  18. Qwerty

    Qwerty New Member

    Latest on McSweeney

    This from this morning's Sunday Times - includes an interview with John Bear on the McSweeney business -

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2091-1838760,00.html

    The Minister says he wants to look into it so I'm sure he'd like to hear from anyone who can tell him whether PWU could legitimately have given a PhD in biochemistry in 1994.

    (Incidentally In view of the challenge posed above in this thread I have modified my sig accordingly!)
     
  19. Bill Huffman

    Bill Huffman Well-Known Member

  20. Qwerty

    Qwerty New Member

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