Research Indicates Even Top Departments Calling A No-Go For a PhD, a Guess What? A PhD!

Here is a link to the paper.  (I will make my point after quoting from the paper.) JEP (28,3) p. 205 – The Research Productivity of New PhDs in Economics: The Surprisingly High Non-success of the Successful. Here is an important conclusion quoted from the paper. “…At the majority of the departments ranked in the top […]

Teaching Effectiveness is NEGATIVELY Associated With Student Evaluations

That is a partial quote from an important new paper by Philip B. Stark and Richard Freishtat.  Here is a more complete version of the quote. These experiments found that teaching effectiveness, as measured by subsequent performance and career success, is negatively associated with [student evaluations]. (from page 12) This paper is important – especially for parents […]

Regional State School Stories – Some Brief Thoughts About How Did This Happen

(These thoughts have to be brief because (a) I’m here again, and, (b) the Hex hatch is on! ) Speaking of fly fishing, my next post will be about the connection between fly fishing and the fact that you can’t count on professors to change the system.  Now for the thoughts. First, a not very deep […]

Prof. Teaches Stats But Doesn’t Seem to Have a Clue About the Most Fundamental Notion

(At a regional public university) This is from a “teacher evalaution” (of me) by a tenured professor who regularly taught statistics. First, here is a little background about the class.  (Math now, then I will try to explain non-mathematically.)  I was talking to the class about the sample mean.  The previous day, I had showed them that […]

Ralph Had Trouble With Continuity – But Why?

Ralph was another full professor (and Chair of the Dept for a while).  He seemed reasonable and intelligent in any dealing I had with him.  But here is what I was told (by a reliable source) about his background. (All of this was related to me by a colleague who had worked with Ralph for […]

Statistics Prof. Kevin Doesn’t Understand Basic Math, or Statistics

(Another story from the same regional state school – the math is in color) Prof. Kevin was a full professor.  He was about 70, very nice and pleasant.  I was teaching a graduate course (Intro to Complex Variables).  He asked to sit in and he took notes.  Early in the course I wrote something on the board in a […]

Not Being Good at Math – Should That Be a Bar to Getting a PhD in Math?

Many years ago, my wife and I were at a volleyball tournament.  We were fortunate to sit next to a high school (or maybe middle school) volleyball coach.  He was big, friendly and knowledgeable.  Let’s call him Jack. Jack told us that he was a math teacher.  As I recall, he said he went to […]

Professor Alfred Doesn’t Know What is Wrong with the Homework

(At a regional public university) That’s right, he really doesn’t.  I know because he told me.  I will tell the story here.  It is not nice to make fun of Prof. Alfred (a real person but made-up name), and that is not my purpose.  (He is actually a very nice person.) But it is important […]

No Jobs for Ph.D’s? Depends on what you mean by Ph.D.

Jordan Weissman has again posted an excellent article – with good graphics – in the Atlantic.  This one is titled “The Ph.D Bust: America’s Awful Market for Young Scientists—in 7 Charts” (http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/02/the-phd-bust-americas-awful-market-for-young-scientists-in-7-charts/273339/).  (He had a previous article about the cost of textbooks, which I reference in my post, http://www.inside-higher-ed.com/good-graph-on-…nd-some-advice/. So, why aren’t these “Ph.D’s” getting jobs?  If […]