Professional Darwinism: Update to OP on p.74

[ladyknight1]

This could either go here or the Student Darwinism thread.

I knew a woman who had her PhD revoked (annulled?).

She wrote her own dissertation fair and square.  However, she also wrote her husband's dissertation. 

No, he didn't get his PhD either.

My husband dislikes writing for assignments, but enjoys creative writing. He has not continued his undergraduate education because he dislikes writing so much.

[alkira6]

Does TurnItIn still automatically keep the text from all the papers submitted and add them to its database?  That's the part I have a problem with    I can definitely see how it would help catch plagiarists, though!

I think it does!  A friend of mine got 'dinged' for plagarism recently, when she was quoting HER OWN PAPER that she had written in a previous class!

I've posted about this previously also - in college sites like this were still in the testing/working the bugs out phase.  I was dinged for properly attributed quotes that the software recognized (prof sorted it out) and also dinged for using my own papers as sources (again, properly attributed).

[Darcy]

This could either go here or the Student Darwinism thread.

I knew a woman who had her PhD revoked (annulled?).

She wrote her own dissertation fair and square.  However, she also wrote her husband's dissertation. 

No, he didn't get his PhD either.

That just seems like an enormous amount of effort.

[Midnight Kitty]

The Prof hired to teach this course was writing a textbook at the time and that was to be our textbook.  When I say writing, I mean really writing.  Each week we had to go to the college bookstore and pick up photocopies of the latest chapter as he finished it. 

The complaints started when nobody could make head nor tail of the thing.  In one of these installments three pages were left out and nobody, not even the Prof caught it. 

He was not hired for a second semester.

When I was in PracticallyIvyLeague University, one professor was writing the textbook for the first course in a series of 3.  Think Very Technical Course 101, 102, and 103.  The textbook was copied, chapter by chapter, as we needed them.  There were lots of typographical and logical errors.  We were beta testing that textbook.  I was otherwise an A student, but I got a C in this course.  I was having problems understanding the concepts and it didn't help when I followed the textbook point by point, only to find out I memorized the incorrect information.  It didn't help that the professor's student helpers were so much in awe that they would not admit that any part of that textbook was wrong. When I sought help from the professor, he told me that I should know those were typos and not memorize them, then he asked me "Why do you keep reading the textbook if you don't understand it?"  

I think the latter comment belongs in the "brain-hurt conversations" thread.

Even more brain-hurty, after I graduated, this professor went on to be the Dean of the School of Engineering.  I changed majors because of him.  If I didn't understand 101, I was going to have more problems in 102 and 103, also taught by the same professor from the same "work in progress" textbook.

[mmswm]

The Prof hired to teach this course was writing a textbook at the time and that was to be our textbook.  When I say writing, I mean really writing.  Each week we had to go to the college bookstore and pick up photocopies of the latest chapter as he finished it. 

The complaints started when nobody could make head nor tail of the thing.  In one of these installments three pages were left out and nobody, not even the Prof caught it. 

He was not hired for a second semester.

When I was in PracticallyIvyLeague University, one professor was writing the textbook for the first course in a series of 3.  Think Very Technical Course 101, 102, and 103.  The textbook was copied, chapter by chapter, as we needed them.  There were lots of typographical and logical errors.  We were beta testing that textbook.  I was otherwise an A student, but I got a C in this course.  I was having problems understanding the concepts and it didn't help when I followed the textbook point by point, only to find out I memorized the incorrect information.  It didn't help that the professor's student helpers were so much in awe that they would not admit that any part of that textbook was wrong. When I sought help from the professor, he told me that I should know those were typos and not memorize them, then he asked me "Why do you keep reading the textbook if you don't understand it?"  

I think the latter comment belongs in the "brain-hurt conversations" thread.

Even more brain-hurty, after I graduated, this professor went on to be the Dean of the School of Engineering.  I changed majors because of him.  If I didn't understand 101, I was going to have more problems in 102 and 103, also taught by the same professor from the same "work in progress" textbook.

I had a similar experience with my Complex Analysis class. Thankfully there's a number of really good text books out there to fall back on when nothing in the professor's book made any sense.

[Jocelyn]

I've posted about this previously also - in college sites like this were still in the testing/working the bugs out phase.  I was dinged for properly attributed quotes that the software recognized (prof sorted it out) and also dinged for using my own papers as sources (again, properly attributed).

You can now set it to ignore proper citations, bibliographies, and short phrases. There's just not that many synonyms for 'President of the United States'.

[Diane AKA Traska]

I've posted about this previously also - in college sites like this were still in the testing/working the bugs out phase.  I was dinged for properly attributed quotes that the software recognized (prof sorted it out) and also dinged for using my own papers as sources (again, properly attributed).

You can now set it to ignore proper citations, bibliographies, and short phrases. There's just not that many synonyms for 'President of the United States'.

POTUS. 

[TootsNYC]

I like Herky so much I had a baby on his premises.

Rock on!! My bf has promised me the next time I go out her way for a visit, she's going to take me into the Uof IA hospital so that we can get a really good view of the inside of Kinnick Stadium.  It won't be the right time of the year for a game, as I'm planning on going either in spring or summer, but it'll still be cool!

Fire up your DVR, all the exerior shots on the TV show Coach, were filmed around the U of I.

When I cleaned out my late stepfather's house last summer, I found the 1982 Rosebowl commemorative hat I gave him.  He kept it all these years.  It's mine now.

I can still sing the country song that was released then! "Bringing home the roses. The Hawkeyes love the roses. When we leave California, we'll be bringing the roses home. Waving black and gold in glory, The score will tell the story. When we leave California, we'll be bringing the roses home."

[Jocelyn]

I've posted about this previously also - in college sites like this were still in the testing/working the bugs out phase.  I was dinged for properly attributed quotes that the software recognized (prof sorted it out) and also dinged for using my own papers as sources (again, properly attributed).

You can now set it to ignore proper citations, bibliographies, and short phrases. There's just not that many synonyms for 'President of the United States'.

POTUS. 

Acronyms must first be spelled out in APA style (which is what we use). And I think I'd ding a student for writing, repetitively, 'The POTUS' does this or that.    And 'The Chief Executive of the USA' would also work...but there's some short phrases you just have to use, in covering some topics. Such as names of theories, and the names of their originators. S. Freud, the parent of analyzing the psyche, and all that.

[onikenbai]

A cross over between student and professional Darwinism:
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/01/10/chris_spence_suspected_plagiarism_found_in_articles_speeches_dissertation.html

Not only is his entire career now down the tubes as he has been relieved of the position of head of the Toronto District School Board, the University of Toronto is revoking his doctorate. Having graduated from UofT myself, I know they take a fairly firm stand on plagiarism and there is no way he's ever going to get a chance to get that back.  The school won't let him back in.  Ever.  No word on whether he gets to keep his lower degrees, but I would imagine so as I doubt there is any evidence still around that he copied other people's work.  Given his age, he likely got those degrees before the internet made essays live forever.

[MissRose]

Caught on camera and broadcasted, and deserved to be let go from his job....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273585/Boston-Market-employee-rants-hating-customers-undercover-boss-FIRED-spot.html#axzz2K22gNdst

[Jocelyn]

Caught on camera and broadcasted, and deserved to be let go from his job....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273585/Boston-Market-employee-rants-hating-customers-undercover-boss-FIRED-spot.html#axzz2K22gNdst

I have to question the judgment of Undercover Boss in using the footage. I'd like to know WHEN he signed his consent form, before or after he knew he was being fired on national TV. Past weeks have shown people making similar statements, and the boss reacting with understanding. A lot of people who hate their jobs hate them because they're frustrated with unreasonable demands (on the same episode was a worker who said that they never get breaks!) or because they weren't trained properly. I agree something needed to be done, but I think she handled the situation improperly. It didn't leave me with a warm cozy feeling about Boston Market.

[dawbs]

Caught on camera and broadcasted, and deserved to be let go from his job....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273585/Boston-Market-employee-rants-hating-customers-undercover-boss-FIRED-spot.html#axzz2K22gNdst

I have to question the judgment of Undercover Boss in using the footage. I'd like to know WHEN he signed his consent form, before or after he knew he was being fired on national TV. Past weeks have shown people making similar statements, and the boss reacting with understanding. A lot of people who hate their jobs hate them because they're frustrated with unreasonable demands (on the same episode was a worker who said that they never get breaks!) or because they weren't trained properly. I agree something needed to be done, but I think she handled the situation improperly. It didn't leave me with a warm cozy feeling about Boston Market.

This is how I landed.
You know the worst part about working with the public?  the public.
I mean, I voluntarily work with 'the public' and I think I manage to do a fine job most (not all, but most) of the time.  That doesn't mean that some nights, I don't go home and tell my husband there is no hope for humanity and the collective public has an IQ that officially puts them on par with nematoads.

The guy in question shouldn't have said it quite like that to a new employee and should have been smarter while on the clock...but I trained some of my new employees at my job last week and one of the things I said, word for word is "You're to be polite and professional but you won't always make people happy.  Sometimes, people are unreasonable.  Sometimes, they're having a bad day and you're the closest target.  Sometimes, working with the people who come in is miserable and sucks a lot.  You don't have to be 'nice' to these people or give them what they want, but you have to be polite and professional--if you start reaching the point where you can't be polite and professional, that's the time to find me." 
That's something that does need to be told to new employees--explaining that the public is demanding and unreasonable and they can only do what they can do is part of the training message--or should be.

[magicdomino]

Caught on camera and broadcasted, and deserved to be let go from his job....

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2273585/Boston-Market-employee-rants-hating-customers-undercover-boss-FIRED-spot.html#axzz2K22gNdst

I have to question the judgment of Undercover Boss in using the footage. I'd like to know WHEN he signed his consent form, before or after he knew he was being fired on national TV. Past weeks have shown people making similar statements, and the boss reacting with understanding. A lot of people who hate their jobs hate them because they're frustrated with unreasonable demands (on the same episode was a worker who said that they never get breaks!) or because they weren't trained properly. I agree something needed to be done, but I think she handled the situation improperly. It didn't leave me with a warm cozy feeling about Boston Market.

I suspect there was a lot more that didn't make it on the show.  I don't know how much time the bosses spend in particular positions, but it is probably at least one day.  An employee who says he hates customers but is otherwise all right will pass.  An employee whose attitude problem lasts all shift, bleeds into his relationships with fellow employees, and causes him to do a lousy job won't survive an encounter with the boss.

[pierrotlunaire0]

If I have mentioned this before, I apologize.  I used to work in mental health, and one of my coworkers had just completed her MSW, and was trying to start a counseling practice.

She was showing is all the paperwork she had: lease for an office, her yellow pages ad, business cards, and a male coworker said, "Wow, you are a certified Substance Abuse Counselor?  How long did that take you?"

She looked confused.  "Well, I have my MSW, and that took --."

"No, I mean all the specialized courses, classes, and the practicum that you have to have to be a certified Substance Abuse Counselor."

Well, she wasn't one.  She had her master's in Social Work, and she always wanted to specialize in Substance Abuse, and she thought that was all that was needed.  The male CW had a substantial background in substance abuse, and he explained that the specialty she was claiming was a BIG DEAL.  It was almost the equivalent of listing PhD after your name because you thought it looked cool.

I don't know what she did with the cards.  Those had already been paid for.  Knowing her, she could well have handed them out, reasoning that most people wouldn't know.