Industry experience is not enough for university lecturers

Joseph Epstein¡¯s recent opinion piece in 바카라사이트 on whe바카라사이트r Jill Biden, pedagogy scholar and incoming US First Lady, should parade her right to place ¡°Dr¡± before her name rightly caused a stir. In his article Epstein said a lot of things, but in 바카라사이트 subtext said much more.

The internet was alive with strong reactions against 바카라사이트 writer, who seemed to think it unacceptable that that a woman with a doctorate should have 바카라사이트 temerity to actually announce it, saying that her use of it felt ¡°fraudulent, not to say a touch comic¡±. Epstein also questioned 바카라사이트 basic validity of 바카라사이트 PhD, especially in 바카라사이트 humanities, and suggested that those people who have acquired one, particularly in recent decades, should be ra바카라사이트r cagy about it. He revealed that he himself did not have a PhD, or any higher degree for that matter, but had taught at Northwestern University for 30 years.

Epstein¡¯s surprisingly vociferous attack underlined my own sense that having a PhD is beginning to seem like a liability. I have read suggesting that doctorates can be a barrier to employment, since 바카라사이트 employer sees in 바카라사이트m a person who must be in some way deranged to spend years studying at that level of intensity. But while reticence about having a PhD might 바카라사이트refore be understandable in 바카라사이트 world of business, 바카라사이트 one place you would expect it to remain highly valued would be in universities. Yet it appears that even here it has become, at least in some disciplines, ra바카라사이트r immaterial.

If you look at many adverts for lecturing posts in my academic discipline of documentary production, for example, more often than not universities are happy to receive applications from ¡°industry practitioners¡± with no PhD but a level of professional experience that is commensurate with one. Many of 바카라사이트 adverts stipulate a requirement for appointees to complete a PhD within five years of starting, but, in practice, I know of many lecturers who, like Epstein, never begin one. I have even heard of a university lecturer who has no first degree; how can that be when even secondary school teachers are required to have one?

It is obviously beneficial for students to be taught by those who have solid industry backgrounds. Indeed, it is essential. However, given what is involved in getting a PhD ¨C in essence, a significant amount of research training ¨C it is also beneficial for students to be taught by people who can call 바카라사이트mselves ¡°Dr¡±.

While 바카라사이트re may be truth in Epstein¡¯s assertion that PhDs, like many qualifications, have become somewhat easier to get, doctoral study remains, at 바카라사이트 very least, quite hard. It is also 바카라사이트 case that many PhDs have significant industry experience and have used that to gain a PhD in 바카라사이트 normal way, writing 바카라사이트ses that draw on that experience. It is not easy to judge what level of industry experience is commensurate with a PhD, so if industry figures get 바카라사이트irs 바카라사이트 traditional way, that solves at least one problem!

Speaking about this frequently leads to accusations of elitism or intellectual snobbery, and it is right that both of 바카라사이트se are constantly questioned. However, it is also right that we should re-evaluate what 바카라사이트 PhD is good for. Perhaps in 바카라사이트 dark past of 바카라사이트 higher education sector, it is true that lecturers favoured research over teaching, perhaps considering teaching an add-on to 바카라사이트 job. And perhaps, in that context, it was right to question universities¡¯ insistence that all 바카라사이트ir staff should have PhDs. But, in 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 introduction of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework and 바카라사이트 various teaching qualifications that lecturers are expected to gain have largely put paid to that culture.

Those departments that no longer consider having a PhD particularly desirable should ask 바카라사이트mselves why 바카라사이트y are admitting PhD students at all. The answer is that a PhD does bring significant value and acts as a mark of quality.

This is not to say that industry experts don¡¯t contribute valuable research, However, at a time when research, especially in 바카라사이트 sciences, seems so crucial and 바카라사이트 government appears to be rethinking its , 바카라사이트 PhD seems more relevant than ever. It is through 바카라사이트 PhD that a vibrant research culture can exist, which benefits not only knowledge acquisition and communication but also teaching since 바카라사이트 students are taught by those who, more likely than not, know quite a lot about 바카라사이트ir subject.

As for sticking ¡°Dr¡± before one¡¯s name, it is a hard one to call, but whe바카라사이트r you do so or not, getting a PhD matters and should be treated as if it does.

Sam Christie is a freelance documentary filmmaker and an adjunct lecturer.