Not excepting the "present legal climate," age can definitely be an
issue. I have spent most of my professional life on the edge of
traditional research academia - offering night classes in my narrow
expertise to 'night programs,' professing at 'teaching' institutions and
the near equivalent of U of Phoenix accelerated programs. My employer
companies sometimes liked technical publications, sometimes did not, but
never placed publication priority the equal of the technical challenge
in front of me. thus, I wind up at almost Mr. Nichol's age with many of
the credentials he lacks (such as a Ph. D.), some credentials that cut
no ice in academia (such as Am. Soc. for Quality's Quality Auditor,
Quality Engineer, and SSBB [Six-Sigma Black Belt]), and few enough
research level publications (mostly from grad school).
Since academic 'success' is usually more difficult to measure than
corporate 'success,' we tend to see less objectivity in the judgments
necessary to permit academic participation. Placing requirements for
credentials, however flawed as a means of achieving the
educational/academic objective, provides one means for reducing the
stress of decision-making. It also ensures that gadflies who "don't fit
in" will not be around to ask embarrassing questions.
Questions such as "what will a graduating student be able to accomplish?
In operational definitions, please." the follow-up question is, "how
does this class (or any/all required classes) contribute to the
student's capabilities?"
Before anyone jumps all over this post, please assume that it is much
longer - including carefully phrased delinations of how different levels
of student incoming capability are to be handled, and "accomplish"
explained in terms of the Bloom Taxonomy. etc., etc. :)
Quite honestly, I don't suggest that Mr. Nichols undertake a night class
instructor type job, at such as U. of Phoenix. Their interest is in an
authority who is willing to follow the instructions in the instructor's
guide. If the material should happen to contradict his/her experience,
or be technically inadvisable, tough apples. If the format of the
material should happen to be cumbersome/difficult for the students to
grasp, only minor alternations in methodology are expected. Adjunct
instructors are the lowest of the low in the academic pantheon.
Enlightened faculty and administrators may appreciate 'outside' input
under certain conditions. If Mr. Nichols can locate such a group of
people, more power to him!
Looking at the picture from the academic side, I'm sorry to say that
honest business experience, such as Mr. Nichols has in abundance, does
not necessarily 'fit' or translate well into educational structure and
educational objectives. Some people are quite good at doing their
specialty, but lack the insight, or overview ability, to understand not
only how to do their specialty, but also how the students understand
that specialty, and that 'doing.' I began to accomplish things with my
statistics classes when I watched not only what they learned, but how
they learned it. (Yes, it is true that not all professors understand
this paragraph, either. But they are professors already :)
Education is different than any specific specialty in one major way. It
involves a great deal of interaction between instructor and student.
You cannot develop "quality" of education/learning the way you develop
"quality" of an industrial switch, because no switch ever had a hand in
its own assembly. Many very successful industrialists in my own home
town don't understand the implications of this statement yet, when they
assert that "school should be run like a business."
Enough soap box for one night. Fred is right - the U's are missing out
when they place 'artificial' barriers to participation by him and those
like him. Us old war horses don't always understand the true narrowness
of our own experience. Take your pick.
Cheers,
Jay
Charles Wankel wrote:
>Fred
> Having attained high executive in organizations such as the
>Educational Testing Service, your background as autodidact indeed has NOT
>hindered your immensely successful career. I can imagine an institution
>such as the University of Phoenix would jump at the opportunity to get
>someone with your resume. What is surprising to me is that you find being
>66 an impediment to get a doctorate. Indeed I am certain that you could
>whiz through such a program. I recommend getting one from a European school
>where rather than course work research might be the focus. That is, find an
>institution where you could study and write on in a scholarly way what
>interests you. Once you have your doctorate, in the present legal climate, I
>suspect that your age would not stop you getting interviews. Once you get
>in an interview situation, I am sure that many institutions would want to
>snatch you up.
>In awe of your management know-how and knowledge,
>Charles Wankel
>
>-----Original Message-----
>
>Another job posting for an associate professor made its way into my email
>in-box a short while ago. For some reason this one triggered more than a
>cursory scan and a quick trip to the delete key. This time I sat there,
>regretting my lack of educational credentials. It saddened me for a moment
>to think that I have learned so much over the years that can never be shared
>that way. What a waste.
>
>I have often maintained the fiction that the lack of a college degree
>(coupled with spending the first 20 years of my working career in the Navy)
>has never been a hindrance. But it is indeed a fiction. True enough, I
>have had a career that many with far better credentials never achieved and
>that some envy. However, forever unanswered goes the question: "What might
>I have accomplished had I been armed with those credentials?" I suspect my
>accomplishments might have been much greater.
>
>However, at 66 years of age, I have no intention of remedying the situation.
>Nor do I have any intention of wallowing in regret. I just thought I'd
>share a reflection with my better educated colleagues and to let you know I
>envy you the potential you enjoy and that eludes me. I hope you come to
>appreciate it as much as I do.
>
>Regards,
>
>Fred Nickols, CPT
>Distance Consulting
>"Assistance at a Distance"
>
nickols@att.net
>www.nickols.us
>
>
>
>
--
Jay Warner
Principal Scientist
Warner Consulting, Inc.
4444 North Green Bay Road
Racine, WI 53404-1216
USA
Ph: (262) 634-9100
FAX: (262) 681-1133
email:
quality@a2q.com
web:
http://www.a2q.com
The A2Q Method (tm) -- What do you want to improve today?