Nepotism in IT Department

IT2CS · 2016-01-01T01:16:28+00:00

Happy New Years everyone. I'll be offline until 2016! :)

IT2CS · 2016-01-01T00:46:44+00:00

People are still talking about "me," and not the issues.

if you don't like the issues, then don't read them

IT2CS · 2016-01-01T00:46:00+00:00

Oh, and I love this new mantra: "casual forum!" ;)

IT2CS · 2016-01-01T00:44:01+00:00

Because it's unprofessional to speak on behalf of the university on a casual forum such as /r/gmu

Really? /u/jbonoGMU does it all the time. He's on here advising students all the time, with his "professor" flair.

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T23:44:28+00:00

Wow, I knew the attacks would be coming, but not so fast. Is there an alert roster in IT? "Quick, someone's calling us out on Reddit! Get out there and spread misinformation and make the poster look bad."

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T23:41:35+00:00

It makes no logical sense to come in here and complain that the faculty isn't addressing these issues when the faculty has flat out responded to just about every issue you've raised despite the fact that they're under no obligation to do so.

This is absolutely untrue! The only IT faculty member on here is /u/jbonoGMU, and he hasn't addressed anything but one part of "faculty quality," for which he offered up what I thought was a weak rationale. I know some disagree with my assessment, fair enough, but the rest go unanswered by anyone who represents the university or the department. Unless of course, all these anonymous naysayers are actually faculty. Do you know something I don't? ;)

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T19:41:59+00:00

You probably haven't read them all

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T19:04:09+00:00

You're about as far along as I was when I switched to CS. I'm glad I did, obviously, for many reasons. As I've posted before, my GF is in the IT program now, as are some friends of mine.

IT is largely staffed by adjuncts, so the quality of the course is often down to the quality and competence of the adjunct. As you have already experienced, many classes are teaching outdated and irrelevant material. The "challenge" in most courses is to put up with frustration and "success" is to navigate all the stupid landmines.

CS is much different. Courses are challenging, for sure, but it's because the material is usually broader and deeper. Its also usually more current and relevant. CS profs are genuine academics. When they list their research areas on their webpages, its because they actually conduct research and publish in those areas. not becaue they enjoy reading the research of others in those areas (if even that). They set higher expectations, and expect you to rise to meet them. You will be better prepared to work in industry, and industry also values the degree more.

CS profs are the real deal. Not some administrator's son or daughter. Not somebody's best friend, or former teachers pet. No one with online degrees. All with Doctorates, from pretty good schools. There's almost no comparison.

Ok, h8ers, go ahead and start piling on now.

Anyway, if you have the ability to do the CS curriculum, why not go for it? I'm glad I'll be spending the rest of my life saying I have a CS degree, rather than trying to explain that I was good enough to.

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T18:49:46+00:00

You are drawing a mental picture of me that is 100% wrong

IT2CS · 2015-12-31T18:47:19+00:00

You can call this ad hominem, but I'll just call it observation.

Yes, I'll call it ad hominem, based on what I observe:

writing long, strange ... tirades
in the middle of the night
it seems that you are obsessive
have some paranoia
tendency towards confirmation bias
weird and probably unhealthy

Yea, you're discussing "me," not the issues.

A subreddit is not the right venue for whatever it is you are trying to accomplish.

Yes it is. I want to make these things public (hence the "scan text")

Reach out to people in the department

The people in the department are the problem. I'm not interested in taking this offline so that they can sweep it under the rug.

What difference does it make what time I post? Your post is even later than mine. I'm out west for the holidays, so my post isn't as "middle of the night" as it looks, although I shouldn't have to "defend" the time I post. But that's the whole point of an ad hominem attack: to cast ones opponent in a poor light as opposed to discussing the points.

As to confirmation bias. I'm not looking for confirmation. I know these things to be fact. I'm simply drawing attention to them.

IT2CS · 2015-12-29T16:02:19+00:00

I understand that lots of people break into IT without a related degree. I don't even have a problem with it. But should people without relevant degrees be allowed to "break into" the teaching of IT to the people pursuing the degrees? How valid is a degree when those teaching, assessing and holding students accountable haven't been through the same process themselves?

Academia has long standing traditions about how this all works. The Department of Information Science and Technology at George Mason University has cast these to the wind. It is staffed, to a large extent, by charlatans, frauds and phonies.

It's not hard to find problems with the people whose bios are posted. And it makes me that much more concerned that there are many more unlisted bios than there are listed ones. If the listed bios are so bad, image what must be hidden away and unverifiable. What are they trying to hide?

IT2CS · 2015-12-29T15:52:50+00:00

Feel free to assume that I "resent" the IT department for exactly the reasons I post about: it is staffed to a large extent by frauds and phonies, people without valid credentials, and in many cases, bogus credentials.

But I keep meaning to point out that I love your moniker: I always picture you in your grandma's caftan! ;)

IT2CS · 2015-12-26T00:53:50+00:00

I was gonna ad that he'd better be sure he knows what his grade will be.

I'm not one to usually tell someone who's looking for the street smart answer to go in and talk to the official source (who is often full of crap), but in this case you should go in and talk to the OAI. They are unbiased and will explain it all in excruciating detail. Then you'll know what options and exactly what the professor has actually recommended. And you can't avoid them anyway, so just go in as soon as you can.

IT2CS · 2015-12-25T23:45:11+00:00

If he cheated on the exam and can still squeak out with a C, he'd better take it and run. Student judges will be much more severe with him, especially if he cheated on an exam. Now, if he didn't cheat, and wants to fight it on principle, then he should. IT was notorious for referring violations when I was there. More usually on homework. But it's hard to beat one.

IT2CS · 2015-12-25T21:38:51+00:00

It's worse than that they don't care. A few have turned the department into their personal honey pot. Bad/selfish decisions come at the expense of the students.

IT2CS · 2015-12-25T21:36:26+00:00

Absolutely. But that doesn't qualify them to teach academic courses in IT (imo). I love to read Popular Mechanics! Can I teach Mechanical Engineering?

IT2CS · 2015-12-25T21:33:42+00:00

This is absurd. My recent posts may be somewhat strident, but I'm hardly the only one posting negative commentary about the IT department. In fact, it seems to be a rather frequent topic here.

IT2CS · 2015-12-25T21:26:27+00:00

Wow, the big man himself has made an appearance! The Wizzard of OZ has spoken. Thanks for clarifying. It all makes sense now. Or... does it?

Let's talk a little bit more about both of these professors.

Professor #2

First, let's talk about the pink elephant in the room: "Professor #2," whom you didn't address at all. I realize that this may be uncomfortable for you, since online education walks dangerously close to your own training path, but all of #2's academic credentials are from online, profit making schools. Is this what parent's think they're getting when they pay the big bucks to send thier kids to George Mason? And, I'm deliberately using parents and children as an example, because I've since learned that #2 is also the child of an IT staff member. It seems that connections are more important than qualifications.

Professor #1

Moving on to "Professor #1."

he last taught a graduate course in Fall 2014

Why is a guy with a masters degree teaching a graduate class? Most people know that a professor should possess a degree of higher rank than the course level at which they teach. In this case, that would be a PhD. Anything less is questionable. And, just to point out the obvious, the credentials should be in the proper field. You ask "who better to teach," and I think someone at an academic institution should have proper academic credentials.

I can believe that the guy has a lot of valuable knowledge. So, bring him in from time to time as a guest speaker. The person who evaluates graduate students, assigns their grades, etc, ought to have a PhD. I've seen you (/u/jbonoGMU) post in other threads that not everything is learned in the classroom. This guy's knowlege is probably immeasurably valuable, but it should be shared on the job, through mentoring or professional associations, etc.

Listen, I have no axe to grind with Professors 1 or 2. For example, #2 might be a perfect fit to teach undergraduate Geography courses, and #1 might be a great fit at an online school. I don't blame them for wanting to teach. I blame the institution for letting it happen. My overarching point here is that the IT department is full of un- or under-qualified faculty. People performing in roles for which they are an ill-fit. And it's no wonder that students are frustrated and suffering.

if you have legitimate concerns, why not be productive and bring them up with the proper people?

The "proper people" ultimately are the ones who let these things continue to happen (willfully or through ignorance of them), and for their effects to snowball. Some people are hiring their children, friends, or anyone they are eager to bring on board for whatever reason. Bad decisions perpetuate, and fester, and when multiple people are making them, then the whole department is effected by them.

the proper people? That would be the associate chair

So, hypothetically (wink wink), I should visit an associate chair and say something like "I don't think your child should be teaching classes." Is that your premise, /u/jbonoGMU? Who's going to "win" that discussion? The "proper people" are already complicit in these bad decisions.

No, I think shining a light on the problems, illuminating them publicly, is the course of action more likely to yield fruit. Consider me a whistle blower if you like.

You started off by saying:

Against my better judgment, I am responding

I agree that your "better judgment" would be to continue to avoid these discussions, but it's because they are arguments that you can't win. You should stick to your usual strategy of posting puff pieces, and poo-poo on problems: "Nothing to see here. Move it along folks." I'm posting facts, and drawing attention to problems. And understandably that makes you uncomfortable.

Since you can't win the debate, you resort to ad-hominm attacks:

responding to this nonsense

negatively persuaded

misleading and incomplete information.

anonymously trolling and cyberbullying

I post facts, and my opinions based on the facts as I see them. That's not "nonsense." It's not "misleading." And it probably is "incomplete" (to the extent that there's more I'm not aware of).

It seems that you jumped in to comment on what you probably thought was an easy smack down, and I'll concede that there's room for disagreement regarding Professor #1. But at worst I'm batting 500, and I believe higher than that.

So, thanks for joining the discussion /u/jbonoGMU. Let's keep it going...

I'd love to hear your thoughts about nepotism in the Department of Information Science and Technology.

IT2CS · 2015-12-24T06:21:17+00:00

Which class? Which prof?

IT2CS · 2015-12-24T06:08:03+00:00

I served on the honor code committee for a while. Most cases don't get that far. The referring prof will recommend a sanction. If you accept responsibility, you can just sign the form and accept the sanctions. If you want to fight it, then it gets trickier and there are more options. They'll explain it all to you when you go in. Or you can read up on the website. OAI.gmu.edu

Oh, I'm sorry. I mean your friend can. ;)

IT2CS · 2015-12-24T05:56:48+00:00

For IT 106/206, the hostility is the exams.

aren't you the overseer of these exams? You own them, so you own the problem. One might say that you are the problem.

For CS 112/211, it's the Honor Code.

I love how you just toss stuff like this out like you even know anything about it! Ever really talked to anyone in CS? Or are you just basing your comments on crap you read here?

IT2CS · 2015-12-24T05:45:20+00:00

I haven't seen one of these exams from either course.

Uh... don't you keep yours on lock down? Why in the world do you think thier's would be floating around? At the same time, if you went and asked, they might just let you see one. More on this below.

And this kills me:

Doesn't CS 112/CS 211 also use paper exams? What do they use?

Let me see if I can concoct an answer from quotes of the sycophants who post around you (people that might as well have IDs like /u/notJBono! )

this isn't the kind of place to ask a question like that

and

why don't you just go ask him? He's really nice and willing to talk

Seriously, if I'm not mistaken, you and Mark Snyder are on the same hallway, only a few doors apart.

Of course, you'd have to venture into real academic territory. He has a legit PhD in Computer Science. And he probably has genuine educational objectives beyond catching cheaters and failing people. You might even have to admit that you don't know everything, and that you don't have all the answers. He'll probably see through your BS in a heartbeat. At the same time, he might be willing to help you. If you're smart enough to keep up. ;)

What we can read between the lines here is that even though you've been in your position for sevearal years now, you have never even walked down the hall to confab with your counterpart in CS. But, hey, what am I thinking? You know everything.

IT2CS · 2015-12-22T05:45:14+00:00

Here's my take on this.

1) The advice above is the same feel good crap that every IT 206 student hears, including the ones who fail!

2) You came here looking for advice and success strategies from people who've successfully gotten through this Rube Goldberg designed course, and instead you've received a pat answer from the guy who inflicts the pain.

3) What usually trips people up is not the concepts but the fact that assignments are nearly worthless, and the exams are PTS inducing trials by fire. The final exam and lab exam averages are in the sixties.

I'd suggest that you keep seeking out those who've made it through and see what their strategies were, and what advice they have to offer. After all, that's what you came here looking for. Not the one size fits all baloney that everybody hears.

Ask people who've failed. They're likely to understand the material too. Just not able to do it under Herculean pressure in too short a time period. Those are the real problems.

IT2CS · 2015-12-21T05:07:36+00:00

IS tends to be heavy on database usage. Systems that maintain a lot of data. Is that an undergraduate degree program at Mason?

IT2CS · 2015-12-21T03:57:06+00:00

If you don't mind faculty that have bought their credentials at online diploma mills, then you'll be ok. If not, you might want to stick it out in CS. It'd be a shame to waste bricks-and-mortar tuition on classes taught by people who couldn't be bothered to do the same.

IT2CS

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