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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 20, 1969)
Livelier dissertations may result A typical thesis may inspire more of same By PEARL BAKKEN Of the Emerald Dry, dull and definitely not to be read for enjoyment—such is the typical view of a graduate thesis. Yet, a recent University Graduate School ruling on one not-so-typical thesis appears to have opened the way for a lot more free dom in the writing of dissertations. Shortly before classes began this year, the Graduate School approved the thesis of geography doctoral candidate Wilson Merrill. And, in explanation of their de cision, Graduate Deans Leona Tyler and Albert Kitzhaber, sent a letter to the de partment head stating, “We should like to encourage more latitude in the kind of doc ument acceptable as a thesis.” The Graduate School investigated Mer rill’s case after two of the seven mem bers of his thesis committee voted against acceptance of the dissertation following his oral defense. “INDIVIDUAL AND PERSONAL” Merrill’s thesis, called “Wisdom of the Tools” was far from traditional forms in terms of both style and subject matter. The Kitzhaber-Tyler letter described the thesis as notably different from the usual paper “couched in third-person language, eschewing value judgments and dealing with material that is unquestionably cen tral to the discipline.” On the contrary, “Merrill’s style is both individual and personal, his own views are unmistakable, and his subject matter clear ly is nearer the perimeter than the center of the field of geography,” stated the let ter. CAN BE INTERESTING John Wish, associate professor in mar keting and outside member of the thesis committee, said he found it interesting that the geography thesis did not include one map. He added that the paper includ ed very few citations and that it was ob vious Merrill had not “referred exhaus tively to other sources in writing his the sis.” Dean Tyler described the thesis as writ ten like a popular book. “Everyone agreed it was good, but the question concerned whether or not it was a thesis,” she said. Dean Tyler said the Graduate School’s decision on the case does not really repre sent a major change in standards. “It’s just that most people tend to assume rules on acceptable theses are more restrictive than they actually are,” she commented. In terms of style used in dissertations, the Graduate School letter encouraged the writing of more theses “which take account of the live reader and which can be read with interest, even pleasure.” Concerning acceptable topics, the letter said “departures from the norm should, we believe, grow out of a wider range of purposes which should be permitted the dissertation writer.” Apparently, this is the first time such a case has come to the forefront. “There might have been similar cases before, but they haven’t come to the attention of the Graduate School,” said Dean Tyler. The Graduate School deans review a the sis if more than one “no” vote is cast by the thesis committee, since at the Univer sity this is considered to signify reasonable doubt about the paper. Thesis committees are appointed by the Graduate School on recommendations from the department involved. Although the committee size varies, the group usu ally consists of four professors, three from the students’ department and one from the outside. Dean Tyler said the Graduate School reviews the vote of a committee only about once a year. MAY SAY SOMETHING Wish said he sees the Graduate School policy as a “major departure” from former standards and has been circulating letters about the ruling to make sure professors and students are aware of the school’s po sition. He said the importance of the thesis pol icy recently aired is that it provides each person with the opportunity to say some thing important. “If it requires different style or study on the edges of a discipline, so be it,” said Wish. “The important element is that the work be judged on the merits of that thesis alone”—even though it may make the committee’s task harder, he added. COOK BOOK STYLE OUT Wish described the majority of disserta tions as the “cook book type,” the kind in which students just follow the recipe and grind out the thesis. “Most people go this way because they have nothing to say,” he said. But, he added, most probably should follow this form because there are many aspects of different fields that need inten sive examination and this type of paper to prove a case. Yet, Wish said it is essential that the sis possibilities remain open for those who have a contribution to make, but cannot verify their views in the typical way. He said he was particularly impressed with reactions from geography professors on Merrill’s thesis committee who found that this student really had a point to make. He said three out of the four com mittee members from the geography de partment said “the thesis had a big effect on their view of their profession, what geography is and its relationship to the world. NOW Dancing at the Riviera Room 39 10th W. while on campus leave your cleaning problems with us sieqimind’s IfrSijP&Mteve. • cleaning by the lb. • alterations, repairs • one-day service 821 e. 13th ave. Moratorium troops cost $1 million WASHINGTON <A>>—The Pen tagon says it cost about $1 mil lion to bring trooos to Washing ton for last week’s antiwar dem onstrations. The estimate Tuesday in - eludes the expense of transport ing 9,000 soldiers and Marines to the capital and supplying them over a seven-day period. It does not include military pay. Advance elements of the force arrived a week ago. The last units left Washington overnight. The regular units were never committed to the streets to put down violence but were deployed throughout and around the city as a precautionary measure. Several hundred District of Co lumbia National Guard troops were called out Friday night when demonstrators moved to ward the South Vietnamese Em - bassy. Animal blood dumped on recruiting material DETROIT <A>> — Animal blood and fowl entrails were dumped on military recruiting material in the lobby of the University of Detroit Student Union Tuesday. A witness said six young men formed a line in front of the Navy and Marine recruiters’ tables and dumped the blood and intestines on the literature and posters on display. The men then fled. Navy Lt. Joseph Petlow was standing nearby. The Marine re cruiter was not present. 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