"To Call Jill Biden's Dissertation Thin Gruel Is an Insult to Gruel"
A Critical Examination of Jill Biden's Doctoral Thesis
December 17, 2020 at 10:59 AM | 7 min read
To say that Jill Biden's 2006 doctoral dissertation is thin gruel is an insult to gruel. The University of Delaware's extremely generous decision to grant the future first lady her degree for this work is a scandal that makes a mockery of academic standards.
Let's begin with the title: "Influence of Community College Transfer Students on Institutional Graduation Rates." This is a topic of great importance to higher education, and it is one that has been studied extensively. Biden's dissertation, however, adds nothing new to the existing body of research. In fact, it is largely a rehash of other people's work.
Biden's methodology is also deeply flawed. She bases her conclusions on a survey of just 103 students, a sample size that is far too small to be meaningful. Additionally, her survey instrument was poorly designed and her data analysis was superficial.
The result is a dissertation that is full of unsubstantiated claims and unsupported conclusions. Biden's work is not worthy of a doctor of education degree, and it is a shame that the University of Delaware has allowed it to pass as such.
This scandal is a reminder of the importance of academic integrity. Universities must uphold high standards for their doctoral programs, and they must not allow political considerations to interfere with their academic judgment.
The University of Delaware has a long and distinguished history, but its reputation has been tarnished by this scandal. The university must take steps to restore its integrity, and it must ensure that such a thing never happens again.
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