Uva president Scott Beardsley’s sketchy “doctorate”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why exactly is a doctorate needed to be a university administrator?

Because otherwise faculty members would find him to be not "one of them" who have gone through the pain of securing research funding, publishing scholarly work, advising students and doing journal/conference editorial work. When faculty members get together -- even if they are from vastly different fields -- there are shared characteristics that allow them to click quickly and understand differences among them better. For example, in some areas of physics papers are normally written by dozens of authors whereas in math they are written by one or two. In medical research, fundings are in millions whereas in art, getting 50k is a feat. When these faculty members see Beardsley, they would find him an outsider who only understands their concerns and needs at a superficial level because Beardsley hasn't actually done research or publish or written proposals.

[Anonymous]

He's been the dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia since August 2015. How is it that the faculty members seeing him as an outsider?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He's been the dean of the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia since August 2015. How is it that the faculty members seeing him as an outsider?

See the above

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is a little like right wing shitheel Christopher Rufo passing himself off as a Harvard grad when he only went to the extension school.

https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americas-news-now/harvard-prof-walks-back-criticism-of-extension-school-degrees-this-still-isnt-an-apology-jennifer-hochschild-christopher-rufo-claudine-gay-corey-deangelis-university-cambridge-massachusetts

That dude got a masters degree from Harvard Extension. I dunno, aren’t most masters degrees even at top 5 pay to play anyway? He went to Gtown as an undergrad. I don’t believe he would have trouble getting a masters degree at a top 5 if he’s willing to pay. Ask me how I know!

Why is it called Harvard Extension and not Harvard?

I think it’s because it’s an extension of Harvard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.

Every "doctor" principal and "doctor" superintendent in the U.S. has this bogus online degree mill Ed.D. "doctorate." The scheme is even more egregious in that they charge the entire Ed.D. tuition cost to whatever public district they work for at the time and as soon as they finish the bogus online coursework, it unlocks a fat automatic raise. And most of them do the "coursework" while they're on the clock at school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What terminal credential do you possess, OP?

OP isn't the prez of a major university so fail to see how that's relevant. nice try though!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.

She has lot in common with phony call her "doctor" Jill and her on-line Ed.D.

Ain't that right.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.

What do you expect when the MAGAs picked him? The faculty are not happy! This alum isn’t either.

MAGAs did not pick him. I don’t know a single member of the Board of Visitirs who ws or U.S. MAGA. The Board had been unhappy with him for over a year.

MAGA picked the last board who made Ryan resign and picked Beardsley. Rushed it through without a quorum. Very suspicious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.

And, yet, that’s the degree Jill Biden got from podunk University of Delaware and you scream if she’s not addressed “Dr.”. You can’t have it both ways.

Jill Biden isn't the prez of UVA and a degree isn't a requirement for first lady. see eg the current first lady. so stop deflecting.

[Anonymous]

This is quite an embarrassment to UVA.

Perhaps dean jesus could have applied for the position too!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.
[b]

Gee, OP, maybe if you had given your post a thought before posting …. Or bothered to research the people and issues involved.. you might have realized you had it wrong:

1) the article you cite is not the opinion of the paper (and just a Richmond paper at that) but an editorial by a single guest author.

2) this author is a professor of education (yes, same degree you are making of) and has an axe to grind because her field is the diminishing one of race, diversity and DEI in education.

3) As a young academic, she needs to make herself relevant so wrote this trash to keep current with publications. Note it’s in a Richmond paper, not even Charlottesville or a national paper.

4) if you had bothered to even read up on Scott Beardsley’s background you would know he has: (direct from Wikipedia) “Beardsley graduated from Tufts University, where he earned a BS in electrical engineering. He subsequently earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He earned an EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. As of 2024, he is completing a part-time master of studies in practical ethics (artificial intelligence) in the Department of Philosophy at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.”

5) the info in wiki is old. I believe Beardsley the Oxford MPhil degree now -so he has a hard science undergrad and three graduate degrees.

6) had you bothered to check in what people at UVA think (where I am now), you would have learned that the Presidency of any University is primarily that of fund-raiser and that Beardsley is renowned for what he has already accomplished in that area at UVA. No one is unhappy with his pick. Now you might find some liberal Spanberger types who try to trash him but so far nothing has stuck - and they are uniformly off grounds people (like the author of this piece) who don’t know what they are talking about.

7) the article you cite is old and was never picked up by any major publication for the reasons given above.

If you are truly at UVA now, how can you be unaware that 200+ faculty signed this letter expressing concern about his appointment? You sound very out of touch with what the UVA community thinks. Or you are trying to deny reality.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2026/01/a-statement-from-201-concerned-faculty-about-uva-president-beardsleys-appointment

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Paywalled but basically his “doctorate from Penn” is a two year Ed.D. from a cash cow, pay to play program

https://richmond.com/opinion/column/article_a6df09e0-5d84-411c-a780-c6416e28ddd3.html

There’s already a lot of prejudice towards ed schools and EdDs in elite academia (as in, the EdD is not the terminal degree unless it’s from Harvard Ed school or Columbia Teachers College) but a two year program made up of classes once a month, plus a week or two per summer, seems pretty skimpy. Definitely sets him apart from the presidents of the actual Ivies, AAU, or T20 schools. Not a great for UVa, besides all of the political issues with the appointment.
[b]

Gee, OP, maybe if you had given your post a thought before posting …. Or bothered to research the people and issues involved.. you might have realized you had it wrong:

1) the article you cite is not the opinion of the paper (and just a Richmond paper at that) but an editorial by a single guest author.

2) this author is a professor of education (yes, same degree you are making of) and has an axe to grind because her field is the diminishing one of race, diversity and DEI in education.

3) As a young academic, she needs to make herself relevant so wrote this trash to keep current with publications. Note it’s in a Richmond paper, not even Charlottesville or a national paper.

4) if you had bothered to even read up on Scott Beardsley’s background you would know he has: (direct from Wikipedia) “Beardsley graduated from Tufts University, where he earned a BS in electrical engineering. He subsequently earned an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He earned an EdD in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015. As of 2024, he is completing a part-time master of studies in practical ethics (artificial intelligence) in the Department of Philosophy at Pembroke College, University of Oxford.”

5) the info in wiki is old. I believe Beardsley the Oxford MPhil degree now -so he has a hard science undergrad and three graduate degrees.

6) had you bothered to check in what people at UVA think (where I am now), you would have learned that the Presidency of any University is primarily that of fund-raiser and that Beardsley is renowned for what he has already accomplished in that area at UVA. No one is unhappy with his pick. Now you might find some liberal Spanberger types who try to trash him but so far nothing has stuck - and they are uniformly off grounds people (like the author of this piece) who don’t know what they are talking about.

7) the article you cite is old and was never picked up by any major publication for the reasons given above.

If you are truly at UVA now, how can you be unaware that 200+ faculty signed this letter expressing concern about his appointment? You sound very out of touch with what the UVA community thinks. Or you are trying to deny reality.

https://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2026/01/a-statement-from-201-concerned-faculty-about-uva-president-beardsleys-appointment

I hope these 200+ faculty members won’t be retaliated by their incompetent new president!

Now I regret suggesting my kid to apply RD to UVA because there’s no supplemental essay requirement.

[Anonymous]

Beardsley managed Darden, one of UVA's most prestigious and successful components for 10 years. He also rose through the ranks of McKinsey, perhaps the world's top management consulting firms. He certainly brings something to the table. I believe Ryan had a JD and not a PhD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why exactly is a doctorate needed to be a university administrator?

Why is the captain of an aircraft carrier always a former Navy carrier pilot? Because they have years of experience in the carrier's core mission and are familiar with all the challenges. It's not a surprise that universities tend to want the same in their chancellors and prefer leaders with strong academic creds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Beardsley managed Darden, one of UVA's most prestigious and successful components for 10 years. He also rose through the ranks of McKinsey, perhaps the world's top management consulting firms. He certainly brings something to the table. I believe Ryan had a JD and not a PhD.

Yes but Ryan was on the faculty of UVA law for awhile and well published, respected in legal academic circles. He was also Dean at Harvard Grad School of Ed. So not just a random lawyer.