Washington Post: Pr. George’s Schools Chief’s PhD Under Scrutiny
Prince George’s School Superintendent John E. Deasy received a doctorate from the University of Louisville, where he completed only nine credit hours.
The University of Louisville announced yesterday that it will investigate the awarding of a doctorate to John E. Deasy, now superintendent of Prince George’s County schools, after reports that he completed his graduate work there on an unusually fast track in apparent departure from the university’s standard practice.
Deasy, leader of the 130,000-student system since 2006, was awarded a doctorate of philosophy in education in May 2004 after completing nine credit hours of work at the university — equivalent to one semester — in addition to 77 credit hours he earned from other schools. Deasy also wrote a 184-page dissertation.
At issue is the relatively small number of credit hours Deasy earned from the University of Louisville and what kind of exception to university policy might have been made to award his degree.
The university’s graduate handbook indicates that doctoral students typically complete their work in a minimum of three years, including at least one year — 18 credit hours — in full-time residency.
This week, Kentucky media reported on questions raised about the awarding of Deasy’s doctorate as part of news coverage of a federal investigation centered on Robert Felner, the former dean of the university’s College of Education and Human Development. Felner was also Deasy’s academic adviser and chairman of his dissertation committee.
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