Weeks 206-240 (BMAL 889)

Doctorate of Strategic Leadership program Robert Forto

I know, it has been a VERY long time since I did one of these updates. More than 25 weeks (over a half of a year) in fact. For my rabid readers, you probably know I haven’t fallen off of the face of the Earth. 

In fact, I have been busy. Very busy, working my way through this program. On my last post–which was not a numbered one that you are used to–I received IRB approval back in August. That was a nightmare and they even made significant changes to the program when I was going through the process–more on that in a second. 

Since then, I conducted my data collection, which was a breeze. I did all of it in the course of a week. I did the analysis and bought a too-expensive subscription to Nvivo. I highly recommend you watch this guy’s video series on Youtube

Then I got busy tying everything together. In the span of about a month and a half I went from no data to finishing up Tasks 13-16.

I’m sitting in the Alaska Airlines lounge right now and received word from my chair that Task 16 is approved and we will be enrolling me into 889 (Task 17) shortly and then I am done. 

It is sort of bittersweet because for the last 3700 days (since sometime in August 2014) I have been on this academic journey and many of you along for the ride. 

I don’t know what I am going to do next but it has to be something big!

So what did they change in the program?  

In late August we all got an email that said there will be sweeping changes to the Doctor of Strategic Leadership program including: 

  • A change in the number of research questions
  • A less comprehensive literature review
  • The omission of IRB
  • and a few others. 

We could choose to stick with the old or go with the new. I stuck with the old. 

In my professional opinion, I think they took a step backward, instead of forward with these changes. Sure, this program has always been a practical degree where we are looking at a single organization and coming up with a plan to (hopefully) help them with a leadership problem. 

Our project was never a dissertation. It was a project.

A big difference. 

By making these changes, I feel it lessened our degree. I think the IRB process, even if your project is deemed no necessary for review, is still a very important process because it protects you and your participants. It takes you through the exercises of what it means to be an ethical researcher. I think that is gone now. 

I know, my wife, Michele who is deep into this program (currently in BMAL 755) feels the same way. We will see what she has to do when she gets to the 800s.

Do not fear, I will still be here. 

I got an email message just this morning asking me, if I stopped with these updates and he encouraged me to go back to doing them. 

Well…as long as there is an update I will be here. 

One of the projects I plan to do when I finish this degree is go back and really do a great job at creating a resoeruce for the DSL program. Sort of what I have already done but I will put them in more of a guide, if you will, that will be easily searchable by course and research paper. 

I know that is what is most informative to my rabid readers. 

This will take some time but it is my way of giving back. 

Until the next update. Keep pushing, you got this!

Let’s Connect…

Oh, if you are on X/Twitter, I highly encourage you to follow the hashtags, #AcademicChatter and #AcademicTwitter both are great threads with advice, motivation, and a very supportive community and if you wouldn’t mind, give me a follow at @robertforto and send me a tweet letting me know you found my blog helpful!

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