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I’m going to be famous(er)

March 13th, 2008 · by map · 6 Comments

My friend Dennis sent along this story from the CoE today:


U. of Iowa Writing Students Revolt Against a Plan They Say Would Give Away Their Work on the Web

…

“At the center of the conflict is a routine form that students and their faculty advisers sign for depositing students’ theses with the Graduate College. Language added to the form this semester says that the University of Iowa Library will scan hard-copy theses and “make them open-access documents,” which it defines as freely available over the Internet and retrievable “via search engines such as Google.” It is not clear who authorized that clause.”

As a graduate of the UI’s non-fiction writing program, I guess I’m pretty ambivalent about this leap into the 21st Century by my alma mater. I understand the arguments being made, and I’m a bit uncomfortable equating a written work with, say, a drug developed at the UI (which, as far as I know, belongs to the UI). But should I be? I wish I knew more about the way patents and trademarks worked at the UI.

I was fairly happy with my thesis when I completed it, but it wasn’t all that I wanted it to be, and it was certainly not publishable in its submitted form (IMO). Here’s to stacking your review committee with friendly professors! On Iowa!

Tags: Entertainment

  • Denny

    Cool. I didn’t know you were a graduate of the non-fiction program. MFA? What was the subject of your thesis if you don’t mind me asking?

  • Denny

    Cool. I didn’t know you were a graduate of the non-fiction program. MFA? What was the subject of your thesis if you don’t mind me asking?

  • http://nicheplayer.net map

    I try not to advertise the fact too often so as not to embarrass my professors and the institution. I was one among the first group of graduates from the program to earn an M.F.A.; prior to that, it was an M.A. in English. Given my academic history, it’s appropriate that they added an F to the degree in my honor.

    My thesis comprised five (if I recall correctly) essays on different aspects of my youth (parents’ divorce, relationship with my brother, and such). Positively riveting, I tell ya. The way things are going, before long you’ll be able to Google “navel gazing” and pull up my thesis right away.

  • http://nicheplayer.net map

    I try not to advertise the fact too often so as not to embarrass my professors and the institution. I was one among the first group of graduates from the program to earn an M.F.A.; prior to that, it was an M.A. in English. Given my academic history, it’s appropriate that they added an F to the degree in my honor.

    My thesis comprised five (if I recall correctly) essays on different aspects of my youth (parents’ divorce, relationship with my brother, and such). Positively riveting, I tell ya. The way things are going, before long you’ll be able to Google “navel gazing” and pull up my thesis right away.

  • http://iowahowes.blogspot.com writermom

    Actually, Mark, that’s the sort of stuff people want to read about. Universal themes that speak in some way to their own human experience. I think most good writers draw from their lives, which makes their work more authentic. I’d like to read your essays….

  • http://iowahowes.blogspot.com writermom

    Actually, Mark, that’s the sort of stuff people want to read about. Universal themes that speak in some way to their own human experience. I think most good writers draw from their lives, which makes their work more authentic. I’d like to read your essays….