Proto: Thesis standards (coauthor=Murphy)
[Greatly simplifies thesis award process, while including (recommended)
standards. The actual mechanics become quite short].
Amend Rule 1367 (Degrees) to read:
Certain patent titles are known as degrees. The degrees are
- Associate of Nomic (A.N. - Level 1.0)
- Bachelor of Nomic (B.N. - Level 1.5)
- Master of Nomic (M.N. - Level 2.0)
- Doctor of Nomic History (D.N.Hist. - Level 3)
- Doctor of Nomic Science (D.N.Sci. - Level 3)
- Doctor of Nomic Philosophy (D.N.Phil. - Level 3)
Degrees are ranked in the order they appear in this rule, with
degrees listed later being ranked higher.
A degree CANNOT be awarded to any person more than once, and
CANNOT be revoked once awarded.
A player (the candidate) CAN award emself a degree with P Agoran
Consent (where P is the Level of the degree, indicated above) by
publishing, as part of eir clear specification of intent to award
emself the degree, a suitable thesis.
In deciding whether to support or object to a candidate for
a thesis, reviewers SHOULD primarily consider whether the quality
and labor of the thesis is worthy of the indicated degree, but
SHOULD also consider (a) whether the indicated degree represents
the reasonable development of the candidate's Agoran academic
career and (b) whether the candidate used good standards of peer-
review, for example, by first publishing a draft of the thesis
and adequately responding to comments. Objections SHOULD include
constructive comments aiming towards improving the thesis, or
suggest an alternate degree.
