Thesis Defense Takes Center Stage at UL- Sawyer College -Dr. Gray: No Thesis Defense, No Graduation

MONROVIA – The ongoing thesis defense academic exercise which started July 18 so far have been attended by candidates from six departments including  English and Language Studies, Political Science,  Geography, French Studies, Social Work and Communication and Media Studies, respectively.

The thesis defense is being held under the supervision of a distinguished committee of illustrious professors and instructors.

It is mandatory that candidates must adhere to the structures of thesis which consists of five chapters, besides the declaration, dedication, acknowledgements, table of contents and abstract pages.

Once the thesis defense is officially completed, the thesis committee will deliberate privately on its outcome and will decide by majority the approval or non-approval of student’s research. The most outstanding student will be chosen by the committee to be awarded master’s scholarship.

As part of the ACS College curricula, it is required that all candidates submit to the academic requirement which is one of the major requirements for a successful completion for students to earn a Bachelor’s of Arts degree from the institution.

The most outstanding student from the ongoing thesis defense will be offered a fully funded master’s degree scholarship for studies at Sharda University in Knowledge Park, New Delhi, India.

The thesis committee impartially, independently and objectively able to evaluate the student’s academic work to ensure that the candidates know the content and topic of the research.

The thesis writing and defense were dormant for almost 15 years at the college, but three years ago were reactivated across the entire college by Prof. Dr. Josephus M. Gray upon his appointment in January 2020 as Dean of the Amos C Sawyer College. The exercise has been taking place for the past three years; it’s one of the major requirements for a successful completion of studies to earn a Bachelor’s degree and Bachelor of Social Work.

The first group of candidates to present and defend their research came from the Social Work Unit, followed  by a  candidate each from the Departments of French studies and Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology. The second and third group of candidates came from the Departments of Communication and Media Studies, English and Language Studies, Political Science and Geography. Candidates from the Department of Demography will face the thesis committee on Friday while other candidates who ate yet to submit to this academic exercise will present their thesis on Friday.

Two of the candidates to have defended their research are disabled students. It was so emotional to witness the two disabled students in their wheelchairs in front of the thesis committee to defend their research, while other able body students from the Department of Sociology have refused to submit to this unique academic exercise, as a means of undermining this unique academic praiseworthy and admired exercise

The ACS College’s approved curricula by the Faculty Senate makes it is mandatory for all prospective graduates of the College to appear in front of the thesis committee to participate in the thesis defense.

Speaking at the formal start of the exercise, the Dean of the College, Prof. Dr. Josephus Moses Gray said even though he is fully aware that there are plans by certain people  at the  institution  who want to  undermine the going unique thesis defense.

Dr. Gray is appealing to the students of the College, particularly prospective graduates of the Amos C. Sawyer College not to allow themselves to be used to protest against the ongoing unique thesis defense.

According to Dr. Gray, the ACS College thesis defense is basically a twenty-minute long presentation where candidate demonstrates knowledge of not only his or her own work but the field of major as a whole.

While there are some general guidelines the candidates are to strictly followed, thesis defense is based on the University of Liberia approved thesis format and guidelines.

Speaking further, Dr. Gray reminded the students that thesis presents a student’s collective understanding of his or her program and major field. He, also, stressed that thesis defense is designed so that the penal of professors can ask open-ended questions and make sure that the students actually understand the field and focus area of research.

Encouraging the students to come forward and submit to the thesis defense, Dr. Gray reminded the candidates that every thesis focus on student’s major areas of discipline in which a student’s research certain elements, subjects, issues of his or her field.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Department of Political Science, Assistant Professor Richmond S. Anderson discussed the importance of thesis defense and encouraged the prospective graduates to defy all odds and appear before the committee for the thesis exercise. He’s appealing to all chairpersons and coordinators to allow their students to defend their research based on the Sawyer College College’s polices.

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