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[UK]

Professor is the highest rank one can achieve in Europe and is awarded only after one has made a substantial and serious contribution to the academy. It is a BIG deal.

I am somewhat saddened by the way it has been cheapened in N. America, where anyone and everyone is a prof, but absolutely outraged that some muppet who can't even be bothered to do a PhD calls himself a professor.

Talk about dumbing down.

His colleagues should take him to one side and have a word or two.

[entitled to titles?]

UK wrote:

> Professor is the highest rank one can achieve in Europe and
> is awarded only after one has made a substantial and serious
> contribution to the academy. It is a BIG deal.
>
> I am somewhat saddened by the way it has been cheapened in N.
> America, where anyone and everyone is a prof, but absolutely
> outraged that some muppet who can't even be bothered to do a
> PhD calls himself a professor.
>
> Talk about dumbing down.
>
> His colleagues should take him to one side and have a word or
> two.

To be fair, he does have a degree that can be considered terminal in his specialty (while there are PhDs in his field, too).

And full Professor is a big deal in the US, too -- or at least I thought so.

My fear is that bringing up the issue would seem like an attack on him when that's not how it would be intended.  I don't want to damage the collegial relationship we have, especially if I'm wrong about the impropriety of using the title.

[Legal Beagle]

I respect any, and almost all, who survive the doctorial trek; however, I do believe the trend toward education as business rather than its intended purpose of conveying of knowledge, or acquiring knowledge for all you researchers, has weakened the respect of the title.

Inside the legal profession "Dr" is rarely used but I did find an ABA document that recommended the equivalent recognition to a PhD in the academic environment.  Anyone believe that one day there will be a national PhD organization like the ABA or AMA that will set policy and limitations as to "accredited" doctorial programs similar to the professional degrees?  My ABA rating certainly has an impact on the interview potentials for tt positions (grr).