Ross,
I don't think that  a PhD ceritfies anybody for anything, except deep
knowledge in a specific academic discipline.  It has absolutely nothing
to do with the ability to managage an organization, which is the primary
job for which museums directors are hired.
Greg Koos
Ex.Dir.
McLean County Historical Society

Ross Weeks wrote:

>  I think this makes the point.  It's the senior people, where they
> exist, who are being paid a salary sufficient to retain them (but not
> necessarily to recogize their worth, their education, their stresses,
> their supposed lack of any tenure agreement).  And to me, a PhD in
> English qualifies one to lead a museum just as effectively as a PhD in
> history, art, what have you.  We are in the knowledge industry,
> perhaps we forget it.
>
>      -----Original Message-----
>      From: Jackie Hoffman-Chin <[log in to unmask]>
>      Newsgroups: bit.listserv.museum-l
>      To: [log in to unmask]
>      <[log in to unmask]>
>      Date: Wednesday, July 29, 1998 8:00 AM
>      Subject: Re: The Value of an M.A. - $7.25/hr?I promised
>      myself that I would not get aggrivated today, but after
>      reading about the low, low prices being paid for M.A. level
>      workers I just had to take some TUMS.
>
>      A quick sob story (mine) about the payscale of museum work.
>      I took the job in a New York historic house museum which
>      must remain nameless.  Having been born here in NY (the
>      museum mecca) I of course tried to find work in my own
>      backyard.  The job paid 15,500 with no benefits.  It was a
>      demanding administrative position made harder by financial
>      crisis after crisis. Leaky roof, no heat, deferred
>      maintenance, deteriorating collections, etc.  After 3 months
>      of humiliation at the hands of the Executive Director, the
>      Board of Directors, and even the President's daughter (who
>      was given a  make-work job) I was told that my contract was
>      to be terminated after 3 more months.
>      Now comes the awful confession: while helping to prepare a
>      grant proposal, I discovered the education and current
>      salary of the Exec. Dir. (PhD in English  and $60,000).
>      I suppose this is a type of triage.  Either get the new
>      roof, or keep the well liked and very personable Exec. You
>      can't have both. You also can't get a well trained and
>      motivated (next generation) of personnel if this keeps up.
>      Bitter? You betcha.
>