Is It Rigor or Academic Hazing? |...
Is It Rigor or Academic Hazing? | Dr. Kye Howard
Dear Professor: Where College Students Who Take Courses Onli... by Dr. Kellie Alston
S3 · E2
Sep 30, 2026
55:47
Episode notes

About the Guest

Dr. Kye Howard is a supervising probation officer in Southern California, a mother, and a practitioner-scholar whose career spans more than three decades in law enforcement. After six and a half years of accelerated, year-round study, she completed an Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership and Organizational Development. Her dissertation, A Different Shade of Blue: Exploring Leadership Advancement for Black Women in Law Enforcement, grew from her professional experiences and commitment to creating change within her field. She will celebrate this achievement at commencement on October 14.

Episode Summary

When does academic rigor cross the line into academic hazing?

Dr. Kye Howard entered her doctoral program after earning her master’s degree online at the same instituti ... 

Keywords
dissertation journey
academic hazing
Doctoral student experience
Online doctoral programs
Faculty ego
Dissertation chair
Student self-advocacy
Faculty accessibility
Black women in leadership
Online higher education