In our newest “how can we help you?” thread, a reader asks:
Suppose I’m someone who has an M.A. from an institution that, deservingly or not, may be perceived negatively by many hiring committees (as a “conservative” religious institution). Would it make sense, and would it be deceptive, to remove my M.A. from my CV once I’ve obtained my Ph.D from a different, “respectable” institution? Suppose further that I was young and naive back when I decided to attend the M.A. institution, and so still understandably under the sway of the beliefs and values of the religious culture in which I was brought up, but that (having grown up) I no longer endorse or identify with those values.
While I certainly understand and sympathize with the OP’s concerns, I worry that omitting a part of one’s educational history (including a degree earned) is deceptive. My sense is that CVs should be complete and accurate representations of one’s educational history and accomplishments. Although it is always possible that members of hiring committees might be biased against a given institution, I wonder whether they’re more likely to look at what the candidate has actually written/published, etc. I also wonder whether it might be good to address this in a cover letter, though there are probably risks with that.
What do readers think?
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