The board of a state university is considering a proposed policy that

Question

The board of a state university is considering a proposed policy that would greatly increase the amount of research professors are required to publish each year, saying it will improve the output and visibility of the university. This policy would, unlike previous research policies, only be applied to faculty hired after its adoption, so it is surprising that the university's current professors are protesting against it.

Which of the following, if true, would best explain the opposition of current professors to the proposed policy change?

(A) Under the current policy, professors at the state university are not required to increase the amount of research they publish each year.

(B) In order to maintain their status at the university and earn salary bonuses, faculty must match the research output of their colleagues.

(C) The quality of research that professors publish each year does not necessarily result in improved status among their colleagues.

(D) Other state universities have their own research requirements—in some cases, quite a bit above the standards of this university—for certain areas of study.

(E) Liberal Arts professors make up the majority of the university's professors, and are currently required to publish a significantly greater amount of research than professors in the Sciences.

InstantMBA · Answer

I'm looking for a statement that explains the apparent discrepancy.

(A) Under the current policy, professors at the state university are not required to increase the amount of research they publish each year.   Actually, a premise of the argument suggests research professors are already required to publish each. So this statement (A) does not make sense.

(B) In order to maintain their status at the university and earn salary bonuses, faculty must match the research output of their colleagues.   This is it. The professors will now be at a disadvantage versus new faculty required to publish more to begin with. So the current professors will need keep up by increasing publications themselves.

(C) The quality of research that professors publish each year does not necessarily result in improved status among their colleagues.   Off-topic

(D) Other state universities have their own research requirements - in some cases, quite a bit above the standards of this university - for certain areas of study.   Off-topic. Other universities are not mentioned nor implied here.

(E) Liberal Arts professors make up the majority of the university's professors, and are currently required to publish a significantly greater amount of research than professors in the Sciences.   Off-topic

Answer:  B

BillyZ · Answer

Official Explanation

Correct Answer: B

The correct answer must explain an apparent paradox: the opposition of current professors despite an exemption that apparently favors them.

Choice B is thus the best answer because it explains that current professors would have to match the research output that their colleagues-including newly hired professors-are required to publish.

Choice A confirms that the current policy does nothing to increase the burden on current professors but does not explain why they might oppose the new policy; thus A is incorrect.

Choice C is incorrect because it does nothing to explain why professors would oppose a new policy that apparently favors them, and is irrelevant.

Choices D and E are both irrelevant because neither other university policies nor the professors' areas of expertise have any particular bearing on the proposed policy of this university.

adkikani · Answer

GMATNinja   VeritasPrepKarishma

Can you please explain what is the paradox here?

I figured out that - it is surprising - is heart of argument, but could not establish paradox and POE.

prabugmat · Answer

IMO B

A) Under the current policy, professors at the state university are not required to increase the amount of research they publish each year. -- does not give reason

(B) In order to maintain their status at the university and earn salary bonuses, faculty must match the research output of their colleagues.-- OK

(C) The quality of research that professors publish each year does not necessarily result in improved status among their colleagues. -- does not give reason

(D) Other state universities have their own research requirements—in some cases, quite a bit above the standards of this university—for certain areas of study. -- irrelevant

(E) Liberal Arts professors make up the majority of the university's professors, and are currently required to publish a significantly greater amount of research than professors in the Sciences. --irrelevant

KarishmaB · Answer

Responding to a pm:

It is an explain the paradox question.

Proposal: greatly increase the amount of research professors are required to publish but only for new hires
Situation: university's current professors are protesting against it

Here we have a paradox. Though the policy applies to only new hires, current professors are protesting against it. We need to find an option that explains why the policy may adversely impact the current professors too.

(B) In order to maintain their status at the university and earn salary bonuses, faculty must match the research output of their colleagues.
This option tells us that faculty must match the research output of their colleagues for bonuses. In case the new hires need to publish more research, the current professors will also need to increase their research output to get bonuses. This explain why the current professors are protesting against implementing the new proposal.

(A) Under the current policy, professors at the state university are not required to increase the amount of research they publish each year.
Current policy is irrelevant. We are talking about revising it.

(C) The quality of research that professors publish each year does not necessarily result in improved status among their colleagues.
Quality of research is not in contention here. We are talking about quantity only.

(D) Other state universities have their own research requirements—in some cases, quite a bit above the standards of this university—for certain areas of study.
This doesn't explain why current professors are against the proposal when it doesn't concern them.

(E) Liberal Arts professors make up the majority of the university's professors, and are currently required to publish a significantly greater amount of research than professors in the Sciences.
Again, it is irrelevant to the current professors. The new proposal is applicable only to new hires so why would current professors object? We have no explanation.

Addu.23 · Answer

' increase the amount of research professors are required to publish each year' I didn't get this line. Should't it be '..the number of.."? @veritaskarsishma  GMATNinja

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The board of a state university is considering a proposed policy that

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