Logical Reasoning

PT8 · S4 · Q14 The dean of computing must be

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The dean of computing must be respected by the academic staff and be competent to oversee the use of computers on campus.

Conclusion (therefore)

The dean of computing must be a professor from this university's computer science department.

Evidence

The dean of computing must be respected by the academic staff and be competent to oversee the use of computers on campus.

The only deans whom academics respect are those who hold doctoral degrees.

Only someone who really knows about computers can competently oversee the use of computers on campus.

The board of trustees has decided that the dean of computing must be selected from among this university's staff.

Evaluate

The argument is concluding that the only suitable candidates for dean must come from the university's computer science department, based on the criteria of holding a doctoral degree, being knowledgeable about computers, and being part of the university's staff.

We need to question whether these criteria exclusively apply to professors from the computer science department.

One potential flaw is if there are other staff members at the university who meet both the requirement of holding a doctoral degree and having substantial knowledge about computers, without being from the computer science department. Such a possibility would challenge the necessity of the dean being selected strictly from the computer science department.

Goal

Let's find an answer that shows there could be individuals within the university, not necessarily within the computer science department, who still meet all the necessary criteria for becoming the dean of computing.

14.

Which one of the following statements, if true, would weaken the argument?

  1. Correct

    There are members of this

    Why this is right

    This answer weakens the argument by suggesting an alternate pool of candidates within the university who meet the required criteria: having a doctoral degree, knowing about computers, and being part of the university's staff. If such individuals exist outside the computer science department, then we don't HAVE to choose someone from the computer science dept.

    Skill tested: Weaken · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.

    76% picked this

  2. There are members of this

    No Impact

    Since these people lack doctoral degrees, they are not eligible for the position, so they don't give us a way to say, "You don't have to choose from the computer science staff. You have other options!"

    5% picked this

  3. Computer science professors who hold

    No Impact

    This does not weaken the argument because the board requires the dean to be selected from this university's staff. The applicants from outside do not meet this essential criterion.

    6% picked this

  4. Several members of the board

    No Impact

    This does not pertain to the qualifications of the dean of computing and does not address whether other, non-computer science, candidates within the university could meet the necessary criteria.

    2% picked this

  5. Some members of the computer

    No Impact

    This talks about people in computer science who wouldn't qualify for the new position, because they're not respected. But we need to hear about people outside the computer science dept who do qualify.

    11% picked this

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