Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!spool.mu.edu!uunet!xstor!iverson From: iverson@xstor.com (Tim Iverson) Newsgroups: comp.software-eng Subject: Re: engineer training (was Re: bridge building) Message-ID: <1991May20.192002.19357@xstor.com> Date: 20 May 91 19:20:02 GMT Article-I.D.: xstor.1991May20.192002.19357 References:

<1991May19.135145.3589@uoft02.utoledo.edu> Distribution: na Organization: Storage Dimensions, Inc. Lines: 26 In article <1991May19.135145.3589@uoft02.utoledo.edu> lewallen@uoftcse.cse.utoledo.edu (James H. Lewallen) writes: > I don't know about everywhere else, but here at the University >of Toledo, we have a Computer Science & Engineering program. CS&E >students have to take 6 quarters of calculus, and many basic engineering >classes, such as Statics, Dynamics, Network Analysis, MicroElectronics, >etc. This does give students an "Engineering" background that helps >teach them to use Engineering methods in designing software. I would beg to differ with this opinion. I came from a similar background at UC Berkeley, and while I agree wholeheartedly with the generalist approach, UoT (and Berkeley, and perhaps others) seem to provide their students with all the tools they need, but then leave out how to combine them effectively - all analysis and no synthesis won't make Johnny a good engineer. By the time most students actually get into industry, the background skills have atrophied to the point of non-existence. This is due solely to the lack of emphasis placed on combining the all the disparate skills taught into a single useful whole. Borrowing a term from chemistry 101 - today's graduates are more mixture than compound. > Jim Lewallen > cscon113@uoft02.utoledo.edu - Tim Iverson iverson@xstor.com -/- uunet!xstor!iverson