Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!samsung!olivea!oliveb!bunker!hcap!hnews!120!256!Brad.Scott From: Brad.Scott@f256.n120.z1.fidonet.org (Brad Scott) Newsgroups: misc.handicap Subject: Re: matching Message-ID: <16158@handicap.news> Date: 18 Jun 91 16:17:21 GMT Sender: wtm@bunker.isc-br.com Reply-To: Brad.Scott@f256.n120.z1.fidonet.org Organization: FidoNet node 1:120/256 - The Blind Ambition , Rochester MI Lines: 59 Approved: wtm@bunker.hcap.fidonet.org Index Number: 16158 [This is from the Blink Talk Conference] Mary, About three years ago we got a new admisinstation, Mr. William C. Hansen is now the president. Prior to him, instructors had very little to say about who was accepted for Leader Dog training. They now have greater lattitude, with more control over their classes. In addition, the Admissions Committee, which is comprised of the 5 senior team captains, the Director of Training and the Director of Admissions (me), take a very close look at all applications. The emphasis is now on a good background in orientation and mobility, cane travel skills. We have also expanded our "follow up" program. We have two x-instructors who are field representatives, they travel throughout the US and Canada checking up on graduates and being in a position to offer assistance. Previously, class sizes were close to 32 students (the capacity of our dormitory), this gave a student/instructor ratio of 1 instructor to 8 students. We have reduced our class sizes to 24, or six students per instructor. We have a staff of twenty trainers, most have 10 to 15 years of experience each, there are 5 or 4 who have 20 to 30 years experience. Even with the changes we are still the largest producing school in North America, this fiscal year we expect to have around 300 graduates, folks wanting dogs have a tendency to come here. As for reputations, I've learned a lot about the "dog guide" industry in general from this echo. No matter what school you come from, the same handling problems are experienced by all graduates, the same variables come into play. Name one school, or for that matter, one company, where everyone was happy with the product. There will always be unhappy folks, like they say you can't please all of the people all of the time. When someome has a bad experience at one school, they will apply else where for their next dog. We process application for individuals not wishing to go back to their original school, and those that don't have a good time here go elsewhere as well. I've learned not to promote one school over another, we all have the same goal, we all run into the same problems, our services vary slightly (geographic location, requirements for acceptance, etc.), so obviously it's the applicants responsibility to seek out the available information and attend the school that best serves their needs. As to complaints, oh well - that's the way it goes. I hear them all day and from graduates and applicants from all over and from every school. One woman swore she would never come back here because we didn't go around with a cart in the morning bringing coffee to their rooms we they woke up. She probably wanted valet parking for her dog as well . If you graduate 100 students a year and 10 percent are unhappy, the voice is carried very far, however, if you graduate 300 and 10 percent aren't happy, then the voice growns louder because the numbers are greater. The point here... it's all relative. And believe me I know. Brad Scott -- Uucp: ..!{decvax,oliveb}!bunker!hcap!hnews!120!256!Brad.Scott Internet: Brad.Scott@f256.n120.z1.fidonet.org