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From: tim@umn-ucc.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.college,net.flame,net.misc,net.politics
Subject: Univ. of Minn. CS Dept.
Message-ID: <1057@umn-ucc.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 27-Mar-84 18:50:31 EST
Article-I.D.: umn-ucc.1057
Posted: Tue Mar 27 18:50:31 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 29-Mar-84 05:30:17 EST
Sender: tim@umn-ucc.UUCP
Organization: Univ. of Minn. Computer Center, Minneapolis
Lines: 60


  This is a flame about the University of Minnesota's Computer Science 
Department and the attitude about education in general in Minnesota.
I am a student studing Computer Science.  I have enough credits and only
need 4 more classes to graduate.  I attempted to sign up for all four of
these classes (all were offered).  The only one I got was the one that
was not a CSci class.  

  I figured, "OK, but I am a graduating senior.  Surely they will let me
in."  HA!!  I am not going to graduate.  My life is being held back by 
this stupid piece of paper that almost impossible to get at this University.
I simply cannot get the class!

  Let me give you some numbers.  Last year there were about 1200 CSci 
Majors at the U of M.  There are 18 professors.  Many classes can have more
than 90 people in them.  Most any required class will have at least 65
people in it.  This is insain.  

  Think of what this does to the quality of professors at the U of M.  If
you were highly skilled and had your choice of where to teach, would work 
at a school like this?  I can't understand why the good teachers who are
left are here.  I can understand why the dean of IT (the college that CSci
is under) quit.  I don't think it has been replaced yet.

  I can't be too hard on the U of M.  They are dependant on the state for 
funds.  The percentage used for education in the state is falling.  I
think this is a great state, but I think that it in trouble.  It is not
going to get all the high tech business that is so important to it if it
doesn't get it's act together.  The only reason that I have for not
transfering today, is that I have a job here that I don't want to and 
can't afford to give up.  Another school in the Minneapolis area is an
idea, but it might be nice to graduate from a school with a good reputation.

  Money and politics of the good state of Minnesota are slowing up the
developement of the computer systems here.  What students use here is a
Cyber 820 running NOS.  Students are issued account that validate them 
for 300 baud or slower.  The editor they use is call xedit (an OK line
editor, but still a line editor).  The pascal on this computer will not
read a string without using special functions or by some other method I
never understood.  It must read two charictors at a time.  It is the 
worst pascal I ever used.  People tell me that it is the origional...
it is real close to be sure.  Money is needed for a better system.

  Yes, we do have a cray.  To use it you submit jobs to it from a cyber
or a VAX.  If an undergrad student wants to use it, he/she can buy an
account.  A grad student can buy an account or apply for a grant.  The
University uses a little over 3% of the computing power.  The University
and outside business put together use 33%.  The governor of this state is
pushing us to get some more super computers.  While it might draw some
people and companies, I think impoving some other things is more important.

  There are two reasons for writing this.  1) I am preventing my ulcer by
venting some steam, but 2) more important, I hope to save some people 
from transfering here.  I am a transfered to here.  I am considering
going back to Michigan Technical University.  If I had done that last
summer, I would be graduated by the end of last fall!!!!!

		Tim Giebelhaus
		{umn-cs tektronix}!umn-ucc!tim
		Giebelhaus.CTCOTA@HI-MULTICS