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From: spaf@gatech.UUCP (Gene Spafford)
Newsgroups: net.college,net.flame,net.misc,net.politics
Subject: Re: Univ. of Minn. CS Dept.
Message-ID: <5409@gatech.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 29-Mar-84 12:15:46 EST
Article-I.D.: gatech.5409
Posted: Thu Mar 29 12:15:46 1984
Date-Received: Fri, 30-Mar-84 03:20:29 EST
References: <1057@umn-ucc.UUCP>
Organization: The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech
Lines: 56

Two comments:

The problems you describe are not unique to the University of
Minnesota.  There are many schools suffering from a lack of adequate
computing resources and a shortage of qualified instructors.  We see
many of the same types of problems here at Georgia Tech.  Most of the
university administrators understand the kinds of difficulties we face,
but the political situation is such that little can be done about some
of the problems involved. One of the solutions taken here is to limit
the number of undergraduates allowed into the major; we could easily
find 2 or 3 times as many students who would like to enter the program,
but the quality of education would suffer.  It's like thrashing --
performance goes down exponentially with linear increase in load.

The solution?  I wish I knew.  A first step is to complain, loudly and
forcefully -- to the politicians and to the college administration.
Don't blame your faculty, and don't be too quick to blame the system at
your campus.  Often the blame can be placed higher up the
organizational chart, usually with the legislators who allocate funds
based more on political effect rather than good sense.  After all, many
of the students are from out of state and the ones who aren't don't
usually vote.  Furthermore, politicians want results which will be seen
before the next election -- not 10 or 20 years down the line.

We have had, and continue to have, a very serious problem in this
country with regards to education.  Our elected officials seem to
believe that pumping money into the military is better for the country
than supporting education.  Supporting education is really supporting
our future.  The cost of one fighter plane could refurbish all of the
research labs at a major university.  The result could have effects on
our defense, our economy, and  perhaps our future as a species.
Instead, what does our government do?  They cut out loan and
scholarship programs for students.  They reduce research funding and
grants. They spend more time debating whether to allow prayer in school
than they spend trying to support the teaching of *real* knowledge.

Maybe more scientists and educators should dirty their hands with
politics.  Maybe we should form political lobbies. Maybe we should
hurry up and figure out a way to get off-planet and start our own
society.  BUT, one thing we should all do -- express our concerns and
our opinions to our governmental representatives.  Maybe enough noise
will produce some results.

Second comment:

I realize that your original article was written in haste and anger.
Did you bother to proofread it before you sent it?  If so, then I hope
that the non-computer science course you are taking is one in English
composition.  Or were you just trying to emphasize your point about the
declining quality of education at the U of Minn?

-- 
Off the Wall of Gene Spafford
The Clouds Project, School of ICS, Georgia Tech, Atlanta GA 30332
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