Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!purdue!tlh
From: tlh@cs.purdue.EDU (Thomas L. Hausmann)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is CS?
Message-ID: <3686@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>
Date: 30 Mar 88 17:50:44 GMT
References: <3640@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <439@abcom.ATT.COM>
Sender: news@cs.purdue.EDU
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Purdue University
Lines: 40

In article <439@abcom.ATT.COM>, rgsmeb@abcom.ATT.COM (Michel Behna) writes:
> From article <3640@medusa.cs.purdue.edu>, by tlh@cs.purdue.EDU (Thomas L. Hausmann):
> > In article <336@abcom.ATT.COM>, rgsmeb@abcom.ATT.COM (Michel Behna) writes:
> >> From article <4807@ecsvax.UUCP>, by hes@ecsvax.UUCP (Henry Schaffer):
> >> > In article <1000@mcgill-vision.UUCP>, mouse@mcgill-vision.UUCP (der Mouse) writes:
> >> ... I feel that a BS in CS should at least prepare
> >> the person to get a job and have the proper tools , knowledge and skills
> >> to perform this job. 
> > This suggests to me that there is a "vocational" emphasis in mind. ...
> 
> This resistance from universities to train people for the real world is
> baffling. What's wrong with that? 

To me, a job training at a university would have defeated the purpose in attending
a school in the first place.  For if I went to school to become a programmer,
it would have been more efficient for me to learn a language and then get a job 
with that.  Please no flames about "just programming.." programming involves
a great deal of problem solving not directly obtainable by just programming.

Clearly we are both aware that a university does much more than 
qualify you to obtain work.  To me this is the key.  A univerisity gives
you a perspective that the world is more than your job.  A university that
cuts its liberal education requirements in favor of courses to "prepare
people for the real world" short-changes the students and defeats its mission.

> However, I would prefer that all 3 parts of the curriculum are equally
> stressed. And furthermore I would like to add the science/art of programming
> as a fourth part.
> Michel Behna

Like I said,  no definition will satisfy everyone.


      .^.^.        Tom Hausmann 
     . O O .       tlh@mordred.cs.purdue.edu    ( ARPA )
      . v .        ...!purdue!tlh   ( UUCP  )
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