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From: ee4011ab@ariel.unm.edu (Mark P. Martin)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng,misc.jobs.misc
Subject: Re: American Programmer (What's a Ph.D. worth?)
Message-ID: <2705@charon.unm.edu>
Date: 4 Apr 88 21:29:13 GMT
References: <555@psu-cs.UUCP> <1434@ur-tut.UUCP> <3415@bunker.UUCP> <3326@zeus.TEK.COM> <461@vsi.UUCP> <5775@bunny.UUCP> <2218@ttidca.TTI.COM> <5388@utah-cs.UUCP> <8295@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
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Reply-To: ee4011ab@ariel.unm.edu.UUCP (Mark P. Martin)
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
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In article <8295@agate.BERKELEY.EDU> jmm@thoth20.berkeley.edu.UUCP () writes:
>I always thought that universities were supposed to teach theory more than
>practice.  

They do, greatly in  error and to the disadvantage of the student.  Employers
are not looking for people with extroardinary skills in practicing theory,
but for people with extensive experience in a multitude of systems,
languages, and environments.  NO, strike that!  They are looking for
experience on *their particular system*.  Presumeably, this experience has
been acquired elsewhere, as the employer finds it economically advantageous
to hire capable people, rather than train new people.  

Some college programs seem to be realizing the fallacy of teaching extensive
theory with no practical application, but in general the effort put forth
is not effective.  Consider the course in which the senior project is to
develop and market a large software project:  the primary objective in the
course was to satisfy the instructor's emotional need for the use of
non-sexist pronouns.  :-)  The secondary objective was to produce appealing
packaging (never mind what went in) for the project.  With so much emphasis
on satisfying the instructors requirements, the true needs of the paying
client were seen as "soft requirements."  Not that packageing and user
interface are unimportant, but I believe that employers looking for engineers
would be more interested in academic work writing UNIX device drivers than
poetic prose with little technical content.

>Universities should not be expected to teach people the uses of any particular >set of tools.  That's what vocational schools are for.

I have yet to hear about a vocational school that teaches all the aspects
of the internal design, programming and operation of computers, and still
maintains a quality reputation.  Vocational schools are not recognizeable
degree granting institutions in such fields as engineering.  And
engineering is more ability to apply knowledge than the straightforward use
of tools and techniques.  The word "engineer" derives from "engenious man"
(no sexism flames please, I have a reference).


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|  "People can be divided into three categories: |   Mark P. Martin           |
|  Those who make things happen,                 |   B.S.Comp.E - UNM         |
|  Those who watch things happen...              |   ee4011ab@ariel.unm.edu   |
|  and those who wonder what happened."          |                            |
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