[KLUG Members] Dropping CIS enrollments

[Adam Tauno WIlliams]

On Fri, 2004-08-20 at 15:31, econophil at charter.net wrote:
> I've just been talking to CIS instructors at KVCC. Several of their usual courses were cancelled due to low enrollment and in general their enrollments have plummeted.
> 
> Question to those of you "out there" who see what is happening in the job market: 
> --Are students not taking these courses because they've learned that there aren't jobs in the field? 

Smart students don't need to waste their time on the current level of
college courses which cater to the least-common-denominator /
under-achiever.  They just go for the certs.

> --Do students need a bachelor's in CIS rather than an associate's, to get jobs today? 

No

> Or do they need computer science?

No, as it "absolutely not".  CS guys, honestly, are usually more of a
liability than an asset on anything like a 'business logic' level
project.

> --Is it Kalamazoo?

Beats me, don't live there.  I speak for G.R.

> --What should students be taking these days if not CIS/computer science?

What "CIS/computer science" means has become pretty murky.

Computer Science - means "how computers work", writing compilers, either
really high-level or low-level stuff (depending on how you look at it).

CIS - Computerized/Corporate Information Systems.    Thats
infrastructure stuff like RDBMS (the theory, not just grunt SQL),
business models/logic, implemenatation methodologies, etc...

If you accept my definitions then CIS is in demand, and CS is not.

*BUT*, since colleges have utterly failed to teach CIS for the last 5+
(at least) years,  I think the value of certifications and 'street cred'
is worth more than a CIS degree.

Also they *NEED* at least some basic accounting experience.

And if they are literate and articulate that really helps too (and
currently seems VERY rare in ALL types of graduates) - Homer is that guy
on Simpson's, and Greece is where the Olypmics are.