[KLUG Members] Dropping CIS enrollments

[Matt T.]

The problem with the certs, is they expire and you need to get recertified.
The problem with a CIS degree, its limits are confined.
The problem with a CS degree, is that nobody knows the difference between
CIS/ and CS outside of the 'tech realm'.

I dont understand why people just dont put forth the extra effort and take
a get a CE degree? You still get the programming background, and you get all
the extra knowledge of circuits,hardware and how *computers actually work
and not just how to write a program.. I mean coding can be fun, and challenging
but virtually every CS professor ive had so far, has made a distinct 
correlation with programming and secretarial work...

In todays age, with all the digital devices, the programming is just something
you have to know, its essential.. Kind of like reading, or writing is essential
to everyday life... (eg secretarial work, I'm not saying its easy, or that
any dummy can finish a project).

I would much rather have a CE be confused with and EE, instead of the latter.

Jobs... You *dont need a degree to get a job...  however it does help alot.
It tells your potential employers that you can start something and finish
it, that you know how to **think, solve problems, work with others to complete
a project, etc etc etc...

I work and goto school, Ive spent the last 3 1/2 yrs taking prereqs at
the local colleges.  Ive worked at my
current employer for the last 3 yrs also.  It has been a great job, it started
out as a small webhost, and now we are a full multi-homed data center.. And
I am, and have been (since day one) a systems administrator,scripter,network
engineer,troubleshooter,and support technician.

When boxes get owned, we have to unown them.. When scripts break, we fix them.
When apache breaks, we have to figure out why its broken... You would be 
totally amazed at the number of people who purchase dedicated servers and have
No $#%^&#$ clue as to what they are doing... so, we have to do it for them. :-)
So there is definately a NEED for IT personal, the problem is nobody can afford
the consulting fees.. 
									
I will admit, my grades havent been 4.0's, or even all 3.0's, Why? because 
I know people take you much more seriously if you have a degree on your belt, 
and it opens so many doors...  This will be my first semester at WMU..

The 1,2 points I lack in my grade are made up for in job experience..

I just wish I could convice my professors to give me credit for it :-) 




econophil at charter.net extolled:
> 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? 
> --Do students need a bachelor's in CIS rather than an associate's, to get jobs today? Or do they need computer science?
> --Is it Kalamazoo?
> --What should students be taking these days if not CIS/computer science?
> 
> EB
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Members mailing list
> Members at kalamazoolinux.org
> 
> 

-- 
Matthew Terry
matt at abernackie.com