The university - a systems development center for state government or How to solve the education vs. training problem

  • Authors:
  • John C. Peck

  • Affiliations:
  • Director, Division of Information Systems Development, Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

  • Venue:
  • SIGCSE '77 Proceedings of the eighth SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
  • Year:
  • 1977

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Abstract

During the past few years, I have attended several professional meetings which have included panel discussions between representatives from industry and academia concerning computer science education. Industry usually claims that students graduate with few practical skills - many can't even write a program as simple as a master file update. They further complain that such major issues as documentation, programming style, and team programming are neglected, while the abilities for written expression and oral presentation are often totally lacking. The programming languages which are common in industry (COBOL, FORTRAN) are often not introduced, and actual experience in the use of data base and data communications software just doesn't exist. In summary, universities are not interested in preparing a student for an industrial career. Universities usually respond by stating that their mission is education and not training. They are not attempting to produce a technician who will be obsolete in two years, but rather are attempting to build a base of knowledge which will allow the professional to change with the times. Many claim that they are describing topics on the frontiers of the field which will be used ten years from now. Since universities are expected to be “pioneers”, they are required to lead in the development and research of new technology.