[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

[Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)]

Hi Rick,

 

You're right. Allow me to retract the words "whole original idea" from
my statement below and replace them with "primary motivation". All you
say below is true though I wouldn't classify salary enhancement as
merely a by-product. I believe the goals of improving service and
compensation go hand in hand but there are many, many technicians out
there already providing excellent service who are grossly underpaid for
their skill level compared to the private sector. It is very difficult
to "insist" on appropriate compensation in a State system. It takes a
large amount of leverage to get any thing to change... a certification
could well help in many circumstances.

 

When I recently was able to get myself re-classified (promoted) here,
the questions on the "position description questionnaire (PDQ)" I had to
fill out all related to how my job had changed enough to require a
re-classification. I had to convince them that my job hadn't changed and
that I'd been performing duties that corresponded to the higher
classification all along. They had to create the position in which to
promote me because it didn't exist before. Every little step towards
getting institutions to recognize what we do is important not only to
ourselves but also to others whose positions could well be compared to
ours in equity investigations.

 

Eric

 

Eric Wolfley, RPT 

Director of Piano Services 

Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music 

University of Cincinnati 

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Richard Brekne
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 2:37 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

 

Is this really the only goal here ?  Or even the primary goal ?  I would


think at best it should be seen as a by-product end result type of 

goal.  The main thrust of any CAUT credential in my humble opinion 

should be to increase the awareness of what a school should really 

require from a technician. What it really requires in terms of 

capabilities to reasonably maintain and run a piano technology 

department, and what the benefits for doing so well are.  Any 

administrator who understands whats involved here will understand 

quickly we are talking about a fairly high value person, and understand 

that such folks will insist upon appropriate compensation for their 

efforts. 

 

THAT is PRECISELY why any such credential needs to be demanding enough 

reflect a broad based and high level of experience. If it does not 

reflect a person who is <<in demand>> by the very nature of aquired 

skills and experience... it will be of marginal worth at best and 

counterproductive at worst. 

 

It needs to function in the minds of school administrators as a mark of 

quality.  Something they can use not only to take care of their 

instrument needs... but to hold up to the world around as a mark of 

their own dedication to quality. 

 

Cheers

RicB

 

 

    The whole original idea behind the CAUT credential was to push
salary

    levels up. The question was (and is) how do we get institutions to
value

    the skill level needed to adequately perform the duties expected.
This

    won't necessarily be for entry-level positions, though if you can
push

    the salaries higher for the senior techs it should help the
entry-level

    salaries as well. Most job postings still seem to cling to the "3-5

    years experience in the field" requirement no matter how demanding
the

    job may be.

 

     

 

    Eric

 

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