[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

[Jim Busby]

Hi Les,

I never thought my kids would scream for a "Teenage Mutant Ninja
Turtles"... Maybe that's a bogus comparison, but I think we will create
our own need in the marketplace. Status quo will rule, until it
doesn't...

As administrators begin to see this "credential" pop up in job searches
I can't help but think they would want to know if the candidate holding
the credential has an edge over one w/o it. If there is an effective
website where they can go to see details it may turn them towards said
candidate. After more and more exposure to this "credential" from CAUTs
administrators may desire that their CAUT obtain the "credential". And
whether anyone takes notice at all may not even matter if it helps us
become better techs.

Regards,
Jim Busby BYU



-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Leslie Bartlett
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 6:00 AM
To: 'College and University Technicians'
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

Who in the marketplace is screaming for some kind "credential"?  If the
market doesn't care, then all this is rather pointless, it seems to me.
I
still agree that it finally is the market where quality is established,
and
"good" is good, whether someone has acredited him or not.
les bartlett 

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Richard Brekne
Sent: Tuesday, November 06, 2007 1:56 AM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

Hi Jeff

         > Number one who has shown one way or the other whether there
        is any  
         > truth to this statement.


    I think the real challenge would be to prove there is no truth to
the  
    statement.  The fact is that there are many very respected techs at

    upper echelon schools who do not have music degrees.  In my mind, it

    would be more difficult to prove their work is inferior to that of  
    someone who has a degree than to prove that it is not.

As I pointed out earlier.  All else things being equal between two
techs....
it is hardly a difficult thing to imagine that a tech with the ability
to
speak and understand the language of the end user is better equipped to
more
efficiently solve that users needs then one who does not.  If I had two
very
highly talented CAUTs in front of me who were equal in all ways except
their
ability to relate to pianists use of language and perspectives... I
have no
doubt who I would choose.

The bulk of the rest of your post relies on a view about testing I have
on
several occasions pointed to as flawed.  As with piano technicans,
Pianists,
doctors, teachers, plumbers... virtually everyone included... 
testing is not about guarantees.  It is wrong to assume that just
because
one has any particular certification one is the best qualified for any
given
job.  The goal of certifications is to give the outside world a handle
to
hold onto... one of several evaluation tools in their bag of hiring
tricks.

With all due respect in return... you go on to make a series of
assumptions
that you have really less grounds for making then the one you accuse me
of
making. Of course there are many <<techs>> in the buisness who have no
interest at all for music.  That is indeed at least half our problem.
Neither do I see how you can first more or less discount the above
claim,
for then to turn around an give it some small yet insignificant
acknowledgment.

I say again.  Accreditation is simply a tool, and as such it can of
course
be misused like all other tools.  I gain a sense that you seem to take
issue
with accreditation in general since you apply the same reasoning to both
pianists and the CAUT issue.  I think its fair to say the general
value/pitfalls of accreditations in general are well discussed in the
world
and I think its equally fair to say that most, if not nearly all other
professions in the end decide to rely on them because the pros outweigh
the
cons.

In our case... the problem is by far more one of ourselves coming to
agreement on the issue of what to do then it is a matter of contriving a
viable stamp of approval.

Cheers
RicB

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