[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

[Alan McCoy]

Well said Richard.

To this end, attached is a document (summary) to begin a more practical
thread discussing one way to achieve one of our major goals - higher
compensation through a change in job description. For comparison, also
attached is our current (abominable, IMHO) WA state job description.
I think each of us working to change our job descriptions has a chance to
effect this change. Perhaps a credential would help, I don't know. I've
thought about contacting the other state techs in Washington state about
changing our job description. Hoven't done it yet though. Any other WA techs
out there want to work on it with me? David? Doug? Harry?

FWIW,

Alan


-- Alan McCoy, RPT
Eastern Washington University
amccoy at mail.ewu.edu
509-359-4627


> From: <rwest1 at unl.edu>
> Reply-To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 09:03:05 -0600
> To: "College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>" <caut at ptg.org>
> Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?
> 
> There comes a time to get past the philosophical discussions and
> ideas that are tangential, and get to a plan and a way to implement
> that plan.  Can we get down to specifics?  Talking about grand ideas
> is fun as far as it goes, but I think we've beat that horse to
> death.  Perhaps the internet isn't the best place to work out the
> details and so we need to move on and let the committee work.  But if
> anyone wants specifics, here are some that are at the top of my list:
> 
> 1.  Identify who we are:  There are two big groups we already know
> about, contract techs and staff techs.  But there are subgroups.  As
> Ric B pointed out there are beginners and there are head techs.
> 2.  How can we meet the needs of the various groups?  What technical
> materials does a beginner need?  What does a head tech need?  What
> universities have training programs and how can those programs be
> translated into something that other universities can use?
> 3.  What can we do on the local level?  Chapters are always looking
> for programs.  Many have the money to pay for travel and expenses.
> If a head tech from a large school teaches at a distant small school,
> there should be some interaction with the administration and the
> local tech.
> 4. Could we develop ideas about what a realistic standard of piano
> service would be for various sized schools.  Perhaps that could be
> picked up by NASM and used in their accreditation activities.
> Steinway has been trying to work with its Steinway schools to
> encourage ongoing piano care.  Could we work with them?
> 5.  Regional seminars should be used by CAUT much more.  Technicians
> can't always get to the national, but can get to regional meetings.
> CAUT should be there.
> 6.  A certificate program could be implemented.  I would prefer we
> had some core curriculum but even if the piece of paper could be
> given for attending a CAUT class, that would be a beginning.
> 7.  Salary = "Get Real"  Let's face it, we have no control; we have
> no powers of enforcement.  Very little of what CAUT does will affect
> our salaries and if that's our prime motivation, we will be perceived
> as self serving. The fact is there are two choices to present to the
> university:  Do you want my  loyalty and service by paying a
> competitive wage or do you want me to compromise my work by earning
> most of my living outside the university?   Personnel costs are among
> the biggest parts of university budgets.  They're going to do all
> they can to keep the low wage system that is characteristic of
> university pay scales for staff.  Perhaps the most we can expect is
> to educate technicians to be wary and actually turn down jobs.  Maybe
> we need to call a strike.
> 
> Also, I'd like to respond to one of Fred Sturm's posts:
> 
> 
> On Nov 12, 2007, at 1:51 PM, Fred S Sturm wrote:
>>  it is very difficult to measure what training most of us have had.
>> Most of us probably consider ourselves "largely self-taught,"
>> however accurate or inaccurate that statement is on close examination.
> 
> I agree with this.  Therefore we need to have some sort of core
> curriculum on which to base testing.  Otherwise we're testing people
> on information they may know nothing about or setting a standard
> without providing some means to reach that standard.
> 
>>     If this credential is to become a reality, we need to measure
>> skill and knowledge in some way, rather than focusing on training.
> 
> I will have to respectfully disagree with your statement.  This is
> like testing a student at the start of a semester and wondering that
> they get stressed out and fail.  A successful test depends on quality
> teaching and teaching materials.
> 
>>     It would be lovely to have an actual educational program for cauts
> 
> Then let's do it.  Is it difficult?  Yes.
> 
>>      In many ways, what we have before us is "an impossible task."
>> Whatever we come up with will not be "ideal." Still, I firmly
>> believe that we can come up with something meaningful and useful.
>> 
> 
> No argument there.
> 
> 
> Richard West
> 
> 

-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: SUMMARY OF PIANO TECHNICIAN RESPONSIBILITIES.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 37888 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20071114/798f2b07/attachment-0002.doc 
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Piano Technician Job Description.doc
Type: application/msword
Size: 159232 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/caut.php/attachments/20071114/798f2b07/attachment-0003.doc