<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40" xmlns:ns0="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">  <title>Re: [CAUT]  CAUT Endorsement</title> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="City"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceType"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PlaceName"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"/> <o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="PersonName"/>  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Dave,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I guess I’ll be the “angel’s advocate” here and change the scenario a bit. Say you had two candidates with fairly equal qualifications, experience, references, etc., but one had taken the time and effort to be an active member of the PTG and had passed the “CAUT test” (whatever form that may take), which one would you choose? Showing a commitment towards gaining and improving skills is a definite plus in my book and would tip the scales for me, credit history and personal grooming issues aside. (Do they really check credit history when reviewing a job applicant’s application?) There will also be quite a bit of material specific to CAUT work included in the curriculum which will help a CAUT- trained candidate be prepared to suggest possible improvements to the institution’s piano maintenance program in an interview situation.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> It sounds like you have an excellent relationship with your faculty which tells me you are doing a great job at SMU and a candidate for your position would probably be able to slip in, “get with the program” <o:p></o:p> and continue your good work. Your 21 years experience has a lot to do with that. There are many programs out there however which are in desperate need of somebody either with a whole lot of experience in an institutional setting or some good training. This is the issue we are trying to address with the CAUT curriculum and the CAUT endorsement.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric<o:p></o:p> <div> Eric Wolfley, RPT  Director of Piano Services  Cincinnati College-Conservatory of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Music</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Cincinnati</st1:City></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> </div> <div> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-left:.5in;text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabindex=-1> </div> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Porritt, David Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 7:51 AM To: <st1:PersonName w:st="on">College and University Technicians</st1:PersonName> Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT Endorsement<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Of course all of our experience comes from a fairly small segment of the world.  Even if one has had a job a 2 or 3 music schools, that’s not universal knowledge of academia.  My experience in that regard is pretty limited. Here our head of the Keyboard Studies area is a quite knowledgeable pianist whose father was a piano technician.  The other three of the piano faculty have had or still have their performing careers and have worked with piano technicians a lot to get what they each want in a piano.  I really think they could work together to find a replacement for me.  I’d love to think that they did that job well 21 years ago but having read the interesting article on incompetence I’m reluctant to say anything!  <o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> In other words, the committee has to find a warm body that seems to have the qualifications, references, documented education and character to do the job.  Even if a test were conceived that actually could measure a person’s aptitude for this work, how much weight should it have in the hiring decision?  Candidate A has passed the CAUT test but has a poor credit history.  Candidate B has a good work record and good references (happy musician customers) but never bothered to take the CAUT test.  I’d bet credit history would trump CAUT test.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> dave<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> <div> David M. Porritt, RPT<o:p></o:p> <a href="dporritt@smu.edu">dporritt@smu.edu</a><o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> <div> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Fred Sturm Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2007 7:50 PM To: caut Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT Endorsement<o:p></o:p> </div> </div> <o:p> </o:p> On 10/23/07 3:12 PM, "David M. Porritt" <dporritt@smu.edu> wrote:<o:p></o:p> I think college administrators have to interview, check backgrounds, do their do-diligence but I really have my doubts that any testing PTG could do would do as well as a good college football scout can do and they miss a lot.  <o:p></o:p> Hi David,     The problem is that there is no animal in the music department who is the equivalent of the college football scout. Who in your music department do you think qualifies as a good scout for piano technicians? And even if they actually know what to look for, where is the opportunity for them to witness a game or two in a real life analogy? (Okay, the candidate can come and do a tuning or something, but that doesn't say a lot, even if the “scout” can evaluate it reasonably well). Not to say that the administrator doesn’t need to do the normal due diligence in any case, checking recommendations, etc. But one of the problems we face is that the person usually doing the hiring has no concept of the skills needed, and has to rely almost entirely on a best guess of what references and experience set might mean. Probably doesn’t really even know what questions to ask. Regards, Fred Sturm <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">New Mexico</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> <o:p></o:p> </div> </body> </html>