<HTML>Hi, Wim, Here our natural tendency towards independence works against us some, I = think.  If there is a time when a collective commitment to an education= al standard within the PTG is important, this is it.  Well over 1500 co= lleges and universities use piano technicians or tuners;  we don't know= how many use RPT's, but we know that a sizable number do not use RPT's, and= don't have any incentive to. The certification ensures us that within the PTG we are sufficiently edu= cating CAUTs in their specialized area to a standard which we believe is imp= ortant for the profession.   But at least as important is the marketability of the CAUT-credentialed = technician to colleges and universities.  A corresponding effort to edu= cate the university on using the CAUT-trained RPT should, over time, result = in a dramatic change from the current situation, where a large number of sch= ools do not even use RPT's.  We all know about these nightmare stories.=  A CAUT-credentialed RPT is most likely to serve the needs of a univer= sity best.  And the language of credentialing is language a school unde= rstands. Keep in mind that many of these schools - especially smaller and midsize= d schools - use part-time and contract techs.  It is not uncommon for a= contract tech to have accounts at more than one school.   The CAU= T credential should help all the way around.  The school can be better = assured their contract tech is staying up to speed in the profession, and th= e contract tech will have better tools with which to serve the school. Bill In a message dated 6/13/03 3:22:12 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Wimblees@ao= l.com writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-= LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">The concept is very good. B= ut I'm not sure if we need to go through a "certification" process to give a= CAUT some sort of credibility. I think just offering classes on the topics = you listed would be enough. The ones you listed would be ones I certainly wo= uld attend. And I wouldn't limit those classes to CAUTS. There are many tech= s who would get a lot out of those kinds of classes, just to deal with large= public schools and/or churches. Wim </BLOCKQUOTE> </HTML>