[game_edu] Here goes the first shoe...

[Paul Cassidy]

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-----Original Message-----
From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org] On
Behalf Of DeAnne Preston
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 10:14 AM
To: IGDA Game Education Listserv
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Here goes the first shoe...

As someone who works in Career Services at a for-profit school, I'm
careful not to jump to conclusions, especially since the news clip about
this lawsuit doesn't include any of the pertinent facts. 

In order to get a job in their field, students must to submit a
portfolio that demonstrates proficiency in the skills required for the
job as well as a resume and interview that show they have the
professional 'soft skills' employers look for. They also need to 'work a
plan', such as pursuing jobs and experiences while they are in school -
even if it has to be outside their field - that will help them build
skills that will be transferable to an in-field job. We go to great
lengths to provide the training they need to do this, and to make them
understand that they will need career management skills throughout their
working life. 

At our school we are very, very careful to tell students that we do NOT
'get' them a job - how could we? Employers don't take orders from us. We
make this point in writing because students refuse to hear it otherwise.
Our role is to train and assist them to conduct their own unique job
search.

Students who work a career strategy to build their skills while they are
in school, especially continuing to work on their skills when they are
outside the classroom, are the ones who are able to launch a logical
career path upon graduation.  

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink. The ones
who spend all their free time playing World of Warcraft and can't be
bothered to learn career management skills are the ones who continue to
work at GameStop when they graduate, and complain that the school lied
to them. The ones who seek out constructive criticism of their work from
Instructors and produce an appropriate portfolio are a joy to assist,
and they aren't complaining. 

It would be interesting to know how many of the graduates in that
lawsuit sought ways to develop skills outside the classroom, not only in
jobs but by collaboration on projects, volunteering to use their skills
for non profits, and on part time jobs - all useful 'resume builders'.
Or did they continue to bartend their way through school and then ask at
graduation, "Where's my career job?" 

This lawsuit isn't just about truth in placement reporting - it's also
about student/graduate motivation.

My husband works at the local state university, and he tells me that
their career services department offers nowhere near the quality of
training that we provide. Their students have realistic expectations for
the school's role in their job search, so they aren't suing.

DeAnne Preston
Collins College

Career Services Advisor, Game Design


New Direct Line: 480-446-1136

dpreston at collinscollege.edu

 


-----Original Message-----
From: game_edu-bounces at igda.org [mailto:game_edu-bounces at igda.org] On
Behalf Of kevin at kogsspin.com
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 8:37 AM
To: game_edu at igda.org
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Here goes the first shoe . . .


I totally agree with Susan and despite my agonizing efforts to try to  
seem "non-finger-pointy" I can see where I may have failed.  Having  
taught at two "for-profit" schools (I'm at one now), I was merely  
pointing out that they are more susceptible to these types of suits.   
When was the last time a land-grant university was sued for deceptive  
business practices?

Sorry if I caused offense, but I thought this would be a pertinent  
topic for this forum and knew someone had to just suck it up and post  
it.  Now I'm going to see if it made the IGDA forums yet.

As for my take on the situation, I'm in the "school is what you make  
of it" camp.  So even in the worst situations, the fact that you  
isolated so many hours a week for school and were exposed to  
techniques and textbooks means you should have left there with more  
knowledge and experience than when you entered.  If you sat there with  
your mouth open expecting to be spoon-fed an industry-acing education  
(at any school), then you began your journey on faulty premises and  
that is what we can fix.  We can make sure any freshly spawned  
developers-to-be know how to evaluate a program and pick the one that  
is right for his or her needs.

--Kevin

------------------------------

Message: 5
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:00:08 -0700
From: Susan Gold <sgold at btrout.com>
Subject: Re: [game_edu] Here goes the first shoe . . .
To: IGDA Game Education Listserv <game_edu at igda.org>
Message-ID: <C60A7FA8.1C918%sgold at btrout.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I think this is an interesting topic, but please everyone, this is not a
pick on the ?for profit? program listserv. This is for thoughtful
discourse.
Note, since this a lawsuit, I know students and school representatives
can
not even discuss this in an open forum.

I hope that we all respect each other enough to realize that all
programs
have some great and some bad instructors. Pointing a finger also means
that
you have three fingers pointing back at yourself.

The type of thing that would make sense to me is if we can find a way to
help these students. Maybe they should all take Ian?s Free Summer Game
Design class? What other ideas might we be able to give them?

Susan

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