RE: giving an iSeries system to each college -- MIDRANGE-L

Question is...Do you have to B# to C#??? 


Thanks,
Tommy Holden


-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces+tommy.holden=hcahealthcare.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces+tommy.holden=hcahealthcare.com@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of fkany@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, January 25, 2007 9:00 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: giving an iSeries system to each college

I tried to register at Volunteer State Community College(Livingston, TN
campus) to take a few JAVA classes.  The instructor told me they dropped
JAVA and are now teaching C#.  This was in September 06.



 

             Jerry Adams

             <jerry@bwwholesal

             e.com>
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Subject 
             AM                        Re: giving an iSeries system to

                                       each college

 

             Please respond to

             Midrange Systems

                 Technical

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             <midrange-l@midra

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Nashville Tech dropped its RPG programming class several years ago.  The
only other thing they had was an Operations class.

The RPG class was III.  I tried convincing them to change it to IV but,
they said, employers wanted III (probably true, sigh).  The other
"reason" I fear is because the instructor didn't know IV.

Anyway, they, as Mark pointed out, dropped it because they couldn't get
enough enrollment.  Most of us don't think of it, but colleges are
businesses.  Unless the course is mandatory for a core offering, such as
engineering, or has enough students to "pay" for the instructor,
facilities, etc., it's a money loser and is dropped.  I guess an
exception might be made for an endowment.  Wanna set one up, Aaron?
That was certainly be a way of getting involved.

And the people who make the business decisions regarding systems (as
well as other things), are *not* programmers.  It is necessary to
convince and prove to these people that the iSeries is not a legacy
system, that it can do damn near anything, etc.  As Mark pointed out,
it's a Catch-22: The colleges won't start the courses until there's a
demand; the businessmen say, "There are no people available to make this
thing go."


             * Jerry C. Adams
*IBM System i5/iSeries Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
voice
             615.995.7024
fax
             615.995.1201
email
             jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Nick_Radich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

Actually I thought that all of the Colleges, etc..., had dropped it.

It

was a surprise to hear about the one in Mankato still going.  From

what I

have heard, even most of the schools on the northern and western side

of

Wisconson had dropped it as well.

Nick



Nick Radich
Sr. Programmer/Analyst
EPC Molding, Inc.
Direct  (320) 679-6683
Toll free  (800) 388-2155  ext. 6683
Fax  (320) 679-4516
nick_radich@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx



"albartell" <albartell@xxxxxxxxx>
Sent by: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
01/24/07 02:27 PM
Please respond to
Midrange Systems Technical Discussion <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>


To
"'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
cc

Subject
RE: giving an iSeries system to each college

CALL TO ACTION...If you want to see System i education offered in

your

area, GET INVOLVED

It would be nice to be able to assess the situation a little more and

gain

insight to where we could even apply our skills and donate our time.

was
surprised at Nick's statement of Mankato MN being the last tech

college
in

MN that offers iSeries/RPG specific curriculum - is that really the

case

Nick?  It would be cool to have a page on ibm.com devoted to the

success

stories so the wheel doesn't need to be recreated.  I am guessing the

one

in
Kansas has some formidable support and man hours put into it, what

about

the
staff that is already stretched too thin?  How can they best leverage
upcoming programs?  How can they best get in touch with area

businesses

that
are running i5's to find people to donate their time?

Aaron Bartell
http://mowyourlawn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Mark S.

Waterbury

Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 1:49 PM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: giving an iSeries system to each college

The success of any program like the IBM System i Academic Initiative
(formerly iSeries Scholars Program, nee PIE), is predicated on several
things that MUST HAPPEN (not necessarily in this order):

1. availability of necessary infrastructure (e.g. access to an i5/OS
system
either locally or remotely) and any i5-related software students need

to

use
(especially on their PCs, for IDEs, etc.)

2. availability of full-time i5/OS administrators or programmers from
industry who are willing and able to serve as "adjunct faculty" to

teach

part-time courses in a local community college or university, and/or

to

act
as a part-time administrators for any i5 systems on campus -OR-
availability
of full-time faculty with the necessary knowledge to do the same.

3. availability of textbooks, preferably with "instructor's guide" and
lesson plans, suggested homework exercises, sample quizzes and exams,
etc.,
so that anyone trying to teach the course for the first time can get

"up

and
running" quickly. (This was a major inhibitor over the past
5 years at several schools I was involved with.) Many college

professors

will not even attempt to teach a new course without this kind of

support.

(Oh, by the way, Microsoft does an EXCELLENT JOB in providing all of

these

kinds of materials to colleges, for their recommended courses, at very

low

cost.)

4. students willing to enroll in such courses.  Without enough

students,

most colleges will be forced to CANCEL those courses, as they cannot
afford
to run them "at a loss" (or at least "break even" with regard to

paying

adjunct faculty, etc.)  Many students are not willing to take any

courses

in
a curriculum for "some platform they never heard of" -- especially if

they

have little or no faith that there will be any jobs available upon the
completion of such coursework.  This is a big "CATCH-22" ... I know of
several community colleges that listed several AS/400 related courses

in

their catalog, but NO ONE EVER SIGNED-UP for those courses. There

needs
to

be some kind of advertising-marketing in the local community to

attract

student interest, such as having potential employers (companies that

use

i5)
come on campus and give a lecture to the students in the "introduction

to

computers" courses to explain that there are jobs in the local market

for

people with i5 skills.  This requires some cooperation and assistance

from

the i5 community -- most colleges generally cannot or will not be able

do

this adequately by themselves (there are of course some rare

exceptions

who
do a very good job of this "promotional" work.)

CALL TO ACTION
If you want to see System i education offered in your area, GET

INVOLVED

...
Volunteer to serve on a local college's CIS Advisory Board (or

whatever

they
call it), so you can have input into their curriculum, etc. --

volunteer

to
help to "spread the word" ... Employers who use System i in the local
community could pay for their employees to sign-up for and take

courses

(evening or week-ends) at the local colleges, in these courses ... For
example, how many RPG programmers would like to learn Java for

iSeries?

etc.


It is not easy -- it requres a commitment of your time, effort, etc.;

it

can
take a year or more to "get the ball rolling" -- perhaps you may even

need

to volunteer to teach one or two courses the first time around.

If we don't take any action, we will continue to get the same results

we

are
seeing now -- very few colleges are currently offering ANY courses

related

to IBM System i, p or z.  (Think globally, act locally.)

Sincerely,

Mark S. Waterbury

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