[IP] more on IBM, colleges: More top students needed
Begin forwarded message:
From: Gerry Faulhaber <gerry-faulhaber@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: May 20, 2005 11:03:20 AM EDT
To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [IP] IBM, colleges: More top students needed
Dave [for IP, if you wish]--
I have been reading IP posts about plummeting CS enrollments for some
time, accompanied by much hand-wringing, concerns about Wipro, H1B
visas, PRC, etc., etc. Now we are asking CS deparments in
universities to "market themselves" to US students.
Has anyone done any research on why US students don't choose CS
careers? On why business students don't take CS courses? Could it
possibly be that a career in CS is not attractive relative to a
career in, say, marketing/banking/real estate/... ? Has anyone
actually spoken with students making these choices to find out why
they seem to shun CS (or science/engineering more generally)? Maybe
IBM should be more focused on making a CS career something to be
sought after, rather than flogging universities to market CS to
students better.
Professor Gerald R. Faulhaber
Business and Public Policy Dept.
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104
----- Original Message ----- From: "David Farber" <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Ip" <ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2005 9:42 AM
Subject: [IP] IBM, colleges: More top students needed
IBM, colleges: More top students needed
By Mindy B. Hagen, The Herald-Sun
May 17, 2005 9:03 pm
DURHAM -- With a critical shortage of Information Technology
workers projected in the coming years, it's crucial that university
computer science departments do all they can to attract top
students to the field, a local IBM official said Tuesday.
At IBM University Day in Research Triangle Park on Tuesday,
leading IBM officials and university professors from across the
region gathered to discuss new ways of marketing computer careers
to up-and- coming students.
In addition to hearing about the work being done at individual
university departments, the event provided a chance for small
groups of IBM developers and faculty to meet and discuss future
research projects and allowed graduate students a chance to touch
base with a potential future employer.
Gina Poole, vice president of IBM's Academic Initiative, told
about 120 university educators that an additional 2.2 million
people will be needed in information technology-related
professions by 2010.
"A lot of today's students will be filling those needs," Poole
said. "The demand is building up, but the supply isn't building up
fast enough."
University educators said they are planning numerous changes to
their computer science departments to help allow a wider group of
students to take their courses. At N.C State University, the
computer science and electrical engineering departments are seeing
increasing numbers of students opting for double majors in both
fields. The computer science department there hopes to "re-
package" its existing degrees while developing new courses and
working with IBM to mold a curriculum that strongly emphasizes
"services solutions."
Duke professor Owen Astrachan said his department wants to pay
attention to "untapped" interdisciplinary alliances. Duke economic
students, or business students, could benefit from taking computer
science courses, Astrachan said.
"The slope shows an unbelievable decline in computer science
majors," Astrachan said. "There are smart people no longer even
signing up to take our introductory courses. We need to fix it, or
there's not going to be a U.S. work force in computer sciences."
And that's the exact problem IBM is trying to avoid by partnering
with universities through the Academic Initiative. IBM has
contributed more than $30 million in the last 15 years to
universities across the state, supporting the schools' research
grants, equipment and software. The software and IT services giant
hopes its partnership with universities can lead to shared
research projects and allow experts to provide skills training and
education resources to students.
But IBM also hopes it receives a leg up in recruiting the best and
brightest when graduation day approaches. Pierre Mouallem, a
doctoral candidate at N.C. State, said he's indebted to the IBM
professionals who have spent time teaching his classmates "on-
demand" business strategies and providing funds for his
university's computer science department.
"You look at the size of this company, and it's one of the big
leaders in its market," Mouallem said. "They do a lot to help
students get a chance to work with them. It's really promising."
Sue Horn, vice president of the IBM software group, said her
company's relationship with local universities would only continue
to grow.
"Our collaboration with universities sincerely is a very important
thing for us that we want to cultivate," Horn said. "A day like
this is paramount, but it's only the culmination of what we do all
year long."
URL for this article: http://www.herald-sun.com/business/
21-608287.html
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