Newsgroups: comp.edu,comp.lang.ada,comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.modula2,comp.lang.scheme
Path: cantaloupe.srv.cs.cmu.edu!rochester!udel!news.mathworks.com!news.ultranet.com!news.sprintlink.net!cs.utexas.edu!usc!rutgers!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!ss3!usenet
From: smosha@most.magec.com (Steve O'Shaughnessy)
Subject: Re: Comparison of languages for CS1 and CS2
X-Nntp-Posting-Host: smosha
Message-ID: <DBv486.D8H@ss3.magec.com>
Sender: usenet@ss3.magec.com
Organization: MESC
X-Newsreader: WinVN 0.99.2
References: <DBEwuo.8L@world.std.com> <3tufen$ohn@natasha.rmii.com> <3tuo6b$lp9@news.aero.org> <DBptGF.G3r@ss3.magec.com> <3u77j7$4hr@felix.seas.gwu.edu> <bob-1507951048460001@comp_ctr245.sonoma.edu>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 13:31:18 GMT
Lines: 32
Xref: glinda.oz.cs.cmu.edu comp.edu:13364 comp.lang.ada:32792 comp.lang.c++:138945 comp.lang.modula2:12106 comp.lang.scheme:13238

In article <bob-1507951048460001@comp_ctr245.sonoma.edu>, bob@cs.sonoma.edu says...
>
>In article <3u77j7$4hr@felix.seas.gwu.edu>, mfeldman@seas.gwu.edu (Michael
>Feldman) wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>> I think it works, basically - if you want to impose a change on the 
>> curriculum - especially a major one like a foundation language - it's 
>> not the Dean you have to convince, it's your colleagues, with whom you 
>> have to live from day to day. It's a slow and often frustrating
>> process, but it beats any alternative I can think of.
>
>But the dean and those above her control the budget with which we
>have to buy compilers, hardware, etc. So after convincing our
>colleagues, we also have to convince other departments (yes,
>we do offer a service to them and don't have the resources to
>offer two different intro to programming courses). Then we have
>to convince the dean, who has to convince ....
>
>Bob Plantz

I know you folks consider yourselves teachers, and you are.  But in reference to my 
previous post, this (the selection of course languages) sounds like administration to 
me.  Even though you spend the majority of your time molding the mush that is the 
minds young students, when you have to stop the important work to jump through all the 
hoops and hurdles like described above you are administrators.  I wonder, by the time 
everyone is convinced to change, what concessions have be made?  It is actually 
sounding more like the government and industry than I realized.  

Steve O

