Time to get serious

["Jim Hawkins" <jim.hawkins@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Some of this discussion has migrated to the skills that recent graduates 
have.  Since I serve on the CIS curriculum advisory board for a local 
community college (in Southwest Michigan) ; let me ask a few questions.

Keeping in mind that this is a 2 year program meaning students are only 
going to get a limited amount of exposure to anything.  The core 
curriculum begins with a programming logic course (using Visual Basic to 
model the logic) and completes with a capstone Systems Analysis course. In 
the meantime students are taught RPG (primarily III with some exposure to 
II and IV but none to ILE, and all green screen).  In addition, students 
are taught COBOL, Java, database/SQL.  We have had discussion about the 
place of C, C++ and C#.  A key goal is that students be employable.  (I 
also have taught a course from time to time on OS/400).  Outside of the 
CIS curriculum students are required to have a basic (101) accounting 
course and a couple of basic business courses (and English, Math, etc.)

1) What skills should students have upon completing the program?
2) How much focus should be placed on RPG II and the cycle?  How much is 
it being used in your shop?
3) Should there be more emphasis on RPG IV and ILE?
4) How would you assess a recent graduates skills, aptitude?
5) How important are specific languages verses the ability to learn 
languages and understand the business processes?
6) Any other thoughts?

I will pass your feedback on to the whole committee.

Thanks in advance.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 Jim Hawkins
 IBM Certified Specialist AS/400 RPG IV Programmer 
 Iseries. Myseries.
 Programmer/Analyst
 Eimo Americas