Russian Studies programs

[Frank Poulin]

I supervise a team of test and evaluation engineers and technicians as well
as computer systems deployment personnel.  Our work requires an
understanding of switch, router, and server technology (I'm sure most
readers have heard of Novell, NT, Cisco and Nortel).  These systems are not
that difficult to understand, given 2 to 3 years of good experience.  They
are certainly not as difficult as Russian-- even when combined.

What I really prize is the employee who can write well.  It's not too hard
to find employees, with or without college, who understand the technology,
in spite of their high salary demands.

 It is difficult, however, if not at times seemingly impossible, to find
someone who understands the technology "and" can write well.

Because our work involves a great deal of customer interaction (not only in
developing strategy papers and technical evaluations of new products for the
customer, but also in working with proposal-writing teams in pursuit of new
business-- this stuff is extraordinarily fun by the way), any technical
person who writes well offers our group a big bonus and is often invaluable.

In my opinion, the humanities might be gaining a reputation outside of the
university as a 4-year long sensitivity-training seminar that sometimes
seems to border on group therapy.  Just take a look at the weekly US News
magazine to see what the public reads about the humanities.

Really, I need people who can write well.  I need people who can think for
themselves.  Promote Slavic Departments as a place where students do not
just pick up a second language.  Promote Slavic Departments as a place where
students learn to write well and develop original ideas.  Promote the
"great" and "universal" works--- Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Pasternak (and add
something about Goethe, Schopenhauer, and Hegel).  Teach them about Russian
as well as European history.  Require students to write often.  And by all
means, avoid this gender and ethnic balkanization that seems to have taken
over some, if not many, humanities departments.  Lead other departments by
your example.

I know the above sounds naive, but if US News and other publications were
praising graduates of humanities departments for strong writing and original
thinking skills and for their knowledge of the great works of human
creativity, (rather than belittling their departments and schools for
wallowing in ethnic and gender-oriented accusations), the reputation of
humanities departments would be much better than it is today.

Business schools and computer science departments have a lock on the
technology.  Their professors know this and their professors are confident
in their mission.  Humanities departments "should", and I repeat "should",
have a lock on the development of strong writing skills and original
thinking habits.  But they don't!  And it's becoming more and more apparent
to those of us on the outside.

Many on this list are professors.  Professors in the humanities need to
reverse this trend.  And let me add that the generation that went to school
in the 1950's can't reverse this trend themselves-- they are not superhuman.
I really need people who can write well and think for themselves.  It's very
competitive out here.

All the best,
Frank


-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth E Udut <simplify3 at JUNO.COM>
To: SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU <SEELANGS at LISTSERV.CUNY.EDU>
Date: Thursday, June 01, 2000 6:36 PM
Subject: Re: Russian Studies programs


>[...]
>> There is one skillset widely prized throughout the job marketplace,
>> and that is
>> computer literacy, the ability to sit down at any computer and
>> figure out how
>> to do what you need to do.  At a minimum, employers want people who
>> can deal in
>> the various subdivisions of MSOffice:  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and
>> -- as a
>> bonus -- Access.  A wide range of applications fans out from this
>> central
>> suite.  If we really wanted to make our students work-ready, we'd
>> set up a
>> curriculum which encourages them to use more types of software than
>> just the
>> word processor, without necessarily changing any of the content we
>> touch upon.
>
>This is very true.  You can do *many* jobs -
>even jobs that you could care less about,
>getting varying rates of pay, if you learn
>competence in the Microsoft Office suite.
>
>As an added bonus, learn a little macro-making
>and Visual Basic for
>Applications, and you can get hired at
>any medium to large company.
>
>Of course, if universities and colleges
>do that, humanities (the well-rounded individual
>human being is king and queen) - that crazy
>religion of schools and universities everywhere -
>will certainly fall victim to the latest booming
>religion - the religion of commerce,
>efficiency, marketability, utilitarianism -
>and colleges and unversities will certainly
>become Trade Schools - which may not be
>a bad thing in the short run - but in the long
>run, who knows?
>
>The god of the "bottom-line" is gaining power
>over universities and colleges, at least in
>the United States it seems, and, like
>the Invisible Hand of economic theory,
>may push Slavists out the door if there
>is no adapting.
>
>[and this way, the beloved philologist
>will still have a home, and purpose].
>
>-Kenneth
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
>  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
>                http://members.home.net/lists/seelangs/
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------
>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                http://members.home.net/lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------