1. Skip to content

Employer Quotes

The quotes below are from employers in this industry: Information Technology (IT)

They are talking about this topic: Educational Partnerships

 

Your Selection:


The quotes below are about this issue:
Employers recommend finding ways to increase instructors' connection to the industry to ensure a better understanding of changing technologies.

Employer Quote Region
"Employer: I think that universities are having a hard time bringing in the right teachers to teach these topics. They are having a hard time recruiting even at [non-MnSCU college]. They're having a hard time recruiting the types of professors and individuals that they need to teach the courses that companies are asking for. That's a challenge.

Question: The teachers that they had 20 years ago may not be the teachers that they need to teach today's curriculum?

Employer: Right. And they are having a hard time offering enough money to pay the people to come in and teach some of the things that industry individuals are asking for.

Question: And is the current faculty not able to adapt quickly enough? I mean, they do have a stable of people available to teach...

Employer: Yeah. I mean, with some of these things—like the technical topics that we have today that you guys are challenged to hire for—who knows where we are going to be in seven years? What is the technology going to be in seven years? So, it's hard for the universities to recruit talent and teach those hot topics.

Question: And would you be better served if there were more adjunct faculty who came in and taught a particular class? And they might do it for a couple of years and then they might fade away because their expertise wasn't relevant anymore, and then the school finds someone else?

Employer: I think it's good to have both because you still need those professors that are there focusing on the program. The Agile professors can come in, teach a class, and then go back to their own job. You know, the students still need individuals that are willing to stay and mentor them, work with student clubs, and develop some of those soft skills."		 Metro
"You were talking about Agile professors, and I think that's a good idea because you are using somebody with fresh current business experience...[lost in translation]...I also think figuring out some ways to do sabbatical types of things with your full-time professors out in the business world. Some of the best professors that I had did have that business experience, so they had anecdotes that were really relevant and engaging." Metro