[SML] Classes in college.

[Paul Schreiner]

> On Sep 12, 2014, at 11:34 AM, Richard wrote:
>
> > The most significant lapse I have found in the education of recent job
> > applicants I have interviewed, is the lack of training to provide
> > accurate cost estimates to produce or rent scenery, costumes,
> > lighting, or other aspect of a show

<snip>

> Donna Dickerson added:
>
> > Skills could include: time management, efficient planning of workflow, team
> > work, and coaching.   So often it's the soft skills that will make or break
> > a project.
> >
> > these are skills that cross into other disciplines as well.
> >
> > Donna Dickerson
>
> I agree with both of these, heartily. Even if they aren't taught how to deal with cost estimates to the point that they can cost out the whole thing the way Richard would like, it would be awesome if ANY attention to cost and time management were taught in school.

I agree as well, except for the fact that these aren't skills that I'd
teach in either a basic stagecraft class or a class geared towards
students crewing a situation similar to one described by the OP.
These are more for a course in technical direction and production
management, which (unfortunately) are few and far between.  Indeed,
with the pressures on departments and faculty, administrations are
unlikely to approve courses at that level for regular rotation unless
you're dealing with a *large* department.  In fact, the University of
Alabama is about the only one I've worked at that had such a course in
its catalog at all...everyone else would end up trying to shoehorn a
candidate or two in an independent study or special topics one-off
course for a couple of extremely qualified and interested students.