This is something that has always perplexed me.
I'm a military veteran, and in the military, when someone is teaching a class there is no question they are a subject matter expert, and have (depending on the skill) done it in the real world and have a real perspective on it.
In college this is not the case. Many of my teachers have never held a real job (That is, a job outside of academia. Ya know, the real world.) Heck, they're teaching a "Design methodology" course with an instructor who has literally never worked in industry. At the end of the day he has almost no experience working on a team, leading a team, or designing a product for market or industry. He has no idea what its like to work with people who just put in a 60 hour week, are exhausted, growing frustrated, and need leadership. He has no idea how to delegate, spot check, list requirements, and keep people on task without stifling creativity.
In my opinion, engineering instructors above the 1101 level should be required to have worked in industry. This isn't liberal arts; these students expect to get jobs, and they need to be taught the real skills they'll need for the workplace by people who have been there. Not the theory of a soft-bodied academic.
/Rant
I'm a military veteran, and in the military, when someone is teaching a class there is no question they are a subject matter expert, and have (depending on the skill) done it in the real world and have a real perspective on it.
In college this is not the case. Many of my teachers have never held a real job (That is, a job outside of academia. Ya know, the real world.) Heck, they're teaching a "Design methodology" course with an instructor who has literally never worked in industry. At the end of the day he has almost no experience working on a team, leading a team, or designing a product for market or industry. He has no idea what its like to work with people who just put in a 60 hour week, are exhausted, growing frustrated, and need leadership. He has no idea how to delegate, spot check, list requirements, and keep people on task without stifling creativity.
In my opinion, engineering instructors above the 1101 level should be required to have worked in industry. This isn't liberal arts; these students expect to get jobs, and they need to be taught the real skills they'll need for the workplace by people who have been there. Not the theory of a soft-bodied academic.
/Rant