Sunday, May 24, 1998

Why aren't local businesses willing to pay our graduates what they're worth?

By Beverly Lenoir

'How come our three four-year universities aren't able to meet the needs (for computer professionals) of local employers?" As a Computer Science professor at McMurry University, I will provide my perspective on the answer to this question posed by a recent Abilene Reporter-News editorial.

A report on a recent meeting to discuss the nationwide shortage stated that "One can't simply plant a larger crop of computer scientists and deliver when prices are high and store the excess in silos when prices fall" (Weingarten, Computing Research News , vol. 10, no. 3).

In great demand

Computer professionals are in great demand at the present time, but universities cannot just teach more students and send them out in a few months. A response to the problem takes years.

The good news is that, nationally, computer science enrollments have shot up by 40 percent in each of the last two years. The result should be an increase in the number of graduates in a year or two.

There are at least three specific problems that may cause the national shortage.

First, computer science is rooted in mathematics. A degree in computer science at McMurry requires four math courses, including calculus, statistics, linear algebra and discrete math. Because so many people don't like math or think they can't do math, a lot of potential computer science majors eliminate themselves from the major because they want to avoid math.

The second problem is that computer programming is difficult. Few other areas of human activity demand the perfection and persistence that programming requires. Many students are not willing to continually deal with a subject that is so demanding of perfection.

A third problem is the small number of women and minority students who study computer science. In 1996-97, only 16 percent of bachelor's degree recipients with computer science/ engineering majors were female, 2 percent were Hispanics, and 2 percent were African Americans.

A huge percentage of our population is underrepresented in the field at the college level. Encouraging these folks to study computer science could result in many more computer professionals.

McMurry University's computer science program provides three options (in addition to a teaching field) for computer-related majors: 1) a B.S. degree in computer science, 2) a B.B.A. degree in computer information systems, and 3) a B.S. degree in math-computer science.

Beginning in the 1998-99 academic year, a minor in multimedia applications will be available at McMurry. This minor will provide marketable skills to any graduate.

We are trying to do our part to alleviate the shortage; about 100 students at McMurry in the spring declared a computer-related major. McMurry's computer science enrollment pattern has followed the national growth trends in the last two or three years.

Maybe the real question is: why aren't local businesses willing to pay our graduates what they're worth?

Over the past several years, computer science graduates who have stayed in Abilene have been paid starting wages of about $20,000 to $25,000 annually, while new graduates who are willing to leave Abilene (for Dallas, Oklahoma City, or Austin, for example) are getting an average $40,000.

Recent graduates have gone to work for companies such as Boeing, EDS, E-Systems, Loral Quintron and CompuCom, among others.

The quality of life is good in Abilene, but the local pay scale is especially low in high-tech jobs like those in the computer industry. Why would graduates from a local university stay in Abilene if they can move a few hours away and earn 60 percent to 100 percent more pay?

In 1998, 18 students have graduated or are scheduled to graduate from McMurry with computer-related majors. Local businesses, if you don't "make them offers they can't refuse," somebody in Dallas will. Abilene won't be a place that attracts high-tech workers until pay increases.

I hope I have helped to shed a little light on the problem of the shortage of computer professionals. Mommas, you may not want your babies to grow up to be cowboys, but you might want to encourage them to become computer professionals (both your baby boys and your baby girls)!

Dr. Beverly Lenoir is chair of the Department of Computer Science at McMurry University.