Re: using wcs to raise money

[jwerchan@osulima2.lima.ohio-state.edu (James E. Werchan)]

>.... message was submitted to our Engl. Dept. list during a rather
>contentious discussion as to where to find funds to raise GTA and Adjunct
>salaries.  I find this proposal rather disturbing and have not yet
>responded to it. I would appreciate any advice you can offer. 
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Subject: .... I do have a proposal for raising money
>internally - use the Writing Center as the base for consulting for local
>companies. ... for consulting on: editing, writing, hypermedia and public
presentations.
...........................

this is kinda thought-provoking.  i guess your englishers are looking for a
cash cow, and they can see the market pretty clearly in the Dallas area.
There's nothing wrong with looking for cash cows, per se.  

Maybe your can partner up with continuing/adult ed, although no one should
expect to get rich.  And academics might have a hard time making appropriate
paradigm shifts to meet business on their own terms.  And your regents might
be stumbling blocks, so all this might be so much pie-in-the-sky.   

if you're going to play the consultancy game, you'll have to learn its idiom
and its customs.  if you'll be competing with real life consultants, making
contracts to deliver services to business, then maybe there would some legal
snags concerning commingling funds, misfeasance, unfair competition, etc.

If your school would want to run a 'business incubator' kind of environment
to develop an independent, incorporated consultancy service which could have
an agreement to hire, as needed, those GA's and adjuncts from your in-place
talent pool, maybe that could work.

what they're talking is getting into private sector business.  and the
trouble with most new businesses is under-capitalization.

i'd guess continuing ed would be your best angle (or least dangerous
legally).  Also, talk to folks in the school of business about the whole
corporate training/consultancy environment.   I've heard of graduate
students in schools of business and in departments of adult/continuing ed
who pull down $40k/year by doing parttime freelance consultancy and
training.   Maybe, if your aim is to just help your GA's and adjuncts pay
the rent, you can help them form a loose co-op that is a clearing house for
publicizing resumes and booking them  as freelancers.  But since this kind
of thing is probably already done in schools of business, you need to find
out whether those schools of business are able to take their cut of the action.
..

I'll bet your englishers haven't the foggiest idea of what's entailed.  I'd
also bet against this being a cash cow for the english department.

good luck,
jw

"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                    Dr. James Werchan
(or maybe it's just someone who kinda looks a lot like him)
              Ohio State University at Lima
                    4240 Campus Drive
                     Reed Hall #135
                     Lima, OH 45804
                      419-995-8882
				
                    werchan.1@osu.edu					jwerchan@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu
(for main campus biz)
jwerchan@osulima1.lima.ohio-state.edu  (for local biz only)
								
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