Re: using wcs to raise money

[Bridget Robin Pool <nvpoolb@nv.cc.va.us>]

What about the academic implications of taking on an obligation to give
someone the answers rather than *teaching* them?


At 03:12 PM 7/11/97 -0500, you wrote:
>>.... 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)
>								
>  Come and visit: "http://www.lima.ohio-state.edu/~WACC"
>"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
>
>
>