ustxtxb_obs_1971_04_23_50_00008-00000_000.pdf

LEARN MORE . . . EARN MORE * QUALITY CAREER TRAINING * SECRETARIAL ACCOUNTING BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IBM KEY PUNCH DATA PROCESSING COMPUTER PROGRAMMING * CONSIDER THESE ADVANTAGES * Job Placement Assistance for Graduates An Eligible Institution Under the Federal Insured Student Loan Program CLASSES NOW FORMING FOR APRIL 12TH DRAUGHON’S ,SCHOOL OF ‘BUSINESS 304 E. 5th Austin, Texas “Accredlted by The AY/crediting Commission for Business Scheele A CILIALMe 411W14001, oR L.711 ECMJCATION 4111111711MAI4INO. COLLEGE DIVISION PLEASE SEND CATALOG TO: NAME ADDRESS cm AGE PHONE 477.4858 ST. ZIP “The profit orientation is the crucial element that sets the proprietary institution apart from other schools,” Berry and Dunbar write. “Many complaints of proprietary schools students are little known in the nonprofit institution: contractual difficulties, tuition refunds, misleading advertising, high pressure sales methods and misrepresentation by salesmen.” 9 Christie’s bill would set up a five-member advisory committee appointed by the commission, but the commissioner of education would have full authority to regulate schools without reference from trade school proprietors. Sen. Chet Brooks’ SB 526 and HB 333 \(a committee substitute for bills by Reps. Joe Salem, Dewitt Hale and R. B. nine-member advisory commission comprised strictly of owners, employees and representatives of the schools. The State Board of Education rather than the commissioner would adopt policies “after consultation with the Proprietary School Advisory Committee.” Christie’s bill provides for a strict refund policy for schools operating in Texas. Schools would be allowed to keep only $50 more than the pro rated portion of the completed course. Brooks’ bill and the House bill vaguely require a “reasonable and proper policy of refund of unused portions of tuition and fees.” All of the bills require bonding of schools. They all would prohibit misleading advertising and other deceptive practices and guaranteeing employment. All the bills set up minimum standards for trade schools. K.N. NOTES 1.The cities of Dallas and Tyler have set up their own regulatory agencies. Officals in both cities are anxious for the state to assume the policing function. 2.For a detailed account of the macinations during the 61st Legislature, see Mark Berry’s and Edward Dunbar’s article, “The Proprietary Vocational School,” in the, December, 1970, Texas Law Review. It is the definitive work on vocational schools in Texas. 3.Hearing transcript, July 17, 1970, Dallas, Senate Committee on Vocational-Technical Education, p. 37. 4.Ibid., p. 3. 5.Berry and Dunbar, Texas Law Review, P. 103. 6.Ibid., p. 106. 7.Ibid., p. 108. 8.Ibid., p. 114. 9.Ibid., p. 104. All this and typing theory too Austin “Learn More . . . Earn More . .” the ad in the Austin daily said. “Quality Career Training * Secretarial * Accounting * Business Administration * IBM Key Punch * Data Processing * Computer Programming.” A friend of the Observer, who is interested in computer programming, replied to the advertisement and promptly received a personal visit from a salesman and the registrar of Draughton’s School of Business, Austin, “A Quality School of LTV Education Systems, Inc., College Division,” a school accredited by the ACBS. The salesman, a clean-cut, rather portly young man, first tried to steer our friend \(a programming into something less demanding. “Do you definitely consider yourself a career-type person?” he asked. “Women get married and have babies, you know. And they have a couple of strikes against them even if they don’t get married. It’ll take you a little longer to get the salary.” Our friend insisted she had her heart set on being a computer programmer and the salesman soon changed his tune. “It’s the fastest growing career field in the world,” he assured her. “It’s wide open.” And what better place to learn programming than from LTV, “the fourteenth largest corporation in America, the fourth largest in government contracts. We have one of the very finest placement services,” the salesman said. “Computer programmers with two years experience get $11,000 a year and that’s with only a high school education. You can add about $3,000 a year more to your salary for every year of college. “Our course takes about a year. First we have to teach you something about 8 The Texas Observer business. We won’t train you out and out to be a computer programmer. . . . We’ll train you to take almost any job in a data processing office. You’ll need typing and . . .” “TYPING?” our friend asked, aghast. “Well, maybe we can drop typing if you’re really against it,” the salesman reassured her. “There are schools you can go to, quite frankly, that will take on an individual like yourself and quote ‘make you a computer programmer’ but you don’t have any business sense.” The salesman said that besides typing, our friend would need accounting, introduction to business, business math, adding machines and introduction to computer science. “This is all giving you an idea what goes on in business. Then you’ll get into programming and computer languages. “First you’ll become a key punch operator, then a computer operator, then a programmer.” Our friend said she didn’t want to be a key punch operator or any other kind of troll in a data processing office. “There’s a fifty-fifty chance of you starting as a programmer,” the salesman reassured her. “What does the course cost?” “Don’t worry about the money,” he said. “The Department of Health, Education and Welfare will give you a federally insured loan.” “But what does it cost?” “On the average, $1,550, give or take a few dollars. Well, do you want to go to school?” Our friend said she’d like to go down to Draughton’i and check out the classes. “There’s no reason for it,” the salesman said, rather defensively. “I could see if I’d enjoy the classes.” “It’s not a matter of enjoyment. If you say you want to make $1,000 a month, this is the place for you!” “But I would like to sit in on a class first . . .” “You don’t have any knowledge of what’s happening. You have no background whatsoever to understand the advanced classes. It’s very technical.” “I could talk to the other students. . . .” “They have no bearing on the situation.” “How many people graduate from the computer programming course?” “Eighty percent. You can’t be wishy, washy about this education. Do you want to go to school? If you want a good education and you’re sincere you ought to come S to our school:I can’t guarantee I’ll have a loan for you in June.” Our friend didn’t sign up for the course. In a second conversation with the