i’m sure any reputable school that offers shaping classes like calpoly would not hire instructors who don’t surf. how i see it is, the entire “industry” as it is (community shapers, garage hacks & the branded multinational outfits) is ripe for a paradigm shift not only in terms of shaping but also in materials engineering. all these guys come up with their own ‘greener’ / biofoam blanks and resins, so every little bit of effort & improvement counts in the end.
in any case nick’s already clarified what classes he has in mind. it would be great to hear from sway folks who have science & engineering backgrounds about their POV on this
Hi Surfiber, Does the cost justify the class? Perhaps at the local night school or community college, but at an accredited state university, a Polytechnical one at that is to me, overeaching. There is a guy here in Cal. who teaches at a newer college in the state system that teaches a surfing class and is a total KOOK! This guy is a STATE employee and the school charges a pretty penny to take it. How does that get a student on to a career and making a living? As I said before, paying for a modern college education comes as a great hardship. The onus should be on the school to provide a CAREER education for paying students not something that will fill the semester up. The fees the schools now charge have in my view prohibited the waste of "basketweaving" courses.
I will apologize to NickT. because i now realize he is putting together a thesis on the viability of a profitible business. THAT is what "higher" ed. is for.....making a living.
ps. I've enjoyed the threads you have put up on alternative materials for the industry. Now, THAT could or should be a course of study, Not learning how to cheat five. Very few have made a living on that.
too bad i can only commiserate with how you feel about how some people over there get away with making a living off loopholes in the system. over here that sort of monkey business happens too, but when ‘unofficial fiscalizers’ (ehem, armed vigilantes) get agitated enough to deal with the problems ahead of the slow-moving justice system, they’d be lucky to get a decent burial hehe
btw nick’s survey intro also mentioned manufacturing materials in the study scope, it would be great-- if it indeed takes shape-- if it includes non-traditional sources, i.e. plant/lumber waste, plant fiber, 'shroom mycelium, etc