<p>Fellow CC?ers:</p>
<p>This time of year, folks often ask about the e-school at UVa. My son is approaching graduation, and I thought it would be useful to offer a review. </p>
<p>First: the basics. He majored in Systems Engineering (which happens to be close to my field as well). He was not a Rodman scholar, and can best be described as in the middle of the pack among the 100 or so SIE majors graduating this year.</p>
<p>The good: Academically, UVa's e-school is superb. His courses were all challenging and relevant. He has learned many of the important tricks of our trade. Several of his courses dealt with modern methodologies that are heavily used in decision-making for large systems and programs. </p>
<p>His thesis and his senior project were a real challenge. His group was small, and the topic was highly relevant to modern complex systems. Not everything worked. There's a lesson there.</p>
<p>Throughout the e-school, he built terrific friendships. The spirit of cooperation in the face of some real challenges forced them to build well-functioning teams. In general, there was no room for slack or slackers. Making a team work may be the most valuable skill he learned. </p>
<p>He double-majored in economics and he found his professors in 'the College' to be inspirational, challenging, friendly, and full of encouragement. His econ courses were his favorite courses. </p>
<p>In fact, the non-engineering parts of his academic work has been what he thinks of as the most enriching: music, art, science (a monster-tough course in astronomy, for example), and travel. </p>
<p>The bad: The e-school faculty needs a serious attitude adjustment. They were universally focused on their own research. Undergraduates--especially the non-Rodman 'infantry' -- are considered a distraction. On one occasion, he went to a prof for help. He fumbled around with the problem for a while, and the prof said, "Okay, it looks like you get it. Now get out of my office." He was not smiling. That set the tone. I don't think there's a single e-school faculty member that he remembers fondly. </p>
<p>The ugly: UVa prided itself on its wide range of student-run activities. I fear that culture has all but disappeared. What the administration has not taken complete control of, the faculty has usurped for its own agenda. The thing is: students most enjoy what they created and ran themselves. I fear that UVa is smothering some of its greatest potential. </p>
<p>And the envelope, please: After breaking free from the "career center" and working the recruitment problem on his own, he's had almost a dozen interviews, several lucrative job offers, and looks forward to a comfortable career working for a large engineering firm. Systems engineers do very well. The Washington Post lists 750 openings with the title 'systems engineer'. </p>
<p>On balance, I would not let a cold-as-ice e-school faculty hold me back from enjoying what UVa has to offer. If anything, it helps the students become more self reliant, more confident. </p>
<p>Bottom line: Good, could have been great. Would it have killed you to offer an encouraging word to a future alumnus?</p>