Posted by Matt Evans in Questions for the candidates - changes to the Academy

Posted by Robert Archer in Questions for the candidates - changes to the Academy

Posted by Matt Evans in Questions for the candidates - changes to the Academy
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
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I look at it as using and if only needed building on what you did Cale. The main focus is just a consistency in what all the courses are saying for their topic and an even grading pattern, etc. Overall from what I saw and talked with you briefly a year or so back when we were working on updating the Engineering Course (did we ever get that done? I cant remember!) I liked the direction it was all going. If this has been fully completed however, and is just waiting for uploads to the new library then this would save a ton of time on this front of my plans if elected.

Hey Rob,

I shared the rundown of the courses with you on the 1st of January 2021 after one of the voice of the club events where they were mentioned that I wasn’t able to attend but read afterwards. You said then you’d see about them being updated.

The rundown was as follows:

So,
Cadet course:done
Medical: needs exam done
Marine: done
Engineering: needs exam finished
Counselling: done
Science: needs exam done
Security: done
Handbook: done

Each course contains a consistent grading rubric and pattern so they are all the same. The engineering course was completed I was waiting for you to decide what you wanted to put in the exam from the new course and get that written up last we spoke but then things got on top of me health wise and I had to step down.

Yes I do recall this, though I think you meant 2022 :) I mean that these courses need to appear in the library. I am hoping once TECH gets our server migration done, this will happen or will be on their radar to get done as soon as is viable. As you also mentioned for the engineering exam I too got distracted with a lot of other things. One of my plans if I am elected (and probably even if not) is I will be stepping down from the course grading role myself to give someone else a chance.

I’m going to give a clarification from TECH here. First, we are not responsible for updating the library. That’s on whoever the Librarian is, which I believe is Nick.

Thank you for the correction Matt, I keep forgetting the librian is a separate role, when I wrote this post. Apologies for that.

I did yes, sorry about that.

Also as this material also included new courses (the marine and cadet courses) and an entirely rewritten handbook created with the assistance of three other club members and plans for a how to create ship specs course to be created too I’m interested in what other or different materials you intend to develop.

No other plans at present include new courses, the main focus was to ensure all the courses were in the works or completed with updates to a consistent and friendlier standard like you did across the board.

Sorry I was confused there because you seemed to indicate that you were planning new materials. “training materials started to be written for future members to have a better idea of how to do things in those spaces” so I was curious what they would look like. The ones I mentioned were in plans or were completed.

Ok so this was not related directly to the above courses, but in regards to things like a better FAQ of sorts on what and how to do things as an FComm, or Department Director or such. Or say how to run the STF Awards, Gavin and I put together a pretty inclusive google doc showing how to do this particular thing this past term, though didn’t get to fully complete it cause the Awards didn’t happen due to the upcoming server migration blocking changes that we did not know would effect it nor that we had to contact anyone from TECH about until it was far too late. That is what I meant by that, hope this clarifies.

Second, the server migration had nothing to do with us needing prior notification to accommodate the award changes you wanted. The reason we weren’t able to do so was because you asked us on the day you wanted the changes done and that wasn’t enough time to do it or free up time from our schedules to even attempt to do so. I’m led to understand that changing the awards categories and all is a fairly involved process that needs back and forth communication to get it just right for the award committee and the time frame you wanted it done in would not have worked. So I would appreciate you not throwing this on us for your lack of planning.

So the reason I didn’t communicate about the changes was that no where did anyone communicate that this needed to happen until I asked about it. This rolls into my plans to get minor details like this that are important but fall through the cracks up in a document to for future people to do things like this.

Be that as it may, I’m not sure we even knew you and Gavin were going to be doing the awards stuff until you asked for help modifying them. With that being the case we couldn’t have communicated with you the need to communicate with us. I want to stress the importance of reaching out and asking ‘Hey what do I need to do to do this self-appointed task?’ I guarantee we would have communicated the need for more than a days notice to get the work done without it being last minute. This wasn’t an emergency where the server was down and everyone couldn’t access the site, so you’re unlikely to have us available without needing to drop everything we’re doing.

Joe was the one who gave me access to the Award material such as it was from the last years Awards Matt, so unless Joe did not communicate this through TECH then it should have been known at least Gavin and I were working on it in SOME form, bigger changes like we planned? Sure ok you didn’t know about it, but Gavin and I didnt even plan to make any changes until we got things figured out and by then it still would have been too late, and even then we didn’t realize till we DID speak about it that we HAD to tell someone. We figured if I had access to the material we could change it any which way we needed. So again we had to figure it out as we went since no how tos existed and no offer to help was given on the TECH side which shouldnt have been a surprise given for weeks before I got access I said I would work on it, and then I posted Gavin was helping me.

In either case we’re getting off the main point here, the tie in to this event is that next term if elected Matt and I wish to make as much effort with everyone to make write up details like this more accessible to future members doing things like this. So mistakes like this don’t happen.

Finally, how will you ensure that when you do put the time and effort into these that they actually get used not just sit around waiting as has been the case with what I did?

Thanks

Calé

So ensuring they get used is and has always been a tricky business. We don’t require or nor should we force someone to take these courses, nor do I think we should for that matter. So advertising them more actively I think should be our focus. Academy staff could perhaps be more vocal of their existence say, the welcome emails could highlight them as suggestions and aides, there’s I am sure other ideas rolling around that could help, but I don’t think we need to complicate things by providing at present any automatic rank boosts or such other then what we got.

Thanks for your question Cale!

Robert Archer

Again sorry I wasn’t clear what I meant was how will you ensure that you guys as exec actually use the materials created rather than them just sitting going to waste as these have been, not that the players would be forced to use them.

Thank you for your response and in advance for clarification on some of the above points.

Calé

No worries, Cale I hope my follow ups helped!

Robert Archer

Thank you Rob

Calé

Matt - TECH

Robert Archer

Matt - TECH

Robert Archer