ARG238 拍拍拍拍拍拍拍

tibowUID: 2596743

TOPIC: ARGUMENT238 - The following appeared in a memorandum from the president of Mira Vista College to the college's board of trustees.

"At nearby Green Mountain College, which has more business courses and more job counselors than does Mira Vista College, 90 percent of last year's graduating seniors had job offers from prospective employers. But at Mira Vista College last year, only 70 percent of the seniors who informed the placement office that they would be seeking employment had found full-time jobs within three months after graduation, and only half of these graduates were employed in their major field of study. To help Mira Vista's graduates find employment, we must offer more courses in business and computer technology and hire additional job counselors to help students with their resumés and interviewing skills."
WORDS: 415          TIME: 00:34:00          DATE: 2010/2/15 15:50:34

By considering that 90 percent of graduating seniors of Green Mountain College had jobs offers, the author arrives at the conclusion that Mira Vista College should offer more business courses and hire job counselors to help students finding jobs. In addition, the author cites that only 70 percent of senors inform the placement that they are offered the jobs they are looking for and only half of the student were employed in their major field of study as a typical example in support of his recommendation. However, close scrutiny of this argument reveals that it is unconvincing in several aspects.

First and foremost, the author make a comparison between the employment condition of two colleges in support of his conclusion. However, there are several questions about the comparison.

Firstly, the author doesn't mention the detail of the employment condition in Green Mountain College. We don't know the percentage of full-time job and part-time job.If many of the graduates are offered part-time job, then the job condition is not good. Moreover, the author does mention the percentage of students who are employed in their major field of study as business. If most students are not working on their business major, the author's conclusion that more business courses are helpful in finding jobs is not convincing. The author obviously ignore these possibilities by focusing on absolute figure.

Secondly,  only 70 percent of seniors have reported the college employment does not mean that only 70 percent of graduate have found jobs. It is possible that there are many students didn't inform the university when they got the offer therefore the actual percentage may be larger. Moreover, it is very normal nowadays for graduates being employed outside their major field of study, Therefore, a further investigation of the employment of all graduates and what kind of jobs they are doing is needed before the author can arrive any conclusion.

thirdly, even if the employment condition of Mira Vista College is not as good as Green Mountain College, the author fails to take into account that other factors may also contribute to this. It is possible that the education of Mira Vista is not as good as Green Mountain or the fame of Green Mountain College is better than Mira Vista College therefore it will be easier for students in Green Mountain College to find a job. Maybe the author should take action in improving the faculty and the quality of students instead of adding more business courses.

Moreover, even business and job consultants are helpful in finding jobs, the author unfairly  conclude that computer technology is also helpful while doesn't provide any evidences. In my opinion, instead of adding business or IT courses and helping students in writing resumes, the college should conduct investigation on employment condition and improve the quality of education as well. Therefore it is unwise to make a rash decision only taking some trifles  into account.