Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
nent of the DPMA's professionalization program: only by defi ning a
“standard of knowledge for organizing, analyzing, and solving problems
for which data processing equipment is especially suitable” could pro-
grammers ever hope to distinguish themselves from mere technicians or
other “sub-professionals.”
79
Like the academic computer scientists, busi-
ness programmers recognized the need for a foundational body of
abstract knowledge on which to construct their profession; they differed
only about what that relevant foundation of knowledge should include.
In insisting on strong educational standards, the DPMA was in complete
accord with the conventional wisdom of the contemporary profession-
alization literature.
80
And by the end of the 1960s, it was true that many
employers did prefer to hire college graduates—although not necessarily
computer science or data processing graduates—for entry-level program-
ming positions.
81
According to a study published in September 1968 by
the Offi ce of Education, U.S. Department of Health, Education, and
Welfare, 61 percent of the 353 business data processing managers sur-
veyed preferred that programmers have a college degree. Over 60 percent
indicated that educational background was a substantial factor in deter-
mining a programmer's chances for promotion.
82
As a recession hit the
industry in the early part of the 1970s, this trend became even more
pronounced.
83
An aspiring EDP school graduate, even with a CDP cer-
tifi cate, had little chance of breaking into data processing without a
college degree. As one of these individuals lamented, “They told me 80%
of all programmers don't have a college degree. Now everywhere I go
I'm told they're sorry but they only want college people.”
84
Although the
DPMA's decision to raise the educational requirements for the CDP was
highly controversial, it was also probably justifi ed.
Ultimately, however, the DPMA never managed to convince employ-
ers and practitioners of the relevance of its educational standards, nor
for that matter its certifi cation exams. Neither group was convinced that
a CDP meant much in terms of future performance. The DPMA
Certifi cation Council was not even able to pass a resolution requiring its
own offi cials to possess the CDP.
85
In 1971, the Certifi cation Council
decided to drop the baccalaureate degree requirement. Although this
decision was a response to pressure from within the data processing
community, it was widely regarded as a sign of weakness rather than
judicious concession.
86
As the director of the computing center at Virginia
Tech wrote to the president of the local DPMA chapter, “The removal
of the degree requirement has forced all of us to consider the attainment
of the CDP not as an extension of our normal academic and work
