<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">This just in from the Sacramento area chapter (43) of the Society of Broadcast Engineers, reposted from the San Francisco SBE Chapter 40:<br><div><br></div><div>Begin forwarded message:</div><div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>From: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica">SBE Chapter 43 <<a href="mailto:sbechapter43@comcast.net">sbechapter43@comcast.net</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Date: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica">April 27, 2011 12:00:46 AM PDT</font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>To: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica">Undisclosed Recipients <<a href="mailto:SBEChapter43@comcast.net">SBEChapter43@comcast.net</a>></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><font face="Helvetica" size="4" color="#000000" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica; color: #000000"><b>Subject: </b></font><font face="Helvetica" size="4" style="font: 14.0px Helvetica"><b>SBE Chapter 43 Urgent Message</b></font></div><div style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div> </div><div>The Broadcast Television Engineering Technology (BTET) program at Napa Valley College has been scheduled for termination. Please contact Dane Ericksen, SBE Chapter 40 Secretary, with any information you have that will help to save the Napa Valley College BTET program.<br><br> ----- Original Message -----<br><br>For years there has been talk about starting an SBE student chapter at Napa Valley College. Napa Valley College has had a Broadcast Television Engineering Technology (BTET) program since at least 1985, and is an SBE-certified school, meaning that students who graduate from that two-year program with a B or better grade point average are entitled to receive the SBE Certified Broadcast Technologist (CBT) certification without taking the SBE CBT examination.<br><br>On April 6, 2011, myself, SBE Chapter 40 Chairman Art Lebermann, and former SBE Chapter 40 Treasurer/Certification Chairman/Newsletter Editor Roy Trumbull visited the Napa Valley College campus for a kick-off student chapter meeting. Nine new student members were signed up, with SBE Chapter 40 picking up the cost of those memberships, and six students who had already submitted their student membership applications were reimbursed for their membership dues. After two more meetings with at least five student members are held, Napa Valley College will be established as an SBE student chapter.<br><br>That's the good news.<br><br>The bad news is; we learned that due to budget cuts, the BTET program at Napa Valley College has been scheduled for termination.<br><br>Chapter 40 doesn't want to see that happen, and is launching an effort to see if the Napa Valley College President, Dr. Edna Kolovani, and the Napa Valley College Board of Trustees, can be convinced that the BTET program is not one of the programs that should be cut. Art, Roy and I came away from the kick-off meeting feeling that the Napa Valley College administration may not appreciate what a gem they have with the BTET program--one of a few remaining in the whole country, as far as I can ascertain, based on my service on the SBE Certification Committee, which includes reviewing the course offerings of SBE-certified schools.<br><br>Our goal is to have Napa Valley College BTET program graduates who have obtained jobs at Bay Area TV stations (or elsewhere) respond to this posting, and also to collect statements from the Chief Engineers/Directors of Engineering of Bay Area TV stations, stating how they have benefited from a source of entry-level technical employees. Armed with this information, Chapter 40 can send a letter to Napa Valley College, documenting success stories of Napa Valley College BTET graduates.<br><br>Any program that results in its students being selected for six of the ten NAB Education Foundation (NABEF) Technology Apprenticeship Program (TAP) slots has got to be saved. Please contact Art, Roy or me if you are a Napa Valley College BTET alumni with a success story, or in an engineering management position for a TV station, cable system, or related industry that has benefited from hiring a Napa Valley College BTET graduate.<br><br>Dane Ericksen, P.E., CSRTE, 8VSB, CBNT<br>SBE Chapter 40 Secretary<br>SBE Certification Committee<br>c/o Hammett & Edison, Inc.<br>San Francisco<br>707/996-5200 (work)<br></div></blockquote><a href="mailto:dericksen@h-e.com?subject=QuadList%20posting%20about%20Napa%20Valley%20College%20BTET%20program">dericksen@h-e.com</a></div><br></body></html>