Help students find careers, at all costs.
Be honest with them, and give them the facts about placement in the field.
Tell them there are one thousand people who are qualifying right now, for the audio job they so ever desire.
Beyond all other obstacles, student placement in the field, seems most important for an educational facility to etch into curriculum.
Though, I think some things in AE education are omitted. Perhaps the suggestion that you are training to become an ASSISTANT FIRST and NOT AN ENGINEER?
I don't think BEING AN ASSISTANT is traditionally being promoted.
Some schools are helpful and prepare you, others put shiny objects in front of you.
There is a GREAT BOOK by Tim Crich, that SHOULD BE A REQUIREMENT.
http://www.aehandbook.com/Teaching to "think" is a great point.
When I did my math homework, with my grandfather. I asked him the "point" of it. He said, "it teaches you to think".
What Fletcher points out is perhaps the most important thing I have learned from him, and Mercenary. Attention to Detail. There are a bunch of other noteworthy bulletin points to discuss, but its all useless without this one.
Lots of people want to be in "da music business" and "da industry" and "make a million bucks", and do shit they have no clue about. Very few have respect and patience for the wisdom earned and craft thereof. I think that be where you come in Teach.
I am making a sweeping generalization about the audio industry, but perhaps if we widen our lens for a minute, we may see new and exciting places of opportunity to gain experience with audio.
Recording Music is not the only game in town, and I learned that opening my mind to the possibilities that are before me, would be important in finding success.
Not everyone can be a top shelf "produsa" or a bad mother F#$&^'N audio engineer of the apocalypse, but surely these goals are attainable, should you muster the fortitude to make it through BOOT CAMP and gain EXPERIENCE in the real world.