Your school you seem to realize is doing you no favors but hanging that title and status over your head as opposed to doing what is right for both your education and the liability issues. Hope you have time for a lot of study into your new both job/title and real responsibility beyond other studying to graduate, because once you take this position, you no longer are a student trying to get out of school or member of the crew, you are the one responsible for anyone that should be injured by anything you approved of but faied in proper study of in knowing better. In other words, you are now the Prez. of
safety and the theater tech. If someone thinks that you made a mistake, they must have misheard you because you are not allowed to make mistakes thus don't make them. You also had best not make mistakes because lives are on the
line. Don't skip the span charts for lumber because if it fails due to something not learned by experience (such as 18" being the maximum un-braced length of a
leg permissible when thru-bolted) or that math you are now responsible for, it's still going to fail with you in holding that buck stops here title - responsible. This set construction as one part of it all in addition to lighting, sound, rigging and costuming.
Really good experience for you once you are in charged (but not really since you no doubt have to work
thru someone to
purchase stuff or keep your title). You get to deal with crews and questions that while you possibly won't know at the moment, will reinforce the necessity and immediate need for you to learn in the end. Nobody teaching you means you don't get a instruction beyond what you teach yourself in this "school." This will help in your career in that this need to know stuff will be more immediate both in private study and future classes from people attempting to teach you beyond writing off instruction because you think you know but are not responsible for really knowing it well.
On the other
hand, in being in charged, you have nobody teaching you, much less there is no
safety net given this realization that you realize that you are not yet qualified to be this all knowing tech god of the theater. In realizing your limitations with the responsibility you take on more than just in leading crews, it's a very hard choice to make. Beyond that, if you don't take this postition, they - those lacking in the cash to pony up for a real TD will no doubt find someone less qualified than you to lead instead of paying someone to instruct and supervise.
Very hard choice to make. At this
point hard to even assume you are ready they seem to assume you to be and it would be useful for you to jump in with both feet given you at least think you know most normal stuff but also realize what you don't yet know or what might be suspect in your own training so far. Responsible you might seem to be for being this TD, question is will you take the status over being qualified you have some doubts over.
The "if all goes well" also means the school has some questions about what they are forcing you to choose in the interm of your last year until someone else is asked the same question or someone is hired, while no doubt saving money on qualified staff to teach and supervise as opposed to just a student to make it happen hopefully safely. You bet that if there is a problem beyond lack of training and inspiration, the failure will be all on your failing to live up to the "trust" they have in you. As if someone with what three years of experience in some kind of theater tech training can run a theater safely. Fail to get the show up and running in time it's in your fault. Someone die and it's your fault initially and for sure, but also the gamble they are taking in you being sufficient to run the crew. Not that most people asking you to lead realize the dangers involved. Might be someone in the weight lifiting room paid to ensure nobody dies on the sports team, but the
stage... it's just a question of nailing up some platforms after all.
This school it would seem has done you no favors in granting you the title as long as you don't screw up. They both are not providing education to you as the best of the tech but no longer learning from someone, in that you are willing to fill in instead of futher education, and in granting this cool title of TD have found a solution to a problem they have in not having cash to hire a pro to teach and to be responsible for it as normal given the lack of hiring someone to instruct and ensure
safety. Un-mentioned I'm sure beyond just captian of the sports/drama type club tech. Consider yourself head water boy for the drama club that is now the football coach I might have you consider in this position they put you in.
Were it me, and I was for half a show when the other TD quit, I would be wanting that
power I could now have to shape how we did things, yet a year later with a real TD I soon realized how out-classed I was in what I knew verses what I was now learning as I should be. Back than, I had never even considered drywall screws much less a screw gun. Question is what are you going to be missing out on? You are in school after all. Given this refrence on my own part, I would attempt to hold out on commiting given a stated hesitation on your part and see if by nobody being the necessary position, the school might hire someone properly trained to instruct and supervise. Given this fails, and only than you will lead the crew to the best of your abilities, at least have it in writing your intent that while you will lead the crew, your abilities as the most senior and trained member of the crew is seriously compromized in you doing so both for
safety and inspiration. You also highly recommend that they cancel the program until such a proficient TD is found due to liability issues (as being this serious) or at least get you some overseeing supervision on some of the more technical issues you will have to deal with as only a stop gap in this requirement/request of you leading the crew. This person is now the liable source for a future problem or at least a stop gap for you in making descions that are safe.
All it's going to take is one cut off finger and you as the "TD" will now only go down in a bad way but there will be serious
cover one's rear on the part of those that put you in this position in placing all the blame on you and not them. Instead and given a qualified to instruct even you TD is not available, make it known in writing that you will compromize by leading the crew as the most qualified to lead, but will not be responsible should something come up you are not qualified as a TD they grant the title of to be becomes a problem. This is true anyway, but later as a future TD, such doccumentation into responsibility and liability will become a norm anyway once your objections are not listened to. Yes you will do your darndest to make things safe but also realize your limitations. Making that known will be necessary.
Hope it helps. First place I became TD of, it was with great hesitation given I had only a few years in training and a college degree in it. Because of this of being the most trained person, I took my own responsibility of asking questions every day to those outside the theater more qualified in advice and to read lots of info in further training evidenced elsewhere on the forum. That liability/responsibility was good for me and by the end I was ready for it for the most part later, but this was with a lot of realization that effort was necessary and that title was not favor or status symbol for me in the end only a lot of details to worry about in being responsible for them now.