Executive Summary
Information Technology Workforce Development Grant ProjectSaint Vincent College proposes the carry out activities in curriculum alignment, faculty professional development, infrastructure improvement, and student recruitment and retention, to enhance its IT program. The primary objectives of this proposal will be (1) to increase the correspondence between the Computing and Information Science (CIS) curriculum and resources at Saint Vincent College and the IT workforce needs of businesses in the region as well as the curriculum recommendations of IT professional organizations; (2) to increase the number of CIS majors at Saint Vincent, including increased numbers of female majors; and (3) to establish mutually beneficial, multifaceted, and sustained relationships among Saint Vincent College, businesses with IT interests, and local K-12 schools and districts. As part of this proposal, Saint Vincent College has developed partnerships with seven businesses: Latrobe Area Hospital, Latrobe Brewing Company, PNC Bank, Robert Half International Consulting, threepoints, Timken Latrobe Steel, and the Westinghouse Electric Company Specialty Metals Plant. Business partners' activities will be in four major areas: representation on the CIS Advisory Board, guest lectures in CIS courses, paid or volunteer internships for CIS students, and career awareness and mentoring for undergraduate and K-12 students. The chief advantage of these partnerships will be improved preparation of students to achieve their professional goals, thereby adding to the pool of well-qualified candidates for the IT workforce. As part of this proposal, Saint Vincent College has developed partnerships with five K-12 districts and schools: Derry Area School District, Greater Latrobe School District, Ligonier Valley School District, Christ the Divine Teacher Elementary School, and Sacred Heart Elementary School. K-12 partners' activities will be in three major areas: representation on the CIS Advisory Board, career awareness, and paid or volunteer internships for CIS students. The chief advantage of these partnerships for the K-12 partners, in addition to improved career awareness in IT for their students, will be assistance from the program's business partners and from Saint Vincent interns in planning and achieving school or district goals for technology. The chief advantages for Saint Vincent will be increased experience for CIS students in the basic operations of technology installation and user support and the potential for recruitment of additional CIS majors. This partnership will directly serve approximately 1,000 students in grades K-12. The objectives for this proposal were determined through a process that included an e-mail survey of CIS alumni and their employers, a planning meeting and other discussions with representatives from business and K-12 partners, planning meetings among CIS faculty and College administrators, and a review of curriculum recommendations by professional organizations for IT. Business input was obtained from IT staff and others at Allegheny Power, Giant Eagle Inc., Kennametal Inc., Latrobe Area Hospital, Latrobe Brewing Company, PNC Bank, Robert Half International Consulting, threepoints, Timken Latrobe Steel, Westinghouse Electric Company Specialty Metals Plant, USX, and Westinghouse Information Systems. Additional input was obtained from IT professionals at three non-Pennsylvania companies--Nortel, Sapient, and State Farm insurance--and from the K-12 partners. During the funding period, this proposal will directly serve four of Saint Vincent's higher education faculty, and 60-70 CIS majors annually. Saint Vincent will consider its activities successful when program assessments document student learning of IT knowledge and skills related to the proposed improvements; the number of CIS majors increases from 59 to 70, including an increase in the number of female CIS majors; 50% of CIS majors complete or plan to complete IT internships; the College institutes a plan for regular updating of CIS hardware and software; students from each of the K-12 partners participate in at least one IT career awareness activity annually; and the business and K-12 partners follow through on their program commitments during and beyond the period of proposed grant funding. Saint Vincent College should be able to sustain these activities after Commonwealth funding by planning and budgeting that take into account changing curriculum, faculty development, and infrastructure needs in CIS. These changing needs will be identified in part through the continuing advisement and involvement of the College's business and K-12 partners.
During 2000 - 2002 this project was supported in part by funds from the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania's Link-to-Learn Project. |
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