Convergence Technology Center Overview

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Convergence Technology Center Overview

• Dr. Ann Beheler, PI
• February 12, 2009

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Regional Convergence Technology Center
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Three Separate Colleges Dared to Form a
Collaboration

• 2.469 million over 4 years
• Awarded August 1, 2004

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New Partner UNTTarrant became a mentored
college
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Convergence Technology Bringing IT together

• the blending or integration of voice, video,
  data, image into one flexible network
• the bringing together of products and
  capabilities of multiple vendors so that they
  provide the services the customer wants
  (interoperability)
• Active in enterprise businesses and homes

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Convergence Technology Center Focus

• Curriculum
• Training faculty
• Case study/problem-based learning approach
• Convergence technology content
• Recruiting underserved faculty and students
• Dissemination including mentoring other college
  in implementing Convergence Technician degrees
  and certificates

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All Our Work Has Always Been Driven and Owned
by Regional Businesses

• Focus groups
• Quarterly Business Advisory Calls
• Skills Analysis updated yearly
• Needs analysis updated yearly
• Addresses two job opportunities
• Home Technology Integration
• Enterprise Network Support
• New and modified courses including
• Convergence -aligned with CompTIA
• Digital Home Technology Integration DHTI
• Voice over IP
• Enrollments up
• New Partner, University of North Texas
  articulation to BA in IT

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We Heard You Last Year

• Efforts refocused on Green IT
• We branded the Convergence Technology Center
  GREEN
• Held first annual Green IT Summit
• Submitted a grant renewal proposal centered
  around Green IT

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Significant Pressures To Go Green

• Economic
• Social and environmental
• Technological
• Political

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We continued with the Mentored College Program
and scaled it

• Instead of keeping it people intensive
• Scaled it as a result of Synergy 08 conference
• First mentored college workshop held in December
  along with VoIP training for partner and mentored
  college faculty

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Orange Coast College

• Largest college of 3-college district Coastline
  CC District
• 25,000 students
• Costa Mesa, CA

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Orange Coast College Highlights

• Faculty received free professional development
• Validated job skills and mapped skills to
  curriculum
• New Convergence Certificate through Curriculum
  Committee in 1 month using CTC resources
• 101 students enrolled Fall 2007
• 129 students enrolled Spring 2008
• 189 students enrolled Spring 2009
• Plans to implement AS degree and achievement
  certificate

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City College of San Francisco

• 106,000 Students
• 10 campuses
• NSF grant in Optics

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City College of San Francisco Highlights

• Validated skills and mapped skills to curriculum
• Revised several certificates and degree
• Implementing Intro to Converged Networks 2009
• New Digital HTI sequence of courses
• Recently awarded a Regional Center by NSF, MPICT
  (Mid-Pacific ICT Center)

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Room for more colleges this year.

• More details on mentored colleges will be given
  tomorrow by the mentored colleges themselves!
• Prospects for handling large numbers of colleges
  are favorable

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Professional Development

• Has retooled faculty, both community college and
  high school
• Working Connections IT Faculty Development
  Institute will be held for the 8th year this year
• 5-6 cutting edge tracks
• July 13-17
• Numerous other events including VoIP training in
  December 2008

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Conscious Recruitment Continues

• In Fall, 2004, most people said Convergence?
  Whats that?
• With a variety of events, we have provided
  awareness and MORE for thousands of faculty,
  staff, students, parents, business people, and
  community members in general
• New challenge is explaining Green IT

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CTC Job Opportunity 1

• Home Technology Integrator
• Independent or working for a company
• Installs and integrates communications systems
  and entertainment systems in the home, including
• DSL,and Cable Modem
• Wireless access WITH security
• Home entertainment systems such as TIVO and
  others
• Home management systems
• Must have great communication skills
• Likely the new entry level IT job and cant be
  off-shored!

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CTC Job Opportunity 2

• Enterprise Convergence Technician
• Works in a large enterprise, not necessarily IT
• Handles support for
• Voice (including old telephony and Voice over IP)
• Data (like regular computer networking)
• Video and Image
• Wired, wireless, different Qualities of Service
• Must have good communication skills

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Other related Job Opportunities?

• Programming for mobile devices?
• Handling the Smart grid?
• Others?

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Collaboration has taken time and commitment.but
it is paying off

• Bi-weekly leadership team meetings
• Joint Faculty Meetings
• Curriculum subteam meetings with faculty
• Quarterly Business Advisory Councils
• Minutes
• Communication, communication, communication

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Collaborative Involvement of Business and
External Experts

• Active Business involvement continues
• Heavy involvement with NCTT and other NSF ATE
  centers

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Curriculum Built on Business Demand

• New Courses in prior years
• Convergence Technology
• Home Technology Integration HTI
• Voice over IP
• Convergence -aligned with CompTIA
• Digital Home Technology Integration DHTI
• This years focus is largely on Online and
  Advanced VoIP

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The Grant Has Made Things Possible

• Free cutting-edge professional development for
  faculty
• Support for curriculum development and updating
  that needed to be done anyway
• Faculty jobs have been saved because enrollments
  are now up
• Each college received national recognition and
  extra press because of our work

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This Years NVC Meeting

• Preliminary report from Pete Saflund, our
  evaluator
• Reports from each of the lead partner colleges
• Update on the Green IT Summit
• Student Presentations
• Details about Curriculum
• Recruitment details

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This Years NVC Meeting

• Dissemination activities
• Professional Development
• Mentoring testimonials
• Review of response to 2008 recommendations
• What else should we be doing?