A Strategy for Addressing the Workforce Needs of the Massachusetts Economy Rick Adrion UMass Amherst CITI

CITI Strategy High Level Approach Broad Spectrum IT Education Multiple Entry/Multiple Opportunity Programs Goals Build an Information Technology-fluent workforce and citizenry Address the workforce demands of the “New Economy” Broaden participation in IT education and the workforce Attract and retain more Massachusetts high school graduates in IT education and the workforce

Broad Spectrum Grad UG HS MS PS Literacy Fluency ITAC CS/CE/CIS cross-disciplinary IT

cross-disciplinary IT education models Basic Providing the technical “fluency” for students to combine with their own disciplinary studies. Extended Creating computing modules or core curricula that other disciplines can incorporate into their curricula Co-teaching cross-disciplinary courses that, perhaps, derive from interdisciplinary research projects Encouraging the introduction of computing skills, concepts, and capabilities, e.g., “IT Across the Curriculum,” in other disciplines

cross-disciplinary IT education models Within CS/CE/CIS Creating core computing curricula, as a basis for integrating the various computing disciplines (CS, CE, SE, IS, IT) Introducing cross-disciplinary material in traditional curriculum, i.e., developing and offering computer science courses that incorporate significant non-traditional content meant to endow students with non-trivial domain knowledge. Comprehensive Combining core curricula with “cognates” to form interdisciplinary educational programs Forming a coordinating administrative infrastructure (such as a College of Computing or Informatics) that enables cross- disciplinary programs that cross traditional academic boundaries.

The UMass Amherst Experience Current programs Literacy general education courses “fluency gap” IT Minor BDIC, e.g. web design, animation “cross-disciplinary gap” CS/CE + limited MIS Challenges find a bridge between IT minor & CS major strengthen IT Minor core? Certification? IT/IS major? Cross-disciplinary majors? multiple entry/multiple opportunity strategy develop fluency courses

Multiple Entry/Multiple Opportunity K12 Associate /BachelorGrad CS/CE/IS/IT Majors IT Minors X-Discipl. IT Majors Other MajorsFluency ITAC Gap Progs AP CS Challenges Coordinated curricula Flexible curricula

Opportunities Build an Information Technology-fluent workforce and citizenry IT fluency & ITAC Address the workforce demands of the “New Economy” Broad Spectrum IT education Broaden participation in IT education and the workforce Capitalize on the ITAC programs attraction to women and underrepesented minorities Combine with multiple entry/multiple opportunity strategy to increase diversity across K20 broad spectrum IT education Attract and retain more Massachusetts high school graduates into IT education and the workforce Ditto