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Session 3248

An Academic Partnership with Industry: A Win-Win Situation

Peter R. Schuyler, Kenneth Quinn University of Hartford / New Horizons Corporation Abstract Technology is a rapidly changing field, it is monumental task for a college or university to keep pace with these changes. As corporate demand for specialized computer hardware and software training increases, it is becoming very challenging to find and retain full time faculty to teach in these areas, and to effectively integrate rapidly changing technology into our curricula. The University of Hartford’s S.I. Ward College of Technology has engaged in a successful strategic partnership with New Horizons Corporation to provide specialized computer training for students. This collaboration has provided the University and New Horizons with the ability to offer Microsoft certified training and certification testing for our students while earning University of Hartford credit. This program allows the University to keep pace with the changing technology needs of potential employers of our graduates while not requiring a significant investment of resources. This program has the potential to provide several significant outcomes; it can improve enrollment, increase corporate visibility of S.I. Ward College of Technology, offer our students marketable skills, serve local industry by providing lifelong educational opportunities for employees, and create a new income for the college. These outcomes have helped to foster an expanding and advantageous relationship between industry and engineering technology. This paper will outline the necessary steps to initiate, develop, assess, and gain university approval for these types of collaborative education agreements. These agreements between industry and academia can help us to meet today’s demand for rapidly changing technological educational needs.

Introduction Technology and technology education are rapidly changing fields. It is a significant challenge for programs and higher education institutions to maintain pace with industry and its needs. As corporate demand for specialized computer hardware and software training increases, it is becoming very challenging to find and retain full time faculty to teach in these areas. It is also difficult to respond quickly and effectively to integrate rapidly changing technology into our curricula. The University of Hartford’s S.I. Ward College of Technology has engaged in a successful strategic partnership with New Horizons Corporation to help address these issues. This collaboration has provided the University and New Horizons with the ability to offer specialized computer software and hardware training and certification for our students. This program has had several significant outcomes thus far; it has improved enrollment, increased corporate visibility of Ward College, offered our students marketable skills, served local industry by providing lifelong educational opportunities for employees, awarded university credit for these courses, and generated income for the college. These outcomes have helped to foster an expanding and advantageous relationship between industry and engineering technology. New Horizons considers this a novel approach to a strategic partnership with the University of Hartford. New Horizons the World’s Leader in IT and Applications training across the globe has worked with the University to establish an ongoing relationship. In moving forward with our partnership we only hope we can add new programs to enhance the attendance and give students proper certifications to increase their earning potential and make each student more marketable to corporate industry.

Discussion This partnership between University of Hartford and New Horizons Corporation was initiated in the spring of 2002 with New Horizons contacting the Dean of Ward College of Technology. In the summer of 2002 a plan began to take shape and progress was made as we proposed the program to university officials. Concurrently several individuals at the college were trying to identify a suitable college or program that could act as a home for the curriculum and while discussing a variety of pedagogical methodologies suitable to deliver the material. University administrators agreed that program had merit and we were given the blessing to move forward with initial the development of the program. We began the planning of the program by selecting courses that industrial contacts and New Horizons suggested were in great demand by employers. Interest in the program grew rapidly because “Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright ©2003, American Society for Engineering Education”

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Schuyler, P., & Quinn, K. (2003, June), An Academic Partnership With Industry: A Win Win Situation Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12343