Background

Preliminary discussions of a public/private partnership between Santa Rosa Junior College, local area schools, and several technology-driven companies for the development of an education and training site, known as the SRJC Technology Academy, have been conducted since 1998. In Fall, 1999 these discussions resulted in a proposed implementation plan for establishment of the Technology Academy in the Redwood Business Park in Petaluma. This training site responds directly to the call from the Sonoma County Economic Development board for greater collaboration between education and business and to the workforce development plan outlined in the SRJC KnowledgeWorks report. The SRJC Technology Academy will address multiple education and training needs:

1. The Technology Academy will provide education and training in technology fields such as new media, geographic information systems, network certification, programming, application software, and electronic assembly. In addition, courses will be provided in related fields including business-related communications, project management, information competency, and technology transfer.

2. The Technology Academy will also provide an alternative education option for high-achieving high school juniors and seniors who wish to pursue certification in a technological field in addition to their high school degree.

3. The Technology Academy offers an opportunity for delivery of customized training delivered by SRJC personnel or in partnership with other education or training institutions. Delivery modes can be traditional on-site training, distance education using the Web and/or teleconferencing techniques, or a combination.

With the exception of customized training, these courses will be open to the public at the regular fees paid by all SRJC students.

Progress to Date

Considerable work has been completed since Fall, 1999 on the implementation plan for the SRJC Technology Academy. Four work teams have been formed to address major planning issues:

1. Technical Infrastructure – Rich Abrahams, Will Baty, Russ Bowden, Jean Sugiyama. Preliminary equipment lists and design features have been developed and priced. The technical infrastructure includes connection to the Santa Rosa Campus via the I-Net. The final infrastructure plan is dependent on determination of the actual site within the Redwood Business Park.

2. Curriculum/Needs Assessment – LuAnn Campbell, Barbara Heiman, Susan Jaderstrom, Mary Pierce, Chuck Robbins. Preliminary examination of existing SRJC curricula pertinent to the Technology Academy has been conducted by the work team with involvement of additional staff from pertinent departments. A needs assessment instrument was developed involving three stages, an advance review by the representative of the technology-driven company, an on-site interview conducted by LuAnn Campbell and Chuck Robbins, and a follow-up interview to review results. The first two stages have been completed with preliminary results due in April, 2000. A pilot program has been implemented at Advanced Fibre Communications in Spring, 2000 focusing on office applications and communications training. Results of the needs assessment and the pilot will be used to develop curricular structures and training materials for instructors assigned to the Technology Academy.

3. Internal Procedures – Doug Garrison, Cynthia King, Marcia Kleiner, Barbara Pearson, Gale Sheehan. Results of the pilot program at Advanced Fibre Communications have been used to develop preliminary procedures for support of Technology Academy offerings including scheduling, registration, advising, and fee processing.

4. Partnership – Doug Garrison, Mike Hatfield (Calix Netowrks), Chet Stephens (Nokia), Bill White (G & W Management). Several presentations have been given to area technology-driven companies to solicit their involvement and support for the Technology Academy. Commitments for start-up funding have been received with deposit of all funds anticipated by June, 2000. Development of methods for on-going support continues.

Implications

The SRJC Technology Academy represents an aggressive response to the economic development and workforce training missions outlined in KnowledgeWorks. This partnership carries several implications regarding current SRJC operations.

1. Curriculum – The Technology Academy will include education and training which are designed and/or delivered in response to current and future needs assessments. The practice of conducting curriculum planning based on the needs of the employment community is not unusual, as evidence by the regular use of occupational advisory committees. However, this practice tends to be departmentally based. While much of the Technology Academy offerings will retain existing departmental designations, results of the needs assessment indicate several training areas which cross traditional academic designations. As a result, several of the Technology Academy offerings will reflect an occupational interdisciplinary focus, drawing from multiple academic disciplines in one course. The proposal is to develop such interdisciplinary curriculum based on industry input and select instructors based on the primary area of focus, using the minimum qualifications indicated for interdisciplinary courses. The occupational interdisciplinary portion of the Technology Academy curriculum will be managed by the Petaluma administration and evaluated as a pilot for other similar applications indicated by KnowledgeWorks.

2. Scheduling – The Technology Academy will include a variety of course schedules and delivery methods. Preliminary responses to the needs assessment indicate a preference for modularized, competency-based courses in addition to more longer term offerings. These courses are anticipated to cross traditional academic terms, requiring a year-round operation. This scheduling process will have implications for schedule development procedures, faculty workload determinations, and reporting functions. While preliminary work has been done in anticipation of these issues, more examination is necessary. In this regard as well, the Technology Academy can be viewed as a pilot for other similar applications as indicated by KnowledgeWorks.

3. Admissions & Services – The Technology Academy will provide an opportunity to implement electronically delivered admissions and services. While the Petaluma Campus staff will support the Technology Academy on site as needed, the intent is to rely primarily on electronic delivery for application, registration, and services with a goal of providing maximum flexibility to respond to the needs of specific corporate partners.

4. Staffing and Support Costs – The Technology Academy will require basic staffing and support funding including a director to oversee the operation, a network technician to maintain the technological infrastructure, and a laboratory instructional assistant to support students. In addition, full-time and part-time faculty will be required to deliver instruction, facilitate the involvement of industry practitioners, and monitor experiential learning programs. Finally, lease costs for the actual site will reflect below-market rates. It is anticipated that these costs will be supported using VTEA and Partnership for Excellence funds.

5. Additional FTES – The potential for additional FTES is substantial. Conservative estimates for the Technology Academy indicate an annual potential of over 200 FTES, with production of 125 – 150 FTES in the first year.