February 16, 2011
Dear Tim Preuss:
I’m writing to see what level of interest you might have in a 2011 edition of the IT Faculty and Industry Symposium. Last year, the symposium focused on information assurance across IT disciplines and featured a prominent chief security officer from US BANK as keynote speaker followed by several related breakout sessions. The symposium was well attended and received good reviews.
This year, we have been working with the local chapter of the Society for Information Management (http://www.simnet.org/), a “C-level” group that is interested in co-sponsoring and participating in the symposium as a way to enhance connections between higher education and their companies. In particular, they would be interested in exploring ways to help students gain the NONTECHNICAL skills now expected of professionals in the IT workplace. I’m quite certain this is a topic that you have discussed with your own advisory groups over the past few years as well. It is also an issue that is particularly challenging to address given the high level of technical and academic requirements for our programs.
We have a broad concept of how this might be approached, and we would use the symposium to exchange ideas with industry representatives , prioritize some of the nontechnical skills embedded in the IT Industry Competency Model, and discuss possible strategies and action steps that would allow us to help our students develop these skills for their own competitive advantage in the labor market. As was the case last year, Advance IT Minnesota will make funds available to bring our best ideas to life.
The question is: Are you interested in participating in the symposium and in the proposed topic of integrating nontechnical skills in the technical curricula? We’re looking at Thursday afternoon (2-5) /Friday morning (8-noon) format, most likely on April 7/8 in the NW Metro Area. There will be no charge for the symposium, and we will pay for 50% of room cost or free for double occupancy.
If you are interested, even if you can’t attend at this time, please complete this brief online response form.( https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2011ITSymposium)
Confirmation will be sent out to those who reply as soon as we have at least 50 faculty indicating they would plan to attend. Deadline to express interest is February 18, our final go /no go decision date.
Bruce Lindberg
Executive Director
Advance IT Minnesota
http://education.advanceitmn.org/