Program Review Report. Information Technology Education Program at Sitting Bull College

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Program Review Report

Information Technology

Education Program at

Sitting Bull College

2012-2013

Prepared by: Les Siewert

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Executive Summary

Program Description Summary

The Information Technology Education program at Sitting Bull College is designed for students interested in working with computer hardware, software, networks and devices in order to offer technical support to employers and customers in many diverse settings. It also prepares students for transfer into a four-year institution of higher learning. Graduates will have the skills, knowledge and ability for employment in entry-level computer technician positions with an Associate of Science degree from SBC.

Career opportunities include employment in a wide variety of business and government areas, especially health care, financial services, public utilities, sales, and manufacturing. Individual persons also own personal computers, home networks, and a wide variety of other computerized devices that need support. In addition to acquiring technical skills to work with computers, networks, and devices, students develop teamwork and communications skills to work with employers, co-workers and end-users. Employment in the field of information technology is expected to grow faster than average for all occupations throughout the next decade due to population growth and increased economic activity centered on North Dakota’s oil and gas industry.

Program Self-Evaluation Summary

The Information Technology program has one full-time staff member, Les Siewert, who is certified by the North Dakota Career and Technical Education Department to teach Information Technology at the post-secondary education level; Mr. Siewert teaches eight Information Technology classes annually. Four adjunct faculty members teach additional classes in office technology, database use, website design and programming.

Courses are taught in the Science and Technology Center computer lab, with course content delivered in a variety of modes to meet the students’ needs; face to face lecture, online, and hands-on and simulation laboratory. To assist the students in their academic pursuits, they are encouraged to utilize the Academic Center of Excellence; the Center assists the students mostly in improving their study and writing skills. The SBC library also supports students as they provide a variety of media resource for student usage. The library continues to expand its holdings, with a large increase in digital resources; especially access to remote databases of articles and papers from print publications that SBC could not afford otherwise.

Every two years (in advance of the publication of the SBC Bulletin) the faculty members and advisory committee have examined the IT course offerings in relation to similar programs at other tribal and state colleges. Changes have been made in order to keep the program up to date and competitive; some courses have been eliminated, others modified,

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and new courses added. For example, a Survey class was dropped, and a Programming class has been added to the degree plan in the most recent revision for the SBC Bulletin 2012-2014. The number of credits required has been reduced overall from 72 to 66, increasing the likelihood that students will complete in five or six semesters without using up their eligibility for Pell Grant funding.

Program Planning Summary

Program planning is a part of the ongoing assessment process. Annual systematic analysis of program outcomes allows for program adjustments in any needed area. This analysis of program activities and outcomes plays a major role in program planning, with additional input coming from the advisory committee to meet the needs of the students and the changing needs of the industry. Program planning is essential to increase the effectiveness of instructors and to set priorities for the department.

A department need is to secure additional funding for purchasing networking lab equipment, which would assist the instructor with the two current networking classes, and is required if the SBC IT education program wants to offer more advanced networking classes. Additional funding would also assist in purchasing cameras, microphones and computer hardware and software to be used in developing departmental resources such as DVD’s demonstrating core concepts, and for capturing lectures for on-line streaming and downloadable training materials. Laboratory workbenches and storage cabinets might be added to the classroom; this might necessitate the removal of a number of computers that are currently used by non-IT students.

Comprehensive Analysis

Role of the Information Technology Education Program within SBC

From the Sitting Bull College 2012-2014 Bulletin: We live in a computerized and networked society, and supporting these computers and networks offers a wide job market with a variety of locations and environments. Technology is driving businesses and governments today, especially health care, financial services, public utilities, sales, and manufacturing. Individual customers own personal computers and home networks, and a wide variety of other computerized devices. Computer specialists will require technical skills to work with computers, networks and devices; and communications skills to work with employers, co-workers and end-users. The student will develop a firm foundation in Information Technology to prepare for employment, or for seeking a baccalaureate degree. The courses offered at SBC are standardized with the North Dakota University System’s common course numbering system, so the student will also be well prepared to transfer to a four-year institution of higher learning for more advanced degrees.

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The IT education program strongly supports SBC’s third Student Institutional Outcome: “Students will develop work ethics and skills to function independently and cooperatively within a diverse work environment.”

Program Outcomes for Associate of Science in Information Technology:

1. The student will demonstrate the applications of computer information systems and fundamental computer concepts.

2. The student will manage and maintain a database, such as SQL or Microsoft Access.

3. The student will understand the following: a) object-oriented programming concepts b) how to flowchart and write pseudocode

c) how to plan the mainline logic for a complete program 4. The student will install internal and external options and devices.

5. The student will configure and enhance the hardware and software of a computer to optimize computer performance.

6. The student will utilize tools, hardware components, and hardware/software interfacing to troubleshoot personal computer problems.

7. The student will investigate issues and/or solve problems using current topics in computing as well as application of industry trends.

Associate of Science in Information Technology Degree Plan General Education Requirements

ENGL 110 Composition I... 3 cr. ENGL 120 Composition II ... 3 cr. COMM 110 Speech ... 3 cr. MATH 102 Intermediate Algebra or higher ... 4 cr. PSYC 100 First Year Learning Experience ... 3 cr. SOC 100 Transitions-Graduation & Beyond ... 2 cr. NAS 101 Lakota/Dakota Language I ... 4 cr. CSCI 101 Introduction to Computer Applications ... 3 cr. Humanities Or Social & Behavioral Science ... 3 cr. Select any one (1) course from: Arts, English, History, Humanities, Music, Native American Studies, Philosophy, Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Economics, Geography, Human Services, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology

Health/Physical Education ... 2 cr. Any two (2) one-hour courses or any one (1) two-hour course

Laboratory Science ... 4 cr. Any one (1) four-hour laboratory science course

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IT Core Requirements

CIS 164 Networking Fundamentals I ... 4 cr. CIS 165 Networking Fundamentals II ... 4 cr. CIS 181 Creating Web Pages ... 3 cr. CIS 212 Operating Systems Client ... 3 cr. CIS 215 Implementing a Server Environment ... 3 cr. CIS 218 Microcomputer Hardware I... 3 cr. CIS 219 Microcomputer Hardware II ... 3 cr. CIS 297 Information Technology Internship ... 3 cr.

Information Technology Electives - (Select A Total Of 6 Credit Hours)

CSCI 133 Database Concepts I (SQL) ... 3 cr. CSCI 160 Computer Science I (Java) ... 4 cr. CIS 296 A+ Exam Preparation ... 3 cr. OT 271 Database Management ... 3 cr. Total Core IT Requirements ... 32 credits Total Degree Requirements ... 66 Credits

The program is also designed for students who are seeking certification alone. Two certificates are offered; A+ from CompTIA and/or Maintenance / OS / Networking with CCENT from Cisco, the entry level certificate for networking technicians. Sitting Bull College is a Postsecondary Local Cisco Networking Academy, offering CCNA Discovery I: Networking for Home and Small Business, and CCNA Discovery II: Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP.

Program Outcomes for Certificate in Information Technology A+:

2. The student will install internal and external options and devices.

5. The student will plan and implement a technical solution for networking in a small business environment.

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Program Outcomes for Certificate in I.T. Maintenance / OS / Networking:

2. The student will install internal and external options and devices.

5. The student will plan and implement a technical solution for networking in a small business environment.

6. The student will create IP addressing plans for a small network and implement a network equipment upgrade.

Certificate In Information Technology Degree Plans A+ Certification (CompTIA)

CIS 164 Networking Fundamentals I ... 4 cr. CIS 212 Operating System Client ... 3 cr. CIS 215 Implementing a Server Environment ... 3 cr. CIS 218 Microcomputer Hardware I... 3 cr. CIS 219 Microcomputer Hardware II ... 3 cr. CIS 296 A+ Prep Exam Preparation ... 3 cr. Total A+ Certificate Requirements ... 19 Credits Maintenance/Os/Networking Emphasis

CIS 164 Networking Fundamentals I ... 4 cr. CIS 165 Networking Fundamentals II ... 4 cr. CIS 212 Operating System Client ... 3 cr. CIS 215 Implementing a Server Environment ... 3 cr. CIS 218 Microcomputer Hardware I... 3 cr. CIS 219 Microcomputer Hardware II ... 3 cr. Total Maintenance/Os/Networking Certificate Requirements ... 20 Credits Students must follow SBC’s admissions requirements and may be required to complete a College Writing Preparation and College Math Preparation course(s) before enrolling in certificate courses.

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Program Personnel

IT Instructor Les Siewert has a life-long interest in computer and robots. He graduated in 1976 from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology with a B.S. in Metallurgical Engineering. Siewert began his current position as IT Specialist for SBC in Fall Semester 2009 and through seminars and clinical practice offered by North Dakota Career and Technical Education, he was certified in May 2010 as a Post-Secondary IT Instructor. Mr. Siewert spent summer 2010 taking IT classes offered by NDCTE. These classes enabled him to update the IT curriculum at SBC to offer the Cisco networking courses Discovery I and II, IT Essentials I and II, and a course for CompTIA's A+ certification. In summer 2011 Siewert took classes for GIS/GPS and Microsoft Server, and in summer 2012 took classes for Java Programming and Website Design; these classes enabled him to again update the IT curriculum in 2012 to offer classes in Java programming and Server 2008. Currently Siewert can teach IT courses for hardware, software, networking, programming and A+ certification. Mr. Siewert will renew his teaching credential in 2015.

Adjunct instructors for the IT program, and the classes they teach respectively; Therese Schmidt, SBC Office Technology instructor teaches Microsoft Access and Introduction to Computer Applications; Lisa McLaughlin, SBC Data Coordinator teaches SQL Database; Steve Gerriets, North Dakota State Publishing teaches Website Design; and Joshua Mattes, SBC Pre-engineering instructor teaches C++ Programming.

Program Productivity

The Associate of Science Information Technology program has a history of variable enrollment. Student enrollment has generally been nearly equal by gender and forty percent of the IT graduates have been female; this gender equality is not consistent with industry trends as female enrollment and employment has lagged elsewhere in North Dakota and in the US. Shown below is a table depicting enrollment and graduates for the past five years:

Semester

Year 2008 Fall Spring 2009 2009 Fall Spring 2010 2010 Fall Spring 2011 2011 Fall Spring 2012 2012 Fall Spring 2013

IT Students Enrolled 15 14 17 19 18 17 14 18 12 12 Total SBC Enrollment 307 325 284 320 316 302 315 333 278 254 IT % of Total Enrollment 4.9% 4.3% 6.0% 5.9% 5.7% 5.6% 4.4% 5.4% 4.3% 4.7% A.S.I.T. Graduates 3 4 2 4 4 I.T. Certificate Graduates 2

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Sitting Bull College enrollment during the 2012-2013 fall and spring semester was down significantly from the average of the prior four years, and the IT program was no exception. It’s uncertain what the causes were and whether this will continue for future enrollments. Future enrollment in the program may be dependent upon whether or not the NACTEP grant is funded; the department goal is to increase enrollment to twenty students in the next two years.

Program Revenue

Available data itemizing tuition and Indian Student Count (ISC) revenue for the Information Technology program, academic years 2009 through 2013, is itemized below:

Information Technology Program Income Year Fall

ISC

Spring ISC

Tuition IT Total SBC Total IT % of SBC Total 2008-2009 $ 37,984 $ 44,166 $ 39,558 $121,708 $ 2,357,102 5.2% 2009-2010 67,061 60,002 64,800 191,863 2,738,170 7.0% 2010-2011 54,531 44,716 58,250 157,497 2,510,381 6.3% 2011-2012 46,736 61,135 55,375 163,246 2,813,554 5.8% 2012-2013 35,431 33,413 38,750 107,594 2,258,116 4.8% Total 2008-13 $241,743 $243,432 $256,733 $741,908 $12,677,323 5.9% Ave. 2008-13 $ 48,349 $ 48,686 $ 51,347 $ 148,382 $ 2,535,465

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Program Budget

The expenditures of the budget include the salary and fringe benefits of one instructor. The program is financially supported through: Title III Part A grant; Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) grant; and general funds of SBC.

Information Technology

Five Year Budget

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

NA Career & Tech Ed Grant (NACTEP) / Title III Part A Grant

Salary $34,800.00 $34,800.00 $34,800.00 $36,000.00 $37,500.00 Fringe Benefits 8,700.00 8,700.00 8,700.00 9,000.00 9,375.00 Supplies 2,700.00 4,340.00 2,690.00 1,000.00 1,000.00 Travel 2,000.00 2,000.00 2,000.00 1,000.00 - Total $48,200.00 $49,840.00 $48,190.00 $47,000.00 $47,875.00

Information Technology

Five Year Budget

2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012

NACTEP & General Fund Faculty Overload

Salary $5,550.00 $16,650.00 $8,250.00 $4,950.00 $6,600.00

Fringe

Benefits 702.08 2,106.23 1,043.63 626.18 834.90

Total $6,252.08 $18,756.23 $9,293.63 $5,576.18 $7,434.90 Grand Total $54,452.08 $68,596.23 $57,483.63 $52,576.18 $55,309.90

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Advisory Committee

An advisory committee comprising members of the area IT community and SBC personnel supports the Information Technology program. The committee assists with suggestions designed to improve specific content areas; industry standards, the updating of curriculum, purchase of new instructional materials or equipment to modernize the classroom, and adopting safety policies for faculty and students. The committee currently is comprised of the following members:

Jonathan Anderson Tribal Business IC Director

Mike Condon Technology Coordinator, Standing Rock Schools Fred Fredericks IHS IT Specialist/ Site Manager

Lisa McLaughlin SBC Data Coordinator Dave Mueller SBC IT Manager

Rhonda Roundtree MIS Director, Grand River Casino Matt Wood IT Technician, Rock Telecom

Summary of Advisory Meetings

Meetings are held regularly at the end of each semester. Attendance by the advisory committee remains somewhat low, despite a meal for the event and scheduling around noon hours. The fall meeting is usually held in December, following finals week, and usually is the IT advisory committee by itself although joint meetings have been held with other programs. The spring meeting is a group meeting of most of the vocational with other programs. The spring meeting consists of each SBC program providing a short description of their program and the program activities over the course of the previous period and plans for the upcoming year. Advisory committee members can provide recommendations and suggestions for programs; comments are generally positive. The spring meeting ends with a vote to continue specific programs.

Every two years (in advance of the publication of the SBC Bulletin) the faculty members and advisory committee have examined the IT course offerings in relation to similar programs at other tribal and state colleges. Changes have been made in order to keep the program up to date and competitive; some courses have been eliminated, others modified, and new courses added. They also may suggest future classes and areas to consider for expansion; for example, fiber on floor, network security practices, virtualized environments, TCP/IP in depth, and SQL for database. Roughly half of the suggestions have been implemented in either new or existing classes, but others would require additional courses and instructors. The number of credits required for the ASIT has been reduced overall, increasing the likelihood that students will complete in five or six semesters without using up their eligibility for Pell Grant funding.

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The possibility of a four-year program in IT has been discussed but surveys will have to be done to establish the need and viability, and whether additional funding could be obtained to support the budget.

Program Self-Evaluation

Faculty

The Information Technology education program is comprised of one staff member, Les Siewert, IT Instructor and Program Advisor. He teaches classes on hardware, software, networking, programming and A+ Certification. Within the past 3 years he has taken CTE teaching methods classes, and classes in IT areas during summer sessions and earned continuing education credits through NDSU. In July of 2010 he was issued a Career & Technical Post-Secondary Credential that will be renewed in 2015.

Mr. Siewert has taken SBC classes in GIS/GPS and Lakota/Dakota Language. Siewert is a member of NDACTE, serves as Chair of SBC’s Technology Committee and on the Governance Committee, and has made two trips to HLC’s annual conference as a past member of the Assessment Committee. SBC pays for continuing education, and will pay for Siewert to attend a national conference in his teaching area of IT.

Adjuncts teach some additional classes for IT credits: Therese Schmidt teaches Access Database, Lisa McLaughlin teaches SQL Database, Joshua Mattes teaches C++ Programming, and Steve Gerriets teaches Web Design. These instructors are outstanding in their fields and currently are sufficient in number to handle the required IT core classes.

Student Relations

The faculty of the Information Technology education program strives to maintain an open-door, collaborative relationship with the program’s students. Class sizes in the past five years have ranged from three to ten students: the IT lab can easily handle up to twelve. Because of the nature of the courses, strong mentoring relationships are formed. Classes are offered in the evenings, hybrid, and traditional face to face. Electronic projection is used in the classroom for presentations, allowing slideshows, streaming and recorded media to be seen by students as a group. Materials developed by textbook publishers are utilized as appropriate. Students can view the screen contents from the instructor computer - this allows for demonstrations to be modeled and copied step-by-step on the student computers. Students are provided surplus SBC computers; as lab activities they repair, upgrade, and install various free software including anything available from Microsoft DreamSpark Premium. The students are free to take the computer for use in homework activities and then to keep the computer as their own. Students are provided with computer repair toolkits which they may use in the classroom

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and take home as their own. Lab computers are replaced on 5-7 years cycles but may be upgraded midway, and the latest Windows OS installed.

Curriculum Content, Design, and Delivery

The students’ achievement of the learning outcomes of the Information Technology education program are collected and reviewed throughout the academic year. These findings assist in recommending any changes to the curriculum content, design and delivery; for example, more hands-on lab work and less lecture. Addition input is garnered from assessment committee members when these findings are presented annually to the committee. Other collaborative opportunities are provided as Siewert consults with other faculty members to ensure that quality instructional delivery is occurring. Appendix A contains the results of the Faculty Satisfaction Survey that was completed in May 2013.

Institutional Support

The newly constructed campus is the best example of Sitting Bull College’s institutional support for the IT education program. All of the core courses for the Information Technology education program are delivered in the Science and Technology Center. The adjacent building houses the Student Center, Writing Lab, SBC Library, and support staff so these student resources are readily available. The library provides a number of resources with the library personnel providing assistance as needed.

Academic assistance in the form of tutoring is available to students individually and group settings. Tutoring funding is currently available to students who meet TRIO program requirements. Those students who don’t fall within these parameters can obtain assistance with faculty members. Faculty has extended their office hours to accommodate these student needs. Timely feedback is given on assignments, some class time is spent reviewing corrected work, and allowing students to redo assignments are strategies that have been implemented to assist the students. The institution continues to explore other opportunities to meet the student tutoring needs for courses within the degree core requirements and classes within the general education requirements.

IT students can participate in Student Government, American Indian Business Leaders, SBC’s Culture Club or the annual American Indian Higher Education Consortium competitions; however, no SkillsUSA Chapter has existed on campus in the past five years. This is an opportunity that should be developed for students, as it offers scholarships, competitions, and opportunities for field trips.

Importance to the College and other Programs

The Information Technology education program helps to fill important support roles within the community. IT graduates of the past five years are employed doing IT jobs on Standing Rock Reservation: three in two casinos, three in tribal government, one at SR

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Telecom, and two others at private businesses. Others are working in non-IT areas such as office management.

Internships provide the student opportunities to gain supervised, practical experience working in an Information Technology profession. The majority of the internships are a non-paid position with no cost to the provider. However, most internship positions currently are limited to the Fort Yates area, which can be problematic for students who live at a distance. Also, students who are working full or part-time jobs have had trouble getting enough release time, or adjusting their schedules, to achieve the required 135 contact hours in their internship positions. The IT internship is a core class and is supervised by the IT instructor and advisor, Les Siewert.

Obstacles and Opportunities

Every program could use more money to develop program resources. The need for such funding increases yearly as the types and uses of computer technology continue to grow. The Science and Technology Center which houses the Information Technology program in Lab 105 was first occupied in 2004. The lab/classroom contains 20 computer stations for students, each with keyboard and mouse trays, and adjustable office chairs. The lab computers are due to be updated in 2013; some of the machines will be touchscreen with Windows 8. The classroom and furnishings are attractive and well-maintained by custodial staff.

IT experimental computers share counter space with the lab computers in one section of the classroom. Five 5-by-3-foot folding tables are set up in the aisles when needed for student workbenches. Tools are stored in the adjacent Instructor’s office; limited storage is available under the printer counter, in a corner on a rolling cart, and in an adjacent server room. External storage buildings are being erected for use by SBC programs that lack needed storage space, and the IT program might have cold storage outside in the near future. Currently, when classes are being held in the IT Lab, other SBC students are allowed to use the open computers without disruption; however, if the number of computer stations were reduced it would free up counter space and floor area for permanent IT workbenches and storage.

An additional obstacle is retaining students. Historically, Native American students typically stop-out at least once during the procuring of their educational degree. Many students have a number of “stop-outs.” Efforts are being undertaken to address this challenge and retain the students with minimal stop-outs. To address this institutional trend, SBC has formulated a retention management plan. The IT program has developed a number of suggested course sequences through the Information Technology Program, for example:

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Suggested Sequence For Student Progression Through The Associate Of Science In Information Technology Program

A suggested sequence through the Information Technology Program, incorporating all prerequisites, is shown below. This sequence allows the student to complete the program in five semesters, with no summer sessions.

Fall Term 1

PSYC 100 First Year Learning Experience ... 3 credit hours ENG 110 Composition I ... 3 credit hours MATH 102 Intermediate Algebra or higher ... 4 credit hours CSCI 101 Introduction to Computer Applications ... 3 credit hours

Total Credits ... 13 credit hours

Spring Term 2

ENG 120 Composition II ... 3 credit hours _____ ____ Health/ Physical Education... 2 credit hours _____ ____ Laboratory Science ... 4 credit hours CIS 181 Creating Web Pages ... 3 credit hours CIS 218 Microcomputer Hardware I ... 3 credit hours

Total Credits ... 15 credit hours

Fall Term 3

COMM 110 Speech ... 3 credit hours CIS 164 Networking Fundamentals I ... 4 credit hours CIS 212 Operating Systems Client ... 3 credit hours CIS 219 Microcomputer Hardware II ... 3 credit hours

Spring Term 4

NAS 101 Lakota/Dakota Language I ... 4 credit hours CIS 165 Networking Fundamentals II ... 4 credit hours CIS 215 Implementing a Server Environment ... 3 credit hours _____ ____ Information Technology Elective ... 3 credit hours

Fall Term 5

SOC 100 Transitions-Graduation & Beyond ... 2 credit hours _____ ____ Humanities Or Social & Behavioral Science ... 3 credit hours _____ ____ Information Technology Elective ... 4 credit hours CIS 297 Information Technology Internship ... 3 credit hours

Total Credits ... 12 credit hours Total Degree Requirements` ... 66 or 67 credits

Other sequences allow the student to complete the program in either four or five semesters, and with or without summer sessions.

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Program Planning

Every two years (in advance of the publication of the SBC Bulletin) the faculty members and advisory committee have examined the IT course offerings in relation to similar programs at other tribal and North Dakota state vocational colleges. Changes have been made in order to keep the program up to date and competitive; some courses have been eliminated, others modified, and new courses added. The number of credits required has been reduced overall, increasing the likelihood that students will complete in five or six semesters without using up their eligibility for Pell Grant funding.

It’s apparent that there are numerous IT employment opportunities available in the region served by Sitting Bull College, and across the state of North Dakota there are likely to be even more openings in the near future. The challenge is making certain that interested students will consider SBC for their higher education choice. For the past eleven years, SBC has been able to offer financial assistance for student needs through the NACTEP program in addition to the usual Pell grant and other scholarships. The NACTEP grant application has recently been submitted for another five-year cycle; however, it may be August 2013 before the college is notified whether and for what amount the grant is approved.

A department need is to secure additional funding for purchasing the full version of Cisco’s networking lab equipment bundle, which is currently $ 4,725. This would assist the instructor with the two current networking classes, and is required if the SBC IT education program wants to offer more advanced networking classes.

Additional funding would also assist in purchasing cameras, microphones and computer hardware and software to be used in developing departmental resources such as DVD’s demonstrating core concepts, and for capturing lectures for on-line streaming and downloadable training materials. Laboratory workbenches and storage cabinets might be added to the classroom; this might necessitate the removal of a number of computers that are currently used by non-IT students. Some funding is available from NACTEP and Title III for such items.

Trends

According to Job Service North Dakota and the IT Council of North Dakota, nearly 100 IT job openings can be found daily, and more than 2,600 new and replacement IT positions will be available before 2020. North Dakota’s IT industry has an average wage of $57,392; that is 48% higher than the state average, and the job growth rate has been double the national average over the last ten years. Lead by IT workers in professional, scientific, and technical services, the total job growth rate in the IT subsector has been

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19% during the period 2002-2011 compared to the national IT job growth rate of 7% during the same time. When the job growth data during 2012 in the oil and gas industry is available, North Dakota’s rate will be even higher.

With the recent growth of the industry, workforce supply is an ongoing challenge. In an effort to address the issue, industry, government and education stakeholders are collaborating to inform students about the IT career opportunities and the potential education pathways to secure these positions. North Dakota currently offers an IT career awareness program, internship opportunities, and a loan forgiveness program.

In Sioux County, ND at present, there are no IT positions advertised online; however, the data from Region 7 (centered around Bismarck, including Sioux county) for February 2013 show 129 openings in the Computer and Mathematical job cluster and only 42 active resumes searching in that area. In Corson and Walworth counties in South Dakota there are presently two openings advertised; an IT position at a hospital and an Installer/Repair Technician for a telephone/ Internet Service provider. Tribal entities’ job openings as of April 7, 2013 are summarized:

Entity Total Positions by Title IT Job Openings

Grand River Casino 1 IT Director, 1 IT Technician 1 IT Director Prairie Knights Casino 1 IT Director, 4 IT Technician 1 IT Technician Sitting Bull College 1 IT Director, 1 IT Technician 1 IT Technician Standing Rock Schools, Ft.Yates 1 IT Director, 3 IT Technician None

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe 1 IT Director, 4 IT Technician 1 IT Technician Standing Rock Telecom 1 IT Director, 2 IT Technician None

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Appendix A

Sitting Bull College Faculty Satisfaction Survey

Results of Surveying one full-time Information Technology Faculty/Advisor and four IT Adjunct Faculty, May 2013 The numbers shown are votes for each answer choice:

St ro ng ly Ag re e Ag re e N eu tr al Dis ag re e St ro ng ly D isag re e N ot A pp lic ab le

1. All faculty have the opportunity to participate in curriculum

development and revision for this program 1 3 1

2. All faculty have the opportunity to participate in program

planning 1 2 1 1

3. Faculty in this program are concerned about student success ₃ ₂ 4. The variety of faculty expertise is sufficient to provide

effective instruction within this program 4 1 5. Faculty in this program are given the opportunity to

participate in the program review process 3 1 1

6. The program review process is effective in evaluating the

strengths and weaknesses of this program 3 1 1

7. Information gathered during program review is integrated into

the program’s planning process 1 2 1 1

8. Communication among faculty in the program is frequent,

interactive, and effective 1 3 1

9. I am satisfied with the quality of educational planning in this

program 3 1 1

10. The required textbook(s) are selected by all faculty

teaching a particular course in this program 2 2 1

11. The program’s courses conform in content, textbooks, and

instruction methods to current disciplinary standards 3 2 12. Adjunct faculty communicate with program full-time

faculty regarding grading policies 4 1

13. Faculty in this program both assess and base grades and

course credit on student achievement of learning outcomes 1 3 1 14. The faculty in this program are sufficient in number to

provide effective instruction within the discipline 4 1 15. Faculty in this program stay current in their area of

expertise 2 2 1

16. The faculty in this program are actively involved in staff

development activities 1 1 1 1

17. The availability of classroom supplies is sufficient to

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Results of Surveying one full-time Information Technology Faculty/Advisor and four IT Adjunct Faculty, May 2013 The numbers shown are votes for each answer choice:

St ro ng ly Ag re e Ag re e N eu tr al Dis ag re e St ro ng ly D isag re e N ot A pp lic ab le

18. Class schedules for this program conform to student’s

demand and educational need 1 4

19. Faculty in this program distinguish between personal and

professionally accepted views in the discipline 1 3 1 20. Faculty in this program are committed to high standards of

teaching 3 2

21. Adequate facilities and equipment are available to maintain

the effectiveness of this program’s coursed 3 2 22. Library services and collections are adequate to maintain

the effectiveness of this program’s courses 3 2

23. Tutoring and writing center facilities are adequate to

maintain the effectiveness of this program’s courses 3 1 1 24. Clerical support is available and adequate to maintain the

effectiveness of this program’s courses 3 2

25. I have been provided a copy of the SBC Policies and

Procedures and the SBC Faculty Handbook 2 3

Faculty Background

26. At SBC, are you: Full-time Faculty Part-time Faculty Adjunct Faculty

3 2

27. How many years have you taught at least one course in this program? Less than 1 1-3 years 4-6 years more than 6 years

1 2 2

28. How many different courses per semester are you teaching in this program? 1 course 2 courses 3 courses 4 courses

3 2 1

29. How many credits do you teach in this program (per semester)?

5 or less 6-12 credits 12-15 credit 15 or more credits

3 1 1

30. Please provide any additional comments:

• Computer lab should be renovated to accommodate work benches and allow for more room to work on computers

• Faculty / Advisor Siewert concurs with the above comment and includes new equipment in the renovation request

• My peripheral involvement in the program causes me to be rather uninformed with regards to the matters addressed by this survey

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Appendix B

Program Review Participants

Information Technology Education Program, 2013

Participant Name and Title Date

Steve Gerriets: Adjunct Instructor for Web Design April 2013 Dr. Joshua Mattes, Ph.D.: Adjunct Instructor for C++ Programming April 2013 Lisa McLaughlin: Adjunct Instructor for SQL Database March-April 2013 Therese Schmidt: Adjunct Instructor for Access Database and

Introduction to Computer Applications April 2013 Dr. Deborah His Horse Is Thunder, Ph.D. : External Reviewer April 2013 Les Siewert: IT Specialist, Instructor, and Program Advisor May 6, 2013

Date of Submission May 6, 2013

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Appendix C

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor. (February 2013). Recent college graduates in the U.S. labor force: data from the Current Population Survey Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2013/02/art1full.pdf

Digitally Enhancing America’s Community Colleges: Strategic Opportunities for Computing Education: Report of Findings Retrieved from

http://www.capspace.org/committee/CommitteeFileUploads/FinalSummitReport.01.28.2011.pdf Digitally Enhancing America’s Community Colleges: Strategic Opportunities for Computing

Education: Strategic Planning Materials Retrieved

from http://www.capspace.org/committee/CommitteeFileUploads/StrategicPlanningMateria ls.pdf

North Dakota’s IT Industry at a Glance Retrieved

from http://www.discoverndit.com/uploads%5Cresources%5C47%5Cit-at-a-glance-2011.pdf Projected North Dakota IT Workforce Needs (2008-2018) Retrieved

from http://discoverndit.com/money/

The State of North Dakota’s IT Industry (2013) Retrieved

from http://itcnd.org/downloads/itcnd_guide_2013.final.pdf Job Service North Dakota Quarterly Review 3rd_{quarter 2012. Retrieved}

from https://www.ndworkforceintelligence.com/gsipub/index.asp?docid=525

Sitting Bull College. Enrollment by Degree. Sitting Bull College. Shared Data File.

Sitting Bull College. Program Income.

Sitting Bull College. (2012). Sitting Bull College 2012-2014 Bulletin.

South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation, Labor Market Center. (2012).

Occupational employment projections. Retrieved from http://dlr.sd.gov/lmic/occupation_projections.aspx.

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Program Review Report. Information Technology Education Program at Sitting Bull College