Influencing the Academic Agenda Exploring Synergistic Opportunities between Academia and Industry th

1
Influencing the Academic Agenda Exploring
Synergistic Opportunities between Academia and
Industry that Encourage and Promote IT/Technology
Academic Enrollment

• A proposal
• from the Boston SIM Chapter
• Jo Hoppe, Chapter President

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Bostons Challenge

• Maintain razor-sharp focus on our Chapter
  Strategy
• To be the organization of choice serving todays
  and tomorrows IT leaders in the eastern New
  England area
• Strategic Goals
• Improve the value, quality and breadth of our
  programs and services to members
• Establish the brand
• Increase efforts to advance and ensure the health
  of the IT Profession

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• Increase efforts to advance and ensure the health
  of the IT Profession
• Current Initiatives
• Community Outreach (YearUp, Tech Boston)
• Future Potential in IT
• STEM Initiative (State initiative to advance
  technology careers by targeting high school
  students)
• STEM Summit
• Event Fall (Sturbridge, Ma.)
• Run by Umass Donahue Institute

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• The Problem(s)
• Declining enrollments in Technology Degree
  Programs
• Universities lack breath of Technology Degree
  Programs
• Most academic offerings are software
  engineering centric
• Paradox is that this is the area that most
  businesses outsource
• Few degree programs offer the skills we need
  most in the workplace
• Project Management
• Business Analysis
• Architecture
• Network, Data and System Administration
• Business Skills
• Business Process Management

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Question

• Would it not be more effective if we handled this
  at the SIM National Level?
• Boston Chapter has 3 academicians working on this
  initiative. How many academicians among our
  other chapters?
• Leverage size, brand, stature, and lobbying
  capability of our National organization.
• Could we work on anything more strategic or
  important together?