George Gabriel sent in a summary report from all groups in a post-workshop session.

The three most critical events identified by all groups, their signals, and the implications for the most critical event are as follows:

Event 1: Increased Demand For IT Workers.

  Signals

1. Recruiters on campus
2. Department of Labor Statistics
3. High salaries of IT positions

Implications

·          Less demand for liberal arts/general education

·          Increased demand for curriculum changes

·          Resource allocation shifted to IT programs

·          Increased bifurcation in educational quality and delivery

·          Well rounded education devalued

·          Increased gap between rich and poor exacerbated by higher education unless specific steps are taken

·          Increase in adjunct faculty to provide IT faculty

·          Insufficient faculty to teach IT courses

·          IT faculty salaries increase

Event 2: Legislature Requires Accountability In Learning

Signals

1.      Continued funding

2.      Increased amount of reporting.

3.      Bill tracking

4.      Change in accrediting requirements

Event 3: Majority Of Students Require Remedial Education

Signals

     1.      Increased drop-out rates of high school students

2.      Increased sections of remedial courses

3.      Increase of under-prepared recent high school graduates

4.      Increase in number of students with limited English skills

5.      A majority of students have poor English language skills