Slippery Rock University has developed a number of strong academic programs that responds to the multifaceted and rapidly growing demand for graduates steeped in the knowledge and skills of communication and information technology.  Included under the programmatic umbrella of communication and information technology are the programs in computer science, information systems, information technology, multimedia and emerging technology, journalism, public relations, and closely allied communication fields.  Communication and information technology program area has grown in both size and stature within the university, and is among the academic areas specified as a focus area in the Slippery Rock University’s mission statement, the university’s vision statement, and in the university’s Performance and Outcomes’ Plan.  Unquestionably, Communication and Information Technology qualify as an Area of Distinction.

 The fact that there is an acute shortage of qualified communication and technology personnel is documented widely by a number of reputable external sources. One source, the United States Department of Commerce, asserts that there is an existing shortfall of several hundred thousand qualified applicants for technology related positions. A primary reason for this shortage can be traced to the insufficient number of college graduates with communication and information technology degrees. Specifically, the labor market critically needs individuals with knowledge in the computer programming, software engineering, information technology, systems analysis, networking, web design, desktop publishing, on-line journalism, and digital imaging.  These are precisely the areas that are addressed by the communication and information technology programs at Slippery Rock University.

The number of students majoring in these areas at the university also reflects external market demand for these occupations.  Currently, 550 students at the university are pursuing programs in communication and information technology as their primary field of study.  This constitutes a 67 percent increase over the comparable figure in 1993.  Additional numbers of students are pursuing minors in these disciplines or are pursuing them as second majors.  When graduated, the employment rate of students in several of these fields approaches 100 percent. 

The recognized quality of programs in communication and information technology has enabled the university to attract a highly qualified faculty in these areas. These faculty members are exploring currently the development of programs to meet the burgeoning demand for graduates.  New programs under consideration include graduate programs in information technology, multimedia and emerging technology, and e-commerce. 

To create a broader based recognition for its technology programs, the university has approved a four-year plan to achieve computer science accreditation by the Association of Computer Machinery.   Further recognition for technology programs will result when computer science, information systems and information technology move into the new Science and Technology Building scheduled for completion in 2003.  In support of technology programs, seven program-specific computer laboratories are now available. Recent upgrades in computer hardware and software in these computer laboratories were made possible during the previous academic year though funding provided by the State System of Higher Education in the form of two Venture Capital Loan grants.  The total, combined value of the grants was more than $300,000.

Given the recognized need for technology centered partnerships between the corporate sector and the university, technology programs are among those for which the university can effectively seek external funding support in the form of scholarships, equipment and facilities.  At the present time, scholarship funds are available for computer science majors, with the future likelihood of increased scholarship funding for these and other programs as the university embarks on a new capital campaign in the near future.

Students and faculty in the communication and technology areas have distinguished themselves through their academic and professional endeavors. The journalism component of the communication program has earned state and national recognition as one of the nation’s outstanding college newspapers.  In the past three years The Rocket, the student newspaper, has received first place awards in competition sponsored by the Society of College Journalists, the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, and the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.  In 2000, the newspaper was named for the second consecutive year as a finalist for the Associated College Press National Pacemaker award, the oldest and most prestigious award in college journalism.  In computer science, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, the national honor society for the computing sciences, awarded a Microsoft scholarship to a computer science student.  The Association of Southeast Asian Nations Program awarded an information systems student a $3,000 scholarship, a scholarship that is funded by the Unocal Corporation and the Sumitomo Bank Global Foundation.  Two faculty members have received multi-year grants from the National Science Foundation, and another presently is conducting joint research with faculty members at the University of Toronto’s Western Ontario Hospital.  This research uses artificial intelligence techniques for the purpose of reducing symptoms associated with Parkinson’s disease.

Meaningful linkages with external constituencies have been developed to further strengthen technology programs. Two advisory boards, comprised primarily of managers of technology and executives of companies in the technology sector, are now in place.  Internship placements also create important corporate partnerships. Last year, with the assistance of advisory board members and other corporate leaders, 93 students majoring in communication and information technology programs received internships as part of their academic program.  Most of these students interned in Pennsylvania, and many were subsequently offered permanent positions that allowed them to remain in the Commonwealth.