Microsoft IT Academy Aids Competitive Position and Job Placement for Frank Phillips College
Updated: October 29, 2004
When JonAnn Standley, M.Ed., MCP, CCNA, accepted the IT Division Chair position at Frank Phillips College, the computer department consisted mainly of micro-application courses and five students enrolled in a newly-formed degree program.
To build the program and better prepare her students for careers in network computing, Standley needed the best possible courseware – Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC). "Before MOC, I had purchased from another vendor, and it was awful," Standley says. "Practice tests had incorrect answers and three-fourths of the labs didn't even work." Standley has found MOC courseware to be user-friendly and understandable, with practical high quality scenarios and labs. "I can't think of a better way to prepare students for certification," says Standley.
Solution
When the Microsoft IT Academy Program was launched, Standley signed up for the highest level of participation: IT Pro Plus. The Microsoft IT Academy Program is an annual membership program that empowers academic institutions to deliver advanced IT training.
The program offers academic pricing on Microsoft courseware, licensing, and exams; faculty training and certification roadmaps; and many other administrative, marketing, and technical resources to support student careers and needs of the local workforce.
Benefits
Now there are 75 students enrolled in the two-year Associate of Applied Science degree program for management information systems. Three full-time and two part-time instructors offer local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) design and management, Internet and Web site development, and server courses-with the goal of leading all students to certification. Standley says that membership in the Microsoft IT Academy Program is a key factor in the enrollment and job placement success of the college, combined with a dedicated faculty and tremendous effort by the students. Standley also credits the remarkable support of Dr. Herbert J. Swender, President of Frank Phillips College.
The Biggest Win: Career Preparation
As a degree requirement, all students must at least attempt the first certification test required as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). In fall 2002, the first time that the test was required, nearly 85 percent of the students passed.
The inaugural degree class of approximately 35 students will be graduating in May 2003, and 24 already have been hired in some capacity. Local companies have engaged students for internships, part-time and temporary contracts, and full-time positions. The students come prepared with the training and certification for jobs as network administrators, LAN technicians, and desktop and customer support specialists.
Standley says, "For such a rural area with tough job prospects, if students can just get their foot in the door, even in a help desk position, they'll move up very quickly when it becomes apparent that they know what they're doing." One of her students was hired for U.S.$35,000 a year after only his first semester, and the employer is paying for the rest of his schooling and certification.
Standley estimates that 60 percent of her students will go directly into the workforce, while the remainder seek four-year degrees. Microsoft IT Academy membership and the success of the Frank Phillips program has helped, as more four-year institutions are willing to accept transfer students with Frank Phillips degrees.
"Before pursuing certification for our students, we were looked down upon because we didn't offer theory-based instruction," says Standley. "Employers are hiring kids with bachelors in computer information systems and are sending them off to places like ours for more training – and having to pay for it – because the students aren't prepared. Our students can run servers, and that is what employers need."
First Place for Students' LAN
Equally exciting to Standley are the other benefits and successes realized by her department while building the Frank Phillips computer training program, including support from the Microsoft IT Academy Program and local industry leaders.
On October 31, 2002, Standley packed 11 students and their gear into a van and trailer, and drove 12 hours to San Antonio, Texas, to participate in the regional Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) competition. The students practiced their networking skills on the road and by the end of their travel, a LAN was running in the vehicle.
Standley's students won second place in their first competition against 39 other teams from six states, including four-year institutions and others with established programs and previous competitive experience.
Then in April, 2003, the team of students went on to win first place in network design at the national competition for the Association of Information Technology Professionals, held at Purdue University. Frank Phillips College competed against 56 other teams to earn the coveted title of National AITP Champions.
"We would not have had such great success without Microsoft IT Academy membership," says Standley. "It allows faculty to stay current on emerging technology using the best courseware available and allows students to learn under the best conditions possible using state-of-the-art technology and learning tools."
A Powerful Advisory Board
Microsoft IT Academy participation and the big win at the AITP competition gave credibility to the fledgling program at Frank Phillips College. This helped attract new local industry leaders to the school's degree and certificate program advisory board.
Based on this success, participation and support continued from powerful local companies that included Duke Energy Field Services, Conoco Phillips, Chevron Phillips, Agrium, SBC (formerly Southwestern Bell), Corporate Systems, Seaboard Farms, and the Borger Independent School District (ISD).
Vicki Stephenson, Technology Director for the Borger ISD, currently hires all her technicians for the district from Frank Phillips. "It's a win-win situation," she says. "The students have a chance to gain actual job experience while they are working toward their degree, and our school district gets top-level employees at a wage that the district can afford. It is very exciting for me to watch these young people develop skills and obtain their certification."
The advisory board meets twice annually to gather and exchange information about the latest industry trends and requirements to keep the program current. For example, in a recent meeting, attendees agreed that their companies would be using voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) in the coming year. In response, Standley is adding a VoIP course for spring 2003, even before the technology is listed in the state workforce development catalog.
These corporations lend support in other critical ways, including equipment donations, field-trip participation, guest lectures, and student internships (usually paid).
Keep Microsoft IT Academy Membership, No Matter What
Faced with budget cuts, Standley considered that she may not be able to renew Microsoft IT Academy Program membership for this year – the funds simply were not available. Realizing the importance of the Microsoft IT Academy to the program, the college found the funds needed to maintain the membership. Standley says, "When the top hirers in the field are saying, 'you have to have this membership to succeed,' and the results are there in front of your face, membership becomes no longer an option but a valuable requirement."
Standley notes that other key benefits of Microsoft IT Academy participation include faculty training, test discounts, and software discounts. "I love the Web portal," says Standley. "I like the fact that it gives us a sense of community, where people separated geographically can connect and exchange information.
In looking at overall program success Standley says, "Three areas set us apart from other programs: students and faculty work in first-rate labs, area businesses see the relevance of certification, and Microsoft IT Academy membership prepares our students for certification and employment success.
"We would not have had such great success without Microsoft IT Academy membership. It allows faculty to stay current on emerging technology using the best courseware available and allows students to learn under the best conditions possible, using state-of-the-art technology and learning tools."
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