319 Stright
Hall
Indiana University of PA
Indiana, PA
724-357-3000
Director:
H. Edward Donley, Ph.D.,
Department
of Mathematics
Student Mentorship
Co-Director:
Gary Buterbaugh, Ph.D.,
Department
of Computer Science
Financial
and Contract Co-Director:
Rick Adkins, Ph.D.,
Department
of Mathematics
Educational
Outreach Co-Director:
Andrew Yang, Ph.D.,
Department
of Computer Science
|
|
|
|
News Release
IUP DEVELOPS SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT CENTER
| Distribution Date: June 12, 2000 | Release: Immediate |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania is taking another step to improve instruction in technology with a software development center.
The center, approved by IUP President Dr. Lawrence K. Pettit, is designed to give IUP students real experience in software design and to accommodate the region's custom software needs. Whenever possible, the center's resources will also be used for educational outreach.
IUP's Software Development Center is particularly important because there is a shortage of information technology workers across the country, and more students need to be trained to work in those fields, noted Dr. H. Edward Donley, professor of mathematics at IUP and center director.
"There is a huge demand for programming talent, and yet there is a huge shortage of programming talent," Donley said.
The IUP center will give students the opportunity to develop software in a real-life setting that can not be duplicated in academic course requirements.
"The center offers a unique opportunity for students," Donley said, "much more than a class project or requirement. "Students are used to producing programming in a very controlled environment and on a short-term basis.
"The Software Center will allow students to understand that there is more to software development than just writing programs, that client relations and interactions are essential to the success of software development.
Students, through the Center, will be required to work with the clients to determine both wants and needs, and will be required to interact with the client in order to ensure that the software is successfully implemented and is accomplishing stated goals," Donley said.
Besides providing services to external clients, software center students also will offer service to the University.
One of the problems with software development on campus is that most programming jobs are short-term and talented student programmers are scattered over a variety of disciplines," Donley said.
At the Software Development Center, students would be employed in one central location to create more accessibility for faculty and administration requiring student programmers. Students also will have support and shared learning opportunities.
Plans are being made for a variety of educational outreach activities by the student employees, including offering software development workshops for elementary schools and university faculty and conducting workshops for students to encourage them to pursue information technology careers. This will also allow for increased collaboration with IUP's Teacher Education Center for Science, Mathematics and Technology.
Donley also plans to work collaboratively with other centers and facilities both internal and external whenever possible, including the IUP Applied Research Lab and with Academic Technology Services.
Currently, the center is working on software development for two State System of Higher Education projects: the State System Transfer System, a system which works with transferring a student's courses from one university to another online, and a scheduling system for State System videoconferencing.
When the center is in full operation during the 2001-2002 academic year, it will employ 15 student programmers. In the current development phase, four to six students will be hired to enable the Software Center to complete its first contracts in the fall of this year.
More information on IUP's Software Development Center can be found at the project's new Web site at www.sdc.iup.edu.
IUP is a member of Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education.