LETTER OF INTENT
Bachelor of Science in Computing Technologies
Louisiana State University in Shreveport
PART I. DESCRIPTION
1. Title, Nature, and Objective of Proposed Program
The Bachelor of Science in Computing Technologies will be housed in the Department of Computer Science in the College of Sciences at Louisiana State University Shreveport. This degree will provide an opportunity for regional students to obtain education in computer application areas in demand in Northwest Louisiana.
The proposed degree will initially focus on the computer-based technologies concerned with electronic commerce and communications. In the future there is potential for creating additional specialized tracks within the degree such as computer controlled devices and robotics or local area network and internetworking.
The Department of Computer Science currently offers a degree in Computer Science which is accredited by the Computer Sciences Accreditation Board. Following the requirements of this agency, this degree requires extensive coursework in mathematics, physical science, computer organization and architecture, algorithms, data structures, software design, and concepts of programming languages. The students who matriculate in this program are trained to be software engineers and readily find employment in Shreveport and regional communities. All of the universities in North Louisiana with undergraduate computer science degrees are CSAB accredited and offer degrees with similar requirements and emphasis.
The Bachelor of Science in Computing Technologies will offer local students preparation for an alternative career path which is also greatly in demand by local industry, but for which no higher education programs exist. This program will not have at its core the training of programmers. Instead, this program will prepare workers who will be focused on critical commercial software packages and their applications. Such a program will be attractive to a significant pool of students for whom the internals of computer hardware and software offer little interest, who do not have the constitution to devise, code, and debug thousands of lines of custom software, but who are interested in making things happen with computers. Employers want networks installed or upgraded, they want web sites created and maintained, they want employees who can interact with commercial database packages and enterprise software systems which come already constructed but in need of configuration. At the present time the employer has no choice but to utilize his software engineers as software technicians, a task for which the engineers are not prepared and frequently an assignment that they are not enthused about.
The Bachelor of Science in Computing Technologies needs to be a new degree because its requirements will differ substantially from those of the accredited Computer Science degree. The accreditation requirements permit clearly distinguished alternative degrees to be offered alongside accredited programs, but they do not allow the accredited degree to be re-focused. It is our perception that both degrees are viable since they address different aspects of the computer discipline and favor different kinds of students with separate conceptions of the kind of computing career they seek. The computer technologies emphasis is relatively new to higher education, being born out of the sudden and astonishing growth of the Internet and the commercial opportunities which it presents. In a decade there may well be a new set of accreditation standards available to measure this newly evolved computing area, but today we must follow our own instincts in developing and promoting the kind of educational opportunities which will support the economic growth of our region and our state.
2. Degree Contemplated.
Bachelor of Science in Computing Technologies.
PART II. NEED
1. Has the Proposed Program, or a Similar One, Been Offered At the Institution Previously?
NO
2. List Similar Programs Offered at Other Institutions (Public and Private) in Louisiana.
No such programs exist although many courses have recently been designed and appended to various two-and four-year degree programs. We have begun offering some courses as electives which we intend to require in the new degree program.
3. If Similar Programs exist in Louisiana, Why Is an Additional Program Needed? Indicate Manpower Needs, Including Interest on the Part of Industry, Academia, Governmental Agencies, or Other Institutions.
(a) Indicate state, regional, and national need in the field for more graduates. Cite any pertinent studies or national and state trends.
The shortage of information technology professionals is national news. The U.S. Department of Commerce has published estimates as high as 350,000 vacancies. A May 1998 Information Week article which reported that information technology professionals were enjoying salary increases two or three times the national average for employees explained that "demand for people to fix the year 2000 problem as well as to develop client-server applications such as enterprise resource planning have made the past year a lucrative one for programmers." The article continues, making the point that talent tends to migrate to high salary areas in large cities. "Because companies in some regions have an especially difficult time attracting workers from elsewhere in the United States, they give special attention to cultivating their own talent." Arkansas was used as an example of a Southern state with companies like Alltel, Walmart and Tyson Foods competing for limited talent. These three companies have recruited in North Louisiana.
Louisiana can ill-afford to lose its computing talent. The UNO-Navy collaboration on an Information Technology Center to open in the fall of 1998 will generate 2000 new high technology jobs in the state. LSU and the Office of Telecommunications have joined the Next Generation Internet collaboration and are struggling with a dearth of telecommunications candidates. The Gestalt Group in Shreveport is launching a video communications enterprise and is hiring as many as 30 programmers this fall with the goal of re-training them in telecommunications. North Louisiana universities do not have the laboratory equipment to prepare needed state-of-the-art telecommunications workers, but it can assist those companies who are willing to provide on-the-job training by increasing the pool of information technology professionals. By offering the BS in Computing Technologies degree LSU-Shreveport will be attracting new students to information technology and diversifying the pool of technical skills and interests in the region. The Computing Technologies graduates will fill new and vacated non-software engineering positions when software engineers follow their training and skills into the suddenly expanding telecommunications areas.
If the pool of computing professionals is not rapidly expanded within the state the economy will suffer. Not only will computer applications and systems implementations be delayed, but their cost will be driven up by the need to recruit expertise out-of-state. Louisiana companies, already at a competitive disadvantage in the national high-tech marketplace, may simply lose momentum. Recruitment of companies into the state will suffer because of the inadequate workforce. This degree program intends to combat this downward spiral by creating a new career option for students who don't like engineering but are excited about the Internet.
(b) Are there possibilities for cooperative programs?
Eventually cooperative programs could develop. Coursework in this area is prevalent at other local universities and community colleges. When a four-year degree is available, significant numbers of transfer students can be anticipated.
PART III. STUDENTS
1. Project Enrollment and estimate the Number of Graduates Expected for the Proposed Program for the First Five Years by Level of Student and With a Justification for the Projections.
This last academic year the Department offered three new Internet courses to non-Computer Science majors, enrolling over 20 in each. A fourth non-major course has been developed for fall of 1998. Since these courses lead to no credential and count to no major, the enrollments in these courses by students from across the university indicate a desire to learn about Internet technology. If a curriculum leading to a degree were available the interest would be much higher. Many students start and drop out of the Computer Science major's freshman programming core, mostly because they cannot muster the level of concentration which programming demands. Although interested in computers, they lack the discipline to develop the skills of a software engineer. Of 100 students starting CS1 each year , easily 30 would prefer the focus of the Computing Technologies degree. Most of these students have the innate intellectual capacity to succeed as information technology professionals, but they are discouraged by the traditional (and accreditation mandated) entry path. An alternative pathway would be more interesting to them and with better motivation leading to earlier successes, they could easily be recovered for the profession. Many majors who might complete the accredited degree would also prefer the orientation of the new curriculum. The accredited program and the new degree would share many courses, but the accredited degree's emphasis on software engineering may not leave sufficient opportunity for some students to obtain the depth of specialization in Internet technologies that they want. Thus we expect some majors to switch immediately to the new degree program and others to transfer in at various levels. Using the three courses introduced this past year, the historical attrition rate experienced in CS1, and the growing publicity about the demand for Information Technology professionals as guides, the following are the projected enrollments in the B.S. in Computing Technologies in the initial five years:
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Projected Enrollment Patterns |
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Program Year |
Entering Students |
Continuing Students |
Graduates |
|
1 |
50 |
20 |
0 |
|
2 |
60 |
60 |
10 |
|
3 |
70 |
120 |
30 |
|
4 |
100 |
200 |
60 |
|
5 |
100 |
250 |
80 |
PART IV. FACULTY
1. Summarize Credentials of the Present Faculty Members Who Will Be Most Directly Involved in the Proposed Program.
2. Calculate the Present Student-faculty Ratio in the Subject Matter Field or Department in Which the Proposed Program Will Be Offered. The Basis For This Calculation Should Be Computed Based On All Students Taught Rather Than the Student Majors or Other Related Groupings.
In 1997-98 the Department has 7.25 faculty and taught 1477 student credit hours. This was 204 student credit hours per faculty and a ratio of 12 F.T.E students to F.T.E faculty. The average class size for all classes (graduate and undergraduate) was 24.
3. Project the Number of New Faculty Needed to Initiate the Proposed Program For Each of the First Five Years. If the Proposed Program Will Be Absorbed in Whole or Part By Present Faculty, Explain How This Will Be Done.
One new faculty member will be needed every other year for the first five years (the third in the fifth year). We expect steady enrollment increases in both the accredited program and the graduate program over the same interval, which will prevent the present faculty from accomplishing the development and offering of the courses unique to the new program.
PART V. LIBRARY AND OTHER SPECIAL RESOURCES
1. Will the Library Holdings Need to be Expanded and Improved to Meet Needs of the Program During the First Five Years? If So, What Types Will Be Needed--Book, Periodicals, Reference Books, Primary Source Materials, Etc.
The strong support requirements mandated by accreditation have developed adequate book and periodical resources in computing for the campus. The Internet itself provides the most current information about itself. Therefore only a modest allocation of library resources will be needed to extend the coverage into certification-oriented areas not presently emphasized, and that can be done within the department's library budget.
2. Project Library Expenditures Needed for the First Five Years of the Proposed Program.
No extra expenditures.
PART VI. FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT
Describe Existing or Projected Facilities (Classrooms, Laboratories, Offices, etc.) Available for the Proposed Program.
The Department has four teaching computer labs and adequate access to classrooms of appropriate sizes. The faculty are temporarily located while the Science Building is being extensively remodeled, and the details of a permanent location adjacent to new labs and classrooms have yet to be worked out. The computing equipment on campus is adequate to support most of the needs of the new program as the department has brought in nearly $500,000 in equipment funding in the past three years. Prospects are excellent that a close collaboration with local high-tech firms will result in significant equipment and service donations. The Department is preparing itself for delivery of distance learning and will therefore be able to find novel solutions to future problems with instructional space.
PART VII. ADMINISTRATION
In What Department, Division, School, College, or Other Designation Will the Proposed Program Be Administered? Explain If the Program is Interdisciplinary and/or Inter-Departmental.
The B.S. in Computing Technologies will be offered by a College of Sciences department already wholly offering the B.S. in Computer Science and the M.S. in Systems Technology.
PART VIII. COSTS
Estimate Costs of the Proposed Program For the First Four Years. Indicate Any Amounts to Be Absorbed Out of Current Sources of Revenue and Needs for Additional Appropriations (If Any). Indicate if Federal or Other Sources of Funds Are Available. Are There Prospects for Increased Income From Students Recruited Specifically to This Program Who Otherwise Would Not Have Enrolled?
In the first and third years the department must expand by an Assistant Professor in order to maintain the development of the program. The additional salaries each of those years and thereafter can be estimated at $40,000. The library resources will need to increase about $2000 per year. The costs of other resources required by the new degree program will be absorbed by the Department, which will continue its efforts in raising external funds. As described above, it is projected that a significant number of students presently lost to the department will be recruited into this new degree program, and its uniqueness in the region will also attract transfer students who might not otherwise enroll.
PART IX. CONCLUSION
This degree program addresses directly an area of need in our nation and our state. It is vital to the economic well-being of North Louisiana. The broadening of the Department of Computer Science's curriculum to offer education in computing topics outside the CSAB criteria will address more computing needs and provide opportunities for students without engineering orientations. By addressing the slighted area of computing technology the Department will open new career opportunities for local citizens.
APPENDIX : The Curriculum (revision 2)
Proposed 37 hour major, with new courses (and changes) in bold, and core courses underlined. Student must complete the core and elect other courses from the list, as qualified, to total 37.
CSC101 Introduction to the Internet, 3 credits. Introduction to the fundamentals of the Internet as well as the fundamentals of data communications. Student will learn to use the Internet for research and communication, including publishing materials on the World Wide Web.
CSC111 Introduction to Computing, 3 credits. A survey of computing terminology and a variety of computing applications. Hands on activities using an integrated software package for word processing, spreadsheets and database management. Focus on the structure and operation of the desktop computer.
CSC 205 Introduction to Computer-based Multimedia, 3 credits. Introduction to the fundamentals of computer-based multimedia technologies and to the use of authoring applications and the tools for creating and manipulating multimedia content. One application area covered will be the creation of sophisticated Web pages. (prerequisite CSC 101)
C242, L Computer Architecture and Organization, 4 credits. The organization, functions, and structuring of the major components of computer systems, introduction to the mechanics of information transfer and fundamentals of logic design. (prerequisite Math 201 and either CSC 111 or CSC 112)
CSC270 Web Programming, 3 credits. A survey of the various languages for the web: HTTP, DHTTP, CGI, Java, and Java Script, Visual Basic, Active X, and ISAPI. Attention will be paid to client-server interaction mechanics, the document object model, the Java virtual machine, and the browser engine's multimedia capabilities. (prerequisite CSC 101)
CSC276 Java Programming, 3 credits. An introduction to the Java programming language with particular emphasis on the use of the language in applets and on its database interface. (prerequisite CSC 242 and either CSC 212 or CSC 270)
CSC 305 GUI Applications , 3 credits. An explorations of various windows applications focusing on the characteristics of the user interface. The role of controls, property sheets and the mechanics of how applications interact and exchange data will be highlighted and advanced features of MS Office such as macros will be developed. (prerequisite CSC 111)
CSC 330 Computer Networks, 3 credits. The fundamentals of data communications and computer networking. Topics include data encoding and transmission methods, as well as network architecture and protocol. The OSI reference model will be used as the basis of study. (prerequisite CSC 242,L)
CSC 335 Intranet Design and Administration, 3 credits. A survey of the server software which provides web, mail, directory, DNS, FTP, RAS, ODBC and other similar services delivered via intranet. Instalation, configuration, and user managment of these services. (prerequisite CSC 270, CSC 330, and CSC 305)
CSC 382 Systems Programming II, 3 credits. The study of the structure and organization of a multitasking operating system. An in-depth investigation of the policies and mechanisms used to implement its management of system resources. An introduction to multiprocessor and distributed systems. (prerequisite CSC 275, CSC 282, and CSC 345, or CSC 276 and CSC 305)
CSC 415 Introduction to Database Management, 3 credits. The study of data base systems including construction and maintenance of file structures for storage allocation and collection. (prerequisite CSC 345 or CSC 305)
CSC 431 Advanced Multimedia Applications, 3 credits. (prerequisite CSC 205 and CSC270)
CSC 433 Practical Network Operating Systems, 3 credits. Focus is on Windows NT Server and Workstation as used in a (mostly) LAN environment. Planning, administration, maintenance and troubleshooting. (prerequisite CSC 330)
CSC 434 Client/Server computing in the Enterprise, 3 credits. Focus on MS Back office products and how they work under Win NT Server. Details of very specific client-server computing . (prerequisite CSC 430)
CSC 437 Internet Architecture Study of TCP\IP and related protocols, including UDP, ARP, RARP, DNS, RIP, BOOTP, UDP, SNMP, SMTP, FTP, TELNET, HTTP. Also, PPP and PPTP. Routing protocols and routers. Role of WANS and WAN backbones. Mbone. (prerequisite CSC 330)
CSC 460 Rapid Applications Development, 3 credits. A study of tools and techniques used in the rapid development of applications that run in current operating system environments. The object-oriented and visual programming paradigms will be emphasized. (prerequisite csc345 or CSC 276 and CSC 305)
CSC 490 Selected Topics, 3 credits. Topics to be announced by the department for students of advanced standing. May be repeated for credit for a maximum of six semester hours. (prerequisite consent of the department.)
Prerequisite Tree (core courses in bold)
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101 |
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111 |
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Math 201 |
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/ |
\ |
/ |
\ |
/ |
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205 |
270 |
305 |
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242, L |
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|
| |
/ | \ |
/ | \ \ |
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| |
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| / |
| \ |
/ | \ \ |
|
330 |
|
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| / |
| |
\ / | \ |
415 |
/ | \ |
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|
431 |
276 |
/ \ | | |
/ |
433 |
437 |
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| \ |
/ \ | | |
/ |
| |
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\ / |
\ | \ | |
/ |
434 |
|
|
|
382 |
\ | 335 |
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|
460 |
|
|
490 |