Improving the Academic-Industry Interface. A presentation by Dean Mark A. Tumeo, PhD, JD, PE of UNF's College of Computing, Engineering and Construction, August 2013 to the JAX Chamber IT Council.

1. The Industry-University Interface:
An Academic Administrator’s View
Mark A. Tumeo, PhD, JD, PE
Dean
College of Computing, Engineering and Construction

2. Presentation Outline
• Background
– Changing Landscapes
– Demand for Trained Workforce
• The Academic Reality
– Curricular Development and Faculty Control
– State Demands and Funding Formulas
– Accreditation
• Improving the Academic-Industry Interface
– Producing Graduates with the Appropriate Skill Sets
– Producing Sufficient Numbers of Graduates
– Value Added Propositions in the University
• Summary

3. Background
• For most of the past 20 years, employment in computer
systems design and related services has grown rapidly.
• Unlike many other sectors of the economy, employment
in the Computer/IT Sector was not significantly affected
by the recession of 2007–20091
.
– The industry lost about 1 percent of its employment in 2009 but
regained momentum in 2010, when it surpassed the
employment numbers from 2008.
– The high demand for the services provided by this industry has
created a large number of fast-growing and high-paying IT jobs.
1 Statistics from US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
“Beyond the Numbers”, April 2013, Vol. 2 , No. 9.

4. Background
• Employers Cannot Find Enough IT Workers
– Employers (consumers) want more graduates with
greater technical skills;
– Colleges (suppliers) cannot increase enrollment
fast enough and have remained relatively
unchanged, producing graduates in traditional
disciplines.
– The result is a consumer demand that is not being
met by Universities and a number of University
graduates that are not employable.

5. Background
The “Simple” Two Step Solution
1. Program curricula need to change to reflect
the rapidly evolving needs of employers; and
2. Universities need to admit, educate and
graduate more students.
But, as they say
the devil is in the details!

6. The Reality in the Academy
• Programs Cannot Find Enough Students
– The performance of US students in Math, the basic underpinning of
Computing Degrees, has been dropping over the last few decades.
– In 2011, U.S. students ranked 21st in science proficiency and 25th in math
among students from the 30 most developed countries.
– The data show that 37% of 4th graders, 40% of 8th graders, and 43% of 12th
graders lack a basic level of science proficiency. In math, 82% of students
reached the basic level but only 39% were considered proficient and those
numbers dropped to 73% and 34%, respectively, by 8th grade. The number of
students who are proficient decreases the longer our children are in US
schools.

7. The Reality in the Academy
• As math and science skills “slide”, Universities are
faced with increased competition for the highest
quality students.
• At the same time, States spent 28% less per student on
higher education, nationwide, in FY 2013 fiscal year
than they did in FY 2008, when the recession hit.
• Public colleges and universities across the country
have increased tuition to compensate for declining
state funding. Tuition at four-year public colleges has
grown by $1,850, or 27 percent, since the 2007-08
school year.

8. The Reality in the Academy
• Increased tuition makes it harder to attract the highest
quality students, but state funding formulas in Florida
and many other states are ties to student FTE (Full
Time Equivalents)
• Hence, Universities are faced with the challenge of
maintaining student enrollments in the face of
increased competition, decreasing funding, higher
tuition and decreasing quality among incoming
freshmen.
• Meanwhile, the DEMAND for IT graduates
continues to grow.

9. The Reality in the Academy
• Curricular change is equally challenging.
• IT Faculty are aging, and the same lack of graduates
that affects companies at the Bachelor’s level, is
exacerbated at the PhD level.
• Curricular change is a slow process at every institution.
Course changes must be approved through
Departments, Colleges and the Full Faculty.
• In Florida, and many other stated, new degree
programs (or any substantive changes) are subject to
state review and approval both BEFORE you start
planning and BEFORE the degree can be offered.

10. The Reality in the Academy
• Accrediting bodies (both academic and professional)
also have some control over curriculum, including
specifying student to professor ratios, general
education requirements, required content courses and
outcome assessment.
• In Florida, curricula are further limited by the State
legislature in the number of hours that can be
required.
• Once a program is approved and accredited, there is
significant resistance to change because of these
multiple, sometimes conflicting constraints.

11. So – Where Does That Leave Us?
• Nothing I’ve said so far should come as a surprise to
anyone – but the fact still remains, local companies,
our economy and our region need more, qualified IT
graduates.
• It is therefore, in my opinion, incumbent upon theIt is therefore, in my opinion, incumbent upon the
academy to work within our constraints to meet theacademy to work within our constraints to meet the
needs and demands placed on the industry by theirneeds and demands placed on the industry by their
constraints.constraints.

12. Improving the
Academic-Industry Interface
• At this point, I am going to leave the general and move
to the specifics of the University of North Florida and
the Jacksonville region.
• I believe there are ways, some of which we have
already started to implement, to address the
constraints on the academy while still addressing the
needs of industry
• There are also things the industry can do to address
the constraints on business while assisting the
academy to meet demand.

13. Improving the
Academic-Industry Interface
• Producing Graduates with the Appropriate Skill Sets
– Addressing Curricular Change and Industry Needs
• Producing Sufficient Numbers of Graduates
– Building the pipeline
– Retention and Graduation
• Value Added Propositions in the University
– Retraining and Career Development
– Research and Development

14. Addressing Curricular Change
• Must start with a mutual understanding :
• To the Academy:
– A Bachelor’s degree is more than merely training an
individual in a specific technical field . We must instill critical
thinking skills, place knowledge in a global and ethical
context, and build an understanding of the responsibilities of
citizenship.
• To the Industry:
– A Bachelor’s degree must prepare graduates to be
productive contributors to the industry that needs them,
with as many of the skills, both technical and
interpersonal, as possible to provide.

15. Addressing Curricular Change
• At UNF, we started with our Advisory Boards
– The Computing Advisory Board, composed of industry
representatives (both technical managers and HR
personnel), developed a list of needed skills and knowledge,
not only for jobs today, but what they saw as being needed
in the next 3 to 5 years.
– The Faculty then worked with those skills sets and developed
a matrix identifying which classes in the existing curriculum
should provide those skills and knowledge, which courses
provided skills and knowledge not on the list, and which
skills were not being provided.
– The Faculty has now started the process of modifyingThe Faculty has now started the process of modifying
course content (the easiest and fastest path to change)course content (the easiest and fastest path to change)

16. Addressing Curricular Change
• The most effective tool to develop the skills
needed in graduates is through real-world work
experience.
• Direct Internships
– business hire students part-time on a temporary basis.
• Internships through the University
– Business work through the University to have students
work part-time on a temporary basis.
• Co-ops
– Students work in a business on a part-time on a temporary
basis or on a specific designated project for academic credit
(may be paid or unpaid*).

17. Addressing Curricular Change
• Industry Certifications
– There is ongoing debate in the academy about
“industry certifications.”
– While they are increasing in importance, and
valuable to employers, the University is restricted
from providing academic credit for them.
– Currently, UNF is in discussions with St. John’s River
(SJR) State College to identify which UNF credit-
bearing courses could count towards certification,
and UNF students would only then need to
take the “practicum” course and certification
exam at SJR.

18. Producing Sufficient Graduates
• Programs to build the pipeline of high school
graduates who are both interested in and
qualified for Computing careers are critical.
• This is an area where industry is much more
successful than the University.
• While we can provide opportunities (through
camps, competitions, visits, etc.) the real
compelling arguments come from EMPLOYERS.
Universities are often seen as “self-interested.”
• Partnerships are Key

19. Producing Sufficient Graduates
• The College of Computing, Engineering and Construction at UNF is engaged
in a series of activities to not only increase the number of entering students
(filling the pipeline), but also to retain and graduate more of the students we
do admit.
– Pipeline programs include the BotBall competition, MathCounts, the
Expanding Your Horizons Program, the Boy Scout Merit Badge Program,
and numerous middle and high school outreach programs.
– The STEM Jumpstart Experience was instituted this year to assist
entering freshmen in math skills.
– Our “gatekeeper” course has been redesigned to a “gateway” course,
including extra academic counseling, tutoring and one-on-one
instruction.
– The University has joined a national network of 12 schools
implementing a new database and monitoring system to help students
project their probability of success in a course of study based on past
success in specific UNF courses.

20. Value Added Propositions
There are other activities in which the College,
and I personally as Dean, invite you to partner .
• For your Current Employees
– Continuing Education opportunities (including industry
certifications)
– Degree Completion or Advanced Degrees
– Specific Seminar or Topical Courses offered on-siteon-site
• For your Business
– Research and Development activites

21. Summary
• The Challenges are Known
– The need for IT professionals is high and looks to
only increase for the foreseeable future.
– The University is not producing sufficient
graduates with the skills and qualifications
needed.
– The academy faces real constraints on resources
and qualified students, and limits on rapid
curricular change.

22. Summary
UNF Wants to Partner to meet the Challenge
– We are currently partnering with industry to redefine and modify our
curriculum to meet rapidly changing needs.
– We are partnering with our State Colleges to address certification in an
academically appropriate way.
– We stand ready to partner with industry to create internship and co-op
opportunities that prepare students and serve the companies involved.
– We are ready to work with industry to research critical problems and to
develop advances in software and hardware to meet new challenges.
Together, we can face the challenges and forge a University-
Industry Partnership that will support the growth of your
companies and a prosperous economic future for all of us.
Let’s Get To WorkLet’s Get To Work !

23. Thank you for AllowingThank you for Allowing
Me to Speak with YouMe to Speak with You
TodayToday !