Obama's science and technology advisors invite Dean Blair Smith to participate on panel
It’s no secret that technology is evolving rapidly. The last decade has brought a wide-range of innovations that have moved the industry forward. The accelerated pace of change increases the need for workers skilled in all areas of technology. This puts a heavy burden on our higher education system to develop workers who can meet the demands of tech-dependent businesses and consumers.
This critical need may have been behind the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) calling educational and industry experts together on May 17, 2011 in Washington, D.C. The discussion focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from the perspective of higher education.
The President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology was founded in 1933. Today this advisory group is composed of the nation’s leading scientists and engineers. The Office of Science and Technology Policy oversees PCAST.
Blair Smith from College of Information Systems and Technology invited
Blair Smith, Ph.D., Dean of the University of Phoenix College of Information Systems and Technology, was among the small group of experts who were invited to participate in a special PCAST Working Group discussion. He was the only spokesperson from a for-profit university, and the only representative from an institution with two educational delivery systems: online and on-campus.
Dr. Smith was one of seven participants on the panel entitled Best Practices: Panel of Institutions with Successful STEM Programs. Here he shares his experience with PCAST, his message to the Advisors and why it matters to all of us.
Q: How was the PCAST event organized?
Smith: There were a series of three panel discussions held at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.. The first two panels represented “Science and Mathematics Societies” and “Panel of Engineers Societies,” and my panel was the Best Practices: Panel of Institutions with Successful STEM Programs.
It was an exciting opportunity. The PCAST Working Group was closed to media and outsiders — only invited panelists and members of PCAST were allowed in the room. My panel discussion began at 11 a.m., but I arrived at 8 a.m. for the other two panels because I wanted to observe all of the panel presentations and discussions.
Q: Did you get an opportunity to address the Council, or just answer questions?
Smith: Each participant had five minutes to present to the PCAST Working Group. We were asked to address the two main questions that the Council was exploring: Are we educating enough people to go into STEM occupations? Are we doing a good enough job to educate a STEM-capable workforce?
I also addressed three sub-points: What data does University of Phoenix have that shows our programs are successful? Are there best practices that can be scaled to address workforce need? And what can the federal government do to help us with this important task?
Q: What were the main points of your presentation?
I focused on how the University of Phoenix College of Information Systems and Technology is committed to providing an industry-relevant IT education to create success within the industry. It’s critical for our college to provide students with a competitive edge.
The mission of the college is to educationally support job entry and career progression in the IT field. What sets us apart is the accessibility of our programs, and how we provide a full-range of degrees, from associate to doctoral, that are aligned with occupations that the Bureau of Labor Statistics have identified are in high-demand.
Q: Did you talk about what the University does specifically to meet industry requirements?
Yes — I discussed how we align our curriculum with what industry experts have confirmed are the skills they need to advance their field, as well as what they’ve established as their best practices. By continually assessing whether our courses meet industry needs and standards, and including this new information, we’re giving our students the best chance at success.
I also talked about the University of Phoenix online learning system that all of our colleges use. We’ve created virtual organizations that allow students to work on real problems they could encounter when working in the field.
We utilize a wide-range of technology, including virtual labs that are available 24/7, hardware simulations, videos and tutorials to provide students with hands-on experiences for a broad exposure to development activities.
Q: Did you touch on our use of technology as a learning tool?
Absolutely. I talked about how we leverage technology to keep our students competitive and on the leading edge. I talked about our mobile iPhone® app and how students can access their classroom and assignments from nearly anywhere.
I could see that several Council members were really interested in the app — as well as PhoenixConnect™, our academic social network. I drew a scenario for them of a student working on a project late at night. If the student gets stuck on how to proceed, that student can reach out to the community of University of Phoenix students anytime, night or day to help figure out how to proceed with the assignment.
Q: Why was it important for you to be a part of this PCAST event?
It’s important to share our message. We’re leveraging technology to provide a more efficient learning environment. In fact, all of our colleges are preparing students to use more and more technology.
In addition, we’re constantly assessing changes and new developments in industries to make sure we keep our students competitive for in-demand jobs. Because of this, we’ve become a leader in preparing a STEM-capable workforce.
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