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==Rough Notes of CNS/CTY Discussion (Scott Apted, Wednesday January 21, 2015):==
:Recorded by and transcribed (very roughly) by Murray Saul
In general, we are looking at a couple of things: One was trying to set out a better core curriculum for both programs. The last semester in CNS is basically all professional options. CTY has a "ton" of professional options (which is OK), but then CTY does this divergent thing in their third and fourth semesters, where if a student is starting out in CTY, that person goes into co-op, then decides to graduate from CNS, they are going to miss a couple of things. For example, if we potentially graduate students that have never taken ops335 which is considered a weakness since they are missing a big portion of the OS administration skills. (traditionally and optimally, students in CTY would take OPS435 for scripting skills, then take OPS335 for Linux administration skills).
== Organizing Key Talking Points: ==
:'''The curriculum discussions for the CNS/CTY programs have drawn attention to several key areas:'''<br>(Note current and proposed CNS/CTY curriculum maps display below)<br>
:*'''Create an identical skill base for both CNS and CTY programs for the first four semesters'''
:::Students in the CTY program (after completing co-op) sometimes want to graduate with CNS and fail to see the point of taking an additional 2 semesters. The problem is that when students are enrolled in the CTY program, the CTY program requires them to complete the 6 semesters. A number of students will accept employment without having completed the CTY diploma certificate (this affects the perception of student success and retention). Creating an identical skill base for both CNS and CTY programs will offer employers with a minimum level of employee competence and provide a conduit for students to pursue the CTY diploma certificate if desired.
:*'''Increase retention of CTY students by offering real IT industry projects within the fifth and sixth semesters'''
:::With identical core requirements for the first four semesters of the CNS/CTY programs, the fifth and sixth semester of the CTY program can roll-out courses to allow students to develop a better understanding of the industry by working with an IT company or organization on a related task (referred to as a "capstone project"). By allowing students to with an industry partner for at least two semesters, the student is encouraged to complete the CTY program.
:::Students in the CTY program (after completing co-op) sometimes want *'''Promote student success by channeling them to graduate with CNS and fail to see the point of taking an additional 2 semesters. The problem is that when students are enrolled in the CTY programa one year, the CTY program requires them to complete the 6 semesters. A number of students will accept employment without having completed the CTY lower credential diploma certificate (this affects with the perception option of student success and retention). Creating an identical skill base for both re-applying to CNS and /CTY programs will offer employers with a minimum level of employee competence and provide a conduit for students to "upgrade" to CTY. :*upon successful completion)'''Increase retention of CTY students by offering career-oriented capstone projects with IT industries in the fifth and sixth semesters''':::With identical core requirements for the first four semesters of the CNS/CTY programs, the fifth and sixth semester of the CTY program can roll-out or tweak courses to have students develop a better understanding of the IT industry by working on a solving a real IT industry-related task. A "capstone project" can match a CTY student with industry. By allowing students to with an industry partner, the student is encouraged to complete the CTY program and prevent them from being "stagnant" after completing the CNS program and waiting for employement.
:*Promote student success by channeling them ::There has been discussion in curriculum meetings to channel cns/cty students that are unsuccessful in their first semester to transfer to obtain a one year, lower credential diplomas Year (reduced credit) Diploma certificate. This course would provide the minimum (with essential) skills for students to work in basic job categories in the option of IT industry. Students that successfully complete this program may be allow to re-applying apply to the CNS/CTY upon successful completion).:*Align hardware concepts to reflect data servers (eg. data centers) as well as desktop (client-server) modelsprogram.
:*'''Align hardware concepts to reflect data servers (eg. data centers) as well as desktop (client-server) models'''
:::Subject matter experts in the CDOT applied research division have indicated gaps from what students learn and what is currently adopted in the IT industry. One example would be students, although having skills to create Ethernet cables for workstations, lack the subtle skill to wire a server rack. In an effort to eliminate this discrepancy, newer course will be introduced to deal with these issues including infrastructure, advanced data communications, advanced firewalls, and security. One suggestion is to split the NDD430 course into two separate courses, the first emphasizing infrastructure and the second emphasizing configuring a server and running services. The hardware course will be separated into two separate courses, the first focusing on the desktop, and the second to focus on data centers. In addition, a course in project management is recommended to be added as a government curriculum requirement. During the curriculum development process, courses in CNS and CTY should be reviewed and improvements made to maintain consistency and assist in student success.
== Additional Resources / Navigation ==
:* [http:[CNS //zenit.senecac.on.ca/wiki/index.php/OPS OPS Stream DiscussionCTY Curriculum Development]]
[[Category:Curriculum,OPS Stream,OPS235]]