University considers school for information technology

HARRISBURG -- University President Graham Spanier recently met a student who had studied information science and technology and already has a job lined up and received a bonus when she signed the contract.

What was unusual about the student is that she had more than a year before her graduation.

Spanier told this story to the state House Appropriations Committee to illustrate the growing need for students trained in information technology by employers.

Preparing students for the changing job market and providing employers with graduates who have technological backgrounds would be some of the goals of the proposed school of information science and technology.

"We want to allow students to start on Day 1 (instead of having to be trained)," Spanier said.

Members of the committee questioned Spanier about the new school yesterday. The school, which would offer 2-year, bachelor and graduate programs, is being considered by a 14-member committee, according to a March 2, 1998 article in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"It seems to be that this is fertile ground and you should be pursuing it aggressively," said state Rep. Keith McCall, D-Carbon and Luzerne.

The focus of the school has not yet been decided upon, Spanier told the committee, although it will probably create programs in many University locations.

The school may consolidate the information technology programs offered in the College of Communications and Smeal College of Business Administration, Spanier said. In addition, he said the committee is considering creating programs that will train students to apply the information technology they learn in other disciplines to real world business situations.

How the University would incur the costs of establishing the school also has not yet been decided, he said.

"We would, indeed, like to come before the legislature and receive a modest appropriation for this new school," Spanier said.

A combination of industry grants, state funds and differential tuition for students enrolled in the college could be methods of funding the school, he said.