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On April 17th, 2009, MPICT convened its first National
Visiting Committee (NVC) meeting.
An NVC is like a Board of Directors. It:
• Provides evaluative feedback to the National Science
Foundation (for example, to assist NSF in deciding whether to
continue funding the Center),
• Provides valuable, informed feedback and advice to the
Center, to help the Center achieve its goals and be managed
efficiently and effectively, and
• Facilitates contacts and collaborative relationship building
within its sphere of influence to help enable Center impact.
A high quality NVC can be a big factor in Center success.
MPICT’s NVC is extremely high quality.
Attending MPICT’s NVC meeting were:
• Kathy Alfano, NVC Chair, Director,
CREATE
• Jim Dolgonas, President and CEO of
CENIC
• Catherine McKenzie, Director of the
Technology Unit, California Community College State
Chancellor’s Office, CENIC Board Member, Chair of the
K-20 Educational Technology Collaborative
• John Avakian, Director (now retiring) of the
California
Community College Economic and Workforce Development &
Multimedia
and Entertainment Initiative
• Bernie Trilling, Global Director, Education Strategy
and Partnerships,
Oracle Education Foundation
• Bill Souders, Senior Director,
Cisco Networking Academy, Corporate Affairs
• Kay Ferrier, Education Programs Consultant,
California
Department of Education,
Secondary, Postsecondary & Adult Leadership Division
Among its general recommendations and comments: “The NVC felt
that the formation of MPICT is very timely and there is a
great opportunity for impact.”
Obviously, we couldn’t agree more. This is an ideal time to
create a more constructive framework and improve the quality
of ICT education in our region. We hope to mobilize our
community around this effort.
 The
NVC provided some commendations:
1. MPICT appears well organized, has moved quickly to
implement Center goals, and has a comprehensive vision
statement.
2. early partnerships that have been built, are smart and
appropriate
3. the composition of the advisory panel is a well selected
group aligned with MPICT’s goals
4. the RLC is a high quality team
5. the Pathway work is opportune
6. the diversity efforts are broad and good
 Among
the NVC’s concerns:
• How to engage so many other important ICT-related
organizations in the region in MPICT’s Advisory Panel
• How to convince industry that community colleges are
producing the workforce it needs
• The need to focus among the many opportunities to improve
ICT education in the region on those with the largest and most
immediate impact, because MPICT cannot do it all, especially
not without additional funding
• How to attract additional funding, for example, to be able
to expand the MPICT region to include Southern California
• How to really get information out and make a real difference
to real people in their ICT educations and workplaces
• How to really address soft or employability skills in ICT
educations
This very high caliber NVC is doing an outstanding job!
It recognizes the timeliness and importance of our opportunity
to improve ICT education and the ICT workforce in our region,
because that is so important to the productivity of people in
all types of organizations.
However, it also recognizes the fragmented, fast moving and
chaotic nature of ICT fields - and the many challenges we face
together to really make a difference.
We don’t have to get everything right, and we won’t. We’ll
make mistakes, and we won’t get everything done.
 If
we do nothing else, we want to build community between ICT
educators in our region, so we share what works without
endless, wasteful duplications of effort, so we use ICT
teaching and learning tools to improve ICT education, so we
have meaningful interaction with industry, so we develop
together a competent ICT workforce.
Back to Q2 2009
Newsletter |
