Transcript Building an International resource Center – A Capstone

Building an International resource
Center – A Capstone Course
Experience
Gail Kellersberger
Shohreh Hashemi
University of Houston-Downtown
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November 3, 2006
www.uhd.edu
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University of Houston-Downtown, one of four distinct
universities in the UH System, is a public open-admission
university with nearly 12,000 students.
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UHD has increased 27 percent in student population over the
past five years.
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Opened in 1974, today UHD offers over 40 undergraduate
and graduate degrees.
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UHD is nationally recognized for its student diversity,
wireless campus, outstanding academic opportunities and
productive community partnerships.
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At UHD, the emphasis is on excellence in teaching and
student success.
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www.uhd.edu/academic/colleges/business/
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The new Shea Street Building which is scheduled to open in
fall 2007 will house the UHD College of Business.
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The College of Business has a national reputation for
excellence and is accredited by The Association to Advance
Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International ).
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There are two departments in the College of Business:
 Finance, Accounting, and Computer Information Systems
(FACIS)
 Management, Marketing, and Business Administration
(MMBA)
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The FACIS department offers a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree with major programs in
Accounting, Finance, Computer Information
Systems, and International Business.
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The Computer Information Systems (CIS) program,
which is patterned after the AITP national model
curriculum, received national recognition when it
was named the outstanding undergraduate program
in the United States by the Data Processing
Management Association (DPMA) and the DPMA
Education Foundation in 1992.
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Student must complete 126 hours of college work with
21 hours of CIS required courses including:
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Computer Algorithms & Problem Solving using
C++ (CIS 2301),
Programming languages (CIS 3xxx),
Systems Analysis and Design (CIS 3301),
Computer Hardware, Systems Software and
Architecture (CIS 3303)
Computer Networking and Data Communications
(CIS 3305)
Database Management System (CIS 3306)
Systems Development Project (CIS 4312)
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CIS 4312 - Systems Development Project
Course
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The prerequisites are a grade of C or better in CIS 3301, 3305,
3306, senior standing and successful completion of Junior
Writing Proficiency Exam.
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The course is usually taken during the last semester of the
students’ undergraduate CIS studies.
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The course provides CIS students the opportunity to utilize
previously learned CIS topics including the Systems
Development Life Cycle (SDLC) methodologies and techniques
by developing or enhancing computer-based business
application systems for local businesses and the UHD
community.
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Students design, develop, and implement “real-life” systems.
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The IRC was conceived to meet a need at UHD to provide a onestop source for matters international.
It also responded to a need to internationalize the university,
seen as an integral portion of Southern Accreditation of
Colleges and Schools (SACS) guidelines.
Leadership of the English Language Institute had a broad
resource base and access to expert materials.
Leadership of the ELI also had experience in working with CIS
Project students.
CIS leadership responded to the idea of the IRC and could
visualize, from past experience teaching senior projects
courses and with working with ELI leadership, just how such a
project could work.
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The IRC needed to bring users back again and again.
Therefore, it needed to be highly attractive, extremely user
friendly, useful in terms of the resources it offered, and
interesting.
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The IRC needed separate internal and external functioning.
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Colorful art
Interesting Sounds
Easy navigation
Organized resources
Personal as well as professional
Certain activities could not be open to the public due to lack of control.
Archives were needed to summarize internal activities for external
consumption.
Internally, the IRC needed to be interactive in as many ways as
possible.
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Use of WebCT for video streamed lectures.
Use of WebCT for chat room responses to lectures.
Use of WebCT bulletin boards for ongoing response.
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Manpower
Technical Expertise
Financing
Upkeep
Artistic/Edit Control
Time
Permissions
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Working with senior project students and
interns would provide expertise, manpower,
and cost-free labor
Keeping the project managed by the creators
would maintain artistic/edit control and allow
for upkeep
Using a curricular activity increased
university interest, thus permissions, and
provided a support for the time investment
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Finding the appropriate students
Meshing schedules
Avoiding procrastination/overwhelm
cycles
Getting timely university approvals
Communication between disciplines
Getting student products in timely
stages
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•Minimal investment
•Minimal production fees
•Minimal run/delivery fees
•Minimal maintenance fees
•Minimal learning curve
•Control of design
•Control of development
schedule
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The two professors leading the project discussed
desires and possibilities.
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The initial plan was formulated and used to gain buyin from the Deans of the university.
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Art and music were selected.
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Research for resources commenced by professors
and Professional Writing student.
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CIS students began developing the top layers of the
site while resolving issues related to the site’s
dynamic international calendar.
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Around the Globe, a large repository of resources:
links,
organizations, calendar events, businesses
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UHD Resources for International Education, collects all
university international programs, offices, information and endeavors
in one area
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Houston Community Resources, a repository of contact
information on people and organizations dealing with international
issues
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Featured Topic, hosts an archive of the various video lectures
with accompanying summarized commentary that comes from a
monthly WebCT page
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Broaden Your Horizons, suggests a new book, art work, movie
and piece of music each month, all on international themes
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Cross-Cultural Collisions, offers a cross-cultural friction point
each month with explanation and suggestions for the handling of
similar situations.
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International Resource
Center
Around the
Globe
UHD Resources
for International
Education
Houston
Community
Resources
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Featured Topic
Broaden Your
Horizons
Cross –
Cultural
Collisions
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http://irc.uhd.edu/
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Building an International resource
Center – A Capstone Course
Experience
Gail Kellersberger
Shohreh Hashemi
University of Houston-Downtown
ISECON
November 3, 2006