By GREGORY ZELLER //
Two leading Long Island universities are spending their summer vacations upping their computer-science game.
The summer months might not be known for educational innovations, but don’t tell that to Stony Brook University, which has flipped the switch on a new digital learning platform built to prepare student for in-demand IT careers, or Long Island University, which has received New York State Department of Education approvals for a new Bachelor of Engineering degree program focused on digital engineering.
The SBU platform, created in partnership with California-based online-learning pioneer Springboard, offers remote, self-paced tech-training programs in a virtual-bootcamp style.
Combining mentor- and instructor-led programs, the platform is designed to fit into the lives of working professionals, including workers with no prior IT experience. And it’s open to the general public – meaning anyone, including learners with no upper-education credits on their ledger, can complete SBU-credentialed monthly cohorts in cybersecurity, data analytics, software engineering and other in-demand technical vocations.
Patricia Malone, associate vice president for professional education in SBU’s School of Professional Development, predicted the platform would not only benefit professional people interested in adding new skills and credentials, but “stimulate business growth through access to impactful educational resources.”
“New York’s tech ecosystem is crucial to economic development, and Springboard’s hands-on curriculum enables students to build expertise in areas that are meaningful for employers,” Malone said. “Partnering with Springboard furthers our mission to empower the local workforce on Long Island and in the tri-state area.”
Patricia Malone: Impactful platform.
With a global roster of partners and programs, Springboard has trained more than 20,000 students since its 2013 launch, featuring market-driven curricula developed by industry professionals.
With New York State ranked third in the country for technology-related employment and wages in the New York City tech sector rising exponentially, SBU – an emerging leader in high-performance supercomputing – sits at a lucrative and important crossroads, according to Springboard Vice President of Business Development Colin Lumsden.
“We are thrilled to partner with our first school in New York State and (to) work with the renowned SUNY and Stony Brook University team to offer students the chance to learn highly marketable skills,” Lumsden said in a statement. “Wages for NYC tech ecosystem jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree are still 50 percent higher on average than those in the rest of the economy, and credential programs provide an opportunity for professionals to quickly upskill for these positions.”
Workforce development is also on tap at LIU, which is now developing an “interdisciplinary and experiential curriculum” that carries students on a journey through engineering, design and artificial intelligence and straight to a bachelor’s degree in digital engineering.
Kimberly Cline: Challenge stage.
Supported by the copious resources of LIU’s College of Science, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Center of Excellence in Life Science and Research, the new degree program will also rely heavily on program partner Dassault Systèmes, a French multinational software maker known best for 3D product design and advanced simulations.
The cross-disciplinary program will be chaired by Mohammed Ghriga, already chairman of LIU’s Department of Computer Science, Digital Engineering and Artificial Intelligence. It will combine traditional research and collaborative, hands-on, project-based learning, with students brainstorming and executing digital solutions to vexing problems in healthcare, drug discovery, robotics and other critical sectors.
Long Island University President Kimberly Cline applauded the state educational approvals as “another exciting step forward” for LIU.
“Long Island University continues to build and expand on our strong research and technology emphasis,” Cline said Thursday. “Our focus … is to create an experiential learning environment where graduates are not just ready for the workplace, they are ready to solve some of our most pressing global challenges.”
