Colorado State University Receives Cit Award to Develop Online Information Science & Technology Program

Gov. Bill Owens announced today that Colorado State University was awarded a $232,200 grant from the Colorado Institute of Technology to develop online information technology courses. Colorado State’s Interdisciplinary Studies Program in Information Sciences and Technology, or ISTeC, is a series of distance-learning classes designed to enhance Colorado’s technology workforce.

"Colorado State University is pleased to expand our leadership role in educating Colorado’s technology workforce," said Albert C. Yates, president of Colorado State and member of the CIT Board of Trustees. "This award will allow citizens all across the state an opportunity to obtain the benefits of a world-class Colorado State education while simultaneously supporting the state’s need for a highly skilled and adaptable employee population."

Colorado State’s ISTeC curriculum will provide introductory information technology education in computer science, programming, telecommunication networks, digital communication technologies, technical writing and web site design. The online program is expected to supplement existing undergraduate programs at two and four year state institutions and improve the technology skills of Colorado’s workers who already have a degree.

"Colorado State University’s ISTeC is ideal in meeting CIT’s statewide education objectives," said Anthony Frank, vice president for research and information technology at Colorado State. "The program provides unique opportunities for students and professionals to increase their technology skills, meets the current needs of Colorado’s employers and helps ensure the future economic vitality of this state."

Frank added that ISTeC fits well with Colorado State’s emphasis on outreach and distance education. The university currently serves 58 Colorado counties through extension offices, offers more than 160 online and distance education courses for credit and provides 16 undergraduate and graduate distance education degree programs.

Colorado State’s ISTeC began as an interdisciplinary on-campus program in January 2002 to provide students from a variety of academic backgrounds the opportunity to obtain a broad foundation in information technology. The CIT grant will allow the 22-credit program to be made available to Colorado citizens via the internet.

The ISTeC program is a consortium of four departments at Colorado State: computer and information systems, computer science, electrical and computer engineering, and journalism and technical communication. The program is similar in requirements to a university minor program of study, however, will be made available to all state college students, employees in Colorado’s high-tech companies and anyone else meeting the prerequisite requirements. Additional information about the ISTeC program is available on the Web at http://ISTeC.colostate.edu.

The Colorado Institute of Technology awarded grants today to nine university and college programs, all of which are designed to address specific technology workforce needs in Colorado.

The institute began as an initiative of Gov. Owens in March 2000 to promote, advance and sustain Colorado as a premier location for the technology industry. In collaboration with higher education and technology companies, CIT works to develop and support educational programs that result in producing qualified graduates in line with industry needs. The CIT is financed entirely by contributions from companies in Colorado.