Geospatial Technician Education
Through Virginia’s Community Colleges (GTEVCC)
The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC), the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), three Community Colleges (John Tyler Community College-JTCC, Tidewater Community College-TCC, and Virginia Western Community College-VWCC), and the Virginia Geospatial Extension Program (VGEP) at Virginia Tech are partners on the GTEVCC project.
GTEVCC Vision: To establish sustainable academic pathways in geospatial technology (GST) at three colleges in the Virginia Community College System to provide Virginia employers with a larger pool of skilled geospatial technicians. These pathways will serve as models for other community colleges as the GTEVCC project team spreads the implementation of geospatial pathways and curriculum through faculty professional development and mentoring.
GTEVCC Summary: The GTEVCC project will include educational materials development, adaptation, and implementation, and will provide professional development and mentoring for faculty. Curriculum will be based on principles of authentic learning and driven by the needs of business and industry in the Commonwealth. Project activities will target community college students and faculty as well as precollege students and faculty. An Advisory Committee consisting of leaders in geospatial technology in the Commonwealth from education, business, and government will be formed to advise the project team.
- Goal 1--Build academic pathways in GST at three geographically dispersed community colleges that can serve as models for other community colleges.
Objectives include: develop and update the unique course content and sequence for a GST pathway at each college that aligns with workforce need; serve local workforce needs by leveraging the work of the project team; integrate Authentic Learning concepts into curriculum; create dual enrollment courses with area high schools at each college; create articulation agreements with 4-year institutions at each college.
- Goal 2--Spread the use of GST and academic pathways across the VCCS by providing intensive professional development for community college faculty and precollege teachers in Virginia.
Objectives include: conduct two intensive summer workshops for 15 faculty from 10 different colleges; disseminate college academic models and courses; mentor faculty in using GST and building academic pathways; link faculty to state and national resources; provide professional development workshops for 45 high school teachers from partnering college regions.
- Goal 3--Build and support the GST workforce pipeline by increasing enrollment in geospatial programs.
Objectives include: promote and provide access to existing GST career awareness materials; develop a model brochure and other recruitment material to be leveraged by all community colleges; disseminate materials at both the local level and statewide.
- Goal 4--Create and sustain a GST web portal to serve as a repository for GST pathway models, curriculum, professional development materials, and other resources.
- Goal 5--Ensure project participants represent diversity in gender and ethnicity.
Objectives include: actively promote and encourage participation in GST pathways by females and underrepresented minorities through leveraging successful organizations at each college; participation in geospatial programs at each college will meet current diversity participation in other technical programs.
Contacts: Chris Carter (PI), Assistant Director, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, cxcarter@odu.edu (757) 766-5210, http://www.vsgc.odu.edu; Dr. John McGee (VGEP@VT-jmcg@vt.edu); David Webb (VWCC-dwebb@vw.vccs.edu); Rodney Clayton (TCC-rclayton@tcc.edu); George McLeod (TCC-gmcleod@odu.edu); Dr. William Wyatt (JTCC-wwyatt@jtcc.edu)
Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program
NSF-ATE Project DUE-0903270