GIS Certificate and Program Emphasis at South Central College

该项目通过创建两门新课程，提供与项目相关的新的必要仪器，与地区学校和地区大学建立2+2+2衔接协议，开展教师发展活动，并实施推广活动，创建与现有土木工程技术（CET）计划相关的GIS证书课程。各种州、县和市政府雇员以及众多独立的咨询工程师越来越多地使用GIS作为规划、设计、数据管理和公用事业定位的工具。GIS证书课程为当前的CET学生提供GIS技能，这些技能在进入劳动力市场时与CET学位结合使用。 该项目还为区域CET员工提供额外的学习机会，以扩展和提高他们现有的GIS技能。地理信息系统证书课程的设计是由当地行业雇主组成的咨询委员会指导的，其中许多人也参加了通过该项目开发的新的实习课程，以及ATE GeoTech中心。 由此产生的实践证书课程为学生提供了将GIS技能应用于各种土木工程应用的机会，包括基础设施管理（风暴，卫生，水），走廊研究，环境研究，交通分析和土地管理活动。参加证书课程新开发课程的学生预计将展示GIS硬件和软件的熟练程度，并展示空间数据通信，空间分析和数据交付技能。学生的学习情况通过使用评分表、测试和成绩评估以及同行评议进行评估。 形成性评估正在指导该计划的持续改进。 该项目还正在与区域大学制定衔接协议，允许获得地理信息系统证书的CET学生继续攻读四年制地理信息系统学位。 此外，一个地理信息系统训练营正在向来自CET、农业、市场营销和地理的教职员工提供关于使用地理信息系统的培训，这些教职员工已表示有兴趣将地理信息系统纳入其现有的课程和教学大纲。 最后，该项目正在为K-12学生提供基于GIS的夏令营，以提高他们追求STEM职业的兴趣。

This project is creating a GIS Certificate Program that is related to an existing Civil Engineering Technology (CET) program by creating two new courses, providing new necessary instrumentation relevant to the project, creating a 2+2+2 articulation agreement with area schools and regional universities, conducting faculty development activities, and implementing outreach activities. Various state, county and city government employees as well as numerous independent consulting engineers increasingly use GIS as a tool for planning, design, data management, and utility location. The GIS Certificate Program is providing current CET students with GIS skills that they are using in conjunction with their CET degree upon entering the workforce. The project is also providing regional CET employees with additional learning opportunities that are expanding and enhancing their existing GIS skills. The GIS Certificate Program design is being guided by an advisory board composed of local industry employers, many of whom are also participating in the new Practicum course developed through this project, and the ATE GeoTech Center. The resultant hands-on Certificate Program is providing students with opportunities to apply their GIS skills to various civil engineering applications, including infrastructure management (storm, sanitary, water), corridor studies, environmental studies, traffic analysis, and land management activities. Students enrolled in newly developed courses of the Certificate Program are expected to demonstrate proficiency with GIS hardware and software, and also demonstrate spatial data communication, spatial analysis, and data delivery skills. Student learning is being assessed through the use of rubrics, testing and performance evaluations, and peer review. Formative evaluation is guiding ongoing improvements in the program. The project is also developing articulation agreements with regional universities that are allowing CET students who earn the GIS certificate to continue their studies towards 4-year GIS degrees. In addition, a GIS training camp is providing training on the use of GIS to faculty and staff from CET, agriculture, marketing, and geography who have demonstrated interest towards incorporating GIS into their existing courses and curricula. Finally, the project is providing GIS-based summer camps for K-12 students in order to enhance their interest in pursuing STEM careers.