WHAT'S NEW IN CIS AT BCC

Take courses over the Internet: This summer, three CIS courses will be offered over the Web. The courses are CIS13, CIS44, CIS50. See Mrs. Grocer for details.

Mr. Vieira will be teaching CIS13 which covers business creativity over the Web this summer. There will be some in class meetings as well. If you are interested, be sure to talk to him.

Mrs. Grocer will be teaching CIS44 which covers developing Web Pages using HTML and JavaScript in addition to a web package this summer. The course will be offered exclusively over the Web. Mrs. Grocer will be available this summer and if students want to schedule a class or two, it can be arranged.

Mrs. Grocer will also be teaching CIS50 (Oracle, SQL and PL/SQL) over the Web this summer. She has committed to coming to campus at least half the time to deliver lectures. Because these meetings have to be planned around some courses that she wants to take, the meeting days will be posted on the Web at least a week ahead of time. When the class meets, it will meet at 12:15 on Tuesdays. Attendance is totally optional. The class can be taken exclusively over the Web.

The CIS Department's new proposal for a WebMaster option has been approved and will appear in the new catalog. We will start teaching the first year courses this year! This option mixes design, development, database access and administering of the site. If you find the opportunities that the Web offers exciting and you want to be part of the incredible impact that the Internet is having on society and business, seriously consider this option!

The CIS Department's changes to the Programming Option, the Networking Option and the Multimedia and the Internet Option have been approved. For details, see your advisor or Mrs. Grocer.


Developments...


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LETTER TO APPLICANTS

I am delighted to hear that you are interested in becoming part of the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Program at Bristol Community College. As a department, we are dedicated to providing students with the knowledge and skills to pursue a wide variety of careers within today's computer field. The CIS Department offers five degree options within the computer major and five certificate programs that provide students with the opportunity to develop in a variety of ways!
Degree Programs Certificate Programs
Computer Programming Career A+ Certification
Network Career Internet
Microcomputers in Business Career Computer Fundamentals
Multimedia and Internet Career Electronic and Multimedia Communications
Computer Information Systems Transfer Lotus Notes
Webmaster Career  
Within the Computer Information Systems Department, we strive to provide students with a strong and solid knowledge of computers that will serve them today and provide a sound background to build upon in the future. We can't teach tomorrow's languages or tomorrow's application packages, but we are successful in developing within our students the confidence, background, techniques and logical ability that allows them to constantly expand their knowledge and grow within their chosen profession. The CIS Department is constantly changing and upgrading our programs and developing new programs to stay current with this rapidly changing field. We were a leader in bringing a Novell Certification program to the Fall River/New Bedford area and Bristol Community College was chosen as one of six sites throughout the world to pilot teaching Lotus Notes in a college credit program, and now we are offering the opportunity to prepare for the A+ Certification Exam.

We continue to move forward, developing new programs and certificates to keep our students current in the computer field. We are heavily involved in the use of the Internet and the development of Web pages by both faculty and students. A few years ago, a new two-year degree option called the Multimedia and Internet Career option was developed. Students in this new degree option will learn a wide variety of computer communication skills including desk-top-publishing, how to create professional presentations, graphic layouts, brochures, advertisements and World Wide Web home pages and how to utilize multimedia tools to increase presentation effectiveness. This year we have developed a new option called Webmaster Career that will focus on the design, development of Web Sites along with database access and site administration. This option will bring the students of Southeastern Massachusetts another strong computer program complementing our Programming, Network, Microcomputers in Business and Transfer options.

The faculty and staff associated with the Computer Information Systems Department are dedicated to helping our students acquire an excellent education. We spend many hours outside of class working with students in small groups and individually helping them to achieve their potential. We have professors that are certified in Novell and Lotus Notes and are constantly striving to stay current within their field.

Our students work hard and develop a knowledge and confidence level that makes them valued employees. Students graduating from the CIS Department are prepared for employment in one or more of the following areas:

The CIS Department at Bristol offers a strong program that prepares our students for a wide variety of career paths within the computer field. The program is supported by a faculty and staff that are strongly committed to supporting our students and helping them learn! If you have any questions or would like to meet with me to discuss our programs, please don't hesitate to contact me. My phone number on campus is: (508) 678-2811 ext. 2403. My e-mail address is pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu. If I am not available, please leave a message on my voice mail or on my e-mail and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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LETTER TO ALUMNI

Request for alumni help...
Information form to submit...

One of the problems with teaching is when it ends it ends... Keeping up with what former students are doing just doesn't seem to happen. I would like to take this opportunity to rectify that. I want to hear what you are doing and I want to tell you about the new Computer Information Systems Department.

We have made lots of changes in the CIS Department over the last few years. Depending on when you graduated, you may not recognize the place! Instead of just the familiar Computer Programming Department, we are now the Computer Information Systems Department with five degree options and four certificate programs. We are striving to provide BCC students with a wide variety of career paths and a strong program within each option. Here is a brief overview of where we are today.

DEGREE OPTIONS:
COMPUTER PROGRAMMING The focus of this option is clearly programming - students can take Visual Basic, C++, COBOL, Visual dBase, JAVA and we are exploring making Internet languages part of this curriculum instead of an elective. This program is highly transferable and many students use it as their transfer option because they can take advantage of more of the practical CIS courses offered at BCC.
MICROCOMPUTERS IN BUSINESS This option focuses on applications (MSOffice and Lotus), the computer environment (operating systems, networking, hardware, and the Internet), and includes programming using Visual Basic and Visual dBase and systems analysis and design. Because of revisions to courses, the program also includes the courses needed to get A+ certification. The course will be further redesigned this year to include more work with the Internet.
NETWORKING This program is primarily designed around the certification requirements of Novell. Graduates have taken all of the required courses for certification as a CNE. In addition, they take a basic course in UNIX. We have modified this program to include an optional introduction to Windows NT and are exploring our expansion into this area. Students also learn to program in C and Visual dBase.
MULTIMEDIA AND THE INTERNET This option emphasizes graphics (including a course on layout), electronic publishing, presentation software, multimedia, effective use of the Internet and Internet development using JAVA and HTML. Students also learn to program in Visual Basic and Visual dBase. There is a required course in marketing.
INFORMATION SYSTEMS TRANSFER This is out standard transfer option with minimal computer courses and emphasis on a broad liberal arts program. There are multiple electives to allow students to design the program to meet the requirements of the college they plan to transfer to.

CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS:
LOTUS NOTES This certificate covers using Lotus Notes as a user and as a developer with an introduction to systems administration.
ELECTRONIC MULTIMEDIA This certificate includes the basic graphic, publishing, presentation and multimedia courses covered in the degree program.
INTERNET The certificate covers Internet use, development (using JAVA and HTML) and layout for designing Web pages.
COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS This certificate provides basic user literacy.

We are constantly revisiting our options, developing new options and trying to decide what needs to be done to best serve students. This year we will be reworking the Microcomputer In Business option, fine-tuning our Multimedia and the Internet program and working on the development of a new option with the Engineering department that would focus on computer repair and upgrading.

Request for Alumni Help

This is one of the ways you can help! I would truly like your opinion on some of the topics that are being discussed by the department. But, that is not all... In addition, I am trying to put together an outcomes assessment report to evaluate whether the CIS Department is doing its job. I want to know if we served you well, if you were pleased with the program at BCC, if you stayed in the field and if so what you have done and are doing. I also want your opinion of our new options and certificate programs. Do you feel that our students will be prepared for jobs in today's job market? I need to know, how we are doing, what we should be doing differently and how we can improve? I can't emphasize enough how important it is for me to hear from a wide variety of people so that I can better understand and develop our programs! Please try not to think of this as "an assignment", think of it as a way to help the CIS Department at BCC develop according to your vision!!!

To get all this information, I am going to be calling students as well as sending out surveys, asking you to answer some questions and give me some feedback. Hopefully this survey will provide information on how we are doing, where we should change and how best to serve tomorrow's students. If I don't reach you during the summer of 1998 it is probably because I do not have the correct phone number or address. Please either write me a note, give me a call, send me an e-mail, or fill out the form below. My BCC phone number is 508-678-2811 ext. 2403 and my e-mail address is pgrocer@bristol.mass.edu. Thank you for any help you can provide!

Alumni Form

Please send me information and comments:

Name:

Street:

City :

State: ZIP:

Phone:

e-mail:

Working in the computer field
Working with computers some of the time
Not working with computers

Comments:


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