The Fond du Lac Tribal Technology and Science Infrastructure Project

Fond Du Lac Tribal And Community College, Cloquet MN

Investigators

Abstract

This project was developed as a result of a technology and science planning process that Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College (FDLTCC) initiated in 2000 and is still continuing. This planning effort involved a large number of college and community stakeholder groups and provided both the underlying concepts for this proposal as well as the outline for specific curriculum programs and hardware/software infrastructure needs. The project proposed has several interrelated elements. High performance computing assets, including Internet2 hookup, cluster installation, and visualization panels, are put into place to support both curriculum and research agendas. The research agenda is centered in ongoing research efforts at the college in environmental science, soil mapping, computational science, and information technology (IT). The research effort is designed to provide students with experience in research, experience with the collaborative research environment, and experimential activities related to what they are studying. The grant also proposes to build a partnership with the University of Minnesota's Laboratory for Computational Science and Engineering, both to provide help with constructing the high performance infrastructure, as well as a research agenda that will involve students in computational science, physics, and other SMET-related curriculum areas. Other collaborative efforts will be implemented with current partners involved in FDLTCC research projects. At the proposed project's heart are curriculum development and implementation activities designed to not only build on the enhanced research projects, but to also initiate new SMET degrees. Research with FDLTCC's target student population has indicated that these degrees and a one-year certificate program will increase the number of Native American students majoring in SMET-related programs. These degrees are all designed to launch a new curriculum track design, which provides a core of Information Technology courses that students can use to build either baccalaureate or associate degrees in a number of different disciplines. The degrees and certificate initiated through the project will include: A GIS/GPS certificate which can be earned in conjunction with the environmental science, computer science, and law enforcement associate degrees; a baccalaureate in computer science with the IT core; an associate degree in E-Crime and Computer Security that can be earned with the IT core, the GIS/GPS certificate, and the college's current Minnesota Transfer or Law Enforcement associate degrees in order to complete the requirements for a baccalaureate. The new IT core will also be available to baccalaureate students in Elementary Education at FDLTCC. By the end of the grant, enrollment in these curriculum areas will support continuation of each program based on the timetable described in the grant. The last two elements of the grant include the plan to develop an associate degree online for students located at FDLTCC's Augsburg Offsite program that serves the Native American community in St. Paul/Minneapolis. This effort will also use the high performance computing resources built through the project. SMET related faculty and staff development activities are also included designed to increase IT sophistication at FDLTCC as well as to increase the number of MS and Ph.D.-qualified faculty in SMET-related areas.