SAG 2008 Winners

Monterey Peninsula College

Project Goal

With funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Monterey Peninsula College led a year-long study to develop A Plan for the National Coordination of Geospatial Technology Education from a Community College Perspective in an effort to:
• Document the issues, needs, and concerns of community college educators
• Produce recommendations for a National Geospatial Technology Center (NGTC)
• Place the recommendations within the context of the work that has been accomplished by the Department of Labor, higher education (such as UCGIS, NCGIA), and other organizations relating to professional certification and accreditation (such as GISCI, USGIF).
An NGTC will play an indispensable role in furthering the advancement of GST education. As a result of this effort, the NSF has funded an NGTC. The proposed National Geospatial Technology Center of Excellence (NGTCe) will be housed at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi, Texas and is scheduled to begin in July 2008.
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Business Problem Solved

Community colleges, although important providers of GIS education, have not been well-coordinately nationally and have been absent from many national geospatial technology initiatives. Furthermore, geospatial technology education funding from federal agencies has not been well-coordinated resulting in a duplication of effort for some areas while leaving other emerging areas overlooked. This project was led by an existing national center in marine technology (MATE Center) in an effort to be as inclusive as possible in determining the role and function of a new National Geospatial Technology Center. This new Center will provide a voice for community colleges in national initiatives and serve as a clearinghouse for geospatial curriculum, workforce information, and professional development opportunities for educators.

Technology Implemented

Although not central to this project, ArcGIS was used to show the spatial distribution of the educators participating in this study.

Development Team Biography

Deidre Sullivan, Director of the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center at Monterey Peninsula College. Deidre conducts workforce research related to ocean and geospatial technologies. Deidre is also the department chair for the Marine Science and Technology program at Monterey Peninsula College and teaches courses in seaflooring mapping, GIS, and the Earth and marine sciences.
Terry Brase,PI of AgrowKnowledge at Kirkwood Community College
Ann Johnson, Higher Education Manager for ESRI