CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCEi

Geographic Information System and Global Positioning System

 

I.          INTRODUCTION

 

            A.        Date

 

                        September 11, 2008

 

            B.        Name of Certificate of Competence (CoC)

 

                        Certificate of Competence in Geographic Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS)

 

            C.        Date of proposed implementation

 

                        Fall 2009

 

            D.        Summary of proposal

 

                        The Certificate of Competence in GIS/GPS certifies that a student has successfully completed two GIS/GPS courses as well as Windward Community College (WCC) Computer and Information Literacy (CIL) requirement. These achievements will provide a student with basic computer skills as well as job entry level skills in GIS/GPS, or an opportunity for job upgrading.

 

II.         OBJECTIVES AND NEED FOR COURSE OR COURSE SEQUENCE

 

            A.        Objectives

 

                        Provide students with entry level or job upgrading skills in GIS (ArcGIS 9 software by ESRI)/GPS and other computer skills through completion of (a) five credits of GIS/GPS courses and (b) the four components of the WCC CIL requirement.

 

            B.        Need

 

                        Currently WCC offers one course in GIS/GPS (GIS 150), which introduces students to ArcGIS 9 software and a GPS unit. To make full use of GIS, however, more hands-on experience with research application and other basic data management skills are necessary. For support from WCC students, see Appendix 1 attached. (Note: Appendix is not included in this htm document.)

 

                        Some government offices (US Geological Survey, State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources, Honolulu City & County Department of Planning & Permitting) and business enterprises (ESRI, Belt Collins, Castle & Cooke, Group 70, Helber Hastert & Fee, Parsons Brinckerhoff) responded positively to queries about the value of this certificate proposal (see Appendix 2). (Note: Appendix is not included in this htm document.) This establishes a need for a certificate program that can augment and clearly clarify the skill level of a student.

 

            C.        Duration

 

                        Indefinitely

 

            D.        Target group

 

                        The target group is students, who seek entry-level job skills or upgrading in the areas of environmental management, conservation, planning, research analysis, survey, real estate, utility management, and more.

 

                        Currently the projected number of students who will enroll in and complete this certificate is five students per year. The potential to increase this number exist because students with GIS skills are in great demand in Hawai‘i, across the country and around the world. Some information resources:

 

                        (1) Local (Hawai‘i) jobs

                                    Hawai‘i Workforce Informer (http://www.hiwi.org/): A local listing of companies looking for professionals with GIS skills

 

                        (2) National and international jobs

                                    The GIS Jobs Clearinghouse (http://www.gjc.org/)

                                    GISjobs.com (http://www.gisjobs.com/)

 

                        (3) Salary range:

                                    GIS salary survey (http://www.gisjobs.com/survey/countries.jsp)

 

            E.         Offered at any other college in the system?

 

                        (1)       Pacific EMPRINTS offers “Geographic Information Technologies for Emergency Preparedness and Response.” This four-day course ($75) introduces participants to GIS and GPS technologies and their applications in emergency management, preparedness and response. Participants completing the module will receive a Certificate of Completion from ESRI. (ArcGIS 1 certificate) The class is offered via UH but the certificate is not issued by UH. This course represents a brief introduction to ArcGIS/GPS.

 

III.       DESCRIPTION OF COURSE OR COURSE SEQUENCE

 

            A. Curriculum

 

            Requirements (5 credits):

            (1)       GIS 150 (Introduction to GIS/GPS): 3 credits

            (2)       NREM 250 (GIS Application in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Management): 2 credits; OR

                        GIS/NREM 199/299 (Independent studies): 2 credits

            (3)       CIL: Successful completion

 

GIS 150 prepares students with ArcGIS 9 (currently we have a basic ArcView-level license and use the version 9.3). The textbook is ESRI’s Getting to Know ArcGIS Desktop 2nd edition. Students will go through the textbook, complete lab exercises, and produce a semester project. They are thoroughly exposed to ArcGIS 9 software in this introductory class. The class also exposes students to a GPS unit and how to download GPS data to ArcGIS.

 

NREM 250 is an overview of GIS applications. Students are also introduced to the basics of integrating GPS and remote sensing into GIS to solve problems.

 

GIS 299 is an independent study course. Students participate as interns at various local government offices or private companies to learn hands-on application of GIS/GPS.

 

Computer and Information Literacy (CIL) is a requirement for WCC students who wish to graduate with an Associate of Arts degree. For this requirement, students must demonstrate basic skills in using computers to locate, manage, and communicate information in preparation to participate fully and effectively in today’s society. A student fulfills the CIL requirement by passing an exam consisting of four components: file management and word processing, e-mail communication, information literacy, and using spreadsheets.

 

IV.       RESOURCE REQUIREMENTS

 

            A.        Additional staff required

 

                        None

 

            B.        Additional facilities or equipment required

 

                        None. WCC already has 25 lab-kit licenses for ArcGIS 9 on 20 computers in the No‘eau 124 Computer Lab and 5 computers in Hoa‘aina RS/GIS Center.

 

            C.        Budget

 

                        Annual maintenance fee for the ArcGIS 9 lab-kit: $350 (currently paid by PaCES)

 

i Certificate of Competence (CoC): A college credential for students who have successfully completed designated short-term credit or non-credit courses which provide them with job upgrading or entry-level skills. The issuance of a Certificate of Competence requires that the student’s work has been evaluated and determined to be satisfactory. Credit course sequences shall be at least 4 but less than 10 credit hours. In a credit course sequence the student must earn a GPA of 2.0 or better for all courses required in the certificate.