Overview
ACC collaborates in an innovative and nationally-recognized partnership with the Army Futures Command to support the Software Factory at the Rio Grande Campus. Faculty in the Computer Science Department provide instruction in two of the three instructional areas (Software Engineering and Platform Engineering) as part of a 16-week “boot camp” for soldiers. UX/UI (User Experience/ User Interface) is the third focus of the boot camp and ACC is in the process of hiring a faculty member for this area.
Impact
- On February 13, 2023, ACC launched courses for 11 soldiers in software engineering and three soldiers in platform engineering. The courses are offered in a four-week format, and the soldiers will have completed eight courses by the end of boot camp on June 9.
- All courses are articulated to credit courses so that soldiers can receive college credit. College credit was aligned with the technical training in the Software Engineering track and the Platform Engineering track.
- Completing the first cohort of 14 soldiers supports our partnership with the Army Futures Command and enables their soldiers to earn college credit.
- Offering classes in a four-week condensed format resulted in a partnership that meets the instructional format required by the Army and supports innovative course offerings for ACC students.
Next Steps
- The next cohort of soldiers will start ACC courses in August 2023.
- The department will continue to crosswalk learning outcomes so that ACC can offer the UX/UI platform as college credit courses.
- ACC faculty will spend the summer refining the pedagogy to incorporate more project-based learning.
- Additional planning will support a process through which the soldiers become students at ACC, enabling them to earn college credit toward a certificate and associate degree leading to the bachelor’s degree.
- Additional faculty are needed to provide a sustainable instructional plan.
- The college will focus on upgrades to the labs to provide the latest technology for soldiers.