On June 30, 2023, I retired from the Texas A&M University System after 29 years of service. Recent events on the main TAMU campus have led to me return almost immediately as a “working retiree.” What would bring me back, you ask?
Over the last three years, the Technology Management program has completely reshaped and updated their degree to reflect a foundation in IT Service Management (ITSM). The new degree is a Bachelor of Arts in IT Service Management and receives its first cohort of students in in the fall, 2024. This degree reflects what I and many of our faculty believe is a new focus for IT professionals – one based on a foundation of IT Service Management with a strong portfolio of technical skills and plenty of room for our students to build out concentrations of study for the myriad IT-related jobs in and around the perimeter of the industry.
But the changes in the degree are just the tip of the iceberg. We are working with educational psychologists (I’m one) to focus the program heavily on career development during the student’s academic tenure. This is a holistic approach based upon career assessment starting on day one and extending to graduation and beyond. With ITSM as the foundation, our program can be shaped and molded to accommodate virtually any IT career our students can think of.
For example, this semester, I have a student that wants to be an IT-focused auditor. She has identified a minor in finance that, when coupled with her IT technical skills and ITSM foundation, will position her for a strong IT career most likely in the banking sector when she graduates.
Why did I come back? It’s for fun.