June 17, 2002
Fact Sheet on National Science Foundation Grant

What is the purpose of the grant?
The National Science Foundation awarded this grant to a College of the Canyons-led consortium ­ the California Regional Consortium for Engineering Advances in Technological Education, or Project CREATE ­ to be expanded into a Regional Center for Information and Manufacturing Technology.

How much is the grant?
The grant totals $1,992,915. The grant will be funded in three installments over the next three years, beginning July 1, 2002.

Is this College of the Canyons money?
No, although College of the Canyons will act as fiscal manager with authority to disperse funds as needed. While some of the funds may be received by College of the Canyons departments involved in the creation of the regional center, College of the Canyons may use these funds only for that purpose.

What is the purpose of this regional center?
The center will have seven goals:

1. Training of part-time community college faculty entering the classroom for the first time in becoming more adept teachers
2. Develop hands-on workshops and stand-alone lesson plans for high school and community college educators in technology; aimed at both teaching the teachers in basic technology skills, providing resources for use in the classroom and increasing feeder programs at the high school level
3. Increase the number of bachelor’s degree programs in technology available at four-year universities and increase their accessibility by bringing them to community college campuses, similar to the College of the Canyons University Center program
4. Create a system for developing a greater number of internship opportunities with business partners
5. Develop, adapt and implement regional programs in network security, wireless and telecommunications technologies and manufacturing technology
6. Evaluate and contrast the success of students who have completed technical certifications on-line vs. in-class
7. Implement a model of evaluation that follows past, present and future students as they enter the workforce

What is the significance of a regional center?
A regional center provides other institutions with advice, guidance, materials and resources. There are currently fewer than two-dozen regional centers across the country. This will be the only one based in Southern California.

What is Project CREATE?
Project CREATE began as an NSF-funded partnership in 1997 among seven community colleges in Southern California. Theses colleges included: College of the Canyons, Allan Hancock College, Moorpark College, Santa Barbara City College, Antelope Valley College, Cuesta College and Oxnard College. The project’s mission was to increase enrollment in science and technology courses at community colleges and develop and offer hands-on technical training to both community college and high school faculty.

Has Project CREATE succeeded?
As of the fall of 2001, more than 3,000 students were enrolled in CREATE courses, which exceeded the project’s goal of 2,000. A total of 30 new associate and certificate programs have been created at community colleges in engineering, manufacturing, electronics and information technologies, doubling its goal of 15 programs; 105 new courses were also developed.

Which four-year universities have become involved?
Currently, five four-year universities have become involved. These universities are: California State University, Northridge; California State University, Channel Islands; California State University, Fresno; Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Cal Poly Pomona. Emphasis is being placed on creating more bachelor’s degree programs in science and technology and offering them off-site at community college locations, thereby increasing their accessibility.

How will success be evaluated?
Evaluation will be a major component of the project An evaluator will work with the project staff to develop evaluation questions and an evaluation plan for each year, develop appropriate information-gathering techniques, collect data, analyze data and write an annual report. The reports for the first two years will help assess ongoing project activities. The report for the final year will assess project success, or the extent to which completed projects have met goals.

Who is in charge of this program?
The Regional Center Director is Kathy Alfano, Ph.D. Alfano has been director of Project CREATE since its inception in 1997. She also served as Dean of Educational Technology and Professional Programs at College of the Canyons from 1996 to 2000.

Where will this regional center be located?
The main office is on the College of the Canyons campus. The office phone number is (661) 362-3368.

What is the National Science Foundation?
The National Science Foundation is an independent agency of the U.S. government, established by the National Science Foundation Act of 1950. The Foundation consists of the National Science Board and a director, each appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. NSF’s mission is to promote the progress of science, to advance national health, prosperity and welfare and to secure national defense. NSF does this in a variety of ways, including awarding graduate fellowships, initiating specific activities designed to support the use of technology and computers, and by awarding grants and contracts to programs designed to strengthen scientific activities in educational settings.