For The University
The Industry Board objectives for the University of
Pittsburgh include:
- Provide counsel to CS Department to help ensure curriculum is in line with the ongoing evolution of the Information Technology industry as a whole as evolving / ongoing needs of IB member organizations.
- Facilitate the understanding of how IT is applied within industry.
- Help to foster an entrepreneurial culture among the students and faculty in the Computer Science Department with the objective of the establishment of spin-off companies.
- Facilitate / contribute to the expansion of interaction among alumni, students and Computer Science Department faculty through activities such as social networking, on campus related CS Department events (alumni reunions) and internship / Co-Op opportunities.
- Work with the Computer Science Department to find ways to increase enrollment and retain students in both the B.S. and M.S. program.
Current Initiatives
Capstone Class
The Capstone Class, CS1680 Special
Topics in Computer Science, provides students with real
world projects experience. Industry Board member
companies define a project to be completed by student
teams of 3 or 4 in one semester. Teams work closely with their industry mentor or faculty mentor to complete the project in a timely manner. Company project leaders evaluate the performance at the end of the project.
Contributions
Financial contribution to the Computer Science Department and / or University is not a specific objective or expectation for IB member firms. However, should an IB organization wish to expand their partnership with the Computer Science Department or the university at large, the IB representative must work directly with the Computer Science Department Chair and / or the university’s Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (who also represents the university during IB meeting). Examples of areas for potential financial contributions include corporate sponsorships, guest lecture series or funding projects within the Computer Science Department.
Notwithstanding the above, IB member firms are encouraged help provide basic sponsorship and support, to the degree possible, various campus activities and initiatives related to the IB (e.g., Computer Science Day and Marketplace events, the Guest Lecturer from IB member organizations and TLI). Basic sponsorship and support examples include the contribution of time by IB members, participation of employees from IB member firms (e.g., as a guest lecturer), pizza or marketing products available from IB member firms (e.g., coffee mugs) that can be provided to students.