IT Academy LiveMeeting 12/10

12/10/08 11:00 EST https://www.livemeeting.com/lrs/microsoft1/Registration.aspx?pageName=r9wh9xj91p0sb3z6

At times like this when we’re all looking at ways to save precious dollars and time across our institutions and communities, I want to alert you to an important learning and professional development resource for schools, Microsoft IT Academy. The Microsoft IT Academy program is exclusively available to academic institutions to provide an affordable learning solution and toolkit from Microsoft to benefit your school, students, faculty and staff.

As learners demand education around the newest technologies, IT Academy is designed to keep pace and meet the employment prep needs of students while also providing a host of resources for faculty and staff of the institution to be more proficient with the latest innovations. The program allows institutions flexibility to embed Microsoft into their existing programs and extend their impact and reach for students and employers.

 

For just $1,750 per year (Advanced Level price) you can provide official Microsoft educational resources for your entire staff as well as your students on the latest Microsoft technologies. Courses are available to students and faculty working toward proficiency with everyday business applications as well as to those pursuing advanced IT training. Membership can help you accelerate course development with a comprehensive package of courseware, e-learning programs, course management tools, and more. Schools also realize discounts on exams and courseware as part of the IT Academy program.

Benefit highlights include:

§ Reduced costs for technology training through an extensive portfolio of benefits for students, and for faculty and staff professional development. E-learning provided to just four students or teachers saves schools the equivalent of their annual membership fee.

§ Save faculty time with a “ready to go” solution for technology education.

§ E-learning - over 300 courses available to Advanced Level members, as well as a course management tool allowing instructors to administer courses and monitor students’ progress.

§ Link academic learning to real-world skills to prepare students with the IT skills needed for the workforce.

§ E-Reference Library – members receive three complimentary faculty subscriptions to a digital, fully searchable online database of more than 500 technology titles published by Microsoft Press. Faculty members can save time finding that specific technical reference they need for teaching and research. Plus 60% discounts are available for additional faculty and for student subscriptions.

§ Workforce credentials – Certifications available in IT Academy help prepare students for the work world ahead and are globally recognized, workforce credentials, recognized by Microsoft customers and partners worldwide.

§ Flexibility to incorporate IT Academy content to existing curriculum pathways and learning solutions

Attached, you will find an outline of the program benefits.

For detailed information on the Microsoft IT Academy program benefits and membership levels, please visit www.microsoftitacademy.com, or email itareach@microsoft.com.

Did you know?

· Microsoft IT Academy is one of the fastest growing industry-academic partner programs in North America -- doubling in size last year

· Microsoft IT Academy provides all of your students, faculty and staff with access to hundreds of official Microsoft e-learning courses for one low membership price

· Microsoft IT Academy contributes to workforce development initiatives on campus and student employability objectives

· Microsoft IT Academy helps connect student learning with workforce skills

· Microsoft IT Academy provides flexibility for inclusion in credit, degree-granting programs and certificates as well as non-credit programs

· Microsoft IT Academy provides schools, faculty and students with exclusive exam discounts

· Microsoft IT Academy allows you to brand your programs and institution with the Microsoft IT Academy logo

· Microsoft IT Academy membership gets your school and contact listed in the academy locator tool on the Microsoft public website

· Microsoft IT Academy is an affordable learning solution with benefits for your entire campus community

 

Find out more by attending one of our upcoming Live Meeting sessions about IT Academy that I’ll host and present with my colleague Jeff Johnson, who is Academic Area Lead for Microsoft Learning in North America. I’ve invited Jeff to provide all of you across my territory with an update about the latest IT Academy program benefits, how IT Academy is being implemented in higher education institutions to benefit students, faculty and staff, and the steps you can take to join and realize the member benefits and partnership with Microsoft for your school. I encourage you to mark your calendar and plan now to attend one of these sessions to learn more and find out how IT Academy can benefit your campus community right away. By the way, if you’re already an IT Academy I also welcome and encourage you to attend, perhaps learn something new about the IT Academy program and contribute to our discussion and learning.