Creating connections: bringing industry and educators together

It is clear that industry involvement is a very valuable part of the educational process, particularly in technical fields that are prone to rapid change. What is not so clear is how to make the connections needed to successfully and meaningfully integrate industry input into curriculums and courses. This paper reports the process and results of creating and hosting a forum designed to bring industry, educators, and students together to share information in order to enhance the education of students in majoring in computer and information technology programs.The goals of the forum were broad. As educators, we wanted to learn what the IT needs of our region are projected to be, connect with industry practitioners in order to find course and curriculum partners, and increase the IT communities awareness of what our students are currently learning. For students, exposure to future employers and an increased awareness of current skills and trends is invaluable. This was especially important for us as we are a relatively new department within the university.Despite some struggles, the forum was highly successful. Attendance was good, the reviews were very positive, and we made some connections that show promise to help us more fully integrate an industry perspective into our courses. In this paper we discuss the lessons learned are applicable to any institution seeking to create a forum to encourage partnerships with industry professionals.