Abstract: Universities, and more specifically instructors in four-year undergraduate programs in computer information systems, have been challenged to produce technically trained graduates that can work effectively in a team environment to produce new products, processes and systems. A cooperative university/industry student project can be an effective way for the university instructor to teach and nurture skills in interdisciplinary problem solving, teamwork and communication. Members of the local DPMA chapter can support cooperative projects by being a source new projects, by providing technical information to student teams, and by attending and critiquing the final presentation. A case study of a cooperative university/industry student project is presented. A survey, administered to industry professionals at the final presentation of the project, indicated that industry professionals would be more likely to sponsor student internships and future student projects, and to hire a graduate of a program in information systems.

Keywords: Team projects, Curriculum development, Teaching methods, DPMA chapter

Download this article: JISEv5n1p22.pdf

Recommended Citation: Mathieu, R. G. (1993). Bridging the Gap Between the University and the Local DPMA Chapter: The Case for Cooperative University/Industry Student Projects. Journal of Information Systems Education, 5(1), 22-26.