May 16, 2007 :: No. 201

Chat rooms have been a way of life for two years for a group of like-minded students at Cal State Fullerton. Yet, far from being a distraction, their chat sessions have propelled them toward commencement.

These 20 students — all working professionals — will be the inaugural graduates of the university’s online master’s degree program in information technology.

Their May 20 commencement ceremony will be one of the rare times they get together in person, or even set foot to campus, since virtually all of their instruction has been delivered online.

The two-year program, launched in 2005 in the university’s College of Business and Economics, is designed for information technology professionals to earn an advanced degree while holding down full-time jobs.

That’s exactly what Jesus A. Sanchez, a computer consultant in Chino Hills, was looking for when he applied to Cal State Fullerton. As a consultant, he needed a program that allowed him to take classes on his irregular schedule. “When I saw it on the Web, I knew it was the right step for me. The real convenience was being able to work on the program on my own time,” he said.

“As an independent consultant, I have to keep on the cutting edge of technology. This program was very helpful.”

The program included classes in systems analysis and design, programming concepts, database management, data communications and electronic commerce, as well as management of information in the corporate environment, and financial and managerial accounting.

Each course lasted for 16 weeks, and students were enrolled in two courses each session. Lectures and supplemental materials were available online, and participants interacted with fellow students and their professors through chat sessions and e-mail, only coming to campus for tests and the initial “Boot-Up Camp.”

“Everything went pretty well,” said program coordinator James Hightower, emeritus professor of information systems and decision sciences. “All of our graduates are working professionals, and they worked very hard to complete this program. They did a good job.”

The candidates for graduation from this inaugural class, listed by cities of residence, are:

• Anaheim — Steven W. Jenkins, Randy O. Sturgeon
• Artesia — Luis M. De Leon
• Cerritos — Lawrie L. Morey
• Chino — Marc T. Trinh, Jesus A. Sanchez
• Compton — George G. McCalmon
• Corona — William Majorossy
• Costa Mesa — Geoff W. Hurst
• Fullerton — Howard G. Thurston
• Glendale — Sevag Dekermenjian
• La Habra Heights — Cherie M. Faucon
• Newport Beach — Alan G. Cseresznyak
• Placentia — Rohtash Kapoor
• Rosemead — Wen L. Chia
• Rowland Heights — Mark A. Benz
• San Diego — Rehana Rahiman
• Santa Ana — Ba H. Nguyen
• Walnut — Danny I. Hahn
• Yorba Linda — Scott Helf

Inquiries for the program have come from all across the country and overseas, including Singapore and Saudi Arabia, said Hightower. The next group, which numbers 18 students, is scheduled to graduate in 2008.

Applications for the incoming class of students are now being accepted. The next “Boot-Up Camp” is scheduled for Aug. 18. Additional information about the program is available online: http://www.business.fullerton.edu/isds/msit.

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