Abstract

The research on the topic “Assessment and Viability of IT Concentration Extension at AUK” has been conducted in order to produce a full report on IT concentration by analyzing it from different perspectives. The report assesses the strength and weaknesses of the current IT concentration at AUK and analyzes the enrollment trend over the past years since the concentration initiation. The end purpose of the report is to provide recommendations and guidelines for effective and successful extension of the current IT concentration at AUK but also provide valuable insights in this concentration. AUK is the only higher institution in Kosovo that offers IT as a university program. Other universities offer IT-related programs but none of them offers the same program as AUK does. Nevertheless, the IT concentration at AUK has not experienced an increase in the number of the enrollment and the number of students enrolled has remained to the minimum level which is a threat for the entire concentration to be terminated. Hence, there are 730 students studying IT in private universities in Kosovo, but AUK has been able to absorb only 30 of them. Although the satisfaction of these students at AUK is relatively good, there is still a lot improvement. The major causes for such a low number of students include: ▫ Low number of professors ▫ Lack of general courses in IT ▫ Not enough advertising and promotion Based on both primary and secondary research conducted to gain more insights in IT concentration in terms of both inside and outside perspective, the report presents several recommendations: ▫ Increasing the number of professors in IT ▫ Increasing cooperation between AUK and TDI and IT and web design companies ▫ Using positive feedback of alumni to encourage enrollment in IT concentration ▫ Focusing in one or two of five pillars of IT ▫ Organizing seminars and public lectures in cooperation with IT Club ▫ Changing the name of the concentration and selecting the courses to be offered

Besides the recommendations, the report also elaborates on how these recommendations can be implemented from a marketing and organizational perspective. The solution designing section of the report discusses the following solutions ▫ Senior Project in IT ▫ Changing the name of the concentration and selecting the courses to be offered ▫ Offering IT-related courses as part of general education ▫ Hiring more professors ▫ More focused advertising campaign ▫ Increasing cooperation between AUK and TDI and IT and Web Design Companies Essentially, the discussion of these solutions tries to answer the question of “How can we market our IT to be worth 6300 Euros?” However, the finances of implementation are outside the focus of this report.

Publication Date

8-5-2013

Document Type

Senior Project

Student Type

Undergraduate

Advisor

David K. Wetzel

Advisor/Committee Member

Daniel Cosentino

Advisor/Committee Member

Brian H. Bowen

Comments

AUK Honors Society

Campus

American University in Kosovo

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