The highest levels of community college administration face significant challenges in supporting technology programs at their institutions. They are faced with a quandary. For economic development in their region, a skilled workforce is critical in the IT, manufacturing, engineering technology and biotechnology sectors, for example. To be responsive to those sectors, presidents recognize the need to support and maintain the currency of their technology education programs. However, enrollments in many programs (excluding health care) are suffering, and the cost of expensive laboratory equipment and infrastructure may force a CEO's decision to limit the college's support. Industry has the expectation that colleges will, of course, support these programs.

Deans and faculty members address a whole series of related issues. They are much more on the front line of struggling with the classes' need to make as well as limited resources for recruiting and promotion activities. How do they balance fulfilling students' needs, the budget, the expectations of industry, and the demands of the upper administration?

In this web seminar, following introductory remarks, the moderator will set the stage for the discussion. A college president, dean and faculty member will address these significant challenges. The panelists will explore the question of sustainability of the current status quo. They will respond to the question: "Will technology education programs as we know them disappear and be replaced by new models for workforce and economic development?"