Certificates

My institution has just approved an undergraduate minor called Digital Media and Game Design. Because we are the only public university in central/northern New Hampshire, our mission includes providing educational opportunities for the regional community, primarily adult learners. Our community education office just asked my department whether we would be willing to package our minor into a certificate program. In other words, people from the regional community who are not matriculated as students would be able to come to the University, take the 16 credits that comprise the minor and leave with a certificate in Digital Media and Game Design. There are lots of logistical questions to be answered before we agree to offer this certification and I personally feel a bit mixed about it. But I was wondering whether others have experience with such programs or have opinions about the value of such programs. What kinds of questions should we be asking ourselves as we determine whether to offer the certification?

I forgot to sign this--Cathie LeBlanc, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH

Sold out.

The GDC 2007 Education Workshops sold out just as the early bird registration deadline hit. On the one hand, of course I'm happy to see we're sold out. On the other, I know it's in part due to venue constraints.

I've been running into this "sold out" issue a lot lately. The game day for the First Nations Technology Conference happening on February 22 in Vancouver, BC is overbooked as well. But there's still more interest and we have to turn people away!

And why? Venues.

I feel like, in the event management world, I'm the indie, and the venues are the retailers. And while venues do exist to support events, I had a much better time putting together the Northwest Games Festival at the Native American Student and Community Center in Portland, Oregon with the help of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society than currently in Vancouver, BC with a hotel.

I'd like to find ways to use more institutions as venues for game education events, to allow for lower costs and higher attendance flexibility. Because spending upwards of $1000 per table with a cloth on it for an expo makes you realize why conference registration fees are so high and also makes you a bit annoyed about being limited in how many people can register.

Beth A. Dillon
Communications Director