LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE CASE STUDYCISCO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION SERIES

HIGHLIGHTS

Goal: ■ Revitalize the LATTC campus, enhance the educational experiences and outcomes of students, improve the school’s image, and contribute to the ongoing renaissance of downtown Los Angeles by transforming LATTC into a leader in technology and sustainability.

Solution: ■ Introduce an innovative Cisco wireless network that improves connectivity for students, faculty, and staff and provides a reliable platform to support Smart Classrooms, new computer labs, mobile devices, online learning environments, and campus-wide security systems.

Results: ■ Acclimated students to the latest digital technologies, making LATTC graduates more employable

■ Facilitated a sense of community among students, helping lead to a 17.5% increase in enrollment from 2007 to 2009

■ Repositioned the institution as a nationwide leader in sustainability and technology

■ Attracted support from major philanthropic foundations

MAKING THE GRADE: TRANSFORMING AN INNER CITY COMMUNITY COLLEGE INTO A TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Today, a visit to Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATTC) — which has been educating students in downtown Los Angeles for 85 years — reveals a vibrant, connected community of almost 18,000 students, faculty, and staff. The school’s students — many hailing from low-income neighborhoods — work on new PCs and Macs in the campus’ two modern computer labs, and incorporate cameras and iPod Touch devices into their studies. Educators work in Smart

Classrooms that facilitate innovative teaching techniques and promote reusable learning materials. Students and staff are aided by digital signage and protected by a network-based video surveillance system that helps maintain the safety at the LATTC campus — a 25-acre oasis of higher education situated in an economically distressed neighborhood with a high level of gang activity.

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Customer: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College

Background: The college had neglected its IT infrastructure and lacked reliable, modern technologies

Region: United States

Industry: Higher Education/Public Sector

Students/Faculty/Staff: 18,000

Business Issue: Overhaul the college’s outdated technology infrastructure

“We see serving the most challenged neighborhoods in the country as an opportunity to make a much bigger impact in turning lives around. Our greatest return on investment in partnering with Cisco is providing better education and opportunities for our students.” – Roland “Chip”, LATTC President

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LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE STUDY

CISCO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION SERIES

But LATTC didn’t always deserve an “A” in technology. As recently as 2007, the college — notable for its programs in fashion, culinary arts, business, cosmetology, automobile technology, and welding — was failing to meet the rising expectations of students, faculty, staff, and the community. Frustrated students struggled with outdated computers in an overcrowded lab, and had to wander off campus through tough neighborhoods to access a wireless network. Instructors were also stuck with old technology and many were forced to put classroom materials on servers outside of LATTC’s aging network.

Administrators were discouraged by the lack of IT investment, especially in a volatile educational marketplace where competing schools could draw students away with innovative technologies. Worse, without a strong technology focus, the school might fail to educate its students in the computer and technical skills they needed to be a valuable part of the modern workforce. Not surprisingly, LATTC’s enrollment was lagging while drop-out rates were creeping up.

Big challenges, yes. But in the span of just three years, LATTC experienced a complete turnaround, transforming itself into an insti- tution at the very forefront of technology in education. Occurring alongside a campus-wide sustainability initiative, the transformation has reinvigorated the campus and contributed to the renaissance of downtown Los Angeles, where improvements in transportation and livability were already underway.

Clearly, the changes are meeting the rising expectations of LATTC’s students, as evidenced by a 17.5% boost in enrollment from 2007 to 2009, and a retention rate of

87% that is the highest in five years. Admini- strators say technology investments and innovations have allowed it to forge deeper relationships with students while also extend- ing its reach to more students. Moreover, students are graduating with deeper know- ledge of new information technologies, making them better prepared for the workforce.

National charitable foundations have taken notice, with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Irvine Foundation, and The Kresge Foundation publicly praising the college for its achievements. In addition, LATTC is the nation’s only community college to be recognized as a National Center for Green Sustainability and Energy Conservation. Says LATTC President Roland Chapdelaine: “We used to be the bottom of the barrel in the district. Now, we set the standards in the district using technology, and the other schools are looking at us for what they should do.”

INNOVATIVE PARTNERSHIP

After years of neglecting its IT infrastructure, in 2008 LATTC vowed to turn things around. It started by forging a strategic partnership with Cisco, which was hired by the college to help formulate a vision for its technological transformation and find the right solutions to get there.

“ LATTC is in a very challenging area. The resources for students to succeed are now all on campus, and the more time students spend on campus, the more successful they are.” – Mary Gallagher, VP of Administrative Services

Figure 1: LATTC’s Vision of Transformation

Introduce new and modern technologies, such as video, online learning environments and mobile devices, to better connect with students

Create a stronger sense of community from students on

campus by offering newcomputers, wireless access

and digital signage

Acclimate students towards using technology, many for the �rst time in their lives, to prepare students for their future careers

Rebrand the imageof the school as a

leading institution insustainability, technology

and best practices

Leverage thenetwork as the platform

for new devices and services that would enhance the educational experience

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LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE CASE STUDY

CISCO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION SERIES

LATTC and Cisco began by building a solid new foundation for LATTC’s IT infrastructure — a reliable wireless network that students, teachers, and staff could access from anywhere on campus. Enabled by a new core switch in the college’s data center, the wireless network powers a multitude of new devices and educational services. Plus, with the new wireless infrastructure, instructors no longer have to load course materials on outside servers and students never have to leave campus to use wireless devices.

LATTC averages about 125 connected wireless devices during school hours, and the number is growing rapidly. And today, network reliability is never an issue. “Our system used to go down every day,” says Mary Gallagher, LATTC’s vice president of administrative services. “Overnight, the network reliability has turned around.”

Gallagher credits the new network — and the technological innovations made possible by it — with helping LATTC fulfill its goal of

educating a diverse population of students in one of the toughest neighborhoods in the city. “LATTC is located in a very challenging area.” she says. “But now all of the resources that students need to succeed are available on campus. And the more time students spend on campus, the more successful they are.”

TOOLS FOR SUCCESS

The new wireless network kicked off a virtual technology revolution at LATTC. Students have become actively engaged in education, and they’re getting steeped in the next generation of technologies that is driving the new economy. The wireless network not only supports mobile devices, but powers a suite of communications and collaboration solutions, including video, online learning environments, Smart Classrooms, and a fleet of new PCs and Macs at two computer labs (one lab is brand new). It also underpins a host of Cisco technologies like digital signage, VoIP solutions, and a campus-wide security system.

Online learning environments and video have become important tools for instructors and students at LATTC, which now offers more than 40 online classes per semester, in subjects ranging from marketing to art history to math. Most traditional courses also feature an online learning component. Instructors commonly post a portion of the classroom materials online, and instructors have begun creating short, reusable videos demonstrating vocational skills like welding. Video lectures and Webcasts can be viewed on-demand at remote locations, offering time-and-place flexibility for students who typically hold part time jobs.

Figure 2: Moodle, an Online Course Management and Learning Environment

“We used to be the bottom of the barrel in the district. Now, we set the standards in the district using technology, and the other schools are looking at us for what they should do.” – Roland “Chip”, LATTC President

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LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE STUDY

CISCO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION SERIES

Students are also creating videos with cameras and iPod Touch devices that they can check out through LATTC. Using these devices, students record assignments and create video demos of their skills and then store them in “ePortfolios” or in “Moodle” online course management accounts. Welding students, for example, have created video demos that can be submitted to instructors for grading, or viewed by potential employers who want a first-hand look at that student’s skills.

While LATTC did not adopt online learning and video technology as early as some schools, the college caught up quickly and is now positioned for future growth with these instructional methods. Says Linda Delzeit, online program director at LATTC: “Cisco has helped us lay the infrastructure to move forward with new, innovative ways of using video and online learning.” Adds Gallagher: “All of the new technologies — the computers, video, and online environments — are direct contributors to student success. This will also enable us to capture market opportunities and contain costs.”

SMARTER CLASSROOMS

In addition to the new video and online learning solutions, LATTC equipped a new building with Smart Classrooms that are wildly popular with students and faculty alike. Smart Classrooms emphasize visual media and reusable learning materials to promote active participation and collaboration among students. At LATTC, these classrooms are outfitted with large screens and overhead projectors that can be connected

to laptops, enabling dynamic multimedia presentations and eliminating paper handouts.

Smart Classrooms mean that teachers no longer have to roll TVs into the classroom. Meanwhile, IT teams can manage the classrooms cost-effectively from a central location, so they can respond to issues even while classes are in session. When the rooms are not being used, the IT teams can save energy by remotely turning off the electronic equipment.

The Smart Classrooms, along with other environmental initiatives on campus, are making the college a leader in sustainability. In fact, LATTC is the only community college in the country to be recognized as a National Center for Green Sustainability and Energy Conservation. In addition, LATTC received a grant from The Kresge Foundation to research green workforce development and help other schools adopt environmental best practices.

40,000

38,000

36,000

34,000

32,000

30,000

100%

96%

92%

88%

84%

80%2007

Enrollment Retention

2008 2009

“When I first came to LATTC, there wasn’t a sense of community in the campus. It was an old campus and nothing that stood out. Now, there are new buildings, new technologies. Students want to come to LATTC and they have a sense of pride in their school.” – Lisa Munoz, Associated Students Organization

Figure 3: Enrollment and Retention Rate Increase

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LOS ANGELES TRADE-TECHNICAL COLLEGE CASE STUDY

CISCO BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION SERIES

Student leaders are excited about LATTC’s technology and sustainability initiatives. “We can see meeting agendas on the projector instead of using paper agendas. This eliminates waste, and it’s more cost-effective and easier to read,” says Lisa Munoz of the Associated Students Organization. Explains Munoz: “It’s amazing the amount of innovation that has been unleashed — and it can come from anybody and anywhere.”

One of the innovations is a new security system, which relies on the wireless network to provide constant video surveillance of the campus. New network-based digital signs help administrators post emergency messages throughout the campus, while VoIP audio alerts and text messaging can notify students of important events.

Student leader Munoz says the initiative has fostered a new sense of community. “LATTC used to an old campus and nothing that stood out,” she says. “Now, there are new buildings, new technologies. Students want to come to LATTC and they have a sense of pride in their school.” Higher morale among the student population has translated into positive admissions trends: Enrollment increased 17.5% from 2007 to 2009 while the retention rate went from 84% in 2007 to 87% in 2009, the highest in five years.

TURNING LIVES AROUND

Through careful planning and the intelligent, LATTC has become one of the most technologically progressive schools in the country, attracting worldwide attention. (The attention includes a $25 million Title V

Figure 4: LATTC’s Transformation with Cisco

• Students, faculty, and staff can access LATTC’s wireless network from anywhere on campus

• LATTC averages about 125 connected wireless devices during school hours

• Wireless network on campus provides the platform for mobile devices, online learning environments, and video for students

• Greater sense of community, helping lead to a 17.5% increase in enrollment from 2007 to 2009 at LATTC and a retention rate of 87% (2009), the highest in five years

• Students, who may not have access to technology at home, are using these tools regularly for the first time in their lives

• Access to two computer labs with modern technology along with mobile devices such as iPod Touches and Flip cameras

Campus-wide wireless network with new core switch in data center

RESULTS AT LATTCTRANSFORMATION OF LATTC

Access to new technologies and teaching methods for students

• ePortfolios help differentiate vocational students to recruiters by having an electronic record of their accomplishments at LATTC

• Video is used to create reusable learning materials, promoting sustainability and enhancing the learning experience

• Webcasts and video lectures are beginning to be used to aid working professionals and distant students

Wireless network provides the platform for New Services

• Students, faculty, and staff can access LATTC’s wireless network from anywhere on campus

• LATTC averages about 125 connected wireless devices during school hours

• Wireless network on campus provides the platform for mobile devices, online learning environments, and video for students

• Greater sense of community, helping lead to a 17.5% increase in enrollment from 2007 to 2009 at LATTC and a retention rate of 87% (2009), the highest in five years

• Students, who may not have access to technology at home, are using these tools regularly for the first time in their lives

• Access to two computer labs with modern technology along with mobile devices such as iPod Touches and Flip cameras

Campus-wide wireless network with new core switch in data center

RESULTS AT LATTCTECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE

Access to new technol-ogies and teaching methods for students

• ePortfolios help differentiate vocational students to recruiters by having an electronic record of their accomplishments at LATTC

• Video is used to create reusable learning materials, promoting sustainability and enhancing the learning experience

• Webcasts and video lectures are beginning to be used to aid working professionals and distant students

Wireless network provides the platform for new services

“Our system used to go down everyday. Overnight, the network reliability has turned around, while saving the school on costs and reducing our carbon footprint.” – Mary Gallagher, VP of Administrative Services

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grant tied to technology application and teaching.) Representatives from local, national, and international governments have found inspiration in how LATTC leveraged technology to overcome significant social and economic barriers.

With so much momentum, it’s easy to predict that LATTC will continue to be a leader in educational technology and sustainability. College leaders say that decisions about future technology

investments will be based on regular assessments of the technologies already introduced, but a clear payback has already been achieved. Says President Chapdelaine: “We see serving the most challenged neighborhoods in the country as an opportunity to make a much bigger impact in turning lives around. Our greatest return on investment in partnering with Cisco is providing better education and opportunities for our students.”

“We have laid the infrastructure with Cisco to move forward with new, innovative ways of using video and online learning environments.” – Linda Delzeit, Online Program Director at LATTC

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