Developing and Sustaining a Student-Driven Software Solutions Center -- An Experience Report

TL;DR

This paper shares an experience report on creating and maintaining a student-led software solutions center that provides real-world project experience for students, involving industrial partners and sustaining over a decade.

Contribution

It offers a detailed blueprint for establishing and sustaining a student-driven software solutions center within academic settings.

Findings

Over 100 students trained over a decade.

Approximately 20 projects executed annually.

Collaborations with Fortune 500 companies and government agencies.

Abstract

This paper presents an experience report on the establishment and sustenance of a student-driven software solutions center named Information Technology Solutions Center (ITSC), a unit within the School of Information Technology at the University of Cincinnati. A student-driven solution center empowers students to drive the design, development, execution, and maintenance of software solutions for industrial clients. This exposes the students to real-world projects and ensures that students are fully prepared to meet the demands of the ever-changing industrial landscape. The ITSC was established over a decade ago, has trained over 100 students, and executes about 20 projects annually with several industrial partners including Fortune 500 companies, government institutions, and research agencies. This paper discusses the establishment and maintenance of the center with the goal of motivating and providing a clear blueprint for computing programs that want to establish a similar student-driven software solutions center.