I have had many proud moments as dean of IST, but few so proud as the ones I experienced on May 17 when over 300 members of the Class of '03 from across Pennsylvania formally were awarded their bachelor's degrees in information sciences and technology.
I thanked our first full graduating class on that Saturday afternoon, and I will do so again now, because these students, now proud Penn State alumni, were incredibly patient as we built the IST program. They were critical when we needed it and we learned a lot from their observations. They were cheerful when sometimes they had every right not to be.
Everything we did (especially at the beginning) was just brand new. For example, every one of their IST courses was a course being delivered for the first time. Often it went very well, sometimes not as well. But the Class of '03 hung in there and I want to thank each and every one of them for trusting the vision of a program that was designed to build leaders for a digital economy.
I assure you that that trust will pay off. And it already is by one very real and significant measure.
IST's first full graduating bachelor's class is entering a job market characterized layoffs, collapsing positions, and overall gloom, but our graduates are commanding average salaries that are topping those of peers in the technical fields by more than $8,000, or nearly 20 percent.
We are very proud of what our graduating seniors have achieved. During their time as students, they demonstrated their tremendous potential time and time again, now they're doing it as they enter the "real world." That's exceptionally gratifying. IST was founded on a whole new educational premise in the IT field—that the economy was looking for leadership expertise, not more technical expertise. The success of our graduates helps bear that out.
What's more impressive is that our graduates are starting their careers in positions that span many sectors of the economy, not just the traditionally technical fields. The need for people with the qualities our graduates have is pervasive.
IST placement information shows that graduates are being hired in the insurance industry, banking, consulting, food, and pharmaceuticals, as well as in tech-oriented fields such as aerospace and defense.
In addition, a number of those in the Class of '03 also have opted to continue their educations, and have been accepted by such educational leaders as Cornell, Duke, Syracuse, UCLA, and Penn.
To all members of the bachelor's degree Class of '03, congratulations (and those of you who earned an associate degree this spring, as well). You’ve always made this school, this University, and me very proud. You should be very proud of yourselves for what you have accomplished and what you are capable now of doing.
