Student Interns, Software Literacy Courses Advance IT Goals at DU

A technology “think tank” and opportunities to become software savvy are two initiatives underway at Dominican University thanks to last year’s grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. 

In addition to funding extensive information technology upgrades and improving access across campus, the $2.5 million grant, provided through the federal Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program, established the digital navigators internship and digital literacy program. 

Digital navigators are nine paid student interns with technology and business interests who examine the university’s technology offerings and provide feedback and insight to IT department leaders on ways to improve security, accessibility and student experience. They also crafted instructions to students for setting up multi-factor authentication to protect accounts and devices, and they surveyed students on the technology they would like to see on campus. 

“They have become my litmus test,” said Dr. Todd Kleine MBA ’11, Dominican’s chief information officer. “I can go to the group and say, ‘We’re thinking about doing this. What do you think?’ They give very honest and blunt feedback—and that’s been really valuable.” 

Ideally, the internship will give students the opportunity to use the knowledge they acquire in the classroom in real-life scenarios, preparing them for the workplace.

“What I’ve learned from the internship so far is teamwork, management, some miscellaneous software usage and, most importantly, the ability to confidently present in a professional setting,” said digital intern Michael Pawlowski, a senior economics major. 

The Digital Literacy program offers courses to students, faculty and staff who wish to boost their proficiency in a variety of software and obtain professional certification in each at no cost. This can enhance employment opportunities, said Okie Inweh, technology education coordinator. 

Spring classes focused on Microsoft Office 365, Python, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, with sessions meeting weekly for seven to nine weeks. 

“Because technology is constantly evolving, we have to evolve with the times and supplement our curriculum,” Inweh said. “That’s not a bad thing. It’s not taking away from classes—it adds to the value.” 

On March 4, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois visited Dominican University to learn more about these two initiatives and meet with the digital navigators. The meeting took place in a Lewis Hall classroom that received technology upgrades thanks to funding from the Connecting Minority Communities Pilot Program grant.