Pasadena City College (PCC) has earned two statewide technology awards for the work of its IT administrators during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Chief Information Systems Officers Association of the California Community Colleges (CISOA) named PCC the recipient of the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office Technology Focus Team Award for the college’s remote learning application system. The second award from CISOA, the Technology Planning Team Award, recognizes PCC for its Technology Master Plan, which will prioritize technology investments over the next five years.
“The coronavirus pandemic turned our world upside down, but our Information Technology Services team did fantastic work keeping our college open,” Erika Endrijonas, PCC’s superintendent and president said in a press release. “The team moved quickly to get equipment to students and faculty, develop solutions to keep information moving, and maintain an exceptional quality of service throughout this entire period.”
The college’s remote learning system, AWS AppStream, allows students to access free applications from anywhere, whether that’s from their home or at school. Applications such as Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, Maya, and AutoCAD, are available to students “without requiring students to use high-end computer systems or pay additional fees.” PCC said that this system is “a crucial part” of the school’s pivot to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s never been clearer that technology is a vital part of any educational experience,” PCC Trustee Linda Wah added. “Our college has to continue innovating and iterating to make sure students have every support they need to succeed. I’ve been so pleased with the collegewide effort, led by Information Technology Services, that is giving us a strategic plan to drive us forward.”
