The Technology Support and Training Management Program (TSTM) is part of USC‘s College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. Students in the TSTM program receive an in-depth background in information technologies in four major areas. These areas include computer networking, database systems, corporate training & development, and end-user support. In the computer networking area, students learn about networking theory, hardware, configuration, design, installation, and network operating system administration. In the database systems area, students learn to create and maintain databases through courses in Access, Visual Basic (for database integration), Oracle, and Systems Analysis and Design.  The training area covers both the human side of corporate training, as well as the technical side of training materials development. The final area emphasizes end-user support which includes help desk systems and both hardware and software support.

To maximize the learning experience, all TSTM students must complete a capstone course that incorporates all four core areas. In this course, student teams work with a real business, solve an actual system issue, and design the needed system. Additionally, they must complete an internship as a final requirement for the program. Students graduating from this program have a very diverse IT background and have obtained positions in a wide range of organizations ranging from Network Administrator to Database Administrator to Director of Information Technologies. The program places emphasis on technology-based decision making and information management skills in dynamic business environments.

Congratulations to John Gerdes who is one of the winners of the Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) awards, as announced by the Provost on 1/6/10. John will be recognized, along with the other winners, at the February 3 Faculty Senate meeting. (more)

Tena Crews received the Southern Business Education Association's Outstanding Leadership Award for 2009. This award is the oldest and most prestigious of those given by the SBEA. Previous winners include Dean Emeritus Pat Moody (1996).

Dr. Tena Crews and Johanna Bodenhamer published an article, "Preparing Student Teaching Interns: Advice from Current Business Educators," in the The Delta Pi Epsilon Journal. Johanna is teacher at Saluda High School and a recent graduate of the MAT Program in Business Education.

The Palmetto Open Source Software Conference (POSSCON), co-sponsored by the TSTM Program, received the Palmetto Pillar Award from the Columbia Chamber of Commerce Information Technnology Council. For more information on POSSCON, go to http://www.posscon.org.

Dr. Karen Patten received the "Best Practitioner-Oriented Paper" Award at the America's Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) meeting in San Francisco August 8th. Her paper was selected from among 1,070 papers presented at the conference. Titled "How CIOs Use Flexibility to Manage Uncertainty in Dynamic Business Environments," the paper was written with Jerry Fjermestand and Brian Whitworth. To read the paper, click (here).

A video introduction to TSTM student service learning projects
(Quicktime) (Windows WMV)

2010 Spring Break Study Abroad in the Dominican Republic
For an exciting and meaningful study abroad experience, please consider going to the Dominican Republic during Spring Break 2010. We will be spending 3-4 days at an orphanage and also 2-3 days at tourist sites. Click here to learn more about the program.
The service trip to the Dominican Republic will be part of an 8-week course in intercultural communication (TSTM 590R) taught by Dr. Peter Cardon in the College of Hospitality, Retail, and Sport Management. Contact Dr. Peter Cardon at petercardon@gmail.com for more information. To register for this trip, click here.

Travel Scholarships for the Study Abroad trips are available. Click here for more informaton.

For photos from last year's trip, click here.

Create IT Computer Camp
Saturdays, February 13, 20, 27
For brochure, click here.
For application form, click here.