First Webmaster Certificate Awarded
Oct. 27, 2000
University Park, Pa.–An employee of the South Carolina Department of Education has become the first person to complete the on-line Penn State Webmaster Certificate Program.

Betty Campbell, a self-described life-long learning advocate who lives and works in Columbia, S.C., recently completed the program and was awarded her certificate by Penn State’s School of Information Sciences and Technology (IST) and Penn State World Campus. Campbell is associated with the Office of School Food Services and Nutrition and works with schools throughout the state of South Carolina.

"As an adult professional with many responsibilities, both personal and work related, the ability to access the course and study on ‘my own schedule’ was perfect," Campbell said. "I also enjoyed the fact that it was self-paced and I did not have to ‘meet’ on-line with a class at a certain time. I was able to obtain excellent support from my instructors in each unit, but was not restricted in moving forward by any set time schedule. Because of these unique aspects of the Penn State Webmaster Certificate course, it met my needs exactly."

The Webmaster Certificate was designed for persons wanting to develop a solid set of skills in the World Wide Web medium. The program is geared for persons at the entry-level, wishing to change careers, or preparing for certified professional examinations such as that offered by the World Organization of Webmasters, which has endorsed the Penn State program. The first on-line certificate program developed by IST, and delivered in collaboration with Penn State World Campus, the Webmaster certificate includes twelve course modules.

Campbell, a registered dietitian, worked in health care for many years and had already returned to school to obtain a master of science degree in education. About three years ago, she accepted her current position with the South Carolina State Department of Education. During a visit to the Penn State World Campus Web site to investigate distance learning opportunities, she encountered information on the Webmaster Certificate program.

"I found out about the Webmaster Certificate program while visiting the Penn State distance education site where I was checking for more information on the school food service training program the University offers on-line," she explained. "I was interested in Web site development because of my department's goals, so when I saw the training program offered by Penn State, I signed up."

Campbell went on, "This course has allowed me to stay current with the newest technologies and bring new skills to our office and state that will benefit our ‘customers,’ the child nutrition community in the South Carolina schools.

"I enjoy working with technology and instructional design, but wanted a formal credential that would certify that I am trained in this area–so the Penn State course really addressed those needs."

IST also offers array of six residency-based certificate programs at Penn State locations across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. They are designed for any degree or non-degree person who is interested in furthering his or her learning. The curriculum includes courses in areas such as personal productivity tools, databases, software design and development, networking, and Web site development. Any credits earned through these certificates may be applied toward an IST associate degree or IST bachelor’s degree.

IST has begun rolling out on-line versions of its core courses, beginning this fall with IST 110, Introduction to Information Sciences and Technology. Additional courses will become available soon.

For further information, contact:
Charles C. DuBois, Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology (814) 865-4458, , or visit http://www.ist.psu.edu