Education Note: Florida Memorial University
Dear Dean Ford,
Our analysis reveals a critical gap in FMU's technology leadership alumni network, with limited documented presence of alumni in CTO, VP Engineering, or Principal Engineer roles at major technology companies. While FMU has successfully provided educational opportunities for over 100 years, our current alumni tracking system needs enhancement to specifically identify and engage with graduates who have achieved senior technology positions. I recommend establishing an "FMU Tech Leaders" initiative to actively identify, connect with, and leverage our alumni in senior technology roles, potentially partnering with JPMorgan Chase and other recent corporate donors to create direct pathways for our current students into technology leadership positions. A focused investment of $2,250,000 would allow you to build a comprehensive database of your technology alumni, create mentorship programs, and establish regular technology leadership networking events that could significantly impact (y)our graduates' career trajectories. Given our recent partnerships and investments in technology programs, including the new Cyber Innovation Hub and TechNolij Innovation Center, now is the optimal time to strengthen (y)our alumni network in technology leadership positions to create sustainable career advancement pathways for our students.
Sincerely,
Gideon Gartnor
P.S.
Florida Memorial University currently lacks comprehensive data tracking of alumni in senior technology leadership positions, with no clear metrics on CTOs, VP Engineering roles, or Principal Engineers at major technology firms. Recent initiatives, including the TechNolij Innovation Center and a $1 million JPMorgan Chase investment in technology programs, are laying the groundwork for future technology leadership development. The university's Department of Computer Sciences and Technology has historically focused on foundational technical education rather than leadership pipeline development. Our current alumni database requires significant modernization to effectively track career progression in technology fields. The recent establishment of industry partnerships suggests a growing recognition of the need to develop and maintain stronger connections with alumni in technology leadership positions.
To address this gap, we recommend implementing a three-year strategic plan to identify and engage alumni who have achieved senior technology positions, starting with a comprehensive audit of our graduates from the past 20 years. The plan would include establishing a dedicated Technology Leadership Alumni Council to create mentorship programs and career advancement pathways. We are also suggest partnering with major technology companies to create direct pipelines for our graduates into leadership development programs. Recent investments in your technology infrastructure and curriculum modernization should support these efforts to build a stronger technology leadership alumni network. Our goal is to have at least 50 documented alumni in senior technology leadership positions by 2027, with established mentorship relationships supporting current students.
Goal: Our suggestions are to encourage the highest salaries for your technology graduates over time.