Technical standards outline the skills and expectations required for students to successfully enter, progress through, and complete the program. They ensure clarity and consistency for students, faculty, staff, administration, and disability services. These standards apply equally to all students.
If you require accommodations to fully participate in the program, please contact the Office of Disability Services to confidentially discuss your needs. Technical standards can be met with or without accommodations, and the examples provided are not all encompassing.
Technical Standard, Definition and Examples
Skills that demonstrate the ability to remember, understand, apply, analyze, and evaluate information
Examples:
- Reading assignment instructions and creating or modifying a spreadsheet using common software such as Microsoft Excel to achieve assignment instructions.
- Reading a program requirements document or soliciting program requirement information from an instructor or customer and using that information to inform the design of a computer program that achieves the objectives.
Sufficient motor skills to perform physical activities related to common information technology occupations including technical support, computer programming, network administration, and/or data analysis
Examples:
- Using common computer input devices including a keyboard, computer mouse, touch screen, and similar devices.
- Installing and removing electric computer components including memory cards, hardware expansion boards, peripherals, and cables.
Tactile skills may be required to work with computer input devices as well as other information technology hardware such as peripherals and networking equipment
Examples:
- Align, orient, and insert network cables in corresponding ports on network or computer equipment.
Sufficient physical ability and stamina to attend class
Examples:
- Moving computer hardware that could weigh between 1-50 pounds.
Understand and interpret audio alerts issued by information technology hardware such as a computer or network device
Example:
- Listening to and interpreting "beep code" error messages issued by a malfunctioning computer or network hardware.
- Participating in a telephone technical support troubleshooting lab scenario.
- Distinguish and respond to sounds at a close range including, but not limited to, an instructor, other students in a classroom, and audio recordings.
Viewing information output from a wide variety of computer programs displayed on a computer screen or remote terminal. Viewing content in an online lab environment
Examples:
- Using an online lab computer or network simulation environment.
- Viewing supplemental streaming video content from: the learning management platform, textbook publishers and related 3rd party platforms, and/or video streaming services.
Ability to communicate with clarity and precision, using appropriate information technology terminology and concepts. Ability to use a range of communication media as appropriate to the purpose and audience, for example in-person meetings, telephone, letters/memos, email, and/or web conferencing
Examples:
- Reading an email and writing an appropriate response via email.
- Reading a document in a common file format, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF, and writing a response using appropriate software such as Microsoft Word.
- Interacting in face-to-face conversations with fellow students, instructors, and work-based learning employers and coworkers.
Ability to adapt to changing environments and work-related challenges. Ability to establish rapport with instructors, classmates, stakeholders, clients, and colleagues.
Examples:
- Effectively work with classmates on a group assignment or major project.
- Respectfully engage with an instructor to learn and improve performance based on feedback from submitted assignments and/or exams.
Olfaction sufficient to detect odors and tolerate various odors
Examples:
- Safely work with potentially harmful chemicals used in studio or laboratory settings.
Ability to adapt to changing environment and work-related challenges while maintaining composure in stressful situations. Consistently demonstrate professional behaviors in attitude, communication, and work ethic while adhering to professional boundaries. Emotional/behavioral skills are adequate to maintain composure in a stressful environment.
Examples:
- Demonstrate flexibility to calmly change course in the middle of a repair.
- Follow the directions of an instructor, supervisor, or lead technician.
- Demonstrate professionalism, integrity, and honesty.
- Perform a proper repair regardless of difficulty.
- Cope with stress and other factors that would interfere with the repair.
We are committed to ensuring all students have the support they need to succeed in this program. If you have a documented disability, reasonable accommodations will be provided unless they fundamentally alter essential training requirements, create undue hardship, or pose a safety risk to you or others.
Disability Services Statement
If you have a documented disability and need accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office (Ward Hall Building; 252-638-1454) as soon as possible—ideally before classes or field experiences begin. You are also encouraged to inform your instructor as needed so we can best support your learning.