ACI Blog
ACI Launches Blue Nucleus Consultancy
May 06, 2024
In early May, the Applied Computing Institute launched Blue Nucleu, a comprehensive computing consultancy driven by principles of equitable access. With a mission to offer transformative experiential learning, the consultancy aims to integrate classroom knowledge with real-world multidisciplinary software development projects for all computing students. By providing degree-relevant, competitive wage work opportunities alongside studies, the consultancy effectively diminishes economic barriers to STEM education. Moreover, it extends its impact to the broader community by making computing talent accessible to those currently financially excluded. The consultancy seeks to enrich computing education and empower both students and the community at large.
Drawing from industry best practices, teams assigned to clinic clients will consist of a diverse mix of students and seasoned software professionals. This blend will encompass individuals ranging from relatively inexperienced sophomore computing students to experienced software development and product delivery professionals. Every project will undergo professional planning and management, adhering to conventional agile software development methodologies.
Blue Nucleus' capacity will scale to meet market demand for its services. Launch and rollout of the consultancy will consist of an eight month proof-of-concept to test market response and design for productivity, followed by a two year pilot study to identify scale factors, client diversification and operational refinement necessary to enable ongoing sustainability and self-funded growth in the future.
The primary driving principles behind the consultancy are student-centered and include the democratization of experiential learning in computing and access to learning. For the past five years, ACI has focused on applied and translational research funded by external organizations (industry and grants) and staffed by faculty, recruited graduate students, and limited numbers of undergraduate students. Recognizing the value of experiential learning in computing, the consultancy seeks to scale the level of engagement in this kind of work, with the goal of eventually providing every computing student at GVSU the opportunity to engage in experiential learning as early as their sophomore year, and continuing throughout their academic career. In addition, the consultancy is designed so that students are paid competitive wages to learn experientially, which provides an opportunity for learners to begin to recover the cost of their education before they complete their program of study. In addition to improving access to computing programs and graduating computing students who are better trained and prepared to be immediately productive in industry, achieving our goals will positively impact retention rates and at an institutional level differentiate learning outcomes and help sustain and grow learning pathways at GVSU that involve computing.
You can learn more by visiting the Blue Nucleus website.