M.S., Human-Computer Interaction

HCIM 2021-22, Committee Membership and Charge

The Human-Computer Interaction Masters (HCIM) committee is responsible for overseeing the maintenance, development, and support of the Human-Computer Interaction Masters program.  This includes, but is not limited to, reviewing and approving any substantive change to curriculum and making recommendations to PCC regarding policies (new or changing) that affect the HCIM program.  The Committee also sets admissions criteria, oversees the admissions process, reviews and approves/denies HCIM student petitions, recommends appropriate actions for students having academic difficulty, works with the Awards Committee to identify HCIM candidates for recognition, and provides general guidance to the HCIM program director to ensure that the HCIM program is developing in a fashion that is consistent with the goals of the College as a whole.

Members & Chair

• Alex Leitch
• Wayne Lutters
• Carol Boston
• Jeff Waters
• Kate Izsak
• Bill Kules
• Amanda Lazar
• Victoria van Hyning
• Pam Duffy

Committee Meetings

The HCIM Committee meets 2nd Fridays from 11:30 am – 1:00 pm. During the 2021-22 academic year, the meetings will be held on Zoom on the following dates:

• September 10
• October 8
• November 12
• December 10
• February 11
• March 11
• April 8
• May 13

Committee Tasks

In addition to fulfilling the charge above, during the academic year 2021-22, the HCIM Committee will also take on as actionable projects a review and revision of the program’s instruction in computer programming, a review and revision of the Capstone requirement, and research regarding the most beneficial sequencing of UX research methods and interaction design instruction. In addition, the Committee will provide consultation on enriching the research experience for students and the implementation and assessment of program learning outcomes approved last year.

The Program Learning Outcomes approved in Fall 2020 are:

1. Design Competencies
   Complete a project from brief through to production designs, using iterative feedback and critique to improve initial work from sketch to aesthetically coherent, professional quality interactive mockups.
2. Research and Evaluation Competencies
   Plan and execute an HCI research project by conducting background research, formulating the research questions, choosing the appropriate qualitative and/or quantitative research methods, evaluating the utility, usability, and user experience of the artifact, and making recommendations for improvements.
3. UX Strategy Competencies
   Apply an understanding of organizational strategy to the creation of innovative digital products and services and work with internal and external stakeholders to communicate how UX/HCI research, design, and evaluation techniques to enhance the organization’s value proposition and advance its mission and goals.
4. Professional Competencies
   Collaborate effectively within and across diverse research and work teams, with others who have diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and/or work styles (whether in person or online/distributed). Write and orally present effectively for diverse audiences, incorporating high-quality, relevant research and promoting the value of multiple, diverse perspectives.

Meeting Minutes

Minutes for the HCIM committee meetings are archived under “Available Downloads” below. PDFs of the meeting minutes may be accessed by clicking the link to the relevant meeting date.

Available Downloads