Framework 5/26

America's leading colleges and universities function as the head ends of pipelines for their graduates and drop-outs in STEM, business, economics, law, and other fields, pipelines that terminate in California's Silicon Valley, North Carolina's Research Triangle, Manhattan's Silicon Alley, Cambridge Mass and other high-tech clusters where they become the entrepreneur/founders of successful start-up operations. 

Unfortunately, very few of the graduates and drop-outs flowing through these pipelines are black. Howard University's Apps-Dev Group and similar incubators at other colleges and universities will provide alternative pipelines for talented black students. (See "High Tech Incubators for (Black) Students" for a full discussion of this rationale.)

I. Primary Clients = Faculty & Students
The primary clients of the Howard-Apps-Dev incubator will be the University's faculty and students. Incubator teams will develop apps for smart phones and tablets that support the teaching and research activities of the faculty and enhance the learning and campus life of their fellow students.

"Home grown" apps could be customized to the specific needs of the Howard community. Apps that made course materials more accessible to students' smart phones and tablets and/or facilitated students' capacities to use smart phones and tablets to work together in virtual study groups could make substantial contributions to the University's current efforts to develop a comprehensive, state-of-the-art array of Web-enhanced, blended, and online courses and programs. (See Howard-Online's blog site.)

II. Networks of Key Players (under construction)
This section provides links to sources of information about some of the most important organizations and individuals involved in the development and distribution of mobile apps. These V.I.P.s are potential sources of many kinds of support for our group: advisers; adjunct instructors; software tools for developers; smart phones, tablets, and other test equipment; internships (part-time during the academic year, full-time during the summer); full-time positions after graduation; and funding.

A. Corporations that Provide Major OS/platforms

  • Apple
  • Google
  • Microsoft
  • Blackberry
B. Founders of Successful Hi-Tech Start-Ups

C. Venture Capital for High-Tech Start-Ups

D. Business Incubators

E. Professional Associations


III. Technology (under construction)
This section will provide links to important sources of data and information for developers of apps for mobile platforms, i.e., a "core curriculum" for Howard University's Apps-Dev Group.

A. Mobile Platforms (fundamentals)
B. Operating Systems
  • Apple's iOS
  • Google's Android
  • Microsoft's Windows Phone
  • Blackberry
C. Languages
  • Objective-C (Apple)
  • Java (Google)
  • Web apps via JavaScript, HTML 5, CSS (all platforms)
D. Developer Environments
E. Widgets Markets ... places to buy and sell widgets; widget freeware

F. Apps Markets ... places to sell apps to end users

G. Howard's Alumni ... employed by investment firms and/or have investors who have their own funds to invest


IV. Entrepreneurship (under construction)

A. Business Models ...

B. Business Plans ... 

C. Other University Programs

V. Howard-Apps-Dev Plan ... (draft)
The group will evolve in phases from start-up to an ongoing operation. As a component of Howard University, these phases must more or less conform to the University's semester calendar

A. Defining the Group -- Startup Phase (Spring 2012 -- April, May)
  • Recruit initial members
    -- students from Computer Science & Information Systems
    -- faculty, staff, senior administrators who will provide tech support for student developers
  • Identify similar activities (if any) in process elsewhere in the University
  • Set up Google blog site and Google group
  • Post links to (free) SDKs and other tools for Apple, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry
  • Obtain space for meetings
  • Obtain access to PCs and Macs in computer labs for developing apps
  • Install SDKs and other tools on developer PCs and Macs
  • Identify initial Beta Apps to be developed by the group
  • Initial members become familiar with the basics of the technologies required develop apps for the four major platforms ... via tutorials and other references posted on the blog site for self-study
B. Networking for Additional Support (Summer 2012 -- June, July)
Consolidate support from within the University; mobilize support from Key Players outside the University

1. University support
  • Obtain official recognition of the group from the Office of the Provost
  • Obtain formal commitment of access to Macs & PCs in various computer labs from the Office of the CIO
  • Develop arrangements whereby students' participation in the group's activities can receive course credit or some other kind of academic recognition from the core departments, i.e,. Computer Science and Information Systems
2. Support from Key Players
Make initial contacts with app V.I.P.s  (as specified in the Key Players section of this Framework) to obtain their support
  • Invite Key Players to become members of an Advisory Committee
  • Obtain commitments for their participation as adjunct instructors via guest lectures and field visits to their corporate facilities
  • Obtain donations/grants for software tools and test machines (smart phones & tablets)
3. Mastery of Fundamentals
Members consolidate their understanding of how to use SDKs and other tools via self-study and/or virtual Web-based study groups using tutorials and other references (linked to the Technology section of this Framework),
C. Initial Betas (Fall 2012)
Having mastered app fundamentals in the Spring and Summer semesters, the charter members of the group will now be prepared to develop their own apps and/or group projects for the University's faculty and their fellow students (as specified in the Primary Clients section of this Framework)
  • Individual projects
  • The Howard App ==> Beta 1.0 for distribution to the campus (December 1, 2012)
  • Reviews of individual projects and Howard App by members of our Advisory Committee in formal presentations and demos
  • Recruit new members ... train via self-study using materials linked to our blog site and/or formal classes run by charter members

D. Consolidation and Expansion (Spring 2013 and beyond)
This phase will be specified in greater detail during Summer and Fall 2012
  • Apps developed by members of group hosted on Howard servers for download by students and faculty
  • Apps developed by members of group hosted on commercial market sites -- Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Blackberry -- for download by students, faculty, and other consumers
  • Recruit new members ... train via self-study using materials linked to our blog site and/or formal classes run by charter members
  • Outreach to similar high-tech incubators for students at other HBCUs, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), and colleges/universities having substantial black enrollments

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