Microsoft Dreamspark offers free developer tools such as Visual Studio 2008 Professional and XNA Game Studio to anyone enrolled at a university or high school.  All you have to do is verify your enrollment on their main site or through JourneyEd and then download the tools.

There are also tons of free learning clinics on Microsoft’s E-Learning site.

Finally, for displaced workers, OIT is offering for the Spring 2009 term only free enrollment if you were recently laid off from a full-time job.  Spring term starts this Monday, so hurry!  Here’s the full notice from Chris Maples, President:

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Colleagues,

Later today, Tuesday, March 24, OIT and Klamath Community College will have a joint press conference where we will announce the launch of a special, one-time program designed to help open the doors to higher education for recently laid-off Oregonians. The full details of the “Spring Free for Recently Laid-off Oregonians” program, which will be effective for Spring Term 2009 only, will be available after the press release, but I wanted you all to know the germane facts and the underlying reasons for doing this at this time.

First, some facts about this program from the OIT side:

(1) This program is designed to help Oregon residents enter school if they recently lost full-time jobs; consequently, this special, one-time program is limited to people who recently have been laid off from full-time employment

(2) Anyone who is allowed to enroll in a class under this program will have to meet the normal prerequisites and other OIT admissions requirements

(3) This special, one-time program will offer free tuition to recently laid-off workers for the Spring Term 2009 only

(4) This is for the Klamath Falls campus only and does not include any Distance Education Courses

(5) Class enrollment will be limited to available seats only – paying students have priority, there will be no overloads, and no new sections opened

(6) People enrolling through this program will have schedules that are capped at a normal full load (12-13 credit hours)

OIT is in the enviable position of being able to offer a hand to people so they can once again stand on their own two feet. We all know higher education can open doors, so this is our chance to help our fellow Oregonians in these tough times.

There are many reasons for us to do this, and I will touch on several here. First, this is a good thing for us at OIT to do, collectively, as an extended family. We should reach out to people who need assistance now, because irrespective of the challenges that face our university, we should keep in mind that there are people who face even more challenges as individuals than we do as a collective group. Second, many of you have heard me say on numerous occasions that it is critical for us to face coming budget cuts from a position of being positive, moving forward, and avoiding entrenchment mentality – this program allows us to pursue this philosophy. Think of this program as a no-cost vehicle to fill any empty seats in a class with qualified people to introduce them to higher education. Finally, this is a unique, one-time opportunity for OIT to help change the lives of people who may never otherwise get a chance to further their education.

I know that many of you reading this e-mail and seeing the announcement in various news outlets may be working and saving and otherwise making sacrifices to put yourselves through school now. And many of you will not find yourselves being the direct beneficiaries of this program, which is focused on helping people who were in the workforce full time and now find themselves out of a job. I truly wish that we could make such a program more extensive, but we cannot do so without incurring financial liability for an institution where I already have asked some administrative staff to voluntarily take unpaid days off in order to balance the budget for the remainder of this year. This is a one-term opportunity that we are offering in conjunction with KCC for people who will be able to attend class on a space-available basis only. It is being offered out of compassion for people in need.

So, what are the benefits for students, staff, and faculty at OIT? First and foremost, please note that we are mindful that our current students are why we are here now and the reason for OIT’s existence. There will be no additional costs passed on to any of our students as a result of this one-time program. We all are committed to maintaining the highest quality of education available at the most affordable rates possible. This is an approach that may lead to increased enrollment of Oregonians at OIT in the coming year, which may help our overall enrollment and diversity of courses, and is in everyone’s best interest. We have been challenged to be creative about the pending budget cuts, and this approach, which both helps some people who recently have found themselves out of work and provides a possible route toward increasing OIT’s enrollment in the coming year, seems to rise to that challenge.

It is truly a remarkable achievement that this has gone from an idea that was first discussed last Friday morning, March 19, to reality in time for our Spring Term, and everyone who has worked to put this into place has my deepest appreciation and admiration. I feel especially privileged to work at OIT, where we can reach out to try to make a difference and help people improve their lives during these historically challenging economic times. OIT is especially suited to help people get started on the road to re-employment through furthering their education. You all have my deepest appreciation and my fullest commitment to work for an excellent and compassionate OIT.

Chris

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Christopher G. Maples, President
Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls Office:
3201 Campus Drive
Klamath Falls, OR 97601 USA
Phone: 541.885.1112 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              541.885.1112      end_of_the_skype_highlighting
FAX: 541.885.1101

Portland-area Office:
20175 NW AmberGlen Ct., Suite 100
Beaverton, OR 97006  USA

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Hands-on education for real-world achievement
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