ProfessorTimothy Vaughan

Timothy Vaughan
Title:
Professor - Electronics & Industrial Technology
Department:
Technical Education, Career, Community Education, Community & ED
Office:
Center for Advanced Technology 222
Phone:
209-575-6735
Office Hours:
Friday, 7:30a.m. - 10:00a.m.
Thursday, 3:30p.m. - 6:00p.m.

Information

Are you interested in becomming a Computer Support Specialist ?

The Computer Support Specialist Program is an exciting new career training opportunity for people who like working with computer technology and enjoy helping people use it. The program is part of the MJC Computer Electronics Certificate and Degree Program. It is a partnership between Modesto Junior College, the Stanislaus County Office of Education and Workforce Development Department, and the Google.org Foundation. The Computer Support Specialist Program is designed to assist students to start or advance in a career as Information Technology (IT) Support Professionals by helping them acquire the knowledge and skills required to pass the IT certification exams as well as gain work experience through internships while earning college credits.

The core or first level of the Computer Support Specialist Program is called the Computer Service Technician Certificate, also known as Level 1. Currently Students will earn up to 13 units of college degree credit from MJC by completing the 5 courses of the Computer Service Technician Certificate, which are also the required courses for the MJC Computer Electronics Certificate and Associate of Science (A.S.) Degree. These courses provide training for up to 5 industry recognized IT certifications. The accelerated online/hybrid format of the Computer Support Specialist Program allows students to complete this certificate in about 8 months by completing five 7-week courses of about 20 hours per week (about 100 hours per course). TestOut certification testing is included with the courses. The Computer Support Specialist Program makes extensive use of courseware developed and maintained by TestOut Corporation which is based on the certifications and standards set by the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), Cisco, The EC Council, Google, Microsoft, TestOut Corporation, The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and others.

By using professionally produced courseware the Computer Support Specialist Program is able keep current with the fast changing Computer and Information Technology Industry. TestOut Pro certification exam vouchers are included with the courseware subscriptions for one exam. Additional exam attempts require a retake voucher. CompTIA certification testing requires purchasing vouchers for exams that will be taken at the testing center. An academic discount is available for MJC students for CompTIA certification exam vouchers. Students may elect to test for any of the other certifications which may require the purchase of certification exam vouchers. Through a grant, the Computer Support Specialist Program will also help with cost of exam vouchers. Internships will be made available through the MJC Computer Electronics program allowing qualified students to gain work experience with jobs at a cooperating business or organization. Through a partnership with the Google.org Foundation, qualified students will be granted free access to the Google IT Support Professional Certificate online courses which can be completed in about 6 to 8 months by studying an additional 5 hours per week.

With an CompTIA A+ Certification and a High School Diploma the annual salary for entry level positions is about $36,000 per year or $18 per hour in the Modesto area. With career experience, the pay can be much higher. The job outlook for this occupation is excellent. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job growth that will be faster than the average for all occupations between 2019 and 2026 and demand will increase as organizations continue to install and update to the newest computer based systems to reduce costs and gain a competitive advantage.

For more information please see the Computer Support Specialist Program website: https://sites.google.com/view/cssp-modesto/home

Courses I Teach

  • Course 3 - Technology Support Fundamentals 3 (Intermediate PC Servicing with CompTIA A+),  CMPET 210
    This is the third (3rd) course (Course 3) of the Computer Support Specialist Program and the MJC Computer Electronics Program. It prepares students for the part 1 of the TestOut PC Pro Certification as well as part 1 of the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+ Certification, which is the world wide standard industry certification for Computer Service Technicians. It provides Information Technology (IT) operational skills to support computers, peripherals, operating systems, and networks. It includes a broad knowledge of current technologies including computing, communications, networking, operating systems, mobile devices, professionalism, safety, environmental issues and security. This part focuses on hardware basics, operating systems, PC technician responsibilities, professionalism, PC maintenance, system components, peripheral devices, storage, and file systems.
  • Course 4 - Technology Support Fundamentals 4 (Microprocessors),  CMPET 214
    This is the fourth (4th) course (Course 3) of the Computer Support Specialist Program and the MJC Computer Electronics Program. It prepares students for the part 2 of the TestOut PC Pro Certification as well as part 2 of the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) A+ Certification, which is the world wide standard industry certification for Computer Service Technicians. It provides Information Technology (IT) operational skills to support computers, peripherals, operating systems, and networks. It includes a broad knowledge of current technologies including computing, communications, networking, operating systems, mobile devices, professionalism, safety, environmental issues and security. This part focuses on network hardware, networking media, IP networking, network utilities, wireless networking, Internet of Things (IoT), printing technology, mobile devices, system implementation, and virtualization.
  • Course 1 - Technology Support Fundamentals 1 (Survey of Applied Technologies),  ELTEC 300
    This is the first (1st) course (Course 1) of the Computer Support Specialist Program and the MJC Computer Electronics Program. It prepares students for part 1 of the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) Information Technology (IT) Fundamentals (ITF+) Certification. It is an entry level industry certification for Computer Service Technicians and the precursor to the CompTIA A+ Certification. The CompTIA ITF+ curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills required to identify and explain the basics of computing, IT infrastructure, application and software, software development, database fundamentals and security.
  • Course 2 - Technology Fundamentals 2 (PC Servicing),  CMPET 206
    This is the second (2nd) course (Course 2) of the Computer Support Specialist Program and the MJC Computer Electronics Program. It prepares students for part 2 of the Computer Technology Industry Association(CompTIA) Information Technology (IT) Fundamentals (ITF+) Certification. It is an entry level industry certification for Computer Service Technicians and the precursor to the CompTIA A+ Certification. The CompTIA ITF+ curriculum focuses on the knowledge and skills required to identify and explain the basics of computing, IT infrastructure, application and software, software development, database fundamentals and security.

Web Sites

    Publications