![]() We have become what we are by listening.” Over the years, that philosophy has manifested itself in the form of academic advisory boards – one for each program at each campus – that meet twice yearly.īy listening to employers, ECPI University has expanded and evolved over the past 50 years, offering programs specifically-linked to the demands of the employment marketplace. They will tell you what skills they are seeking for entry-level hires. “The main thing is to listen,” says Mark Dreyfus. That’s when Alfred Dreyfus began a practice that continues to this day, regularly consulting with employers to ensure programs meet their specific needs. Within the fast-emerging computer industry, employers needed applicants who were ready to do the job starting on day one. Employer-led training often followed once they were on the job. Most colleges at the time provided students with a general, often theory-based, education. While the curriculum itself was quite advanced, so was the method of teaching. Six students enrolled in the first class that taught programming languages for the massive computers used in large banks and cities at the time.” ![]() “When I started ECPI, there was myself, a secretary, two offices, two classrooms, and one lab, which consisted of an IBM card sorter and IBM accounting machine,” says Mr. While it was rather small, it offered a curriculum that few institutions could match. ![]() Modest Beginnings, Strategic GrowthĮCPI’s first campus was located in Norfolk, Virginia. That’s when Alfred Dreyfus took a bold step and founded ECPI University, then known as Electronic Computer Programming Institute. Few schools offered hands-on computer classes at the time, but the demand for trained professionals was growing. “Fifty years ago, if someone said they were going to teach programming, it was pretty revolutionary,” says his son, Mark Dreyfus, now ECPI University’s President. More specifically, Alfred Dreyfus was closely watching the emergence of the fledgling computer industry. I knew there was a need for good technicians out there.” “I was interested in education and I was interested in training technicians. “I had an idea that someday I would start a school that would train the best technologists,” says Mr. ![]() Dreyfus noticed that his employer was having a difficult time finding skilled technicians. While working as an electronics technician, Mr. After completing his studies, he immigrated to the United States, arriving in New York City in 1947 with just $14.00 in his pocket. As a refugee shortly after World War II, he began studying radio electricity in Switzerland and was introduced to accelerated, hands-on education, a favored method of teaching in Europe but one that had not yet made its way to America. The first had to do with his own education. Dreyfus always had his eye on the future, and there were two chapters in his life that well-prepared him for the task at hand. It was also the year that Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) was invented, paving the way for more powerful computers which made Alfred Dreyfus’ decision to create a new school all the more prescient. America was a nation in the midst of great change – popular culture, the advancement of civil rights, and the space race, accompanied by myriad technological advances.
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