Cisco Systems, Inc. is forming an alliance with several major players in the IT field to sponsor additional types of optional curriculum within the Cisco Networking Academy Program. The first Cisco Networking Academy curriculum sponsor will be Sun Microsystems.

Sun is providing the funding for a UNIX® operating system curriculum through the Networking Academy called "Fundamentals of UNIX". This course will be available beginning September 2001 in the United States and may be available in selected international locations (in English) at a later date.

The basic functionality of the Fundamentals of UNIX course, and all other partner-sponsored courses, will be similar to that of the Cisco Networking Academy Program. This means that many of the program details such as training, curriculum, and assessment are essentially the same, with minor adjustments made to meet the needs of the new curriculum.

We will continue to update these FAQs as additional information becomes available.

Section I: Types of Academies and Their Responsibilities

Section 2: Curriculum

Section 3: Equipment

Section 4: Course Delivery

Section 5: Instructor Training

Section 6: Certification, Assessment, and Employability

General Program Questions

Section I: Types of Academies and Their Responsibilities

Q.1.1 Which Networking Academies will teach the Fundamentals of UNIX course, and what will their responsibilities be?

A. We will be implementing a two- tiered model - Cisco Academy Training Centers offering Sponsored Curriculum (CATC-SC) and Local Academies offering Sponsored Curriculum (LA-SC). The CATC-SC will train instructors at a LA-SC, who will in turn teach students. There will be no geographic restrictions for instructor training at this time. In order to provide a more flexible schedule for training, Local Academies may choose any CATC-SC throughout the U.S. with available classes. We may go to a three-tiered hierarchy in the future by adding Regional-SC Academies, if another level of support is needed.

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Q.1.2 What are the Local Academy requirements to teach the Fundamentals of UNIX course?

A. Qualifications of Local Academy

• Currently offers Cisco Networking Academy Program's CCNA curriculum courses.
• One CCAI either on staff at the Academy or a shared CCAI (needs to be shared in CNAMS - contact Help Desk) from another Academy who will be available to mentor new instructors on CNAMS procedures and best teaching practices.
• Designated Fundamentals of UNIX Instructors need to be at least Semester One Certified, or they will need to pass the instructor orientation course for new Academy instructors, which will teach the program's pedagogy, Best Practices and CNAMS.
• Successfully complete Fundamentals of UNIX training before being designated as a Fundamentals of UNIX site.

Q.1.3 How does a Local Academy sign up to teach Sponsored Curriculum?

A. U.S. Local Academies who are interested in offering either of these courses need to follow the steps shown below:

Meet Eligibility Requirements: Before a Local Academy is eligible to sign up to offer these optional courses to students in the September 2001 timeframe; they need to meet the following criteria:

• Local Academy located within the United States
• Currently offer CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate) Program
• One CCAI (Cisco Certified Academic Instructor) either on staff at the Academy or a shared CCAI from another Academy who will be available to mentor new instructors on CNAMS procedures and best teaching practices.

  If the Local Academy does meet the above stated criteria, the system will allow the CCNA Main Contact to see a section on their "Update Academy Information" page within Academy Maintenance/Edit My Academy Information on CNAMS which reads: 'Make this Academy a Local-SC'. By clicking the check box in this section, the Terms and Conditions between Cisco and the Local-SC will appear. The main contact will need to review this document and click the "Accept" button to accept these Terms and Conditions.

  Once the main contact has accepted the Terms and Conditions for this program, they will need to click the 'Submit' button at the bottom of this page. Submitting this update, after accepting the terms and conditions, will designate your Academy as a Local-SC.

  At this time, the 'Main Contact' information for CCNA will be automatically populated into the Main Contact for Sponsored Curriculum (SC)' field. If you wish to assign another individual as the 'SC Main Contact', you may do so by going to 'View/Edit Cisco Systems Contacts' shown at the bottom of the "Update Academy Information" page.

  Once the Academy is a Local-SC, the instructors will be able to register for training by clicking on the "Personal Account" 'GO' button and then choosing "Register to Receive Sponsored Curriculum Training". Fundamentals of UNIX®, Fundamentals of Web Design and the new Orientation training courses currently offered will be available on the Class List page. This new Orientation is a required course for new instructors who have not already successfully completed Semester One (which includes an orientation to the Academy) of the CCNA curriculum.

Q.1.4 What are Cisco Academy Training Center-Sponsored Curriculum requirements?

A. The following are eligibility requirements for CATC-SCs:

• Currently offering Cisco Networking Academy Program's CCNA certification course.
• Institutions should have met or exceeded Cisco quality standards for the CCNA program as per the Quality Assurance Program document.
• Be geographically accessible.
• One instructor on staff who has completed their Cisco Certified Academic Instructor (CCAI) certification.
• Two instructors (1 primary and 1 back-up).
• Facility must be able to deliver training to 20 students/instructors with appropriate workstations (student ratio of 1:1 for curriculum and 2:1 for labs) and T1/E1 connectivity.
• Must have instructors available to be trained for five days in May in Phoenix, AZ.
• Ability to deliver Fundamentals of UNIX training to instructors, a minimum of five times each during the June, July and August timeframe, and at least once a month as the demand warrants thereafter.
• Be operational to train instructors by June 15, 2001.
• Have funds and billing infrastructure to support the program through a cost recovery model for training.

Q.1.5 How can an educational institution or non-profit agency apply to be a Cisco Academy Training Center - Sponsored Curriculum?

A. We have already gone through an RFP and selection process for our Cisco Academy Training Centers offering Sponsored Curriculum. If we decide at a later day that we need to add additional training centers, we will post another Letter of Interest on CNAMS.

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Q.1.6 Who are the new CATC-SCs and where are they located?

A. Mesa Community College, Mesa, AZ
CA State University - Fresno, Fresno, CA
Santa Clara County Office of Education, San Jose, CA
ACEC, School Board of Sarasota County, Sarasota, FL
Pensacola Jr. College, Pensacola, FL
Honolulu Community College, Honolulu, HI
Moraine Valley Community College, Palos Hills, IL
Ft. Hays State University, Ft. Hays, KS
Jefferson Community College, Louisville, KY
Middlesex Community College, Lowell, MA
Lakes Country Svc. Coop, Fergus Falls, MN
Rochester Community College, Rochester, MN
MSU College of Technology, Great Falls, MT
Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
Burlington County College, Mt. Laurel, NJ
Schenectady High School, Schenectady, NY
Tri-Rivers Education Computer Association (TRECA), Marion, OH
Ed Service Center, Region XI, Fort Worth, TX
Southwest Virginia Community College, Richlands, VA
Green River Community College, Kent, WA
West VA University, Morgantown, WV

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Q.1.7 How do Cisco Local Academies for Sponsored Curriculum receive support?

A. Local Academies offering the sponsored curriculum will retain their CCNA parent Academy. The CCAI on staff will provide support on CNAMS, QAP, and other operational questions. Cisco is working to develop a Virtual Helpdesk by September 2001 for curriculum support and looking into costs for a national support model. We will also identify web page support from Sun Microsystems. For program related questions, Local Academies should call the UNICON Helpdesk.

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Section 2: Curriculum

Q.2.1 What is the general UNIX course description?

A. Fundamentals of UNIX® teaches you how to use UNIX® operating system commands and, in the hands-on exercises, basic Sun Microsystems' Solaris TM operating environment commands, and introduces you to the Common Desktop Environment (CDE - graphical interface between different environments). The class is intended for new users of UNIX®. You will learn fundamental command-line features of the Solaris environment including file system navigation, file permissions, the vi text editor, command shells and basic network use. CDE features include Standard Desktop Tools, Text Editor, printing and mail.

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Q.2.2 How many hours of instruction does the online curriculum include?

A. The curriculum contains one 70-hour block called a semester. About half of this time is spent using the instructor-facilitated online multimedia material and the rest is spent on lab exercises

For post secondary institutions this may be delivered with a minimum of 45 hours of curriculum delivered in the classroom and the remaining 25 hours in lab time.

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Q.2.3 How is the online curriculum provided to the students?

A. The online portion of the curriculum resides on a Web server at the Local Academy. Students access the curriculum from their workstations over the classroom LAN. Students will also have access to view the curriculum during non-classroom time by logging in to the Student Community Server at http://students.netacad.net.

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Q.2.4 May I see a sample of the curriculum?

A. A demo chapter is available on the Instructor's Toolbox Downloads page.

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Q.2.5 Are there any prerequisites for enrolling students or for instructors?

A. Students do not need to be currently enrolled in the CCNA program in order to register for Fundamentals of UNIX. The curriculum assumes no prior knowledge of computers or networks on the part of the students. An eighth grade reading, writing and math proficiency is expected, as well as a desire to learn the curriculum. It is beneficial for them to have basic computer and keyboard experience, but not required. UNIX Local Academy instructors will find it helpful to have basic computer literacy and an understanding of the OS (Operating System) of the computer. CATC-SC/UNIX instructors should not only possess basic computer and OS literacy, but would also find it helpful to have some knowledge of UNIX or DOS practices.

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Q.2.6 What are students working towards?

A. This course in an introduction to basic UNIX language. It will allow students to perform entry-level UNIX operator functions and go on to more complex UNIX System Administrator courses. We are currently working with an international certification group for an introductory level certification, but this is still in the preliminary stage. We will send out updates as information becomes available.

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Q.2.7 What is the status of getting the "Fundamentals of UNIX" curriculum approved by state education organizations?

A. Because this is the initial release of this particular curriculum, it has not yet had the opportunity to be approved by state education organizations. Also, each state has different requirements for curriculum approval. Cisco can provide scope and sequence documentation, learning objectives, and potential education contacts to aid any accreditation effort. Please work with your Area Academy Manager (AAM) to facilitate this process.

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Q.2.8 Does the curriculum teach students IT skills that will be useful for maintaining non-Sun UNIX environments?

A. Yes. Even though Sun Microsystems' Solaris Operating System will be used in the hands-on portion of the curriculum, the Fundamentals of UNIX course will develop the students' basic UNIX skills that are relevant in other operating system environments.

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Q.2.9 Will this curriculum be available outside the U.S.?

A. The curriculum is only available in the United Stated at this time. It may be available Internationally at a later date (in English), possibly 2002.

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Q.2.10 Will this curriculum be available in other languages?

A. If the program is made available outside the US, the current plan is that it will only be available in English.

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Q.2.11 What types of intellectual property controls are there on course materials?

A. The curriculum is copyrighted by Cisco Systems. Access to the curriculum should be provided only to students enrolled in Networking Academy classes and Information Systems (IS) personnel within the institution offering the program. Appropriate firewalls to protect this information from unauthorized access are required. Academies may not copy, directly or indirectly, Cisco published materials (including web pages), or any parts of the text, graphics, logos or trademarks from Cisco published materials, or engage in distribution of Cisco copyrighted material. Further, Academies are not allowed to develop courseware that is substantially similar to the one-semester online curriculum, nor are they allowed to state or imply that the curriculum is anything but Cisco property.

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Section 3: Equipment

Q.3.1 What type of hardware will we need to purchase to offer this program?

A. Although the experience of the UNIX Operating System will be simulated within the curriculum, it is the instructional intent that all classrooms have ample "live" Solaris 8 available also. These two equipment options would minimally achieve this:

Economy Equipment Option:

• Instructor to have workstation running Sun OS and access to another workstation running Windows 9X to view the curriculum
• All students to have individual access to a workstation running Windows 9X to view the curriculum with a Student to Computer ratio of 1:1.
• In addition, there would be separate access to a lab of workstations running Solaris 8 with a Student to Computer ratio of 2:1. Or, these Solaris 8 machines could be ½ of your workstations configured as dual boot machines running both Windows 9X and Solaris 8 (see compatibility - 3.2).
• Workstations need to be 64 MB Intel machines with Pentium processor; and need to be networked.
• This option could be at no cost to the Academy if Solaris 8 Intel is compatible to your current workstations. We suggest that you check out the compatibility site. http://soldc.sun.com/support/drivers/hcl/ . If it looks like your workstation will be compatible with Solaris 8 (Intel Platform), then download the free software. Install and make sure that there are no compatibility issues. We have seen some problems with video drivers and network interface cards.
• Sun has a site link available through the Academy Store

Q.3.2 Could there be any compatibility issues with running Solaris 8 on my existing machines?

A. There may be some compatibility issues. Please see the hardware compatibility list for supported Intel computers, video cards, etc. that Solaris 8 for Intel supports. Go to URL: http://soldc.sun.com/support/drivers/hcl/ It has been our experience that there have been problems with video drivers and network interface cards. Making your workstations compatible may be as easy as swapping out video and network cards.

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Q.3.3 How much will the equipment cost?

A. If you are using your existing machines and there are no compatibility issues, then the cost may be nothing. Or, you may have some minor compatibility modifications to make such as video and network cards. Or, due to compatibility problems, you may need to purchase 10 new Sun workstations for your lab. We are working with Sun on equipment bundles and pricing. See compatibility issues above. To help you to determine the cost of adding Fundamentals of UNIX to your Academy, we are updating our Cost Calculator. URL: http://cisco.netacad.net/cnacs/prot-doc/cost_calculator.html

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Q.3.4 How do I re-configure my workstations as dual boot?

A. The following is a Sun website which has some information on reconfiguring your current workstations to dual boot:
Sun site: http://sun.pmbc.com/faq/9.html

Also, Cisco has put together instructions on setting up a dual boot lab, which is included in the Fundamentals of UNIX Instructor's Guide. This guide will be available for download around the end of August 2002.

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Q.3.5 What type of software will we need? How much will it cost?

A. The software needed is INTEL/Solaris 8 (Intel Platform). You can download this software free from URL:
http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/edu/solaris/index.html

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Section 4: Course Delivery

Q.4.1 Is the course designed for any particular number of students?

A. It is recommended that you have no more than 20 students per class. It is required that there be only one student to each computer for viewing the curriculum portion of the class - a student to computer ratio of 1:1. The student to computer ratio for the "hands on" portion of the class is 2:1 with workstations running Sun OS. Therefore, the number of computers in your lab will help determine the size of the class. Example: If you have 20 students in your class you would need to have 20 workstations running Windows 9X and 10 workstations running Sun OS. Or, another option would be to have 10 of your 20 workstations configured as dual boot running Windows 9X and Sun OS.

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Q.4.2 Are the students expected to print manuals from the Web, or do they purchase manuals separately?

A. Neither students nor instructors are expected to print this curriculum from the Web. The on-line materials, including the curriculum, instructor's guides, and other support documents, are presently meeting instructor and student needs.

Cisco Press will be have the following companion guides:

Fundamentals of UNIX® Companion Guide

1-58713-044-0 * CD ROM

Available February 2002

Fundamentals of UNIX® Lab Companion

1-58713-045-9 * CD ROM

Available February 2002

For US Domestic Orders call the Pearson Customer Service line at 800-922-0579. Fundamentals of Web Design companion guides are not available Internationally at this time.

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Q.4.3 Is there any limit on the number of classes an Academy can offer?

A. No.

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Q.4.4 Can an Academy use part of a Cisco semester in an existing course it already offers, such as a concepts course?

A. No. The curriculum may be made part of a degree program or any larger certification program, but must be delivered in its entirety. Content may be added to the program, but not deleted.

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Q.4.5 Can an Academy use the Academy materials for training its administrative or IS staff?

A. This can't be the only use of the curriculum (that is, actual students of the institution must represent the majority of the students in any Academy class), however it is permissible for Academy staff to be included. Staff members familiar with the curriculum may then act as mentors to the students.

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Q.4.6 Is there a minimum length of time to deliver the curriculum?

A. Yes, because the curriculum is designed for expanded delivery, high schools/secondary schools should normally deliver the curriculum in no less than one semester. Academies may not deliver the semester course in less than 6 weeks (with no more than 12 hours per week).

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Q.4.7 How do Academies keep their grades and tests safe from students who are maintaining their networks?

A. The Networking Academy tests are stored on the Academy Assessment Server (AAS) and activated by the Academy instructor for only a specific period of time. Also, it is assumed that any secure data within the Academy is kept on a computer that has security maintained on it, such as user ID and password protection.

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Q.4.8 Do students in the classroom have access to the Internet?

A. In order for students to complete the online exams using the Academy Assessment System, they will need to be connected to the Internet during the exam. The decision to have the classroom computers connected to the Internet during regular instruction is made by the Academy offering the curriculum. Students do not need access to the Internet to complete the UNIX curriculum, only to take online exams

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Section 5: Instructor Training

Q.5.1 How are instructors at Cisco Academy Training Centers for Sponsored Curriculum trained?

A. Cisco will train the first round of Cisco Academy Training Center for Sponsored Curriculum instructors. Thereafter, Cisco will coordinate the placement of CATC-SC instructors at an alternate CATC-SC for training.

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Q.5.2 Where is the training for the Cisco Academy Training Center for Sponsored Curriculum instructors held?

A. The first round of training for CATC-SCs will be held in Phoenix, AZ. Thereafter, CATC-SC instructors will be trained at various CATC-SCs assigned for this level of training by Cisco on an as needed basis.

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Q.5.3 How long does CATC-SC instructor training last?

A. CATC-SC training for the Fundamentals of UNIX® is 5 days.

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Q.5.4 How are Local Academy instructors trained?

A. Instructors at Local Academies offering Sponsored Curriculum can register to receive training at any CATC-SCs across the United States. Because the CATC-SCs are "open" Academies, with no geographic boundaries, instructors will be able to view all classes offered at every CATC-SC.

To register for training:

1. Log onto http://cisco.netacad.net
2. Click on the 'Personal Account' Go button
3. Click on 'Register to Receive Sponsored Curriculum Training'
4. Click on 'Fundamentals of Web Design'
5. Click on the corresponding radio button to the class session that you would like to attend. Please note that all CATC-SCs across the country are listed on this page and you may choose any class that best suits your needs. There are no geographic boundaries.
6. Click the 'Submit' Button
7. You should receive an email confirming your registration in the course.

Q.5.5 What different type of trainings are being offered and when?

A. CATC Training

Orientation	Starting May 20	100% Remote
Fundamentals of UNIX	May 14-18, June 4-8	In person
Fundamentals of Web Design	May 21-25, June 11-15	In person
Remote Teaching Module	Starting July 13	100% Remote

Local Academy Training

New Instructor Orientation	Starting June from Cisco	100% Remote
New Instructor Orientation	Starting at CATC-SC Aug. 2001	100% Remote
Fundamentals of UNIX	Starting June 18 at CATC-SCs	In person
Fundamentals of UNIX	Starting at CATC-SCs Oct. 2001	Remote/In person
Fundamentals of Web Design	Starting June 18 at CATC-SCs	In person
Fundamentals of Web Design	Starting at CATC-SC Oct. 2001	Remote/In person

The minimum number of days (8-hour days), or hours if remote environment, required for each semester are as follows:
Orientation - 3 days in-person, 24-hour remote environment, or a combination of 16 hours remote/1 day in-person (combination environment could vary)*
Fundamentals of UNIX -5 days in-person, or a combination of 24 hours remote and 2 days in-person**
Fundamentals of Web Design - 6 days in-person, or a combination of 24 hours remote and 2 days in-person**

* The Orientation course will be available in an in-person environment at various CATC-SCs, CATC-CCNAs and CATC-CCNPs as of June 15, 2001. This course will also be available in a remote environment directly from Cisco at the end of May 2001. The first four pilot classes offered by Cisco will be at no charge. Thereafter, the cost will be US $115.00 per 8 hours = US $345.00. Look for these classes to be posted after May 19, 2001. Cisco will continue these remote offerings, if the need continues to exist, until training centers are able to offer this orientation course remotely which is slated for late July/beginning of August 2001. Once a training center can offer the class remotely, it will be left up to their discretion whether they would like to offer the course in a combination environment as well.

**The UNIX and Web design courses will be available in an in-person environment as of June 18, 2001 at any CATC-SC across the U.S. These courses will also be available in a combination remote/in-person environment around October 2001 from CATC-SCs who have chosen to offer the courses in that additional environment.

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Q.5.6 What does Fundamentals of UNIX training cost?

A. Training will be done on a cost recovery basis at an estimated fee of $115.00 per day for in person training, and an estimated $115.00 per 8 hours for remote mentored e-Learning. Instructor training is 5 days on site. There will be a combination remote/on-site instructor class offered around October 2001 which is anticipated to be 16 hour remote and 3 day on site schedule.

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Section 6: Certification, Assessment, and Employability

Q.6.1 What is the name of the certification that students earn who complete the one semester UNIX course and pass the certification exam?

A. To be determined. Students will probably need to take at least one additional semester of UNIX instruction before being ready to test for a certification.

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Q.6.2 Are UNIX students assessed as they progress through the curriculum?

A. Yes. Cisco has developed a state-of-the-art assessment system to provide students, instructors, administrators, and Cisco personnel with detailed data on student progress. Cisco uses the assessment data to apply continuous improvement practices to the program and curriculum.

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Q.6.3 How employable will the graduates be of the Fundamentals of UNIX program?

A. This course prepares students to perform basic, entry-level UNIX operator skills. For full employability, students need to take additional semesters of Systems Administrator classes before they can test for Sun certification in UNIX System Administration. We are investigating the possibility of offering additional UNIX courses through the Academy.

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Q.6.4 How has Cisco and Sun partnered to maximize certification course offerings in academic institutions"?

A. By sponsoring the Fundamentals of Unix course, Sun has provided Academy students with the skills necessary to begin preparation for the Solaris System Administration I Certification. The Fundamentals of Unix course maps closely to the first course in the Sun Academic Initiative Solaris learning path, Fundamentals of Solaris. Fundamentals of Solaris is a prerequisite course to the Solaris System Administration I certification exam.

Institutions choosing to participate in the Sun Academic Initiative can add advanced Solaris and Java courses, all leading to Sun sponsored certifications.

If your organization is wondering which program to implement, the Cisco Academy or Sun Academic Initiative, the answer is both! They are complimentary in helping schools build a solid IT education program. For more information on the Sun Academic Initiative, please visit http://www.sun.com/academic and refer to the "Participate" section.

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General Program Questions

The UNIX course will be very similar to the CCNA curriculum model in regards to general program questions. See CCNA FAQs on URL: http://cisco.netacad.net

We will post changes to URL: http://cisco.netacad.net as information becomes available.

If you have specific questions regarding these FAQs email netacad-unix-support@external.cisco.com

Cisco, Cisco Systems, and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.

adapted from a page on Cisco Networking Academy