Strengths

• Annual spending for all computing personnel, hardware, and software exceeds five percent of the University's E&G budget, a benchmark suggested as realistic and supportive.
• Through our robust voice, video, and data network, faculty, administrators, most staff members, and all students in the residence halls have the opportunity for desktop access to information technologies.
• The new McCollough Communication Complex and Science & Technology Building integrate technology into classrooms, laboratories and studios.
• Sixteen computer laboratories support student learning and meet their computing needs.
• The Keystone Library Network has expanded access to library resources.
• The new Virtual University has enabled us to expand access to our educational opportunities through distance education courses.
• Link-to-Learn is fostering regional networking collaboration with partners in health care and education.
• The new Center for Academic Excellence and other faculty development opportunities help faculty integrate technology into the teaching/learning process.
• All new faculty members receive a new desktop workstation.
• Strong partnerships between librarians and other faculty help develop appropriate library collections and a strong library instruction program.
• We are currently assessing the impact of technology on improving student learning and its cost effectiveness.
• The University has a modern, integrated administrative information management system.

Areas of Concern

• Not all faculty, staff, and students have the technology skills they need or desire.
• Some members of the University community do not yet recognize that integrating information technology into the teaching/learning process can result in a high quality learning experience for the student and a rewarding teaching experience for the faculty. Our promotion and tenure process does not value and reward new forms of educational research and pedagogy.
• User support for computing hardware and software needs to keep pace with increasing demand.
• Technology training programs for University faculty and staff, especially technical support staff, continue to place demands on finite resources as we attempt to keep pace with changing technologies.
• Providing instructional design support to help faculty integrate information technology into their courses remains a challenge.
• Support services for off-campus students studying via distance education, including library services, admissions, registration, and advisement, needs coordination.

Recommendations

• Now that technology and information literacy objectives have been defined for the General Education curriculum, develop the mechanisms to ensure that students achieve these objectives.
• Develop and implement promotion and tenure criteria that acknowledge and encourage the use of instructional technology in research and pedagogy. Provide opportunities for faculty to showcase ways they have integrated information technology into their research and pedagogy.

Suggestions

• Within our resource capabilities, furnish faculty with adequate support to enable them to develop and design courses that integrate technology into the teaching/learning process.
• Continue to develop appropriate staffing and policies for support services for distance education students.