Making Connections: A Strategic Framework for Technology at
Boise State University
Annual Action Plan for 1999-2000
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1. DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGICAL INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY TO SUPPORT A DISTRIBUTED CAMPUS UNIVERSITY IN FULFILLING ITS ROLE AND MISSION IN THE 21ST CENTURY |
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Develop a plan for the selective integration of audio, video, and data communications |
Office of Information Technology SMITC |
Continue integration of audio and data communications. Office of Information Technology and SMITC to explore integration of video communications. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide high-speed, on-campus networking to classrooms, laboratories, offices, meeting rooms, residence halls and apartments, the Student Union Building, Albertsons Library, and other auxiliary facilities |
Facilities Planning Residential Life Office of Information Technology SMITC |
Form task force to determine buildings/areas which require high speed connections. Prioritize by building/area and identify funding source. Progress report May '00. |
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Provide selected sites as "learning commons" (e.g. Albertsons Library, Student Union Building, Canyon County Center) with easy access to computer networks to facilitate student use of computing resources for study outside the classroom |
Facilities Planning Office of Information Technology |
Determine locations where hubs/wiring are needed. Establish budget and funding source for upgrades. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide oversight and coordination for all networking media including data, satellite, microwave, radio, and cable |
Office of Information Technology SMITC BSU Radio Facilities Planning |
Continuing. Progress report Spring '00 |
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Increase high-speed link between the university network and a national high-speed backbone (e.g. Internet 2, Abilene, vBNS, etc.) |
Office of Information Technology Academic Units |
Determine high demand research areas and explore funding options. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Increase access to Boise State University network resources from off-campus |
Office of Information Technology |
Evaluate viability of dedicated network lines for student use. Proceed with web access implementation. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Define and apply technology infrastructure standards to all new construction and major remodels at Boise State University locations |
Facilities Planning Office of Information Technology |
Complete standards to include wiring, closets, and access points. In process. Progress report May '00 |
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Implement major capital projects for information technology infrastructure such as duct banks, adequate electrical power, and HVAC |
President VP Institutional Advancement VP Finance & Administration |
$500,000 appropriated FY'00. Seek additional legislative funding and private partnerships. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Update and implement the classroom technology plan ("Recommendations for Classroom Technology") which pyramids technological capabilities, beginning with a small number of "high tech" classrooms, an intermediate number of "medium tech" classrooms, and a large number of "low tech" classrooms serviced with portable equipment |
SMITC Facilities Planning Continuing Education Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Coordinate classroom scheduling to ensure an appropriate match between faculty use of technology and classroom capability to support that technology |
SMITC Associate VP Finance & Administration Registrar |
Fully implement Resource 25 and Schedule 25. May '00 |
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Identify selected sites for location of general-purpose computer laboratories for students, emphasizing fewer but larger and more comprehensive laboratories |
Office of Information Technology Computing Governance Committee |
Continuing. Open new lab in ET 219-239 and determine site for third large lab. May '00 |
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Seek external funding through grants, contracts, and donations to acquire and maintain technology |
BSU Foundation Institutional Advancement Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Approach the funding of technology as a utility expense (i.e., as an ongoing expense rather than a one-time expenditure), creating a budget plan which defines funding responsibilities and replacement cycles and which ties maintenance budgets to new acquisitions |
Provost Vice Presidents Director, Office of Information Technology Deans Executive Budget Committee |
Continuing. Progress Report May '00 |
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Budget for technical support as a function of new facilities or capabilities (e.g. .25 FTE for each new electronic classroom) |
Provost Vice Presidents Director, Office of Information Technology Deans Facilities Planning |
Develop and implement a budget model. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Examine the feasibility of university-wide outsourcing and leasing contracts for some types of electronic equipment and services |
Institutional Advancement Office of Information Technology SMITC Facilities Planning |
Continuing. Explore outsourcing of university website. Form task force to determine all services needed. Progress report May '00 |
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Negotiate university contracts with vendors to facilitate student/faculty purchase or lease of computers at discounted rates |
Office of Information Technology Associate VP Finance & Administration |
Continuing. Consult with academic departments to determine how to administer negotiation of contracts and whether to physically locate vendors on campus. Progress report May '00 |
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Create a distributed but coordinated support system integrating Office of Information Technology and college/unit staff |
Office of Information Technology |
Form task force to determine most appropriate organizational structure. May '00 |
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Establish and promote standards for web page development; appoint a representative committee to monitor and enhance the university's web presence |
University Relations Office of Information Technology President Provost/VP Academic Affairs VP Student Affairs VP Institutional Advancement |
Develop uniform format for central administration web pages. Seek uniform look for all BSU web pages. Increase web broadcasts of commencement and other activities. Form task force to develop web standards and organizational structure for Webmaster and web development lab. May '00 |
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2. UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE ACADEMIC MISSION OF INSTRUCTION, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE |
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Objective |
Responsibility |
Timeline |
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Make all course syllabi available on-line |
SMITC Training and Development Deans, Academic Units |
Provide faculty/staff training. May '00 |
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Use computerized simulations where appropriate to supplement or supplant traditional laboratory instruction |
Facilities Planning Academic Departments Training and Development SMITC Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Increase acquisition and use of digital media resources such as videodiscs and CD ROM-based instructional materials |
Academic Departments SMITC Library |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Increase use of multimedia resources in instruction and provide development and production services to create multimedia materials for faculty |
Academic Departments SMITC |
Continuing. Digital studio complete Mar. '99. Enhancements complete Nov. '99. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop and utilize templates for course presentation, delivery, and management |
SMITC |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide technology-based independent learning options for: high-demand courses, so that students' academic progress is not delayed by unavailable courses; remedial and tutoring programs; and open-entry/open-exit options, so that students can accelerate their learning pace. |
Provost Deans Academic Departments SMITC Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Establish site licenses for software. Establish task force Apr. '00. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop a mechanism for coordinated planning and scheduling of distance education offerings |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Engage in systematic market analysis and identify niches in which the university can compete in the provision of distance education courses and programs on local, regional, and national levels |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Target specific disciplines, courses, and degree programs for adaptation to distance delivery methods, considering the appropriateness of particular technologies (e.g., Internet, videotapes, compressed video, microwave, satellite teleconferencing, public and cable television, and radio), discipline/ subject matter, audience (e.g., traditional students, high school dual enrollment students, working students, military personnel, rural students), and type of access (e.g., single vs. multiple technologies, partial distance/partial live classroom, asynchronous, self-directed and self-paced); and focus university resources on the development of targeted courses and programs |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education SMITC |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop and make available to all students an "orientation to distance education delivery" tutorial (accessible on-line, in print and in audiotape format) describing such matters as: technology requirements; different technology delivery methods and limitations; independence, motivation, and participation expected of students; interconnection between learning style and technology preference; basic technology access skills, etc. |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education SMITC |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide adequate e-mail, listserv, and chat capabilities to meet student demand to communicate with each other and faculty |
Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Determine funding source. Purchase necessary hardware and software. Progress report May '00 |
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Increase access to services provided by the computer testing laboratory |
SMITC |
Continuing. Expanded hours Fall '99. |
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Implement electronic grade books and grade submission to assist faculty with course management and reporting requirements |
Office of Information Technology Registrar |
May '00 |
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Increase availability of library/information resources for off-campus students and faculty |
Albertsons Library |
Continuing. User authentication system installed effective April '99. Off-campus students now have electronic access. Seek additional funding. |
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Provide comprehensive academic/career advising information, tools, and services via the web, with a problem-based, FAQ-oriented organization of information |
Career Center Registrar |
December '99 and continuing |
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Make available a comprehensive array of technological tools to support research and scholarship, such as computers, statistical packages, statistical support services, and access to or purchases of bibliographic and other databases |
Office of Information Technology |
Identify funding source and enhance staffing. Progress report May '00 |
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Revise tenure and promotion policies, annual evaluation policies, workload assignments, and other components of the reward system to encourage and recognize faculty use and development of technology for instruction, research, and service |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Provost Deans Academic Departments |
Continuing. Tenure and promotion policies revised May '99. |
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Offer incentives for faculty to experiment with instructional technology |
Provost Deans Academic Departments |
Continuing. Expand number of Provost's release-time grants. |
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Develop methods and tools for university-wide, systematic evaluation of distance education courses and instruction, and use data to determine future course offerings |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable SMITC Continuing Education |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide a systematic venue to collect and disseminate existing research on the use of technology for instruction |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable SMITC |
Web resource pages added December '99. |
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Establish a mechanism for identifying and sharing information among faculty on innovative uses of technology at Boise State University and other institutions, and cultivate an academic culture which adopts and promotes "best practices" in technology-enhanced instruction and distance education |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable SMITC |
December '99 |
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Collect and disseminate current information and advice on legal and ethical issues related to technology use (e.g., intellectual property, copyright, student privacy rights) and develop appropriate policies in these areas |
SMITC Office of Information Technology Printing & Graphics University Counsel |
E-mail copyright tutorial established May '99; SMITC Newsletter established May '99. Hold forums to revise necessary policies. May '00 |
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3. UTILIZE TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS OF THE UNIVERSITY |
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Objective |
Responsibility |
Timeline |
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Use networked information technology to enhance, maintain, and manage the university's physical, human, financial, and information resources |
Office of Information Technology Human Resources Internal Audit |
Identify funding sources. Establish efficiency awards and internal recognition. May '00 |
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Complete installation of PeopleSoft systems and upgrades, including the human resource system, the financial system, the student system, and the institutional advancement system |
Registrar Enrollment Services Financial Aid Student Affairs Institutional Advancement Office of Information Technology Associate Vice President Finance & Administration Budget Office |
Reengineer processes in Advancement and begin development Sept. '00 |
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Develop and support an easily accessible common database to provide faculty, staff, and administrators accurate information concerning majors, minors, scholarships, enrollment and retention data, etc. |
Registrar Enrollment Services Financial Aid Student Affairs Office of Information Technology Training and Development Institutional Research |
June '00 and continuing. Preliminary design in place. |
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Encourage university-wide standards for hardware and software in order to improve communication, maintenance, technical support, and training |
Office of Information Technology Training and Development Internal Audit Purchasing |
Regularly review standards and educate campus on standards and reasons for standards. Continuing |
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Provide adequate technological support for all administrative and business operations |
Office of Information Technology Human Resources |
Enhance staffing and develop incentive plan. Identify funding source. Continuing |
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Use telecommunication technology as appropriate to deliver education to non-campus locations such as workplaces, military bases, libraries, homes, and continuing education centers in order to reduce need for classrooms and ease demand on university facilities and resources |
Continuing Education SMITC BSU Radio Network Distance Learning Network Office of Information Technology |
Continuing. Office of Information Technology to establish reduced rate agreements for faculty/staff to obtain speed access from home. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop and maintain a space management and room scheduling system with real-time update capabilities |
Registrar Student Affairs Office of Information Technology Facilities Planning |
Fully implement Resource 25 and Schedule 25. June '00 |
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Enhance the existing capital project management program to include real-time update capabilities |
Facilities Planning |
May '00 |
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Automate all facilities work orders to include real-time update capabilities |
Facilities Planning Physical Plant Office of Information Technology |
Assess existing software capabilities. Use Office of Information Technology staff and/or outside consultants to develop programs. May '00 |
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Establish an administrative "best practices" team to identify and adopt other institutions' successes in the use of networked administrative information |
Associate VP Finance & Administration Training and Development |
Develop team. May '00 |
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Develop and maintain a campus master calendar with real-time update capabilities |
Institutional Advancement University Relations Facilities Planning Office of Information Technology |
Modify Campus Master Calendar and maintain external calendar electronically. Investigate calendar software on PeopleSoft 7.6 and 8.0. May '00 |
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Use technology to enhance the budget request, preparation and management processes. |
Budget Office |
Upgrade existing systems and transfer to PeopleSoft when appropriate. Continuing |
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Use technology to enhance all processes related to human resource/personnel administration |
Human Resources Office of Information Technology Training and Development |
Implement workflow capabilities of current system and provide training. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Implement an on-line workflow process to reduce paperwork and speed required approvals |
Office of Information Technology Training and Development |
Implement and provide training. Continuing. Additional FTE needed for expansion. Progress report May '00 |
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Use technology to develop and maintain enhancements such as point of sale systems, which will incorporate a combined billing statement for students, and kiosk or web-based systems for appropriate activities in auxiliary enterprises |
Student Union Bookstore Student Affairs Associate VP Finance & Administration Controller Payments and Disbursements Pavilion Select-A-Seat Office of Information Technology |
Establish point-of-sale systems in SUB, Bookstore, and Payments and Disbursements by June '00. Purchase and install Kronos software in Pavilion to automate payroll process by June '00. Develop a web-based system for Select-A-Seat. Progress report May '00 |
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Use technology to enhance the accounting system in order to permit decentralized generation of management reports |
Associate VP Finance & Administration Office of Information Technology |
Enhance existing capabilities. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Use technology to enhance the cash management program in order to permit a more aggressive investment program and a more efficient accounts receivable/accounts payable system |
Budget Office |
Enhance existing capabilities. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Implement an automated institutional debt management program |
Controller |
Enhance existing capabilities and outsource student loan program. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop and use electronic forms and sign-offs and eliminate as many paper forms as possible |
Office of Information Technology |
Implement workflow capabilities. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Circulate all meeting agendas and minutes electronically |
University Relations Office of Information Technology |
Electronically circulate all Institutional Advancement bulletins, updates, president's letters, etc. December '99. Office of Information Technology to develop plan for university intranet by May '00 |
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Provide daily and weekly Boise State University information updates and news bulletins electronically in order to reduce reliance on Campus Mail and U.S. Mail services |
University Relations Alumni Relations |
Enhance electronic communication with local media. December '99. Establish e-mail listserv for alumni. May '00 |
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Utilize computer-based tools and systems to facilitate access to information, programs, and services and to improve communication with the university's various constituencies, including prospective and current students and alumni |
Student Affairs Alumni Relations University Relations Institutional Advancement |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Install and implement enhancements to the student information system to increase efficiency of services and student access to services (e.g., on-line degree audit; web-based admissions, registration, financial aid, automated student loan management program, and student account information and services) |
Office of Information Technology Associate VP Finance & Administration Student Affairs |
Proceed with PeopleSoft 7.6 implementation. Registration on web June '00 |
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Identify current standards and facilitate mass purchase or lease of computers through the university for individual student purchase or lease in order to capitalize on economies of scale and to benefit students |
Office of Information Technology Academic Units Associate VP Finance & Administration Bookstore VP Institutional Advancement |
Office of Information Technology to work with academic units to determine feasibility of such contracts. Progress report May '00 |
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4. PROVIDE A WIDE RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT NECESSARY TO MAKE EFFECTIVE USE OF TECHNOLOGY |
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Objective |
Responsibility |
Timeline |
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Provide a continuing assessment of professional development and training needs among faculty and staff |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education SMITC Registrar Enrollment Services Training and Development |
Continuing. Training and Development to conduct updated campus survey. Progress report May '00 |
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Offer a comprehensive program of professional development and training available in a variety of formats, including the use of mentoring, conferences, contract and in-house trainers, workshops, tutorials, etc., which emphasize both learning to use the tools and learning to do things differently |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education SMITC Training & Development |
Continuing. SMITC Summer Institutes established. SMITC training calendar distributed. Progress report May '00 |
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Seek external funding to support professional development and training for faculty and staff |
Continuing Education SMITC Provost Institutional Assessment |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide an adequate number of technical professionals to support student, faculty, and staff use of technology |
Office of Information Technology SMITC Human Resources |
Continuing. Review incentive programs such as bonuses, flexible hours, home-based employment, etc. Identify funding sources. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide adequate resources to technical staff, including space, hardware and software, training, user groups, etc. to enable technical staff to offer adequate, ongoing support and services to both new and "power" users of technology |
Central Administration Office of Information Technology SMITC Facilities Planning |
Continuing. Initiate planning for a computing facility. Progress report May '00 |
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Develop a systematic approach for identifying and preparing a cadre of skilled students to serve as a technology support resource |
Provost Office of Information Technology SMITC College of Applied Technology |
Student technology assistants pilot program Spring '98. Workshop planned for Spring '00. Identify funding source and implement plan. May '00 |
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Increase funding for incentive and release-time programs (e.g., the Provost's release time grants, and the State Board of Education's Technology Incentive Grants) to encourage and facilitate faculty efforts to integrate technology into instruction |
Provost Deans Academic Departments Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Create incentives and rewards for staff in recognition of effective administrative applications of technology |
Office of Information Technology Human Resources |
Form task force to develop incentives and rewards. Progress report May '00 |
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Provide venues for the collection, evaluation, and distribution of information about technology and technology support services |
Office of Information Technology |
Develop web surveys and post results. Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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Engage in systematic evaluation of technology use in academic and administrative areas and explore the use of standardized evaluation tools |
Teaching and Learning Technology Roundtable Continuing Education SMITC |
Continuing. Progress report May '00 |
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