AIC on Strategic Planning for Technology and Information/Learning Resources

Sub-Committee_1 Recommendation

02/07/03

Sub-Committee Chair: Mike Meyer

Sub-Committee Members: Barbara Hotta, Kaz Chambers, Rich Yamane, Cindy Martin

Sub-Committee focus: Develop and recommend a structure to develop and implement a strategic plan for

· (1.) Needs related to sufficiency of information and learning resources.

a. Reconvene the Strategic Planning for Information Technology Committee to develop goals and recommendations regarding technology on campus.

b. Insure that the appropriate resources are provided to the distance education courses as the summer of sections offered and student enrollment change.

c. Reassess learning resource needs based on demands from winter and three summer sessions.

d. Assign responsibility for the College’s website to a staff member or hire a webmaster to maintain the website.

· (2.) Acquisition and maintenance of educational equipment and materials

· (3.) Accessibility of information and learning resources

a. Clearly communicate plans regarding information and learning resources to faculty and staff.

· (5.) Sufficient and consistent financial support (the need is identified yet there is no plan to seek out more agreements with other sources.

Recommendations:

The future of education requires improved knowledge and information management and the steady conversion of learning resources to digital media and network delivery. To accomplish this Leeward must create a structure to develop and implement a strategic plan for Information Technology/learning Resources. We recommend the following actions:

1. Formally establish the Information Technology Unit as a component of Academic Support. (Current reorganization of IT functions into a single unit is a step in the right direction)

A. This unit will be headed by a permanent faculty coordinator

B. This unit will manage the development of the Information Technology Strategic Plan for the campus with the assistance and input of the Information Technology Advisory Council (see below)

C. This unit will have its own operating budget and will manage the utilization of the Technology Fund to implement the Information Technology Strategic Plan.

D. The Information Technology Unit head will develop procedures and policies on all campus Information Technology requests with the support of the Information Technology Advisory Council.

E. The unit will assess and determine necessary Information Technology Unit staffing needs to support all Information Technology infrastructures and all Internet/networked services on campus.

F. The Information Technology Unit head will make all decisions on Information Technology requests submitted through the Information Technology Advisory board public at the time such decisions are made.

2. Formation of a permanent (institutionalized) advisory council for each of the major units in Academic Support (IT, EMC, LRC, and Library) with representation from their faculty constituency groups. These advisory councils will work with their unit’s personnel to develop specific plans for their area to address :

A. Needs related to sufficiency of information and learning

B. Acquisition and maintenance of educational equipment and materials

C. Accessibility of information and learning resources

D. Sufficient and consistent financial support for Information Technology and Learning Resources

E. Professionally qualified staff (technical support staff)

F. Adequacy and effectiveness of learning and information resources and services for Distance Education, and Winter and three Summer Sessions.

G. These Academic Support Advisory Councils will forward all Information Technology requests to the Information Technology Council for review and action by the Information Technology Unit head.