Standard IIIC: Technology Resources
Technology resources are used to support student learning programs and services and to improve institutional effectiveness. Technology planning is integrated with institutional planning.
- The institution assures that any technology support it provides is designed to meet the needs of learning, teaching, college-wide communications, research, and operational systems.
Description
The technology needs of Academic Services, Administrative Services, Student Services, and Interdisciplinary Services are identified during their Program Reviews. During that process, the members of each area determine what technology they require to meet their needs. These needs include computer software and hardware and multi-media equipment, as well as the campus infrastructure to support them. Identification of technology needs for learning and teaching occurs in the Program Reviews of the academic divisions. Identification of technology needs related to operational systems of the College occurs in Computer Services Program Review. Communication and research systems include commercial email systems, web pages focusing on internal or external audiences, and a locally-created reporting system for research.
The dean of technology services is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of all information technology for the District. This position is responsible for overseeing the information technology used in Student Services, Administrative Services, Academic Services, and Interdisciplinary Services. Through the Program Review participatory process, needs are established and then prioritized, and equipment is purchased and implemented as outlined in Administrative Procedure 3261 (AP 3261).
The Institutional Technology Committee, which is a standing committee of the College Council, is charged with making recommendations to the College Council on technology issues. This committee has developed hardware standards for both academic and non-academic technology equipment. These standards are revised annually to ensure there is continual, sustainable quality improvement in the technology available in the District.
Collegewide communications are supported with an email system as well as with SharePoint document repositories. The District is currently in the process of implementing a complete document management system utilizing the SharePoint repositories to share committee agendas and minutes, department and division procedures, and general announcements. The communications system is augmented with notification systems for classrooms and texts/emails for selected individuals during emergencies.
The District has implemented the Banner Enterprise Resource Program (Banner) for support of student registration and academic history, student accounting, financial aid processing, the course catalog, and scheduling, as well as all fiscal and human resource functions. A locally designed system, the College Extended Information System (CEIS), provides users with up to date information for researching data collected in the Banner system.
The commitment of the College to meet the technology needs of its departments can be seen in the process followed when implementing a new software product. The District exploredonline course management systems for several years, piloting various software solutions.Faculty were encouraged to use several products and give feedback as to their experience. Ultimately, it was the faculty who chose the Blackboard online course management system that would best support the needs for the distance education classroom. Computer Services, charged with the support of technology in the District, oversaw the project to ensure that it met District information security standards and was compatible with the District software (Banner).
Evaluation
The College meets this standard. Each academic division and administrative department identifies technology that will best serve its needs. These needs are evaluated during the Program Review process for alignment with the District’s mission and goals. The Institutional Technology Committee works with the dean of technology services to ensure that the technology needed is placed into service and supported with updates and maintenance. A consistent review of technology systems in the participatory governance model results in a continual, sustainable quality improvement for District technology resources.
Planning Agenda
No planning agenda is recommended at this time.
- Technology services, professional support, facilities, hardware, and software are designed to enhance the operation and effectiveness of the institution.
Description
The Technology Services Department is responsible for the design, implementation, and maintenance of the District’s information services. These services range from desktop software at one end of the spectrum to the integration of the Banner Enterprise Resource Planning (BERP) system at the other. The department also maintains the District’s web presence. Other essential services that Technology Services provides to the District include integrated phone systems, inter- and intra-site network connectivity, and internet connectivity. The Internet connection is provided through the Corporation for Educational Network Initiatives in California (CENIC). These services are essential in connecting staff to their peers as well as to the students they serve.
The technology staffs are augmented when necessary with outside professional consultants. When updates and patches are required to the BERP, the application manager and the data base administrator consult with the vendor system experts to ensure that the upgrades and patches are applied correctly. The same is true for the current task of implementing a SharePoint document repository, where outside consultants have been contacted for specific deliverables to augment the knowledge in the department.
Just recently, Copy and Mail Services and Media Services have been consolidated into the Technology Services Department. Previously, these departments were overseen and managed by the Public Information office and the learning resources director. The consolidation of all of these services has streamlined the support and coordination between computing, media, and printing services.
The Technology Committee plays an important role in monitoring the district need for technology services and keeping the appropriate support mechanisms in place. The Technology Plan continues to drive the overall vision and goals of the Technology Department, which include:
- Providing predictable support for all technology systems.
- Providing systematic technology development and implementation plans for District priorities.
- Providing consistent accessibility to technology resources.
- Maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of electronically stored information.
Evaluation
The College meets this standard. Utilizing a centralized support structure to maintain all technology supports the commitment to enhancing the operation and effectiveness of these services.
The coordination between the Strategic Plan and the Technology Plan drives the priorities and tasks of the technology support functions on a daily basis. Currently, this support is staffed with specialists in the following areas:
Specialty / Number of FTESMicrocomputer Hardware / 5
Application Systems Programming / 3
Data Base Systems / 1
Systems Administration / 1.5
Telephone/Network Systems / 1
Web Site Maintenance / 1
Media Systems / 2
Printing and Duplication[JT1] / 1
Planning Agenda
No planning agenda is recommended at this time.
- The institution provides quality training in the effective application of its information technology to students and personnel.
Description
Each functional department[JT2] is responsible for providing training to faculty and staff in the Banner and SharePoint software systems. Faculty and staff are invited to attend other training sessions relevant to the use of Banner and SharePoint in their jobs. These sessions are sponsored by the District’s Faculty Enrichment Committee[JT3] (FEC) and the Professional Association of Classified Employees (PACE).
Training in other software systems is not universallyavailable; however, there are occasional FLEX workshops open to faculty and staff in basic uses of Office applications. The distance education coordinator is responsible for training faculty and staff to use Blackboard and offers regular workshops and individual consultations twelve months of the year. Faculty and staff can take courses at the College, and the tuition and related fees are waived. This training means that staff are able to update their skills in job related software such as Outlook and Excel.
Students are trained in information technology in many different ways. Students can take software classes through several divisions, including Agriculture, Business, Industry and Technology, and Mathematics and Engineering. The Learning Resources Center (LRC) also offers courses on information technology. The District has instituted Banner system training as part of the Orientation curriculum all students receive when enrolling for the first time. The Student Helpdesk in the LRC supports student use of email, Blackboard, and basic Office applications. During the orientation process, students are trained in the use of the District’s Student Information System (Banner) to register, add and drop courses, check on financial aid information, and review academic history. In addition, students get training from their instructors in course-specific software. This training occurs in a wide variety of courses and divisions.
Evaluation
The College meets this standard. Training on the District’s information system is ongoing and is incorporated into orientation of new employees. The District has standardized use of the Microsoft Office Suite of products for daily use in office automation. Through the site license of these products, online instruction is available to all District employees. In addition to this training, coordination with faculty and classified staff development has resulted in regularlyscheduled training for other software instituted in the College.
Planning Agenda
No planning agenda is recommended at this time.
- The institution systematically plans, acquires, maintains, and upgrades or replaces technology infrastructure and equipment to meet institutional needs.
Description
Technology resource planning occurs at different levels. Computer Services is responsible for planning as it relates to the District server farm as well asthe institutional software package, Banner. The departments and programs use the Program Review process to plan their technology needs. Requests for technology resources are presented to the College Council, which is responsible for making recommendations to the President’s Cabinet on funding priorities. The Institutional Technology Committee advises the College Council on issues related to technology resources.
The acquisition of technology resources for new, upgraded, or replacement technology is dependent upon available financial resources. Instructional equipment funds from the state are used to purchase computers and software for use in classrooms and laboratories and faculty offices. The purchase of technology resources for non-instructional uses is dependent upon the allocation of financial resources from the general fund of the College. In years when instructional equipment funds from the state were ample and the general fund healthy, technology resource purchases were adequate. However, these funds have been limited or nonexistent in the last several years, especially for non-instructional purchases.
The District began a computer refresh cycle in the summer of 2007, with the aim of replacing all computer systems every four years. Measure I, the local general obligation bond, was used to kick-start the process with a plan to slowly increase the General Fund budget for computer replacement. The District was able to maintain this refresh rate until 2010, when due to devastating budget cuts from the state, this plan was altered to a six-year cycle.
When computers are purchased, the computers they replace are sometimes re-allocated to other areas that are in need of additional resources or whose resources are older and out of date compared to the “hand-me-down” computers. Some computers removed from service are stored againstfuture need or are scavenged for usable parts by Computer Services.
The maintenance of existing technology resources is the responsibility of Computer Services. Maintenance can be requested by notifying the computer “Helpdesk” by phone or by email. The request generates a work order, which is assigned to a technician. Email confirmation of the work order is sent to the requesting party. When the maintenance has been completed, or the problem solved, another email is sent. Although there is a central contact for computer and technology issues, most issues are not solved immediately, but instead are assigned to a knowledgeable technician for repair. If the problem is beyond the expertise of the technician, it is sent to the networking or programming staff
The College evaluates each Banner release and schedules appropriate time for testing and installation consistent with system usage, manpower availability, and the degree of need for the new features. This evaluation includes an assessment of how the new feature can be used to meet the needsof the various departments. The Banner Steering Committee, comprised of representatives from Academic Services, Administrative Services, and Student Services, discussesBanner features that canhelp make more effective use of the system. When other requests for new or modified software systems are received, the College follows similar evaluation, assessment, and prioritization procedures.
Evaluation
The College meets this standard. There is systematic planning for technology procurement and a centralized mechanism for performing scheduled and non-scheduled maintenance.
Respondents in the Accreditation survey agreed that technology resources are systematically maintained and upgraded, and that this maintenance is important. 74.4 percent of respondents either agreed or strongly agreed that “Technology resources are maintained, upgraded and replaced systematically.” In that same survey, 98.2 percent believed that the importance of this maintenance was either great or moderate.
46.1) / Level of Agreement[JT4]Strongly Agree / Agree / Disagree / Strongly Disagree / Don’t Know
Technology resources are maintained, upgraded, and replaced systematically. / 21.1% (48) / 53.3% (121) / 16.3% (37) / 4.8% (11) / 4.4% (10)
46.2) / Level of Importance
Great Importance / Moderate Importance / Little Importance / No Importance / Don't Know
Technology resources are maintained, upgraded, and replaced systematically. / 66.5% (147) / 31.7% (70) / 0.5% (1) / 0.0% (0) / 1.4% (3)
Planning Agenda
No planning agenda is recommended at this time.
- The distribution and utilization of technology resources support the development, maintenance, and enhancement of its[JT5] programs and services.
Description
The distribution of technology is primarily determined by the Program Review process, because programs and services must request funding for the initial purchase of these resources. The requests include a justification for how the technology will be used and why it is needed. Such factors as the age (or existence) of current technology, the critical nature of the technology to the course goals (or service operation), and the number of students who will be served are a few of the factors that are considered in making recommendations. Administrative Procedure 3261 provides direction for technology requests during the Program Review process. Each area vice president (Academic Services, Student Services and Administrative Services) ranks technology requests from their individual area. These three lists are forwarded to the Technology Committee for review. A single prioritized list of all technology requests is forwarded to the superintendent/president, whoreviews and presents the prioritized list to the College Council. As mentioned previously, instructional equipment funds from the state vary from year to year. The availability of funds for non-instructional equipment is spotty at best. Categorical funds and grant monies have also been used to purchase technology resources for both instructional and non-instructional uses.
When additional technology resources become available because of the purchase of new technology, these resources are distributed as appropriate by Computer Services.
Evaluation
The College meets this standard. The Program Review process indicates what technology is needed in each of the programs and services. Procurement and maintenance of technology is based on these needs and the budgetary constraints imposed by the state.
The Accreditation survey indicates that the technology is sufficiently supporting programs and services.
47.1) / Level of AgreementStrongly Agree / Agree / Disagree / Strongly Disagree / Don’t Know
Technology resources are sufficient for supporting programs and services. / 16.9% (38) / 55.1% (124) / 16.4% (37) / 5.3% (12) / 6.2% (14)
47.2) / Level of Importance
Great Importance / Moderate Importance / Little Importance / No Importance / Don't Know
Technology resources are sufficient for supporting programs and services. / 66.4% (144) / 31.8% (69) / 1.4% (3) / 0.0% (0) / 0.5% (1)
Academic areas have specialized computer labs that support particular instructional needs. General access student computer labs are also available for instruction and practice. Currently the District supports the following computer labs:
Academic Discipline / Number of Computer Labs / Computers availableIndustry [JT6] Technology / 10 / 171
Nursing & Allied Health / 1 / 50
Math & Science / 8 / 212
Business / 6 / 166
Language Arts / 4 / 123
Agriculture / 6 / 47
Learning Resources & Tutorial / 8 / 202
Hanford Educational Center / 8 / 184
Fine Art / 4 / 44
Student Services / 9 / 139
Planning Agenda
No planning agenda is recommended at this time.
- Technology planning is integrated with institutional planning. The institution systematically assesses the effective use of technology resources and uses the results of evaluation as the basis for improvement.
Description
As mentioned previously (III.C.1.c), technology resource planning occurs at different levels. All technology requests that arise out of planning during the Program Review process are sent to College Council, which also receives information from the Institutional Technology Committee to help make its recommendations to the President’s Cabinet. In this way, technology resource planning is integrated into institutional planning.
The Strategic Plan and its associated Tactical Plans are an integral part of the planning for technology resources. The Technology plan, reviewed and authored by the Technology Committee, is used as the vehicle to describe the tasks associated with the tactical plans involving the use of technology.