EDUCAUSE Guide to Evaluating Information Technology on Campus

NAU Responses: Educause Consumer Guide 8

EDUCAUSE Guide to Evaluating Information Technology on Campus

(www.educause.edu/consumerguide/)

NAU Responses

January 2004

Academic Experience

·  What percentage of campus courses use electronic information to enhance the course (for example, syllabi, reading lists, discussion groups, demonstrations)?

Out of our approximately 2000 courses, 400 are taught completely on the web. The majority of the rest make use of some form of electronic information such as e-mail, electronic reserves, online syllabi, etc. A number of departments now require all their course syllabi to be on the web.

·  What percentage of faculty use e-mail regularly?

One hundred percent of our faculty have e-mail in place. It is impossible to say how many use e-mail regularly, except to note that the campus culture has evolved to the point where it would be highly unusual to find a faculty member not using e-mail.

·  Are technology resources available, used effectively to enhance the learning experience, and designed to prepare graduates in your major for technology use in their careers?

A host of technologies are in place to enhance learning at NAU. Both the main campus and the distance learning statewide sites are connected to an excellent broadband network; over 4,500 students connect their personal machines to our residence hall network; resident students have access to over a dozen open computing labs and distance learning statewide students have access to 24 computer labs located throughout the state. All students are given free modem services in over 20 locations around the state, and a student help desk is available with 24 hour phone support and the Flagstaff campus has a 24 hour computer lab.

The campus bookstore sells Microsoft Office Professional at a reduced student rate (around $80), and all computer labs, including the library, have a full range of Microsoft Office, statistical packages, and fully configured Internet browsers, to support student coursework. Many departments also have their own computer labs with specialized software ranging from state-of-the-art software for engineering and mathematics to collaborative and innovative software for writing and theater design. While there are a number of technical degrees and programs designed specifically to prepare graduates for a technical career, all graduates receive up-to-date skills and knowledge in fully accredited programs that integrate technology appropriately into the students’ educational experience.

·  What library resources are available online (catalog, databases, special collections)?

The NAU Cline library provides extensive access to online resources across disciplines. Students, regardless of location, have access to more than 150 online resources including full-text databases, indexes & abstracts, and electronic books. The Library’s online collections provide access to approximately 22,000 full-text journal titles and over 15,000 e-books. Students may easily access online course resources selected by the instructor for a class, which can include articles, images, and audio files. The Library works closely with many freshman level courses to introduce students to a wealth of services and resources available. The Special Collections Department continues to develop a digital archives database that provides a rich array of content and images related to the Colorado Plateau and Northern Arizona University. See for yourself by visiting www.nau.edu/library.

·  What electronic reference materials are licensed and how accessible are they from outside the library (for example, in the residence halls or off-campus)?

Because of our distance education mission, all electronic reference materials are available to students from anywhere on the Internet. A login is required for students to reach licensed products, but the goal is to make them available from anywhere at anytime. The Library’s licensed electronic reference materials include, but are not limited to, general and subject specific encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, writing guides and style manuals.

·  How does the campus help students develop computer skills?

Every admitted student, even before signing up for classes, is enrolled in a free Technology, Information, and Proficiency Skills course. This is a self-paced online course that teaches not only basic computer skills, but also covers specific information about using our online campus administrative services, our campus e-mail system, and our course management system. During student orientation, a number of sessions are offered to explain our computing environments and ethical expectations. At the same time, we have a 24 hour, 7 day a week help desk to assist students who are having a computer problem. A number of courses, such as English 105, have been expanded to include activities that require students to use basic office productivity software. Currently, the core liberal studies requirements typically require students to take at least one course that involves significant computer related work.

·  Does the campus allow students to receive credit for courses taken electronically from other sources?

Arizona has unique articulation agreements with community colleges and with the other two Arizona universities. On line courses from any Arizona Community College or from the University of Arizona and Arizona State College will typically receive credit at NAU. Students, however, should check with their advisor, who can work with our online degree audit tools, to assure that the transfer credits will count toward their degree.

·  Does the campus have a specific computer/IT competency requirement for all undergraduates?

At this time there are specific computer and Information Technology requirements in selected colleges and programs. A committee now considering a campus-wide competency requirement has noted that many students already meet the desired competencies.

·  Are course reserves and other materials available online/via the Web site?

Online course reserves are used extensively at NAU. Many faculty have discovered their students prefer this arrangement to the traditional course reserves. The Library provides access to a variety of course reserves including electronic books, journal articles, audio files, and images for use by their student.

·  What percentage of faculty has a networked computer available to them?

One hundred percent of our full-time faculty have a networked computer. Part-time faculty either have their own computer or access to library and/or laboratory computers.

Administrative Experience

·  What information about admission and financial aid is available online, and can necessary forms be submitted electronically?

Our recently installed PeopleSoft system provides applicants the ability to monitor their admissions progress as well as their financial aid status. Most forms can be submitted electronically; official transcripts are often the only exception.

·  Is the college catalogue, including important campus policies, available on the Web?

The catalogue, student handbook, and important campus policies are all available on the Web. See www.nau.edu/stulife or www.nau.edu/catalog for more information.

·  Can a student access her personal student information/data online?

Personal information is stored in our PeopleSoft student system. Applicants, students, and recent alumni all have access to this system and can change addresses, check their bills, review transcripts, or do almost all student administration functions online.

·  Can a student find out his grades online at the end of a semester?

Students and recent graduates can find their grades and review a copy of their unofficial transcript online.

·  Is registration, including dropping and adding courses, processed electronically?

Electronic registration is the norm for the campus: students regularly drop and add courses using the online PeopleSoft system. See the student access point for PeopleSoft at my.nau.edu/louie for more information.

·  Can students pay bills, receive loans, make campus bookstore purchases using online procedures?

Students can use the PeopleSoft system to pay bills and review financial aid status and disbursements. The campus bookstore has an online partner which allows any textbook to be ordered online and delivered to the student’s home. See www.nau.edu/bookstore for information about the campus bookstore or www.nau.edu/bursar for information about paying bills online.

·  What campus and community services are covered by "smart cards" or "debit cards"?

The NAUCard can be used by on-campus students as a library card and for a number of other free services. The NAUCard also supports NAU’s Mountain Campus Express system: a debit card that students can use for discounted meals, vending machines, laundry, the health center, and other fee-based services. Students can manage their NAUCard accounts online, including making web deposits with a credit card. See www.nau.edu/naucard for more details.

·  What student information does the campus provide routinely to parents?

NAU encourages parents to attend “previews,” an orientation program designed to help new students sign up for classes, meet new friends, and learn about the school. The family orientation program allows parents to meet with professors, academic advisors, and other NAU community members as a way to encourage families to help support their students during this important time of life. The NAU Parent Association also has a regular newsletter, called “The Backpack” that is available online. See www.nau.edu/otrs/previews for information about the new student orientation program or www.nau.edu/parents for information about the newsletter.

Social Experience

·  What percentage of students on this campus has full-time use of personal computers?

One hundred percent of on-campus students can access a computer 24 hours a day in our open labs. Over 90% of new incoming freshmen bring their own computers and we provide extensive support and assistance for helping students get their computers connected to the network and for cleaning viruses or resolving other problems that students have when working with their own personal computers.

Computer labs are also situated throughout the state of Arizona for distance learning statewide students who need access away from campus. See www.nau.edu/its/labs for details.

·  What is the ratio of public access computers to undergraduate enrollment?

There are 447 public access computers for on-campus users. The residential population of 16,174 yields a ratio of about 1 computer for every 36 students. This does not, however, account for the fact that most students have their own computers and that upper level students shift their work from open labs to one of more than 50 departmental labs. Including these departmental labs would reduce the ratio to about 1 computer for every 15 students, but we don’t consider them truly public access computer areas. The key point is that students do not have problems finding a computer since we have generous computer lab and library hours and a 24 hour lab.

There are 473 public access computers available for distance learning statewide students. The distance learning statewide population of 5,620 yields a ratio of 1 computer for every 11 students. Distance learning statewide labs are open an average of 40 hours per week.

·  What percentage of students use e-mail and other software applications on a regular basis?

The vast majority of NAU students commonly use computer technologies. One hundred percent of students have e-mail and e-mail is considered an official University communication channel. Specific departments and programs have their own software requirements, but most students use word processing and other office productivity software in their coursework. NAU’s technology literacy subcommittee recently proposed twelve technology literacy skills that every student should know by the time they graduate. The complete list includes electronic communication, electronic collaboration, word processing, web page authoring, presentations, online databases, ethical issues, spreadsheets, hardware/software basics, keyboarding, course management skills, and data management.

·  Does the campus allow personal Web pages?

NAU provides every student with space for a personal web page. A number of courses use the same space for course work. See dana.ucc.nau.edu/dana_homepages.html for samples of our students’ pages.

·  Is contact information for students, faculty, and staff readily accessible electronically?

NAU has state of the art online phone and department directory services. See www.nau.edu/wpages for more information.

·  Is there a campus code of behavior for use of computing and information resources?

Yes, there is a network acceptable use policy that governs student use of computing and networking resources at NAU. See www.nau.edu/policy/student_pol.html for more information.

·  What social activities and services are available over the Web?

The campus has a rich and evolving web site and a new portal where student activities, announcements, and other items are aggregated and made available. Examples include NAU Outdoors, Student Organizations, Announcements, and Events channels. Students can tailor the portal to suit their interests and new channels are actively being developed.

·  Are there Web sites for student organizations and clubs, and are these linked to the campus home page?

The Associated Students manage a web site for clubs and organizations (www.nau.edu/stulife). Campus home page visitors can find this link by clicking on the “Prospective Students” link at www.nau.edu. Students, and even applicants, can use their campus login (username and password) to explore the campus portal at my.nau.edu.

Requirements, Services and Costs

·  What, if any, technology fee is charged by the campus and what does it cover?

There is no technology fee at this time. However, since more than 70% of colleges do have a technology fee, this issue is being studied carefully.

·  Are students required to purchase their own computer?

There is no student computer ownership requirement at NAU, but owning a personal computer is highly recommended. Every effort is made to provide students who do not have their own computer with access to campus computers.

·  How does the campus make computing and network access financially available to all students?

At this time, NAU’s state budget covers the costs of providing computing and networking resources to all students.

·  Does the campus assess extra fees for network connections in the dorms or for off-campus access?

At this time, there are no extra charges for accessing our modem pool, connecting from the residence hall room, or using the campus labs or library services.

·  If I bring my own computer equipment to school, what kind of support can I expect from the campus?

Residence hall students can make appointments to get free assistance with setting up their computer on the network. Other students, many who use our free modem services, can contact the Academic Computing Help Desk 24 hours a day, seven days a week for free technical support. Recently, we have begun a proactive campaign to help students remove viruses. Off-campus students may bring their computers in to get equivalent help if they are having a problem. Appointments are made through the Academic Computing Help Desk.