Summary

Major Recommendations

Strategic Plan for Technology

May, 1996

 

Charge to the Committee

The committee was charged with the following:

1. Review and assess the faculty’s level of technological skills and develop and initiate a systematic process to upgrade these skills.

2. Develop a 5-year plan to provide adequate technology to the faculty and training in the use and possible uses of technology.

3. Develop a plan to encourage usage and experimentation.

4. Work with UPIT and the Library to develop the technology resources which will be available in the classroom.

5. Project specialized classroom needs to serve as a basis for a targeted fund-raising drive.

Because of the continuing developments in the organization, functions, and strategic mission of IT at DePaul, it was not possible to address charge (4) in specific detail. The committee continues to work with Lorilee Sadler (head, ATD) to formulate and express the needs that Commerce has with regard to classroom technology needs.

Faculty Skill Assessment

A survey of faculty computing needs and usage was conducted during the 1994-5 academic year. According to the survey, approximately 8% of the respondents (n = 52) do not use a College of Commerce PC. Table 1 lists the most highly used software (non users are not included in the percentages).

Table 1

Faculty Usage of Selected Software Categories

 

Software category Frequently/Occasionally Seldom/Never

Word Processing 95.9% 4

WP Office 87.7 12.2

Spreadsheet/Database 75.5 24.5

Library services 74.5 25.5

Terminal emulation 63.8 36.2

Math/Statistics 63.1 36.9

Presentation graphics 59.6 40.4

Internet 51.0 48.9

Data resources 39.0 60.9

Most faculty are aware of and use word processing, e-mail, and spreadsheet software, with the least familiarity/usage in data resources and the internet. It appears that the percentage of faculty who would need intensive, basic computing training in the College is less than 10%. Varying percentages would, however, benefit from familiarization with the resources available to them, particularly presentation graphics and the Internet. It was strongly felt by the committee that learning opportunities should be made available to faculty to address technological competence, and the use of those opportunities be left to the individual faculty member.

However, departments should be aware, and take steps to ameliorate, the misuse of secretarial resources through lack of technological competence. Faculty who rely solely on the secretarial staff for word processing place an undue burden on the limited resources of the College.

Technology Mission

The College of Commerce seeks to make technology available and encourages its appropriate use to enhance the learning experience. We recognize that the presence and use of technology improves the College’s reputation as a leader in the academic and business community. Technology should be used to cost effectively increase productivity in teaching and research.

Specific Recommendations

A. Hardware

B. Software

 

C. Classrooms/Student Computer Labs

D. Connectivity

E. Training

F. Support