The university's Information and Educational Technology Coordinating Committee (IETCC), along with several other participants, held a retreat April 6-7, 2000, at the Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park. The purpose of the one-and-a-half day retreat was to examine the purpose and role of technology in teaching and learning at Fresno State and to identify campus priorities in the area of technology for the months and years ahead.
External Challenges. With the assistance of retreat facilitator, Rebecca Dooley, retreat participants kicked off the first day's session by mapping the challenges facing higher education in our region, state, and across the nation. Through the identification of the significant forces impacting higher education today, participants were able to get a better sense of the environment of technology and learning external to Fresno State. Participants recognized that it is important to address the way students will be using technology to learn in the future, based on current trends throughout the state and nation.
Toward a Virtual Future. Retreat participants were asked to envision the way technology will be used for teaching and learning in the years ahead. Participants agreed that speed and demand for access will continue to increase. They predicted that in the near future, all courses will have a significant Web presence and dependence on location will be dramatically reduced.
Purpose and Role of Technology. A mission statement for the use of technology at Fresno State was established: To advance the university's mission of serving society by producing a scholarly community of students, faculty, and staff who are changed and empowered by the learning environment to be competent, productive and socially responsible citizens.
Identification of Strategic Goals. Through small group sessions, retreat participants identified six key strategic goals and priorities:
Online Administrative Services for Students. The university will develop user-friendly online administrative services for students, such as registration, fee payments, purchases, travel, procurement, parking, course scheduling and room assignments, degree progress, financial aid, tickets, pre-requisite checking, etc.
Funding for Technology Initiatives. The university will identify and secure funding to support technology initiatives at Fresno State with an initial formula of 50 percent of funds coming from the existing university budget (including reallocation of funds) and 50 percent of funds coming from external dollars.
Academic Technology Resources. All students, faculty, and staff will be provided with an integrated computing environment, built on a solid infrastructure that gives access to current technology and prepares for emerging technologies (e.g. wireless, high bandwidth, local and remote). Every student will have a digital device and anytime/anywhere access to electronic resources, including the library. Every faculty and staff will have digital facilities appropriate to their function, including offices, that are fully supported and refreshed as needed based on a two-year needs review cycle.
Smart Classrooms. All classrooms and labs will be configured and well-equipped to support the appropriate use of technology. All aspects of the classroom/instructional experience will be affected by technology, including examinations, projects, and assigned readings.
Faculty Professional Development. Faculty will have full access to professional development in the area of technology for teaching and learning and support in the use of technology in teaching. Faculty will be provided with a support team for Web-enhanced and Web-based course design and will be assisted in integrating technology into the curriculum. Faculty will develop and implement five-year development plans that integrate technology into the teaching and learning process.
Courseware Development. In order to ensure that instruction is effectively adapted to the learning needs of students, the university will establish a well-funded courseware production unit that includes production, research, beta testing, and marketing components. Course-ware created by faculty at Fresno State will be used on campus and will be marketed externally. Policies and procedures for faculty compensation will be developed.
Three additional priority areas were identified for implementation at a further date. These include establishing targets to deliver 25 to 50 percent of courses online through the development of Web-enhanced and Web-based curriculum; the establishment of the university's reputation as a leader in "e-education" (based on educational quality, excellence in teaching, and student satisfaction); and the integration of assessment and learning out-comes into all phases of the university, including the use of technology in the learning process.
Next Steps. Task forces were established to develop plans for the implementation of the six priority areas identified. In addition, retreat participants will be soliciting feedback from their constitutents for discussion at regular IETCC meetings in the fall of 2000. Additional information will be forthcoming in fall issues of the University Journal.
Retreat Participants. Brent Auernheimer, Computer Science; Otto Benavides, AIT; Nancy Bjordahl, Enrollment Services Information Systems; John Briar, Business Information Technology Services; John Cagle, Speech Communication; Bill Fasse, Child, Family and Consumer Sciences; Michael Gorman, Library; Ellen Gruenbaum, College of Social Sciences; Lynda Harding, CETL; Steve Katz, Administrative Services; Brandt Kehoe, Academic Affairs; James Kus, Academic Senate; Randy Larson, Foundation; Sandra MacNevin, Office of the President; Genie Montanye, Political Science; Jim Morris, Information Systems and Technology; Ed Nelson, AIT; Lars Newlander, School/College Tech Group; Mike Ortiz, Academic Affairs; Hye Ok Park, Library; Ben Quillian, Administrative Services; Judy Sakaki, Student Affairs; Ken Shipley, Academic Affairs; Bob Threlkeld, AIC; Mohammad Yousef, Civil and Geomatics; Engineering and Construction; John Welty, President; and Sam Wilkerson, AIT.
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