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APPENDIX
A
EVIDENTIARY REPORT: OPPORTUNITY
“Access to Quality Programs for Diverse Populations” |
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| Intrinsic to the character of California State University, Fresno
is the principle that a quality education should be available to
all eligible students. This is evidenced by an existing strong
commitment to equity that ensures the lowering of barriers to entry
and retention for all groups of learners—be they low income
and migrant students, community college transfers and first generation
college attendees, immigrant and international students, reentry
adults and returning professionals, or distance and Web-based learners.
The present essay examines the dual-faceted nature of this opportunity
principle: a strong commitment to equity and diversity, and a purposeful
dedication to the provision of a quality education for all concerned.
It is important to note that the opportunity discussed here is
thus not limited to students; it also refers to the opportunity
afforded to faculty, staff, and administrators for involvement
in this critical endeavor as teachers, advisers, supporters, and
enablers of students. Faculty, staff, and administrators—as
diverse learners themselves—require access to excellent training
and development programs for their own professional advancement
and for the improvement of the university. |
CFR
1.5 |
| Behind the provision of equal access and quality education lies
a solid structure of policy, plan, and program support. The university’s
Mission
Statement proclaims a commitment to both “offer a
high quality educational opportunity to qualified students…” and
to “seek and encourage historically underrepresented students
to embark upon and complete a university education.” In the
strategic plan (Plan for Excellence II, 2001-2006), fully nine
goals (# 9, 10, 17, 20, 21, 23, 24, 27, and 37) deal directly with
issues of opportunity for quality educational experiences for students,
staff, faculty and administrators. Reflecting these and numerous
specific campus documents variously referred to throughout this
essay, the WASC Self-Study Steering Committee's Institutional
Purposes #1 and #2 and Educational Goals # 1 and #4 decisively address issues
of opportunity. |
|
Attracting and Supporting a Diverse Campus Community
Diversity has become a hallmark of California State University,
Fresno, as is dramatically evidenced in institutional
statistics on student body faculty, staff, and service area. Specific focus
on such strong commitment to an inclusive campus may be found
in two important documents, the President’s Statement on
Campus Climate and Diversity, and the EEEO
Plan, which are further
bolstered by campus human resource policies, a diverse array
of courses and programs of study, and programs to facilitate
the success of returning students, first-generation and distance learning college students, transfer students, and other special
needs populations.
In spring 2003, the university held for the first time a Diversity
Week, including special events and displays that celebrated the
rich cultural diversity of the campus and its surrounding community.
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EXEMPLAR:
Diversity Week |
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Student Recruitment and College Transition
Central to the creation of such an inclusive campus is the recruitment
of students and all university employees. The essential value
and distinctive character of the university's diversity is thus
being constantly maintained through ongoing, vigilant outreach.
The Office of University
Outreach is committed to attracting
a diverse student population to the campus by focusing efforts
on reaching out to underserved student groups in rural and underprivileged
communities where low-income, first-generation college students
constitute a high percentage of the population. Special recruitment
events throughout the year bring diverse students to visit the
campus, learn about the university's academic programs, and meet
with students, faculty, and staff. Student Ambassadors visit
high schools regularly to facilitate university enrollment by
assisting students individually with the pre-admission process.
In the middle schools, early outreach efforts provide university
tutors and mentors who offer academic development assistance
in math, English and science, while at the same time giving these
students early exposure to higher education.
Staff Recruitment |
|
In the area of staff and management recruiting, emphasis is placed
on developing applicant pools that include the very best available
talents. To that end the Office of Employment and Recruitment advertises
open positions on the Internet, also using appropriate professional
journals for the more specialized positions. Advertising resources
are made available to hiring authorities at the outset of the recruiting
process. Assuring the effectiveness of the EEEO
policy, the Equal
Employment Opportunity Coordinator or designee is an active participant
in every search process. The recently updated Equal
Employment and Educational Opportunity Plan includes a variety of strategies
for reaching qualified labor markets. A career
opportunity Web site lists vacant positions.
Faculty Recruitment
|
CFR
3.1
|
| California State University Fresno is committed to providing
a diverse student population with a quality education at the graduate
and undergraduate levels (link to Educational Goal # 4). To this
end, the university seeks to recruit and retain a quality faculty
from every background, within the framework of federal and state
law, to fulfill its mission. University hiring policies are designed
to assure that all candidates receive a fair opportunity to present
their credentials. Web access to important policies is readily
available (e.g., the Interim
Policy on the Appointment of Tenure Track Faculty and the Award
of Service Credit); and all full-time
vacancy announcements are posted on the Web site of Academic
Personnel Services and on the national
academic vacancy Web site,
resulting in interest from applicants worldwide.
To further encourage interest in the university and the Fresno-Clovis
Metropolitan Area, Academic Personnel Services has developed
a Web
site to answer questions regarding the university and community
from prospective employees.
Supporting a Quality Learning Environment |
CFR
3.3
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| Many campus student services have as their primary goal ensuring
the success of all students including those with specific needs.
Student services programs such as the Educational Opportunity Program,
the Office of Reentry Services, Summer Bridge, College Assistance
Migrant Program, and University Migrant Services are designed to
provide a comprehensive array
of services to support the academic, personal, and social development
of target populations. Services such as academic planning, advising,
counseling, financial aid advising, peer mentoring, learning assistance
and new-student orientation are essential to helping these students
realize their academic, personal and career goals. |
SPG
5 |
Advising Services and Support Programs
The Office of Advising Services provides a variety of services
that support student learning and development and increase the
probability of success for all students. Dog Days: New Student
Orientation provides creative programs designed to prepare new
students for a successful academic experience. It provides an
opportunity for the campus community to make early connections
with students and parents. Current students receive assistance
with undeclared major advising, general education advising, academic
petition procedures, special major advising, academic problem
solving and understanding university policies and procedures.
The mission of the Office of Advising Services is to empower
undergraduate students by helping them take responsibility for
achieving their academic and personal goals, and to support the
university advising community.
|
CFR
2.12
2.13
2.14
SPG
6
7
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EXEMPLAR:
DOG
DAYS |
|
The Office
of Reentry Services offers access and retention support
specifically for non-tradition students 25 years of age and older.
Services are provided to promote lifelong learning, help adult
learners seek meaningful goals for themselves, and prepare them
for success in their personal, educational, and career endeavors.
Specialized services for Reentry students include extended evening
appointment hours for pre-admission and academic advising, assistance
with the university’s application and admission process,
student orientation sessions designed to address the transition
needs of the older student, tutoring, study tables, and workshops.
The Reentry Services office also assists students 60 years or
older to enroll in the 60+ Program at a reduced fee on a space
available basis. In 2000, Reentry Services was awarded the “Outstanding
Adult Learner Program” at the Academic College Personnel
Association National Convention in Washington, D.C. Angela R.
Cisneros, Coordinator, received the runner-up award for Outstanding
Individual Contribution Commuter/Adult Learner Perspective by
a Student Development Professional (5 or more years professional
experience) category. Reentry student and president of the Reentry
Students Association Kathleen Anderson also received the Honorable
Mention Award in the Individual Contribution Commuter/ Adult
Learner Perspective by a Student. |
CFR
2.13 |
| The Summer Bridge Program is designed to help students from low-income
backgrounds prepare to meet the demands of the university and bridge
the gap between high school and university life. Discipline-centered
programs like Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement
Program (MESAP) and the Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP)
support economically and educationally disadvantaged students in
successfully attaining degrees in mathematics and science-related
careers and preparing for graduate studies. Students with special
needs because of a temporary or permanent disability that may affect
their academic functioning are served through Services for Students
with Disabilities. This office works to ensure that campus programs,
activities, and facilities are accessible and provides support
services for students with disabilities to participate in the full
range of campus programs and activities. The programs excel in
enriching the college experience and are instrumental in helping
students maximize their academic and personal potential during
their college years. |
|
EXEMPLAR:
Summer
Bridge |
|
| Transfer students receive preadmission advising through University
Outreach Services. Information is provided on transfer course requirements
and students are assisted with the university application process.
New transfer students participate in new student orientation where
connections are made with major advisors. Bulldog B.A.R.K. for
Transfer Students, an academic advising handbook, is used in conjunction
with the General Catalog and Schedule of Courses to help new transfer
students understand basic academic requirements, guide them through
class scheduling and the registration process, and assist them
with ongoing academic planning for their degree objective. |
CFR
2.14 |
| The Faculty Mentoring
Program is a unique experience that affords
students the opportunity to interact with faculty in a setting
other than the traditional classroom. Selected new freshmen and
transfer students are linked with faculty mentors who provide guidance,
friendship, and support throughout the students’ academic
careers. Faculty Mentoring Program students are required to enroll
in a Freshman Orientation Seminar course. In addition, students
participate in special activities or events
and have regular interactions with their mentor. |
CFR
2.13 |
EXEMPLAR:
The
Faculty Mentoring Program |
|
| University 1 is a course for new students that fosters a successful
transition into the academic community as well as the larger university
environment. Integrating student development and academic rigor,
the course leads students to a holistic understanding of the value
of an education and its role in creating a healthy society. University
1 encourages students to take responsibility for their educational
development, for contributing to the development of others, and for honoring values and commitments in their private and public
behavior. The course lays a cornerstone for higher education and
advanced study.
|
SPG
7 |
| The Office of Services for Students with
Disabilities, in collaboration
with others, endeavors to promote opportunities for students with
disabilities to achieve their academic, cultural and social interests
by ensuring that campus programs, activities and facilities are
accessible. |
|
| The Health Careers Opportunity Program
(HCOP) is designed to
assist incoming students from underserved and disadvantaged backgrounds
from high school or community college make a successful transition
into the university. It also provides them necessary support throughout
their undergraduate education to prepare them to be competitive
for health professional school or graduate health and science programs.
HCOP provides its students with resources and opportunities designed
to enhance both their academic work and extracurricular pursuits
with services such as scholarship support, peer advising, tutoring,
academic counseling, academic workshops and facilitating placement
into community health research projects, and clinics. |
|
| The Ronald E. McNair
Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program is
an exciting effort designed to encourage promising college students
to pursue academic doctoral study. The McNair Program is supported
by U.S. Department of Education Title IV funds. Fresno State has
been a successful competitor for these nationally disbursed funds
over many years, and claims a noteworthy track record of success
among its graduates. Through McNair, talented college students
are allowed to prepare for graduate study via participation in
an intensive program intended to acquaint them with advanced-level
research under the mentorship of a faculty member. Named for a
Challenger space shuttle crew member, the McNair Program serves
as a living memorial to a man who overcame seemingly insurmountable
odds to be awarded his Ph.D. in physics and later, to realize his
dream of becoming an astronaut for NASA. Stipends for participants
are $2400, entailing successful participation in the McNair Program
and completion of the research project. |
|
EXEMPLAR:
McNair Program |
|
| California State University, Fresno is strongly committed to
providing an educational environment that assures comparable access
to Web-based information and information technology for individuals
with disabilities. In order to accomplish this task, the university
has incorporated Web accessibility into its Web training programs,
provides assistance to faculty creating Web pages through the Digital
Campus Resource Center, has developed instructional videos explaining
accessibility and providing perspectives from users with disabilities
regarding their problems and technical needs, and maintains a Web
site with information and online accessibility tools and resources.
The university’s Web accessibility policy is currently going
through the consultative process and the implementation plan is
in development. Future activities include creation of a handbook
for Web site authors and continuation of ongoing presentations
and seminars.
The Division
of Graduate Studies administers several fellowships
programs to support graduate student success. One example is
the California Graduate Equity Fellowship Program, which seeks
to increase the diversity of students completing graduate degree
programs on this campus and encourages continuation on to the
doctoral programs and consideration of university faculty careers.
Fellowships are provided for economically disadvantaged graduate
students, especially from groups that are underrepresented among
graduate degree recipients in their areas of study, and the program
actively promotes faculty mentoring and research opportunities.
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|
The mission of California State University, Fresno Office
of Career Services is to support the academic purpose of the university
by providing comprehensive career development services to currently
enrolled students and alumni. These services help students identify
and attain personally rewarding careers. Also, Career Services
helps students achieve their educational and career goals. Career
Services staff members provide counseling, workshops, class presentations,
and job fairs, and work to develop effective college relations
with employers who in turn recruit and hire our Fresno State graduates.
Keeping Abreast of Student Needs |
CFR
2.8 |
Student Surveys. The university regularly identifies the
characteristics of its student body and assesses student needs
with the aim of improving accessibility and satisfaction. The
following instruments serve to gauge student needs, priorities,
satisfaction, perceived importance of specific programs and services,
and actual student behaviors:
- Student Needs and Priorities Survey (SNAPS) - Every
5 years
- HERI Astin Survey of Entering Freshmen - Every 3 years
- Noel-Levitz Student Satisfaction Survey (SSI)
- Every 2 years
- National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) – Every
3 years with the CSU NSSE consortium
Each of the above student surveys provides benchmark norms with
relevant aggregations of students. Thus Fresno State is able
to compare its performance with that of peer institutions both
regionally and nationally. Findings from the surveys occasionally
are supplemented by those of student focus groups which are convened
to amplify or clarify findings from a recently administered survey.
Survey results are reported to the president’s cabinet
and other entities on campus, with the purpose of improving structure
and processes.
The Division of Graduate Studies annually surveys graduate students
in their final semester or holds focus groups to assess their
satisfaction with their graduate education at California State
University, Fresno. Students are invited to share their concerns
and recommendations for improving graduate education on this
campus.
Providing Quality Educational Programs to Meet the
Diverse Needs of Students |
CFR
2.10 |
The university offers a wide variety of degree programs, including
59 bachelor degree programs, 40 master’s degree programs,
a Joint Doctorate in Educational Leadership, and several certificate
and advanced certificate programs. The range and quality of offerings
in majors and courses are appropriate to the mission of the university
and consistent with the level expected of quality institutions
of higher learning. Each degree has quality offerings appropriate
to the field, and the general education program is approved campus
and statewide. The general education program provides a breadth
of experience for each student. Graduation with the degree, including
the general education program, involves successful completion of
individual
programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as
described in the General Catalog. Special Opportunities
|
CFR
2.1
2.2
2.3 |
In addition to the general offerings, a number of special programs
and opportunities are available to meet the needs of exceptional
students and those with unique challenges.
The Smittcamp Family Honors College was founded in the fall
of 1999 to attract high-quality students to the university. These
students are recruited from the entire state through solicitations
of high school principals, scholarship advisers and California
Scholastic Foundation advisers, in addition to direct mail to
high
PSAT scorers. Students in the Honors
College receive a four-year
President's Scholarship that includes all registration fees and
on-campus housing. The Residence Hall administration attempts
to cluster the students in several residence halls. Students
also
receive free parking, special library privileges, use of a laptop
computer, use of the Honors computer lab, and use of the Honors
Office. Students must maintain escalating (3.0, 3.25 and 3.4)
grade point averages during their attendance. Students perform
community
service as part of their role in the Honors College. |
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EXEMPLAR:
Smittcamp Honors College |
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| The Division
of Continuing and Global Education is responsible for providing
adult learners with educational opportunities designed to meet
their needs for career advancement, professional growth, and life
enrichment. To provide flexibility and to better serve the needs
of the entire community, regular college courses are offered for
credit, along with a variety of non-credit programs. California
State University, Fresno is sensitive to the ever-changing
demands of adult life and attempts to meet these diverse educational
needs
through its many offerings and formats. Extension courses are open
to anyone; admission to the university is not prerequisite to enrollment. |
|
| Co-curricular programs designed to integrate knowledge and practice
learning have been developed and implemented. These programs are
designed to develop the learner both personally and professionally,
and are closely aligned with academic programs and student learning
outcomes. A more thorough discussion may be found in the Interaction
Evidentiary Report. |
CFR
2.11 |
Educational Accountability
The integrity of the academic program is guaranteed by faculty
review of new courses and curricula and by periodic review (as
required by the CSU) of existing programs.
|
SPG
20
22 |
| New Courses and Curricula Review. All
new programs and new courses are reviewed by faculty at the department,
college or school, and
university level. View
the process for undergraduate and graduate programs. |
|
| Assessing Learning and Instruction. A
variety of mechanisms are in place to assess the quality of the
student instructional experience
and to support faculty in their efforts to strengthen and broaden
their skills. Both graduate and undergraduate program reviews,
begun in 1978 and 1990 respectively, are conducted periodically
on an ongoing basis. Two recent developments have impacted the
program review process. |
CFR
2.2
2.4
2.6 |
1. Implementation of Student
Learning Outcomes Assessment Planning (SOAP).
The
Fresno campus has been at the forefront of student learning
outcomes assessment planning in the CSU. The university
in the past three years has had as a primary goal the
development
of Student Learning Outcomes Assessment Plans (SOAPs)
for each undergraduate and graduate program offered at
the institution.
A major commitment of resources and campus-wide leadership
has
resulted in the participation of all departments in the
student learning outcomes planning process. The Guide
to Outcomes
Assessment Planning is available on the Web. In 1998-99,
all programs up
for review were offered (with Chancellor’s Office
approval) the option of substituting on a one-time basis,
the development
of a SOAP in lieu of the scheduled five-year program
review. This offer was repeated for two subsequent years
and those
programs not scheduled for review were encouraged to
also develop a SOAP.
Departments were each offered 3 units of assigned time
for a department assessment coordinator to develop the
program's
assessment
plan. |
CFR
2.7
4.7 |
At this time all departments have completed an assessment
plan for their programs or are in some stage of plan development.
The
status of each department plan and drafts or completed plans may
be viewed on the CETL
website.
These plans include explicitly stated goals and objectives for
student learning, an analysis of where in the curriculum learning
outcomes are to be achieved, a description of the means to be used
to determine the extent to which students are achieving learning
goals, a five-year plan for data collection, and a description
of procedures to ensure that student learning outcome data will
be used to inform future decisions. Most programs have begun collecting
data on student learning outcomes, and many are incorporating departmentally-agreed
upon learning outcomes into individual course syllabi. The syllabus
template provided to faculty each semester calls for inclusion
of learning outcomes. Each department is required to report some
information regarding their assessment activities, in their annual
report to the provost.
An assessment plan is even in place (and being implemented)
for that most difficult of challenges, General Education (GE).
The GE curriculum was revised in fall 1998. The university’s policy
on general education calls for the General Education Subcommittee
to review all GE courses every three to five years.
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|
2. Revised Program Review.
A second development combined a revision
of the graduate program review process and the development of
an undergraduate process, aligning the procedures and the guidelines
for the self-study. The revised
process includes the reporting
of assessment activities and any program changes made as a result
of information obtained through program assessment and a new/revised
assessment plan for the next five years. The new cycle of program
reviews began in fall 2002, with the first round to conclude
in spring 2004.
|
CFR
2.7 |
EXEMPLAR:
Student
Outcomes Assessment Planning (SOAP) |
|
| Disciplinary Accreditation. Presently,
37 programs offered on this campus have been accredited by national
professional organizations
or accrediting agencies. A list of the accrediting agencies is
found in the General
Catalog. |
|
| Faculty Qualifications. Quality of the educational experience
is further enhanced by the quality and availability of faculty
with preparation and skills supportive of the range of educational
commitments of the campus. (Educational Goal #4, link) Faculty
members are well qualified to provide a diverse student population
with a quality education at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Standards for university faculty appointment and employment policies
support the acquisition of a faculty who are highly qualified,
in many cases nationally recognized, and who are committed to their
students' education. Since 1977, the campus has followed a policy
to appoint only faculty possessing terminal degrees to tenure-track
positions (Policy
on Terminal Degrees APM 304). |
CFR
3.2 |
| The university has developed a probationary plan process to help
probationary employees through the tenure process. The basic policy
for the probationary plan is encompassed in the Policy
on Probationary Plans and Faculty Mentoring (APM 324). The probationary plan is
intended to provide clear guidance and a supportive environment
for the new faculty member. The concept was developed in the late
1980s and applied campus wide, beginning with the hiring class
of fall 1994. This process has proven itself as a successful means
to provide a positive, formative environment where the probationary
faculty member has reasonable assurance that the expectations for
tenure are both equitable and known from the initiation of the
tenure process. |
CFR
3.3 |
California State University Fresno has seen normal attrition
rates among its probationary faculty. However, of those who complete
the probationary period, very few fail to achieve tenure and promotion.
This high retention rate is a reflection of the care that is initially
taken in the hiring process and the support probationary faculty
members receive as a result of the probationary plan process.
Faculty Development |
|
| The provost strongly supports faculty development and has established
the Center for the Enhancement
of Teaching and Learning (CETL) for this purpose. The mission of CETL is to support faculty in
all of their various professional roles. CETL organizes workshops
and conferences at California State University, Fresno; administers
in-house funding programs to enhance faculty careers; provides
special programs to support faculty work; and maintains a resource
area with books and videotapes on teaching, learning, and other
aspects of academe. |
CFR
3.4 |
For new faculty members, the provost has instituted a specifically
focused faculty development effort. These new members are provided
with assigned time equal to one course, for the purpose of attending
to their professional development and establishing a research/publication
agenda. Each new tenure-track faculty member is assigned a faculty
mentor to guide them through the tenure-track process and provide
support.
Staff and Management Development
|
|
| The university's Office of Employment and Recruitment provides
opportunities for staff and management to improve the quality of
their job skills and the workplace. Employee development includes
structured activities such as workshops for people learning new
applications like PeopleSoft, as well as general professional and
personal development opportunities. The Employment and Recruitment
office also offers “just-in-time” training for managers
and supervisors to address workplace issues. A list of reasonably
priced job-related seminars offered by agencies in the local Fresno
area is circulated. The Web is frequently used as the vehicle for
communicating information to university employees. Additionally,
the Office
of Employee Assistance and Development Web site is an extremely
valuable resource for employees seeking information about everything
from diversity and communication
to anger management and drug addiction.
Activities designed to cross over organizational barriers and
bring faculty, staff and managers together who share common interests
are also provided. Events that have been scheduled outside of
work hours include employee nights at the Fresno Zoo and the
Fresno Falcons game, and an insider’s tour of the Warnor
Theatre 's pipe organ. During the day, usually at the noon hour,
topics of personal interest are scheduled where employees have
an opportunity to hear from experts on such topics as raising
teenagers and stress management. Finally, fun is integrated into
the workplace, through classes such as holiday wreath-making,
likewise offered during the noon hour.
Campus Support for Educational Purposes |
CFR
3.3 |
| The Library. As declared in its Mission
Statement, “The
Henry Madden Library is the main resource for recorded knowledge
and information supporting the teaching, research, and service
functions of the California State University, Fresno.” Acting
as a repository for recorded knowledge, the library is a rich resource
for exploration and discovery of knowledge, self, and society.
Its collection of books, periodicals, musical recordings, videos,
and online resources encompasses a wide range of subjects in the
arts and humanities, sciences and engineering, social sciences,
agriculture, and applied fields, such as business, social work,
etc. In addition, the collection includes writings in many languages
and on the history and cultures of peoples and countries throughout
the world. By monitoring use of the collection and working with
faculty, the library strives to stay abreast of changes in disciplines,
the curriculum and student and faculty research interests. Historically,
the library has received strong support from the university administration
and the quality of the library’s collection reflects that
support. |
CFR
2.3
2.13
3.6 |
| In response to the growth in online resources and popularity
of the Internet, the library has increased the number of subscriptions
to online databases and electronic
journals, and has added to the
number of personal computers for student use. Statistics on the
use of library databases and personal computers provide strong
evidence that these services are valued. The availability of remote
access to databases, however, has even further expanded the library’s
reach: electronic resources no longer need be confined to library
hours, but are available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week. Students who
are taking online courses and who live long distances from the
library thus have greater opportunities for exploration than ever
before.
In order for students to take advantage of these resources,
they must be motivated to explore and must develop basic research
skills. Challenging and stimulating instructors motivate students
to go beyond what occurs in the classroom (or on Blackboard)
and conduct independent research. The library has an active instruction
program to help students learn how to use various library tools,
how to frame research topics, and how to evaluate their findings.
More than 9,000 students have participated in one of the library’s
instruction programs.
|
|
| Instructional Technology. Continuing effort is devoted to support
instruction through state-of-the-art instructional
technology. An important area of support for faculty professional development,
and for teaching and learning, is instructional technology. Technology
is administered and supported in a combined centralized-decentralized
mode (Figure A1). Technology vision and planning is provided by
the Informational and Educational Technology Coordinating Council
(IETCC), chaired by the president. The two central units implementing
technology plans are Information Technology Services and the Academic
Technology Center. The directors of these units, with the vice
president for administration and the provost and vice president
for academic affairs, comprise the Senior Technology Leadership
Team. Decentralized support consists of technicians hired by the
schools/colleges to meet specialized needs and provide direct support
for school and college priorities. |
CFR
3.6
3.7 |
Figure A1. Organizational Chart for Technology |
|
The campus currently is implementing a detailed Technology
Strategic Plan completed in 2000-01. Key elements of this plan
are:
- Faculty laptops are being leased and provided to schools/colleges,
one per each full-time equivalent faculty member, on a three-year
refresh cycle. Docking stations with keyboards and flat-screen
monitors allow the laptops to be used as the primary faculty
workstation. Laptops were chosen over desktop units so that they
could be used
in the classroom.
- Fifty classrooms are now equipped at least with
digital projectors, sound systems, large screens, and Ethernet
connections.
Most teaching
spaces will be so equipped within five years.
- In the next five
years, campus instructional and public areas (except for
the farm) will become part of the wireless network now functioning
in the library, the campus core, and a limited number of additional
instructional spaces. With these developments, faculty members
and students are expected to make greater use of technology
for
content delivery and communication.
- Expanded support for the development
and instruction of Web-enhanced and Web-based courses is
being provided through Digital
Campus (see following discussion).
|
CFR
3.6
3.7 |
Technology Enhanced Learning
The Digital Campus operation was created based on the IETCC
(Information and Educational Technology Coordinating Committee)
technology initiative in December of 2000 and has since been
in full operation. The Digital Campus serves all students, faculty
and staff of Fresno State by providing access and support for
Blackboard – an online course management system used by
over 1500 major universities for delivering dynamic, interactive
online courses and for fostering online communication for various
campus organizations. Over 350 faculty members have participated
in the training and course-building program on Blackboard. Whether
here on campus or located remotely in the region or overseas,
all enrolled students can participate in the Digital Campus experience
by taking either partially Web-enhanced courses that supplement
the traditional classroom experience or completely Web-based
courses in which online attendance is required. Blackboard is
accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a single log-in.
In spring 2002, the faculty taught over 500 Web-enhanced or distance
learning courses on the Web to over 15,000 students (75 percent
of the student body).
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EXEMPLAR:
Digital Campus |
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Appendix A: Evidentiary Report—Exploration |
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