Dr. Melvin Johnson, Associate Vice Chancellor for Computing and Telecommunications was identified as the lead information technology person as well as Dr. Ronald Smith, Associate Vice Chancellor for Continuing and Extended Education. There appears to be a major planning effort that includes a formal Infrastructure and Instructional Technology Plan, a focus on software utilization, and curriculum development. According to Dr. Johnson, the CIT Strategic Planning Guide has assisted the university with initiating instructional technology planning activities and assessing current programs. Staffing needs were identified as the need to hire instructional technologists, instructional designers, and support staff, and to assist faculty in the design and development of technology-oriented courseware. The establishment of smart classrooms, a faculty training and development center as well as purchasing equipment and wiring classrooms were identified as major infrastructure needs.
Plans are to team faculty who are content specialists with instructional technologists.
Each college will have an instructional technologist to assist with course and curriculum development. PC and MAC platforms are supported through the university and faculty use NT 4.0 on their workstations. There are approximately 15 labs available for student use. Data seem to indicate that students use the labs basically for word processing. Plans are to require students to purchase computers after the infrastructure is in place and there is a move towards a technology competency requirement for students.