3.            Principles, Goals, And Implementation Strategies

Goals For Principle I

Þ      Technology must be established as a high priority in the planning and budget processes.  This commitment to technology should be viewed as a commitment to the future.  The commitment must originate within the highest levels of the organization and requires unflagging commitment at all levels in order for technological integration to be effected.

Þ      Realistic objectives and timelines must be established for the continuing implementation, review, modification, and continuing commitment to the technology plan.  The process must be managed and progress towards all objectives must be monitored.

Þ      Technological leadership must be provided by a permanent, executive-level position.  This position will oversee and coordinate the implementation of the technology plan and must be supported by an appropriate budget, staff, and space.

Þ      The technology leadership will create new and/or reorganize existing departments and procedures as needed to bring about the efficient and effective delivery of technology services to students, faculty, staff, and administration.

Þ      The technology plan must become a part of the existing planning, governance, and budget processes in order to ensure that the costs and benefits are fully considered in the allocation of College resources.

Þ      The capital and human resources necessary to maintain and improve the quality and availability of technology based student services must be provided.

Þ      Resources must be provided to foster innovation and continuing improvements in instruction and instructional support.

Þ      The technology plan must provide for the appropriate technological tools for the collection, storage, analysis, and presentation of information used in the college decision-making process.

Þ      Technological issues and the current implementation status of the technology plan must be promoted and well-communicated among all members of the campus.

Þ      Create an atmosphere that is sensitive to the social, psychological, and economic aspects of technology and technological change on the VVC campus.

Þ      Maintain a balance between technology-based innovation and traditional forms of delivering instruction and services. 

Implementation Strategies For Principle I

¨       Reflect the enhanced importance of technology in the vision of the college by incorporating it in the VVC mission statement.

¨       Create one or more implementation teams to:

5    Identify, categorize, and prioritize specific technology objectives based on short-term and long-term goals in an annually updated technology plan.

5    Establish basic technology-related guidelines.

5    Support institutional objectives by providing required resource allocations.

5    Develop appropriate timelines for implementation.

5    Monitor progress and initiate changes in this plan.

¨       Develop a proposed job description for a new executive-level position which will include evaluating the allocation of existing resources to technology, reallocating those resources as needed and developing new resources.

¨       Study alternative administrative and organizational models which might better promote a technologically superior institution, fully supportive of the needs of instruction, student support systems, and administrative functions.

¨       Streamline the delivery of information and communication technology services by integrating, as appropriate, the functions of Management Information Services, the Academic Commons, the Learning Resource Center, and other technology-related offices.  Where such integration is not appropriate, establish a steering committee to evaluate the organization's needs and to direct resource allocation to be optimally supportive of the technology plan.

¨       Coordinate the Technology Plan with the Facilities Master Plan, the Educational Master Plan, and the Strategic Plan.  Develop a facility utilization strategy and recommend any reallocation of space necessary to implement this plan.

¨       In accord with college technology guidelines (see Principle 6), balance the acquisition of new technology with the maintenance and replacement of existing technology.

¨       In conjunction with the ongoing evaluation of all technology-related functions at the College, devise a method to calculate and commit annually the minimum expenditures necessary to implement and maintain technological resources and services of superior quality.

¨       When external funding for a technology-related project is obtained, ensure that sufficient internal capital and human resources are devoted to the project to take full advantage of the external resources.

¨       In consultation with the Office of Instruction, develop a three-year plan, to be updated annually, for acquiring and maintaining appropriate technological tools to be used for the collection, analysis, and presentation of information.

¨       Hold regular, well-publicized meetings and provide other means for students, faculty, staff, administration, and the community to provide input, share ideas, critique current and planned services, and help to create a user friendly technology system.

Technology must be established as a high priority in the planning and budget processes.  This commitment to technology should be viewed as a commitment to the future.  The goals are as follows:

Goals For Principle II

Þ      Develop a simple process for easily integrating computers and other technologies into the curriculum, both as tools for teaching and as subjects for study.

Þ      Encourage the widespread use of appropriate academic technology.

Þ      Use measurable evidence of student success to encourage the use of and to monitor the effectiveness of technology-based instruction.  This evaluation process should apply to all of the academic and vocational disciplines to ensure the incorporation of basic and high level thinking skills in instruction.

Þ      Expand student learning opportunities that are less constrained by mode of delivery, time, or location.

Implementation Strategies For Principle II

¨       Promote and fund innovative, technology-based approaches in the formulation of new curriculum, courses and programs.

¨       Create a mechanism to offer "experimental" courses for one or more semesters before going through the full Curriculum and Instructional process.

¨       Provide technology tools and development time to faculty willing to experiment with the infusion of new technology into their curriculum.

¨       Develop a system of incentives (such as stipends, release time, workshops, conferences, etc.), rewards, and institution-wide recognition for successful infusion of technology into teaching.

¨       Make the tools of technology and training in use of those tools easily available to faculty and instructional aides.

¨       Equip classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, including access to the campus network and multimedia presentation capabilities.

¨       Support faculty participation in conferences and workshops intended to promote innovative techniques using electronic and/or other nontraditional means of instruction.

¨       Encourage evaluation of new technologies as part of the institutional planning process for each department.

¨       Provide a flexible infrastructure which can accommodate a variety of existing and merging technologies.

¨       Provide a campus-wide forum for reporting on the successful use of new technology in teaching.

¨       Provide faculty with easy access to institutional data such as grade distributions, retention, success in sequential courses, and transfer rates so that they may independently evaluate the use of technologies in their courses.

¨       Commit institutional resources to evaluate all aspects of technology-based instruction.

¨       Continuously improve the existing campus technology infrastructure and our connection to the outside world (e.g., the Internet).

¨       Fund, construct and equip one or more large "technology centers," in which as many as several hundred students may be accommodated at a given time.

¨       Support changes in state regulations to promote non-traditional, technology-based instruction (i.e., distance education).

¨       Develop alternative modes of education such as open-entry/open-exit courses, distance learning, computer-assisted learning, and multimedia teaching tools.

¨       Provide administrative flexibility in the offering, scheduling and enrollment limits of "alternative-style" courses.

¨       Maintain and expand easy electronic access to the Learning Resource Center, library, and other instructional information resources for students, faculty, staff, and administration.  Link various computational facilities (i.e., allied health lab, biology, CIS, chemistry, etc.) so that students can access these centers from other campus locations.

Goals For Principle III

Þ      Provide students, faculty, staff, and administration with electronic access to appropriate student services and student-related information from multiple locations both on- and off-campus.

Þ      Make information on college programs, rules, procedures, and resources available in a timely manner to students, faculty, staff, administration, and the community through a multitude of printed and electronic media.

Þ      Ensure the accuracy and integrity of electronically stored student-related information.

Þ      Facilitate the articulation of VVC programs and services with those of K-12 and four-year institutions through the collaborative use of technology.

Implementation Strategies For Principle III

¨       Make services, resources, policies and procedures, and scheduling information available both on-and off-campus through a World Wide Web home page and other online technologies.

¨       Ensure that all students, faculty, staff, administration, and the community have access to this system on campus, and seek ways to facilitate off-campus access (e.g., through computer lease or purchase plans, off-campus computer sites, etc.).

¨       Design and implement pilot projects to add flexibility in location, delivery mode, and scheduling of matriculation and other student services such as admissions, registration, educational planing, and financial aid.

¨       Use new technologies to facilitate educational planning and systematize the follow-up of student progress, as, for example, by automatically monitoring the movement of students through their educational plans.

¨       Integrate into the telephone registration system interactive student entry of data which must be regularly updated or confirmed to fulfill legal requirements, ensure the accuracy of data reported to the state, check student or institutional eligibility for assistance programs, or meet other institutional needs.

¨       Develop and implement on-line registration through dial-up and Internet access.

¨       Add to the RAM TALK telephone system the capacity to deliver appropriate, secure student records, information (e.g., grades, financial aid status, etc.) and timely, accurate service information (e.g., office hours).

¨       Develop a set of procedures to ensure that information is accurate and consistent regardless of the medium by which it is delivered.  To the extent practicable, unify the various media graphically (using icons or symbols) as well, to help students identify quickly and easily the information they need, wherever they access it.

¨       Provide students, faculty, staff, and administration with access to K-12 and four-year institutional information resources already available on the Internet or other electronic media.

¨       Seek to publicize and expand electronic articulation-related services already available, such as computerized applications to four-year institutions.

¨       Explore with the colleges major feeder districts and major transfer institutions other means of coordinating the exchange of information and services using technological tools.

Goals For Principle IV

Þ      Identify and encourage the ideas and projects of visionaries and risk-takers.

Þ      Identify and remove barriers to innovative use of technology in support of instruction and the curriculum.  Identify and remove barriers to technology innovation in service and support areas.

Þ      Provide a comprehensive and ongoing staff development process for appropriate technological skills at all entry levels.

Implementation Strategies For Principle IV

¨       Dedicate a portion of technology moneys to support innovative projects.  Use outside management consultants, workshops, media materials and other means to support vision and innovation and encourage those who demonstrate initiative and insight.

¨       Provide faculty and staff with salary incentives and other rewards for demonstrated mastery of technology-related skills identified by the College's goals in technology.

¨       Support faculty development of  instructional courseware through a system of rewards and incentives.

¨       Provide faculty, staff, and administration with the means to experiment with a variety of technologies which might make their jobs easier or more efficient.

¨       Promote opportunities for faculty, staff, and administration to visit other locations identified as having model technologically assisted instructional or student service programs.

¨       Utilize staff "sabbatical" or "release time" mechanism as an incentive for innovation.

¨       Install, staff and maintain a faculty/staff technology training center where new technologies can be tested.

¨       Link faculty and staff development activities directly to achievement of the College's goals as stated in the Educational Master Plan, Technology Master Plan, and Strategic Plan.

¨       Develop workshops, presentations, and staff development activities to help the whole campus community explore the implications of rapidly changing technology.

¨       Provide and maintain a sufficient number of highly skilled technical staff who are available to provide rich, meaningful training to students, faculty, staff, and administration.

Goals For Principle V

Þ      Seek and participate in mutually beneficial partnerships with business, public and private agencies, and the community at large.

Þ      Seek external funding through governmental, business, and private sources.

Implementation Strategies For Principle V

¨       Familiarize local businesses and community agencies with the current resources available, proposed technology programs, and future needs of VVC.

¨       Develop partnerships within the community college district, such as mentor relationships, tutoring, teaching, long range planning, special cooperative projects, financial assistance, equipment donations, and study trips.

¨       Develop at least two new District-wide partnerships each year.  These might include such programs as:

5    Internet Mentors: student to student connections between area K-12 and VVC students.

5    Discipline-based asynchronous messaging services to connect faculty at K-12 with VVC faculty and students.

5    Access to the Internet through VVC for staff, faculty, students, and administration.

¨       Build a foundation for new partnerships by encouraging VVC students, faculty, staff; and administration to:

5    Serve on boards or committees at local agencies.

5    Interact with community businesses to explore mutually beneficial instructional opportunities.

5    Investigate possible Contract Education, Community Education, and Vocational Program interactions with external groups.

5    Participate in collaborative partnerships such as the League for Innovation, or the Community Colleges for Innovative Technology Transfer.

¨       Establish institutional grant programs specifically targeting instructional technology, funded through the VVC Foundation, indirect moneys from existing grants, and other sources.

¨       Develop an "entrepreneurial culture" at VVC with respect to technology funding by developing a mechanism to fund release time or stipends for faculty, staff, or administration who work on developing grant proposals.

¨       Encourage VVC students, faculty, staff, and administration to:

5    Participate as reviewers of grant proposals at various granting agencies.

5    Participate in grant writing workshops at VVC or elsewhere.

5    Write their own grants.

5    Communicate and collaborate with individuals at other educational institutions who have been successful in obtaining external grant funding.

¨       Develop an institutional policy which includes incentives to encourage development of marketable software.

¨       Establish closer ties and share resources with other public and private information providers in the community.

Goals For Principle VI

Þ      VVC will develop technology guidelines sensitive both to the changing demographics of the VVC community and to a programmatic vision of future needed educational services.  These technology standards shall be created by a cross-disciplinary team (e.g., instructional, administrative, classified, and technical expertise must be represented in the composition of the team) that will provide advise and direction for technology-related decisions.  The team(s) will regularly review existing standards to revise them in order to adapt to needed changes, new and emerging technologies, and regulatory transitions.

Þ      Establish guideline for access to information, security of data, and protection of individual privacy, and provide appropriate training in those areas.

Þ      Establish guidelines for the acquisition, support, maintenance, and replacement of equipment and software.

Þ      Establish guidelines for the use of technology consulting services.

Þ      Establish performance specifications and standards for a reliable and robust telecommunication infrastructure.

Þ      Establish guidelines for the proper use of intellectual properties of all types, including text, graphics, photographs, video and audio.

Implementation Strategies For Principle VI

¨       Create and maintain one or more permanent interdisciplinary teams to develop, adopt, review, and revise technology-related standards annually in order to establish and maintain VVC as a leader among higher education institutions in the creative and effective application of technology.  The application of technology should be directed to all areas of VVC's efforts including, but not limited to, instructional technology, administrative responsibilities, interdepartmental communications and paper flow, and interconnections with other educational districts and institutions.

¨       Develop formal standards for procedures in the areas of access, security, privacy, and training.  These areas should include, but not be limited to, the following:

5    Determining and implementing access privileges for faculty, staff, students, and others

5    Monitoring the appropriate use of college-owned technological tools (hardware and software)

5    Providing access to technological tools by individuals with demonstrable and legitimate educational or community-service interests

5    Ensuring the integrity of data, including security procedures, appropriate storage, and consistent, effective back-up

5    Delineating "private" information from "public" information with concomitant limitations on institutional access thereto

5    Notifying and training all affected persons in the exercise of those rights and privileges

5    Censuring violators of those standards

5    Filing of grievances resulting from inappropriate application or abuse of those standards

¨       Establish a code of ethical conduct to be signed by all persons that have access to student records, Internet sites, e-mail, and other confidential or potentially private information.

¨       Develop a recommended plan for the short-term and long-term training of students, faculty, staff, and administration in the ethics and rules related to access, security, and privacy issues.

¨       Develop and annually update standards for the short-term (one year) and long-term (five years or more) acquisition, support, maintenance, and replacement of equipment and software.

¨       Develop guidelines identifying the circumstances under which the use of technology consulting services is considered appropriate.  Provide a system of checks and balances to prevent unnecessary or inappropriate use or award of consulting service contracts.

¨       Develop and annually update standards for the telecommunication infrastructure in the light of currently available technology, anticipated technological advances, anticipated uses, and costs.

¨       Develop and annually update standards for "youth and school partnerships" to establish and enhance help for youth within the VVC district by providing educational services, training, and seminars through technology-supported on-site and distance education-based courses.

¨       Develop standards for the use of intellectual properties to address at least the following issues:

5    Copyright policy

5    Assignment of profits derived from the exploitation of intellectual property

5    Incorporation of others' intellectual property into VVC projects

¨       Refer standards-related issues outside the scope of committee authority to other appropriate groups or offices (e.g., intellectual issues in collective bargaining).

¨       Develop and implement standards and policies to support Distance Education Principles.

Goals For Principle VII

Þ      Provide access to appropriate computer and other technology delivery systems and campus network services.

Þ      Provide remote dial-in access to all campus network services.

Þ      Provide stable, ubiquitous access to instructional and reference materials, information services, and other services.

Implementation Strategies For Principle VII

¨       Provide an on-going annual budget to upgrade faculty, staff, and administration computer systems.

¨       Provide for satellite up-link capabilities, cable modem, and/or cable television access capabilities necessary for a wide variety of distance learning services.

¨       Create a single, easy-to-use faculty/staff network interface and login procedure.

¨       Continuously upgrade the campus information infrastructure in order to provide the fastest stable technology to the desktop across the campus.

¨       Install a student e-mail system with appropriate gateways to the faculty/staff and Internet e-mail systems.

¨       Develop a World Wide Web home page and a distributed campus information system.

¨       Attach all existing computer labs to the network infrastructure.  Restructure the infrastructure as necessary in order to provide dedicated performance capability for all end-user ports equivalent to standard Ethernet data rates.

¨       Continue installing and upgrading network connections in all existing classroom and laboratories to the fastest stable technology.

¨       Equip classrooms for use with portable computers and multimedia presentation systems as appropriate.

¨       Continue the development of a client/server environment which provides an open, distributed information system that is both easy to use and provides data integrity and security.