Searight - Critique the Existing Technology Plan

 Critique the Existing Technology Plan

1.         How did the plan meet the existing needs in technology, funding, and management issues?

I feel like the overall plan for technology, funding and management meets the existing needs for the campus.  The plan is also closely aligned with the departmental goals and the strategic plan for the entire campus.  As seen below, I aligned departmental goals with the objectives.  My goals are ten closely aligned with our strategic plan.

Goals:

McLennan Community College has an integrated state-of-the-art information technology environment to:

1.         Improve Student Learning with technology resources

Improve student learning through instructional technology.

2.                 Improve institutional decision-making

Improve decision making by increasing access to valid and reliable institutional data.

3.                Improve Instructional and Administrative technology access

Improve access to software, hardware, and network resources.

4.               Improve technology customer support systems

Provide 24/7 technology support for the McLennan Community College user community. Develop online support and professional development resources for student, faculty, and staff.

Objectives:

A.               Provide faculty and staff with training, support and access to technology resources (including local computer technical support) to enhance teaching and learning activities and student support services. (1), (3)

B.               Provide secure, reliable, timely data in a format that can easily be accessed and analyzed by faculty, administrators, and staff. (2), (3), (4)

C.               Provide students with efficient and intuitive online support services. These services will be available to students 24/7 from anywhere. Emphasis will be placed on student self–service. (3), (4)

D.               Develop a stable, long-term plan and funding source to meet the ongoing need for renewing and upgrading technology resources in campus computer laboratories and for faculty, staff and administrative functions. (1), (2), (3), (4)

E.                Utilize technology to ensure that the campus is a safe and secure environment. (3)

F.                Facilitate communications with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public. (3)

G.                 Include campus technology needs as an integral part of the campus planning and budgeting process. (1), (2), (3), (4)

H.               Provide the network infrastructure to support and enhance instruction and the College’s administrative services. (1), (2), (3), (4)

I.                  Maintain a vital Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) as defined in the College’s Shared Governance Structure. (1), (2), (3), (4)

J.                Monitor educational trends and related research, evaluate emerging hardware and software tools, continue to assess faculty needs, and track student technology trends. (1), (2), (3), (4)

K.               Develop a website that is functional, intuitive, and supportive to the college’s diverse student population and will assist students in becoming independent information seekers. (1), (2), (3), (4)

L.                Ensure faculty and staff have a means for requesting technology for instruction or administrative functions as a part of the annual development of the College’s requested and required technology budgets. (1), (2), (3), (4)

M.             Maintain data integrity and provide a reliable system for storing and retrieving institutional data. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Technology:

Provide faculty and staff with training, support and access to technology resources (including local computer technical support) to enhance teaching and learning activities and student support services. (1), (3)

Provide secure, reliable, timely data in a format that can easily be accessed and analyzed by faculty, administrators, and staff. (2), (3), (4)

Provide students with efficient and intuitive online support services. These services will be available to students 24/7 from anywhere. Emphasis will be placed on student self–service. (3), (4)

Develop a stable, long-term plan and funding source to meet the ongoing need for renewing and upgrading technology resources in campus computer laboratories and for faculty, staff and administrative functions. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Utilize technology to ensure that the campus is a safe and secure environment. (3)

Facilitate communications with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public. (3)

Include campus technology needs as an integral part of the campus planning and

budgeting process. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Provide the network infrastructure to support and enhance instruction and the

College’s administrative services. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Maintain a vital Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) as defined in the College’s Shared Governance Structure. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Monitor educational trends and related research, evaluate emerging hardware and software tools, continue to assess faculty needs, and track student technology trends. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Develop a website that is functional, intuitive, and supportive to the college’s diverse student population and will assist students in becoming independent information seekers. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Ensure faculty and staff have a means for requesting technology for instruction or administrative functions as a part of the annual development of the College’s requested and required technology budgets. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Maintain data integrity and provide a reliable system for storing and retrieving institutional data. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Funding:

Develop a stable, long-term plan and funding source to meet the ongoing need for renewing and upgrading technology resources in campus computer laboratories and for faculty, staff and administrative functions. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Include campus technology needs as an integral part of the campus planning and budgeting process. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Ensure faculty and staff have a means for requesting technology for instruction or administrative functions as a part of the annual development of the College’s requested and required technology budgets. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Management:

Provide secure, reliable, timely data in a format that can easily be accessed and analyzed by faculty, administrators, and staff. (2), (3), (4)

Facilitate communications with students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public. (3)

Include campus technology needs as an integral part of the campus planning and budgeting process. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Maintain a vital Technology Advisory Committee (TAC) as defined in the College’s Shared Governance Structure. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Ensure faculty and staff have a means for requesting technology for instruction or administrative functions as a part of the annual development of the College’s requested and required technology budgets. (1), (2), (3), (4)

Maintain data integrity and provide a reliable system for storing and retrieving institutional data. (1), (2), (3), (4)

2.         How did the goals provide the measurable outcomes for future improvement?

At MCC we develop “strategies” that are measurable.  Therefore, each objective will have a strategy associated with it.  I will provide the strategies in my final technology plan.

The Strategic Planning Committee coordinates the development of specific goals and objectives to allow the campus to accomplish its mission.  The goals and objectives include measurable outcomes that are used to determine progress toward fulfillment of the college mission and toward the priority initiatives. The committee uses departmental goals and objectives, institutional effectiveness data, data from the environmental scan, and other institutional data to develop strategic goals and objectives. The proposed strategic plan is submitted to all campus leaders for comment and review.  The committee incorporates comments and suggestions and submits a final proposal to the Board of Trustees and President for approval.

3.         How did the strategies defined to meet the proposed objectives?

Each strategy is very detailed and generally includes specifications, prices, justification, ranking and strategies to measure the outcomes.

References:

Illich, P. (2012, January). Mcc's office of research

     planning and institutional effectiveness. Retrieved

     from http://mcciep.mclennan.edu/