SchoolTechnologyEvaluationofEverHopefulCommunityCollege (EHCC)

Demographics:
EHCCisahispanicservingmajorityminoritycommunitycollegeinstitutionwithanannual degreeseekingstudentenrollmentofaround6,500.Thesestudentscomeprimarilyfromlow incomehouseholdsandareunpreparedforcollege.46%arehispanicandmorethan65%of firstyearstudentsareonfederalPELLgrants.74%ofstudentssaythatlackoffinancesmay causethemtodropoutofschool.Over65%needremedialenglishormathclasses.Inour county,14,000Hispanicslivebelowthepovertyline.50%ofthestudentsarebetweentheages of18and30. Overall,includingnoncreditstudents,thereare15,000studentsayearattendingEHCC. ThisevaluationofthetechnologyenvironmentofEHCCwaspreparedusingtheMaturityModel BenchmarksfromtheTechnologyUsePlanPrimerbyPeterH.R.SibleyandChipKimball (1998).Thislooksasthefollowingcategories:Administrative,Curricula,Support,Connectivity andInnovation.

Summaries:
Administrative:OverallIntegrated.
PolicyOverall.Islands Behavioral:(Emergent)EHCChasrecentlybeguntodiscusstechnologypoliciesoncampus. Thereisnoformalpolicysofaculty,staffandstudentshavenoguidance. Resource:(Islands)AccordingtoourOfficeofInformationTechnology(OIT)wehaveaformal policybutitisnotinwriting.ThisbeingthecaseIcouldnotlookatitbuthadtogobywhatIwas toldbytheOIT,whichinsomecasesseemedtobevalidandinsomecasesIsuspectedmay havebeenmadeupalongtheway.Untilithasbeenwrittendownitisnotmuchhelp. Planning:Integrated Behavioral:(Integrated)ThereisaTechnologyCouncilthathasbegintomeetregularlyinthelast fewmonths. Resource:(Integrated)WithournewPresidentwedonowhavethebeginningsofaformalized planningprocess.WehaveanewlyformedTechnologyCouncilthatmeetsmonthlytodiscuss anddecideonissuesrelatedtotechnologyandtheschool.Thereisabrandnewmethodologyto evaluatepurchaserequests,althoughcurrentlywedonothaveanoveralltechnologyuseplanin place.Thisissomethingthatisexpectedtotakeplacewithinthenextyear,althoughitwillbe interestingtoseehowthathappensandbeapartofit.

Budget:Integrated Behavioral:(Integrated)Thereisnowabudgetingprocessfortechnologybutnolongterm budgetingthatIamawareoforcouldfindoutabout. Resource:(Integrated)OurnewPresidentlooksontechnologyasahighbudgetpriority.Until recently,differentdepartmentshavehadtheirowntechnologybudgetsbutwithinthelastyear thishasallbeencentralizedwithintheOIT,withtheexceptionofgrantbudgets.However,there isnowapushforanyexpectedtechnologythatwillbepurchasedwithagranttobeapproved withOITasthegrantisbeingwrittenandpurchasesmadewithfullOITapproval.Mypersonal experienceuntilnowhasbeenthatIhavepurchasedwhateverIhaveneededwithgrantmoney andbeforetherewasaprocessinplacethiscausedalotofconfusionandconcernfromOIT (showingupinmylabtoseeanewSmartBoardtheyhadnoideawasoncampus,forexample). WithintheyearthisitemwillmoveintotheIntelligentcategory. AdministrativeInformation:Integrated Behavioral:(Islands)Wehavemostlyelectronicadministrationsystemsavailabletoallstaff however,therearemanycomplaintsaboutsomeofthemandtherearepocketsofthecampus thatrefusetousethem,notablyourcashierandgrantsdepartmentswhowanttodoeverything withreamsofpaper. Resource:(Integrated)Mostadministrativesystemsarefullyelectronic.Someofourformsare stilldifficulttofilloutonline,althoughthereisahugepushfromournewPresidenttoget everythingintoanelectronicformatverysoon.Whetherourstaffwillsupportthisisanother question.

Curricular:(OverallIslands)
ElectronicInformation:Integrated Behavioral:(Islands)Staffwilluseelectronicinformationinclassesbutusuallytheyaretheonly oneswithaccesstoacomputerinclass.Studentsmayuseacomputeroncampusbutmany donothaveinternetaccessathome. Resource:(Integrated)Wehavecomputerlabsatcampusbutnotineverybuilding.Wehavea comprehensiveelectroniclibrary. Assessment:Emergent Behavioral:(Emergent)Veryfewstaffusetechnologyforassessment.Wehaveasophisticated systemforassessmentthatissupposedtobeonlinebutisonlyeverusedinapaperformat. Studentsareaskedtofilloutonlineassessmentsintheironlineclassesbutonlyabout20%ever do. Resource:(Islands)Wehaveanexcellentsystemweareusing(IDEAL)inapaperformatfor overallclassassessments.Ithastheabilitytobeadministeredonlinewithmanytoolstosort data,butwehaveneverusedthetoolinthatway.Ithasneverbeenconfiguredtobeusedinan onlinewayatourcampus.

CurriculumIntegration:Islands Behavioral:(Islands).Moststaffusepowerpointorshowvideosfromtheinternetastheextentof theintegrationoftechnologyintotheirclasses.Mostinstructorsdonotthinkbeyondthese parameters. Resource:(Islands)Apartfromsomeprograms(MediaArtsandNursing),mostinstructors wouldonlyhaveaccesstoacomputerwithaprojector.IamtheonlypersonwithaSmartBoard inmylabandothernewtechnologiestosupportlearning,mainlybecauseIhavehadgrant fundingtopurchasethemwithouthavingtojustifymypurchaseswithinthecampus.

TeacherUse:Islands Behavioral:(Islands)Moststaffareunawareofnewtechnologythatcouldenhancetheir instructionsosticktowhattheyareusedtopowerpointsandvideos. Resource:(Islands)Nearlyeveryteacher(withtheexceptionoftheartwing)hasaccessto appropriatetechnology,ifyoudefineitaswhattheyfeeltheyneedtoteacheffectively. However,giventhatwhattheyfeeltheyneedtouseislimitedbytheirlackofexperienceor understandingofwhatisavailabletothem,Ithinkweareextremelylimited.Acomputeranda projectorseemsverybasictome.Teachersdonothaveaccesstocomputerswithvideoediting software,therearenovideocamerasavailabletocheckout.TeachersintheMediaArtsanda fewotherdepartmentsdohavewonderfulresources.Idoalso,luckily.

StudentUse:Islands Behavioral:(Islands).Somestudentsareverycomfortableusingtechnologybutmanyarenot,or areonlyusingthebarebonesofwhatispossible. Resource:(Islands).Allstudentshaveaccesstocomputerlabsoncampuswhichmeetthe needsformostclasses.However,ifaninstructorwantsstudentstousetechnologymore creativelythanjustemail,worddocsorpowerpoint,thereisextremelylimitedabilityforthemto doso.Wedonothavecomputerswithwebcamsoreditingsoftwareforexample,andthey cannotcheckoutvideocameras.

Support:OverallIntegrated
StakeholderInvolvement:Integrated Behavioral:(Integrated)AllstaffandfacultyaresentemailsabouttheTechnologyCouncil meetings.Thosethatareinterestedareinvolved. Resource:(Integrated)Mostgroupsoncampusarerepresented,withtheexceptionofsome administrationdepartmentsthatkeeptechnologyatanarmslength(Grantsdepartmentfor example)andthejanitors.

AdministrativeSupport:Intelligent Behavioral:(Intelligent)OurnewPresidentisextremelysupportiveoftechnologyandis implementingextensivesupportforplanningandimplementation. Resource:(Intelligent).RecentlytherehasbeenextensivesupportfromthePresidentandBoard fortechnologyplanningandresources.WehaveanewCenterforLearningExcellencetohelp withtechnologyuseandonlineclasses. Training:Islands Behavioral:(Emergent)ThenewCenterforLearningExcellenceoncampusoffersregular technologyhelpsessions.Oftennobodyattends.Veryfewstaffmembersorfacultyare interestedintraining. Resource:(Islands)TheCenterforLearningExcellencehaslimitedpersonnel.Theywillprovide trainingtoanyonewhoasksforit. TechnicalandInfrastructureSupport:Integrated Behavioral:(Intelligent)AllstaffaskforhelpwhentheyneeditaswehaveafulltimeIT departmentandpeopleareawaretheywillcomeandfixproblems. Resource:(Integrated).ThefulltimeITstaffwillcomeandhelp.However,theydoitastheyget toitandsometimesthatisadayorsoforanurgentneed(computernotworkinginalab).They alsodonotdoupdatessuchasJavaorotherssocomputersarefrequentlydifficulttouse.Over thewinterbreaktheywipedthedesktopsofmanylabcomputerswithoutnotifyingusthatitwould bedone,whichcausedaLOTofinconvenience.

Connectivity:OverallIntegrated)
LocalAreaNetworking:(Integrated) Behavioral:(Islands)Staffandfacultyusethecampusnetworkbutonlyfordataandina sporadicmanner,usuallyforthestoragecapacities.Ithinkmostdontrealizethecapabilitiesthat arethere. Resource:(Integrated)WehaveanexcellentnetworkexceptintheFineArtsdepartmentwhere thereisnoinfrastructureatall.Whenitwasbuilt,theDeanatthetimewassurethatFineArts wouldneverneedanyconnectivityastechnologywasnotpartofart.Theydefinitelythink differentlynowandthereareplanstoconnectthatareainfuture. DistrictAreaNetworking:N/A Thisisnotapplicabletoourcampusaswedonothaveanydistrictwidenetworkorconnections asweareacommunitycollege. InternetAccess:(Integrated) Behavioral:(Integrated)Allstaffandfacultyusetheinternetfrequently,(particularlytowatch breakingnews).ItisfairlywellintegratedintoclasseswhenTEDtalkswillbeshown,for example.Theuseageisnotthatsophisticated,however.

Resource:(Integrated)Thereisinternetconnectivityeverywhereoncampus.However,wearein anareaoftownwheretheinternetisfairlyslowsowhenstreamingvideoitoftenfreezesup. Thereareplanstoimprovetheinfrastructureforthatentirepartoftown. CommunicationsSystems:(Integrated) Behavioral:(Integrated).Everyoneoncampushasacampusemailaddress,howevernot everyoneusesit.Studentsoftenforgettochecktheiremailaddresses.Passwordschange every6monthsand,eventhoughplentyofnotificationissentout,sometimesthiscauses incredibleconfusionamongststudentsandstaff. Resource:(Intelligent).Everyoneoncampushasanemailaddress.

Innovation:OverallIslands
NewTechnologies:Islands Behavioral:(Islands).Idontthinkstaffmembersactuallyrejectnewtechnologies.Theytendto ignorethemandsticktowhattheyarecomfortablewith,sodonotrequestnewtechnology. Becauseofthis,upuntilnowtheonlyreallynewtechnologyhasbeeninthedepartmentsthat workwithtechnology,suchasMediaArts. Resource:(Islands)Someareasofcampussuckupallthecampusresourcesastheystrongly advocatefornewtechnologyasmostotherareasarehappywiththeirbasicresources. ComprehensiveTechnologies:Islands Behavioral:(Islands)Thereareareasofcampuswheretechnologyisbecomingmore comprehensivebutitisdefinitelynotadoptedonacampuswidebasis. Resource:(Islands)Wonderfulcomprehensiveresourcesareavailableinsomeareasof campus,butmostareasjusthaveacomputerandprojector.Someareasdontevenhavethat. Moststaffandstudentsarelimitedinthewaystheyusetechnology.Cloudbasedcomputing shouldhelpoffermoreresourcesaroundcampus.

Conclusion
IntheMaturityModel,IwouldplaceEHCCintransitionfromIslandstoIntegrated.EHCChas challengesandtechnologyisoneofthem.Formanyyearsitseemsasthoughwehave stagnatedandonlyprovidednewtechnologytoareasoncampuswhereinnovativeinstructors havedemandedit.Thoseareasareexcitingtobein,butonlypeopleworkinginthemortaking classestherehaveaccess.Everystaffperson,facultyorstudentdoeshaveaccesstobasic technologycomputers,projectorsandbasicofficesoftware.Mosthavenotaskedforanything else. Thereisatwofoldissuenowoncampus.WehaveanewPresidentofonly9monthswhois activelypushingforstrongtechnologypoliciesandimplementationthroughoutthecampus.We

haveanewCenterforLearningExcellencestaffedwithseveralpeoplewhoareavailabletohelp pushnewtechnologiesandassistanyonewithnewlearning.WealsohaveafulltimeOIT departmentthatcanassistwithhardwareandsoftwareneeds. Howeverwestillhaveverylimitedtechnologyoutsideofthebasicsthatisreadilyavailableto anyoneoncampus.Andahugebarrieristhelackofinterestbymoststaffandfacultyin integratinganythingbeyondtheircomfortlevelintotheirclasses.ThestaffatthenewCenterfor LearningExcellencescheduletutorialsandtalksregularlyandusuallyveryfewpeopleornobody attends.Usuallytheonlypeoplethatdoaretheonesthatalreadyareusingtechnologyin innovativewaysandjustwanttoseeifthereisanythingnewtheycanpickup.Itisdiscouraging tothemandtheyareunsurehowtomotivatepeople. Ultimatelywewillneedtofindawaytoengagestakeholdersintheprocessofbehaviorchange sotheyarecomfortablewithnewtechnologies,andatthesametimeensurethatthereiswider accessavailabletothesenewtechnologiesastheyarepurchasedforthecampus.Otherwise wewillcontinuetohavesilosoncampuswhereengagedandactivepeoplegetthebest technologiesattheexpenseofthecampusasawhole.IthinkgoingtoCloudBasedSoftware willbeahugehelpforusoncampus.Moresoftwarewillbeavailableonmorecomputersand OITstaffwillbeabletospendmoretimehelpingpeoplelearnhowtouseitratherthandoing softwarefixesandupdates.Maybethis,plussomestrategichardwarepurchases,willstartto createbreakthroughsforusonourcampus.