The Roundtable identified
an initial list of responsibilities;
a set of planning assumptions
(both internal and external);
technology strengths,
threats, and weaknesses
facing UWM; a vision worth
working for; goals for
technology planning; and
framework of priorities,
initiative, and tactics
that serve as the foundation
for the plan.
PLANNING
ASSUMPTIONS
The Learning Through
Technology plan
is based on a set of
external and internal
planning assumptions
defined by the Roundtable:
- External Planning
Assumptions:
- There will be
a wide range of
technological needs
among students and
faculty. Some needs
will be common to
all others will
be highly specialized.
School/college,
departments, and
administrative and
support units will
need to develop
their own technology
plans that will
reflect institutional
plans and priorities.
- Plans must link
goals and objectives
to accountability
measures.
- Maintenance costs
and equipment life
cycle will impact
what we do.
- The growing reliance
on computers and
technology will
increase the importance
of providing equitable
access to all students
for a range of institutional
activities.
- Technology will
continue to change
at rapid rates and
become more expensive.
- New technologies
will increase demand
for services.
- Students will
come to UWM with
high technology
expectations.
- Reliance on Internet
capabilities and
the importance of
Internet-type tools
will continue to
grow at a significant
rate.
- Internal Planning
Assumptions:
- Change is difficult
but necessary.
- Technology is
important to all
campus units.
- UWM will need
to increase its
commitment to information
technology and technology
support.
- Budget changes
(at all levels)
will be necessary
to achieve the goals
of the Plan.
- I&MT as a
unit is only a part
of the university
information technology
picture.
- Input from faculty
governance groups,
academic staff,
support units is
a necessary component
of the Plan.
- Our IT plan must
be aligned with
the campus strategic
plan.
- Cooperative arrangements
with local and state
agencies/universities
are necessary to
achieve our goals.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Early on in the planning
process the Roundtable
outlined individual; department,
school/college; and campus
responsibilities that
would be necessary to
ensure proper infusion
of technology to accomplish
the four priorities in
UWM’s Strategic Plan.
These responsibilities
are carried through in
the plan's tactics and
action steps :
INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES
- Initiative:
- Have the desire
to learn, collaborate,
and share
- Take the initiative
and make time to
learn new skills,
to use technology,
to teach differently
- Be willing to
attend staff development
programs and training
- Maintain current
knowledge about
the application
of modern technology
to problems within
one’s discipline
- Awareness:
- Recognize the
benefits that technology
advancement can
offer to integrate
scholarly activity
and teaching
- Acknowledge that
the integration
of technology will
be necessary to
achieve institutional
services and goals
- Realize that each
individual is ultimately
responsible for
the quality of research
and teaching at
UWM
- Share realistic
expectations of
institutional technology
priorities
DEPARTMENTS/SCHOOLS/COLLEGE
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Leadership:
- Create an environment
that supports technology
use
- Facilitate change
- Ensure appropriate
pedagogical and
administrative use
of technology
- Communication:
- Provide information
about campus resources
and coordination
among individuals
and groups
- Establish formal
links between units
and campus IT providers
- Support and Resources:
- Provide faculty/staff
development and
training opportunities
- Increase level
of resources for
technology expansion
- Incentives:
- Reward the use
of technology in
teaching and research
through merit raises
and promotional
decisions
CAMPUS RESPONSIBILITIES
- Leadership:
- Provide leadership
and directions in
the adoption of
technology
- Take primary responsibility
for guiding and
funding the application
of new technology
- Investigate technology
futures
- Develop public/private
partnerships
- Advocate effectively
for competitive
technology needs
- Environment:
- Create an environment
that encourages
and supports collaboration
and cooperation
between schools,
colleges, and departments
with technology
initiatives
- Support the Learning
Technology Center
and other such activities
- Infrastructure:
- Establish baseline
levels of technology
services available
to faculty, staff,
and students
- Develop infrastructure
and convergence
of cross-platform
solutions
- Encourage and
support compatibility
standards
- Establish a well-funded,
customer-service
oriented technology
support unit
TECHNOLOGY
STRENGTHS, THREATS,
WEAKNESSES, AND OPPORTUNITIES
TECHNOLOGY STRENGTHS
AND THREATS FACING UWM:
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
STRENGTHS
- Substantial resources
in voice/ data infrastructure
and availability of
various technology
funding sources (lab/class
mod, student technology
fee, faculty development
funds) are already
in place.
- Regent’s acknowledgment
of the importance
of technology as called
for in “21st
Century Study”
- System’s willingness
to request $ from
legislature for technology
and the state’s
willingness to fund
the initiatives.
- Skill, expertise,
and commitment of
the I&MT staff.
ADDITIONAL STRENGTHS
THAT WILL BE REALIZED
BY EXPANDED TECHNOLOGY
AS A MEANS TO ACCOMPLISH
THE GOALS IN UWM’S
STRATEGIC PLAN
- Enhanced Learning
and Productivity:
- Research can be
enhanced through
technological advances
that support information
access, discovery
and creativity,
data collection/analysis
and communication.
- Maximized Use
of Resources:
- Teaching can be
revitalized
- Manual, repetitive
work can be minimized
so that attention
can focus on providing
quality service
to students, faculty
and staff
- Improved Communication
and Resource Access:
- Better/more flexible
alternatives can
be provided for
students to conduct
business resulting
in fewer reasons
for students to
make special trips
to campus and thereby,
reducing frustration
with bureaucracy
and parking
- Save costs
- Virtues, talents
and expertise of
the university can
be disseminated
to students and
other groups outside
of the UWM campus
through technology-assisted
distance learning
efforts
- Improved Competitiveness:
- The public is
ready and expects
college campuses
to have the technology–they
will view UWM as
modern
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
WEAKNESSES
- Lack of a cohesive
technological planning
for technology at
all campus levels.
- Lack of formal technology
assessment process.
- Resources fall short
of meeting current
and projected demands.
- Lack of a plan or
policy for maintaining
the skill level of
the staff over time.
ADDITIONAL WEAKNESSES
THAT MAY RESULT BY EXPANDED
TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS
TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS
IN UWM’S STRATEGIC
PLAN
- Expensive:
- Technology can
be costly and time
consuming to incorporate
- Difficulty in
Recognizing Appropriateness:
- Mistaking progress
in technology for
progress in pedagogy
and research
- Understanding
the positive value
of failure
- Knowing when system
becomes legacy system
- Thinking technology
can do everything
CURRENT TECHNOLOGY
THREATS FACING UWM
- Growth demands far
outstrip the resources
available.
- Fragmentation that
results from uncoordinated
departmental development
of applications and
services.
- The increasing strain
on I&MT and Library
resources.
- The need for the
university to insure
equitable access to
computing and information
resources to students
regardless of economic
status, location,
etc.
- Increasing complexity
of the network environment.
- Increasing reliance
on a networked environment
by instruction, research,
and university operations
creates expectation
of uninterrupted access.
- External interference
(state and system
level) in funding
restrictions, vendors,
and providers.
- The rapid cycle
of change. The duration
of the cycle from
initiation to obsolescence
will continue to become
shorter.
- The cycle of technological
change is shorter
than the current planning
cycle.
ADDITIONAL THREATS
THAT MAY RESULT BY EXPANDED
TECHNOLOGY AS A MEANS
TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS
IN UWM’S STRATEGIC
PLAN
- Change:
- Resistance to
change
- Inability to assess
change and recognize
when the changes
are made
- Adequacy of Resources:
- Resources might
be drained from
other vital areas
- Lack of resources
to accomplish goals
- Competition for
existing resources
- Growth demand
for technology may
become insatiable
- Lack of budgetary
planning for maintaining
technology
- Institutional
Disparities:
- Isolation–the
gap between those
who know technology
and those who don’t
- Real and perceived
disparity between
“have’s”
and “have not’s”
- Our diverse population
that includes: the
technophobes (people
are afraid of technologies
or dislike change)
and the technomaniacs
(people adopt technologies
even when they are
not the best choices)
- Assumptions that
information technology
needs are all the
same; fear that
individual needs
may not be met
TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITIES
FOR UWM
Opportunities that
may realized by expanded
technology as a means
to accomplish the goals
in UWM’s Strategic
Plan:
- Advances in Innovation
and Access:
- Ability to reach
new populations
of students
- Becoming a leader
in the metropolitan
area
- Reaching out to
the public, e.g.
MPS
- Increased interaction
of UWM within the
community as well
as better exposure
on the state and
national level
- Advancing UWM’s
recognition as a
Research II Institution
by providing faculty
better access to
information and
research opportunities
in order to become
more competitive
for extramural support
& outside sponsorship
- Recapturing Resources:
- Potential cost
savings
- Reducing demand
for physical space
- Redefining resource
use and the way
we work
- Increasing administrative
efficiency
- Fostering Collaboration:
- Collaboration
in teaching and
research at the
intra- and interinstitutional
levels
CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY
ISSUES FOR UWM
The most critical
issues (major changes,
dynamics and additions)
that will need to be
addressed in order for
UWM to accomplish the
goals in its Strategic
Plan are:
- Institutional
Leadership:
- Leadership at
the campus, school/college,
and department levels
- Greater commitment
to the structure
of campus-wide support
- Improvement of
synergies between
academic units and
centralized support
services
- Institutional
Vision:
- Creating an appropriate
technology vision
worth working toward
- Assessing future
trends and developments
- Institutional
Values:
- Changing rigid
institutional structure
to accommodate need
for good practices
- Modifying the
reward system to
make it conducive
to adopting technology
- Knowing how to
assessing technology
effectiveness
- Planning:
- Developing an
implementation plan
- Budgeting creatively
for lifecycle turnover
- Development:
- Staff development,
training, and retooling
- Providing incentives
- Establishing base
level support services
- Resources:
- Having the time,
money, and support
- Budget constraints
on capital and operating
and the limits it
imposes on incorporating
new and changing
technology
- Infrastructure:
- Maintaining a
network infrastructure
