University Committee Year-End Communication

Committee Name

Academic Information Technology Advisory Committee

Academic Year

2005-06

Number of Meetings

6 (Committee membership not complete until January.)

Committee Members (available at http://www.umt.edu/committees/) ¯

Belva Jones (chair), Steven Fehrer, Thomas Gallagher, Charles Nichols, Yolanda Reimer, Nicholas Vonessen, Sue Malek, Ralph Johnson, Ryan Alter, Paul Rowland, John Greer, Judy Fredenberg, Ray Ford (ex-officio)

 

 

 

 

Please describe your experience on the committee (What information would you share with a faculty member who is considering service on this committee?)

Although the committee membership was not finalized until the beginning of the spring semester, the committee was active and members were engaged.  Our primary task was to create a faculty survey to determine faculty instructional computing needs.  After several revisions, we were satisfied that the resulting data would be useful in planning faculty computing support in offices, labs and classrooms.  The on-line survey will be administered at the beginning of the autumn semester, and the committee will use the data to make recommendations to the Provost and to the Associate Vice President for Information Technology.

 

I was also pleased that the committee could play a pivotal role in resolving a conflict between several faculty members and the administrators of the Blackboard instructional support system.

 

 

 

 

Topics Addressed (agenda items)¯

Instructional computing needs assessment  (major priority for the semester)

Reviewed policy on e-mail access for reassigned UM Employees/Staff

Reviewed classroom technology support

Heard faculty concerns about the administration of Blackboard

 

 

Actions Taken (resolutions, proposals, recommendations)¯

  • Designed an on-line faculty survey to assess instructional computing needs.
  • Recommended changes in the policy for e-mail access for reassigned UM Employees/Staff
  • Committee members suggested a framework for equipping and maintaining technology classrooms.  The proposal was endorsed by the committee.
  • Committee members worked with the Blackboard administrators to resolve the conflict with faculty members.

 

 

Unresolved Issues ¯

  • Faculty survey will be administered early in the autumn semester of 2006.