Strategic Plan for Information Technology - June 1995

1. Distributing and accessing information in electronic form is economical and effective in many areas where the same information was previously distributed only in more labor intensive formats (e.g., print, film, audio tape). The ability to deliver information in electronic form in a timely and economical fashion will provide organizations with a competitive advantage. The rapid growth and pervasiveness of information technologies such as facsimile and electronic mail, is evidence of this trend.
   
2. Understanding how to use information technologies to access and distribute information will be an integral part of the personal and professional lives of our graduates. Information technologies can enhance the communications process, and in doing so enable us to be more effective and productive citizens.
   
3. By the fall of1995, we will have a state-of-the-art campus network infrastructure. Our network will enable us to share information economically, to enhance communication among members of the college community, and with colleagues elsewhere, to redesign processes to eliminate paper flow, to enrich and improve the teaching and learning process, and to make academic resources available from any place, at any time. Further, it will provide our students with an excellent opportunity to learn to use information technologies in preparation for their times beyond Hamilton.
   

1. enabling students to learn more effectively,
2. enabling Hamilton to operate in an efficient and effective manner,
3. preparing students for a world in which information technologies will play an increasingly important role in their personal and professional lives,
4. enabling Hamilton to achieve a competitive advantage in attracting excellent students and obtaining funding from external constituencies.

1. Provide each member of the Hamilton Community with convenient and secure access to information over the data network from on-campus.

   Almost all faculty, administrators, and staff can be more productive by having a computer on their desks connected to the campus network. To realize many of the benefits of distributing information in electronic form it is necessary for as many people as possible to have convenient access to that information. Such access comes through a computer connected to the network. For faculty, the experienced gained in using computers is a precursor to their use in connection with student learning.

   For those individuals who do not have computers at their desks we should provide access to kiosks. A kiosk is a computer connected to the campus network that is located in a public or shared office area (e.g., Beinicke Village, Coffee House, Bristol Campus Center, etc.). Kiosks provide "walk-up" access to library resources, general information about the college, and Internet resources such as electronic mail.

   The completion of the campus network will provide network access points for each student in residence hall rooms and public spaces. However, students will have to provide their own computers. The cost of a suitable computer system will represent less than two percent of the cost of attending Hamilton for four years. Having network access will provide access to academic resources (e.g., library resources, course materials, slide collections, computer software) from anyplace, at any time. In this way, the networked campus will provide an opportunity to integrate the academic and residential lives of our students.

   As networked applications of computing to student learning increase, the value of owning a computer will also increase. Issues of equity, as well as "providing" computers to entering students, will need to be examined on an annual basis.

   As we provide access to information resources we must pay close attention to issues of privacy. A balance between openness and security must always be maintained, assuring that access to information is only provided to individuals who are authorized to see it.

2. Develop a plan to replace computer equipment on a three - five year cycle.

   Planned replacement entails setting up a fund so that each time new equipment is purchased, the replacement cost is added to the fund (the fund would have to be started with sufficient resources to replace existing equipment). As new equipment is acquired, the equipment that is replaced will be used to replace even older equipment. The least capable equipment will be sold. By moving older equipment to less experienced users we maximize the longevity of our investments. Replacing equipment should also be seen as an opportunity to create a more homogeneous computing environment, by assuring that new equipment meets agreed-upon standards for hardware and software. At the same time that equipment is replaced we should address the need for ergonomic furniture to provide a proper operating environment for those who use computers regularly.

3. Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of investments we make in information technology by providing a program of continual training for all employees and students of the College.

   We are an institution where "learning" is central to our mission. This learning should extend to all members of the community. To make effective use of information technologies to improve productivity, a continual and incremental program of training is necessary. Significant productivity improvements for employees of the college are possible through such a sustained training program. Improving their performance will help us reduce operating expenses, and improve morale. Ultimately, everything we accomplish using information technology depends on the people using that technology.

   For example, electronic mail has become a basic communications tool on our campus. Yet many users of electronic mail are unaware of some of the simplest time savers, such as the use of mailing lists, mailboxes, or attachments. As a result, these individuals lose hours of productive time each week. Basic training provided to these individuals would improve their productivity substantially.

   Student training should begin as soon as they arrive on campus. New students must be provided with the learning tools, such as electronic mail, access to the online library catalogue, to make the most of their time at Hamilton. Doing this as soon as they come to campus will also make it possible for these tools to be used in connection with their courses in the very first semester. A student training program must be developmental, providing a small amount of information that can be used immediately, and then providing incremental additions to this training as they can benefit from it.

4. Assist and encourage members of the Hamilton community in their use of technology to improve student learning.

   Several faculty, in disciplines other than computer science, have already made significant use of information technologies to improve student learning in their courses. Such efforts need to be recognized on a continuing basis.

   Most faculty who have used technology in this way have been comfortable using the technology on a personal and professional level. They are the "early adopters", who have been willing to deal with the occasional "potholes" on the road to using technology to improve student learning. At Hamilton, such faculty have been primarily in the natural and social sciences, and music. To encourage others to participate will require more training and support, including incentives (e.g, released time, financial stipends). However, these incentives should be tied to a commitment to use technology in support of student learning.

   A networked campus will provide opportunities for the creation of "electronic study groups" - students in a class who discuss the subject of the class outside of the classroom, possibly under the electronic guidance of the instructor. This simple use of technology is applicable in many courses. Electronic communication enables everyone to participate in study groups, at a time that fits in with their extracurricular activities. Engaging subject matter in this way, can improve understanding and elevate the level of discussions that take place in the classroom, as students will be better prepared. Moreover, it can further enhance faculty/student interaction and therefore be of strategic value in recruiting students.

   Other members of the community, particularly in academic support services areas such as the Library, the Writing Center, Career Center, Study Skills Center, and Information Technology Services, use technology in a variety of ways to improve services provided to students in support of student learning. These efforts must be encouraged and supported.

5. Pursue cooperative information technology ventures with other colleges to reduce costs and improve service.

   A small college cannot take advantage of economies of scale, which permit it to provide services in an economical fashion. For example, neither Hamilton nor Colgate could afford the cost of providing an on-site technician for our telephone systems. Through a joint agreement with an outside vendor we share a technician. Another agreement with Cornell University provides economical access to high performance computing, expertise, and expensive data bases. In the academic program, faculty teaching Japanese are shared between Hamilton and Colgate. This is a model that needs to be pursued more aggressively.

   The recent Mellon grant (with Colgate) will encourage further cooperation. Much more can be done among the five institutions located in our immediate area (SUNY, MVCC, Utica College, Hamilton, Colgate). Cooperative activities among institutions that are more geographically dispersed is possible through our Internet connection.

6. Create an "empowered campus" by the year 2000.

   The "empowered campus" can be a metaphor that serves to inspire creative thinking about the nature of the way we do business. Many of Hamilton's operating procedures currently require that individuals act as intermediaries between the person seeking information and the information itself. For example, when a student wants to know her rank in class she must go to the Registrar's office and ask one of the staff to look up this information for her, even though the information is already in electronic form. The current operating paradigm is one of intermediation - individuals looking up information for those needing to use it. An alternative model would "disintermediate" these processes whenever appropriate and possible. The campus network would be used as a vehicle for distributing information of all types, will a minimum of intermediation.

   Potential savings are large but only if we are willing to change. Opportunities exist to rethink how we do business, and in doing so to eliminate unnecessary processes, redesign others, improve the quality of the services we provide, and reduce the cost of making information more widely accessible. For example, the network can be a vehicle for encouraging the economical use of shared information resources. Examples include, but are not limited to, accessing library materials, enabling departmental chairs to create purchase orders online and access departmental financial records, and using electronic communication as a substitute for paper communication.

7. Use IT to enhance communication with prospective students and Hamilton alumni.

   A growing proportion of excellent prospective students have access to the emerging information highway through their high schools, or through information services to which their parents subscribe. Making it possible for these students to learn about Hamilton through these networks, and even to apply to Hamilton electronically, will give us a competitive advantage. Interaction with prospective students can be further enhanced by encouraging them to address their questions to members of the faculty and staff via electronic networks. By enhancing communications with prospective students we improve our competitive position relative to our peers.

   Allowing alumni to communicate with the college community electronically can enhance their continued interest in the College, provide an economical and timely way to provide them with information about the College, and ultimately encourage their financial support. Already efforts are underway to facilitate such communication with alumni through the WAVE program. Discussions about the design and creation of an institutional World Wide Web home page are underway, involving members of the offices of Admissions and Communications and Development, with help from the staffs of the Library and Information Technology Services. These efforts should be encouraged.

Key Resources

Services (phone numbers)