2000-2003

Introduction   [ Jump to Objectives ]

This Technology Plan details the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of the Solano Community College (SCC), an educational institution serving the Northern California communities of Benicia, Dixon, Fairfield, Suisun, Travis Air Force Base, Vacaville, Vallejo, and Winters.

SCC already has a Strategic Plan. It sets forth a number of strategic directions. In the area of technology it calls for increasing SCC's instructional support of expanding technologies and developing the technology infrastructure needed to improve campus services. This Technology Plan rests not only on the Strategic Plan, but also the College's vision: the ideal future state for SCC; and the College's mission: what SCC actually does.

Vision Statement

Solano Community College will be a premier educational institution for academic development, workforce preparation, and lifelong learning. To achieve our vision, Solano Community College is committed to excellence, innovative teaching, and learning, and student success through the unified efforts of the campus community.

Mission Statement

The mission of Solano Community College is to provide the highest quality academic, occupational, cultural, developmental, and continuing education programs that are responsive to the learning needs of our community. In doing so we are dedicated to a diverse educational and cultural campus environment that prepares our students for productive participation in the 21st century.

Goals

Solano Community College, like all institutions of higher education, faces the immense challenge of incorporating technology in the clasroom and in the workplace. The College has established two major goals for its technology effort:

1. Strengthen teaching and learning through the use of technology in classrooms, laboratories, faculty offices, and libraries.
       
2. Maintain efficient and effective administrative and support functions by increasing staff productivity and their ability to respond to the informational needs of faculty and students.

Objectives

The following objectives have been developed to achieve the aforementioned goals:

1. Maintain all classrooms as "smart" classrooms.
          
2. Maintain at least one computer lab in each classroom building; two in larger buildings.
          
3. Maintain an open computer lab on each campus.
          
4. Provide high-speed Internet access to all faculty,  staff, and students.
          
5. Utilize online technology in distance education.
          
6. Supplement technology course offerings with suitable orientation programs.
          
7. Maintain a faculty/staff development center.
          
8. Provide each faculty and staff member with a PC which meets a minimum standard for desktop systems.
          
9. Observe sound ergonomic practices.
          
10. Maintain a technology support center, including remote PC management.
           
11. Maintain spares inventories.
           
12. Obtain site licenses for software used in more than one division or department.
           
13. Provide comparable access to technology and technology support on each campus.
           
14. Maintain a suitable central site for servers and network equipment.
           
15. Charge the library with responsibility for providing access to information in all forms, whether held locally or elsewhere.
           
16. Migrate to an integrated college-wide finance, student records, and human resources system.
           
17. Reorganize technology services to improve coordination and support.
           
18. Provide a feed-back mechanism for faculty, staff, and students.
           
19. Commit a minimum of 3.8 percent of the institutional budget to technology.
           
20. Review the Technology Plan at least once each year.

Each of the objectives is detailed in the following sections:

1. Maintain all classrooms as "smart" classrooms.

SCC is committed to maintaining all classrooms as "smart" classrooms. This commitment reflects the Strategic Plan's goal of increasing instructional support of expanded technology, specifically the provison which seeks to increase the percentage of courses which incorporate current/emerging technologies in the teaching/learning process.

At a minimum that means that each classroom will have permanently installed a high-end PC, a data jack for access to the College's network and the Internet, a VCR, a high-resolution digital projector, a screen, loudspeakers, control over lighting levels, and adjustable window coverings.

Using the facilities of a "smart" classroom, a faculty member, or a student, can make a presentation developed on a computer using a software package such as PowerPoint, access a site on the Internet, demonstrate software, or play all or part of a video.

As of 1999, a minority of classrooms meet the definition of a "smart" classroom. Deans often have more requests for "smart" classrooms than they can supply. In Math/Science, for example, only two of 14 classrooms are "smart" classrooms. Portable equipment is not a satisfactory answer because it takes too much time to move the equipment, set it up, take it down, and return it to its storage location. Even permanent facilities are often deficient in that they are not ready to use, and differ enough from one another to be confusing to the occasional user.

The cost of a "smart" classroom is approximately $20,000. The most expensive component is the high-resolution video projector. A unit which can be used in a partially-lit classroom has to provide a resolution of 1,024 x 758 dots per inch and have a rating of at least 1200 lumens. In 1999 such units (the Epson PowerLite 7300 and Proxima Impression A10+) cost $15,000 each, but the cost is expected to drop to under $10,000 by the year 2000. The other components and remodeling represent another $10,000.

The College will budget for five "smart" classrooms each year beginning in the 1999/2000 fiscal year until all classrooms meet the criteria for such designation. Equipment maintenance and replacement, which will cost approximately $4,000 per year per classroom, including PC replacement every three years and digital projector replacement every six years, will be incorporated into the College's general technology maintenance budget.

Priority will be given to divisions and departments which can demonstrate the most compelling need for additional smart clasrooms. Teachers who will be using the smart classrooms must actually have a history of using the technology. If they have not been using it, they have to have acquired the necessary skills to utilize the technology by taking appropriate development courses.

The "smart" classroom is a minimum platform on which the academic divisions can build. For example, one or more video cameras can be installed to record student presentations. A digital camera can be added for the scanning and projection of materials from the printed page, including illustrations. Art or music may install a digital server with images and/or audio.

2. Maintain at least one computer lab in each classroom building; two in larger buildings.

Every academic discipline now uses computer technology as data, images, and sound are increasingly digital. While there were 17 computer labs in early 1999, there was not a lab in each academic building, and some larger buildings, especially some buildings shared by two divisions, lacked a second lab. No academic division should have to negotiate access to a computer lab with another division, especially not to a lab in another building, in order to schedule a class in a computer lab.

At a minimum, a lab will consist of 30 workstation, space permitting, each configured with a high-end PC. At least one PC in each lab will be ADA-compliant, offering hardware/software to facilitate use by a physically or visually impaired student. The PCs will have access to software on an in-lab server, three or more networked laser printers, the College network, and the Internet. The instructor's workstation will be able to control the resources to which the student workstations have access by using software on the in-lab server. The faculty member determines when to exercise the control.

The instructor's workstation will not only have control over the student workstations, but will also be configured with a high-end PC, data jack, VCR, interface to a high-resolution digital projector, and control over the lighting in the room. There will be a suitable screen. [Screens are preferred over monitors because monitors cannot support as high a resolution as a digital projector and screen].

The minimum cost of a establishing a computer lab is approximately $90,000, but the cost of maintaining such a lab is at least $55,000 per year because each requires a lab technician at a cost of at least $28,000 a year, plus fringe benefits and overhead. Hardware/software maintenance and replacement of the computer hardware every three years will add another $27,000 per year--a figure which will be included in the College's general technology maintenance budget. [Alternately, one-third of the equipment can be replaced every year. In either case, the retiring equipment will be reallocated for other applications].

In classroom buildings where regular classrooms are also in demand, the installation of Nova kits will be considered so that the desks can be used for the taking of lecture notes when the computer equipment is not required. This will reduce seating capacity by up to 25 percent as each workstation will require a minimum of 20 square feet.

The College will seek to establish a lab in building 800 in fiscal year 2000/2001; and a second lab in building 700 in fiscal year 2001/2002. Thereafter it will seek to establish one or upgrade two existing labs each year. Typical of the upgrade requirement is networking the PCs in each lab.

An academic division may choose to enhance a lab by adding specialized software, including the ability of instructors to call up any student's display on his/her monitor and, if appropriate, to project it on the screen using the digital projector so that all students can see it.

An academic division may also develop specialized labs, including biotechnology labs, CAD/CAM labs, computer music composition labs, digital imaging labs, reading labs, writing labs, etc.

Among the specialized labs which needs to be established in the near future is a digital media lab to address editing needs in the TV/Film Department. A minimum of four workstations should be installed, including PCs, VCRs, audio mixers, audio accessories, etc.

3. Seek to maintain an open computer lab on each campus.

As of early 1999, students had guaranteed access to a computer lab only if enrolled in a course which required the use of lab facilities. While academic divisions often make a lab available as an open lab when no class is scheduled, the available time is shrinking as more instructional use is made of the labs. The College needs an open lab which is available to all students a minimum of 14 hours daily Mondays through Thursdays and a somewhat shorter number of hours on weekends on each of its campuses.

The open lab on each campus will be centrally located, with that at Suisun located in or adjacent to the library. The lab on the Suisun campus will have a minimum of 60 workstations; the labs on the Vacaville and Vallejo campuses will have a minimum of 12 workstations each.

At least three PCs in the largest lab and one PC in each of the smaller labs will be ADA-compliant, incorporating hardware/software for text enlargement, voice recognition, scan-and-read programs, etc. to facilitate access by a physically or visually impaired student, and by learning disabled students.

The primary use of the open labs will be word processing, but sofware for other widely used applications will be added as needed.

Approximately half of the workstations will be Internet-enabled, but with the option to adjust the percentage as needed. This decision reflects the provision in the Strategic Plan to develop the technology infrastructure neede to improve campus services, especially by increasing the percentage of students who have access to network computers.

Software will be incorporated into the workstations to limit Internet sessions to 30 minutes and access to other applications to 60 minutes during times of heavy demand.

The open labs will be maintained by the Technology Support Center, but there will be no staffing to assist users. It will be assumed that students will have mastered the basic skills of computer use before availing themselves of these facilities.

The largest lab may cost as much as $200,000 to establish, including renovation. The annual cost for maintenance and replacement of one-third of the equipment each year will be approximately $45,000--a cost which will be incoporated into the College's general technology maintenance budget.

Each of the smaller labs may cost as much as $45,000 to establish, including renovation. The annual cost for maintenance and replacement of one-third of the equipment each year will be approximately $10,000--a cost which will be incorporated into the College's general technology maintenance budget.

The College will make a minimum of two PCs available to students in Aeronautics at the general aviation airport who are not currently enrolled in a course which uses a computer lab.

The College will seek an agreement with Travis Air Force Base to have a small computer lab available to students at the base.

Work was begun on the largest of the labs in 1998/1999. If possible, all of the open labs will be made available by the end of the 2000/2001 fiscal year so that the emphasis thereafter can be on maintenance and replacement of one-third of the equipment each year at a cost of $65,000 annually.

4. Provide high-speed Internet access to all faculty, staff, and students.

The Internet has become a valuable teaching and research tool. All faculty and students will continue to have access to it, but ongoing evaluation of use is necessary because bandwidth requirements are constantly changing, and the performance of Internet Service Providers (ISPs ) is uneven.

As of early 1999, the minimum bandwidth required by the typical user was 56 Kbps, four times that of four years ago and twice that of two years ago. The major change has been the increasing use of color, graphics, and motion in Web sites. The average user may require as much as 128 Kbps by 2001.

The number of users and the average length of use is also increasing. A T-1 circuit, which could support as many as 25 concurrent Internet users in early 1999, may not be able to absorb the increasing demand. The College will, therefore, be prepared to increase bandwidth to its ISP to multiple T-1 circuits or an ATM circuit. The incremental cost may be as much as $4,000 per month.

ISPs often strangle on their own success: they add users faster than they install the servers to support them. The College will, therefore, constantly evaluate the performance of its ISP to determine whether it is taking too long to make a connection, the number of "drops" is too great, or the length of time to download a typical Web page is too long. The criteria for acceptable performance will be based on published data about the performance of the 25 largest ISPs, data which is regularly posted on the Internet. If the ISP serving the College consistently falls below the average of the 25 largest ISPs, the College will seek to change ISPs.

5. Utilize online technology in distance education.

Distance education has historically been undertaken using television, but increasingly the Internet is being used. The College will continue to use television because many potential students--possibly as many as half--have access to cable television, but not the Internet.

The College is conducting a pilot program of teaching courses via the Internet during the Spring of 2000. A faculty committee will evaluate the effectiveness of the technology and the challenges faculty face in using it.

There is considerable anecdotal evidence that students prefer a combination of "high-tech" and "high-touch." The College will, therefore, experiment with courses which are partially taught by television or the Internet, and partially in the classroom. If the hybrid approach reduces the attrition rate and/or improves student performance, it will be adopted as a regular model.

If distance education using the Web is successful, an expanded program may be launched as early as Spring, 2001.

The College already has access to television studio facilities and a Web server. The major expense of an expanded distance education program will be faculty time. Anecdotal evidence suggests that distance learning may require as many as five hours of presentation for each hour of instruction--more than twice as much as conventional classroom instruction. Faculty will need to be released for the additional preparation time. Offsetting this cost will be savings in the construction and maintenance of regular classrooms.

The College will continue to make videos of courses available in its library.

6. Supplement technology course offerings with suitable orientation programs for students.

As of early 1999, the College offered nearly 50 courses for credit in the use of computers, specific applications, programming, and networks. The course offerings will be revised and expanded as the needs of the campus community and local business and industry change. The typical course will consist of a minimum of 24 hours of lectures and eight hours of lab work over eight weeks. Some courses will offer twice as much material over 16 weeks. This ongoing effort carries out the Strategic Plan's commitment to increase the percentage of courses teaching current/emerging technologies.

The College will seek to augment its course offerings with brief, intense non-credit orientation sessions in widely used applications. Among these offerings will be the basics of Windows, word processing, Internet access, e-mail, and the use of presentation software.

The typical orientation will consist of two four-hour hands-on sessions on consecutive days or on a Saturday. The purpose of the orientations will be to give a student basic proficiency in the use of a computer for common applications.

7. Maintain a faculty/staff development center.

Faculty generally do not use technology as frequently or as effectively as they would like because they lack the proficiency and confidence required. Even disciplines such as business, which has made extensive use of "smart" classrooms, report that only one-third of its faculty are proficient in the use of PowerPoint presentation software.

While faculty may take courses tuition-free, they often lack the time, and they tend to be uncomfortable in a classroom filled with students who are much younger. The major areas in which all faculty should be proficient and confident are Windows, word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, anti-virus protection, Internet access, and preparation of presentations, especially using PowerPoint. Some faculty will need database and other applications training.

Almost all staff require expertise in the use of Windows, word processing, and campus administrative network access. If the College implements an integrated financial, student records, and human resources system, considerable training will be required in the use of it.

SCC will establish a faculty/staff development center which will offer intense, short-term courses to faculty and staff. Each course will be highly focused on the mastery of a specific application. The courses typically will consist of two four-hour sessions, either on two consecutive days or on a Saturday. They will be offered at beginner, intermediate, and advanced skills levels. Released time or Flex Cal credit will be available for these short-term courses.

Special courses will be offered to lab technicians to improve their skills. Similar special courses will be offered to employees who staff the technology support or "help" desk. Wherever possible, the courses will provide a career path which leads to certification in an aspect of technology. Certification in networks is especially desirable as it is extremely difficult to recruit certified network technicians. Released time will be provided for appropriate courses.

Both initial and refresher training will be offered.

The faculty/staff development center will carry out a commitment made in SCC's Strategic Plan: "to increase the percentage of SCC employees who have received technology training during the previous two years."

As they begin to use the applications in their teaching, faculty may need access to specialized equipment and the assistance of experienced staff. The faculty/staff development center will, therefore, augment its teaching function with a instructional support area.

The faculty/staff development center will not be limited to computer technology. The use of audio-visual equipment, as well as assistance in the production of suitable materials, will continue to be an ongoing requirement.

The faculty/staff development center's training area will consist of 15 workstations and an instructor's workstation. The size is intentionally limited to 15 because that is the maximum number for effective hands-on training of faculty and staff. [The limited research that has been done suggests students learn more effectively in large groups using computers than faculty and staff].

The instructional support area will consist of 15 workstations. These workstations will be available not only to faculty who need assistance in the preparation of instructional materials, but also part-time faculty who have no offices or PCs assigned to them.

It is not practical to expect the staff of the faculty/staff development center--which may be as few as two people--to provide all of the training. College faculty will be retained if available, but much of the training will be undertaken by experienced instructors who work for computer retail stores, consulting firms, and network vendors.

As of early 1999, funds were available for the establishment of the faculty/staff development center. Space was not available at that time. No later than the beginning of the 2000/2001 fiscal year the College will remodel space on the mezzanine of the library in Building 100 on the Suisun campus to provide suitable space. A minimum of 2,000 square feet is required. One position is available for the staffing of the center; a second position for a lab technician will be budgeted for fiscal year 2001/2002 at an annual cost of $28,000, plus fringe benefits and overhead.

8. Provide each faculty and staff member with a PC which meets a minimum standard for desktop systems.

As of early 1999 over 90 percent of faculty and staff had a PC on the desktop, but as many as half of the PCs did not meet the recommended minimum standard for desktop systems which the College set in mid-1998. At that time the College specified a Pentium II with 233 to 300 MHz clock speed, 32 to 64 MB of RAM, a 4.3-8.0 MB hard drive, a 3.5-inch floppy drive, Windows 95 keyboard, Microsoft mouse, 17-inch monitor, video card, and three-year warranty, including one year on parts.

Given the fact that PC technology changes so rapidly, the College will update the minimum standard every six months. This means that each six months the model which will be purchased will be more robust than the one purchased the previous six months. The major changes over a six month period are an increase in the processor speed, the amount of memory, and the amount of disk storage. The machines will be compatible as they will utilize the same operating system and will support the same network standards.

As a rule-of-thumb, the minimum standard will be the third level machine generally available from major computer manufacturers. The industry's "price-point," the point at which one realizes the greatest value for money is at the third level. As of early 1999 that was a Pentium with a clock-speed of 350 MHz as higher-level 400 and 450 MHz machines were generally available. The latest model PCs tend to be much more costly because "early adopters" tend to be less concerned about price than cutting-edge technology. The third-level machine is generally available at $2,000, including monitor and printer.

The College will maintain a two-tier PC strategy to extend the life of its PCs. New machines will be purchased every three years for teaching laboratories, and staff and faculty offices which require Internet access. As older machines are replaced, they will be reassigned to applications which require less processor speed and memory, including word processing applications in open labs, circulation charge/discharge stations in the library, and "express catalogs" in the library.

The College will budget for the replacement of one-fourth of its PCs each year at a cost of $2,000 per PC. In the 2000-2001 fiscal year that will require the replacement of approximately 200 PCs at a total cost of $400,000. Competitive bidding may reduce the cost by as much as 10 percent.

In order to carry out the replacement program, the College needs a complete inventory of all of its PCs. It will seek to undertake the inventory prior to the beginning of the 2000/2001 fiscal year.

The College commits not only to the placing of a PC which meets the minimum for the first or second tier on each computer lab desk and on each staff or faculty member's desk, but also to support that PC with maintenance and upgrades. This commitment extends to auxiliary services, such as the bookstore and theater, as long as these contribute to the College's overhead costs.

The College also will support the software on each PC as long as it is on the list of supported software packages. The list of supported software packages will be revised at least once per year. As of the 2000/2001 fiscal year the supported software packages will included Microsoft Windows 95/98 or NT, Microsoft Office Pro 97 or Microsoft Office 97-Small Business Edition. Each includes Word (word processing) and Excel (spreadsheet). The former includes PowerPoint (presentations) and Access (database) and the latter includes Publisher (desktop publishing). Also supported will be MacAfee VSHIELD virus protection, and Netscape and Microsoft Explorer browsers.

9. Observe sound ergonomic practices.

As of early 1999, virtually no faculty or staff had ergonomically sound furniture for their PCs. It was generally not possible to adjust the viewing distance or angle at which the screen was viewed, nor to adjust the distance and height of the keyboard. While it is not financially feasible to replace all furniture, newly purchased furniture will be required to meet ergonomic standards, and existing furniture will be modified insofar as possible.

New office furniture will be specified with a height-adjustable pull-out keyboard shelf and a height-adjustable monitor shelf; new lab workstations will be specified with a pull-out keyboard shelf and a Nova kit--a kit which recesses the monitor below the work surface so that the viewer is looking down at the screen. A clear plastic window will make it possible to use more of the surface.

Ergonomic furniture costs approximately the same as regular furniture, therefore, no budget adjustment is required if furniture is replaced on a normal replacement schedule.

An existing desk can be modified for as little as $300 using local carpenters, or a computer cabinet can be added for approximately $450. A nova kit costs approximately $500 to install in an existing lab desk, but an entire desk can be purchased with a Nova kit already installed for as little as $650 when a minimum quantity of 100 is specified.

10. Maintain a technology support center, including remote PC management.

As of early 1999, the College had approximately 800 PCs. There were only three full-time staff members committed to the installation, upgrading, and maintenance of these machines. Each also has other demands placed on him, including audio-visual support and network support. The staff, all in the Learning Resources Center, were even responsible for the sound systems in the gymnasium and auditoria, and scoreboards. There also was one software support technician in Administrative Computing, and one vacancy.

The rule-of-thumb in business and industry is one support staff member for each 50 PCs. That ratio is dramatically affected by the use of remote PC management, software which makes it possible to diagnose PCs without actually going to them, some remote fixes, remote updating of software, remote addition of software, and remote modification of the security parameters on a PC. Utilizing remote PC management, the ratio changes to one support staff member for each 150 PCs.

The College will increase the technology support staff from five to seven, including six PC technicians and one audio-visual technician, by the 2000/2001 fiscal year--a year in which large numbers of PCs come off warranty. One position had already been authorized in early 1999, but it had not yet been filled; another will be authorized for fiscal year 2000/2001 at an annual cost of $28,000, plus fringe benefits and overhead.

The College will implement remote PC management in fiscal year 2000/2001 to diagnose PC problems without having support staff travel all over the campus. The cost will be as little as $10,000 for a network license. It will take time to fully deploy remote PC management because a PC has to have a minimum memory of 32 MB to accommodate the software. Many of the machines installed as of early 1999 had only 8 or 16 MB of memory. It may, therefore, be necessary to augment the technology support staff with some outside support in the interim.

Network support is also critical. There were as many as 400 networked servers, PCs, and terminals on the College's campuses in early 1999. The number will increase rapidly as more of the standalone PCs are added to the network. As a rule-of-thumb, there should be a network technician for each 150 network nodes. As of early 1999, there was no full-time network technician.

As of early 1999, there was one new, but vacant, position authorized for a network specialist. This number will need to be increased by one in the 2000/2001 fiscal year, and by two more in the two succeeding fiscal years until the total number is five. Each position will cost at least $28,000 annually, plus fringe benefits and overhead. At least one position should be budgeted at a more senior level, thus increasing the cost to a minimum of $45,000 plus fringe benefits and overhead.

It may not be possible to recruit qualified technicians, especially certified network technicians. The College will, therefore, consider outsourcing at least back-up for its network support. While this does not result in savings, it does guarantee support around the clock.

The technology support staff will be scheduled using a "help" desk software package--a package which may cost as much as $5,000. Each problem will be logged, a priority assigned, and a technician assigned. The technician will record the problem diagnosed and the time repairs were completed. Any machine which cannot be fixed within one hour will be swapped out with a spare machine so that work orders do not pile up.

Machines which cannot be fixed after four hours of labor will be sent to a commercial firm for repair so that the College's staff can keep up with the College's more than 800 machines.

11. Maintain spares inventories.

Rather than having technology support center staff make an on-site service call immediately upon receipt of a trouble call and a determination that the problem cannot be taken care of remotely, the caller will be authorized to physically swap his/her computer with one in a spares closet in the building where the machine is located. The physical swap can be performed by the machine's user, or by someone designated by the academic division or administrative unit. It may be possible to have the lab technicians undertake this swap as they will need to do less PC set-up and diagnostics once faculty and staff are accustomed to calling the technology support center.

Each spares closet will consist of a minimum of two CPUs, two monitors, two printers, two keyboards, and two mice. Each CPU will be configured with all of the applications software regularly used in that building, therefore, it will not be necessary for the person doing the swap to load and configure software. When the spare is installed, the support desk will remotely activate the software required by the user. If the software is not in regular use, it will be downloaded from a server kept at the technology support center.

12. Obtain site licenses for software used in more than one division or department.

With the exception of MacAfee VSHIELD anti-virus protection, the divisions and departments of the College have purchased applications software configured with the machine or as a separate package. Each time, there has been a license fee. In light of the fact that many packages are used on hundreds of machines, the College will seek to convert the licenses to site licenses.

The most widely used package is Microsoft Office 97. Also widely used is Centurion Guard, a security package. At least a dozen other packages are used in two or more divisions or departments. Beginning in 2000/2001 the College will undertake site licensing whenever that is cost effective. If Microsoft will provide a site license in exchange for the hundreds of individual licenses, Office 97 will be the first converted. Thereafter, it will be possible to add PCs without purchasing additional licenses.

Netscape, which is available without charge, will also be made available to all interested users.

13. Provide comparable access to technology and technology support on each campus.

As of early 1999, there were significant differences in access to technology and technology support on the campuses. Vacaville had an up-to-date, networked computer lab, although it had only three PCs in a makeshift open lab. Vallejo had much older standalone machines in its computer lab, and only three PCs in an open lab. There were plans to upgrade the machines in Vallejo. There were no facilities at all at Travis Air Force Base. Aeronautics at the general aviation airport had a number of aging 486 machines with dial-up access to the Internet. Only Vacaville had a T-1 line to Suisun.

The College will seek to maintain the same level of technology access and support on all campuses. At a minimum, that will consist of PCs which meet the minimum College standard at all sites, full network connectivity from all sites, a computer lab on each of the two major branch campuses, and a open computer lab on each campus.

The highest priority will be the networking of the Vallejo lab's PCs so any of them can access expensive shared peripherals and the Internet. The cost will be as high as $20,000, plus $4,000 per year, exclusive of any PC upgrades which may be required. If possible, that will be undertaken before the 2000/2001 fiscal year.

The College will seek to negotiate with Travis Air Force Base for access to computer lab facilities at the base.

Plan component 3 details the costs for the open labs.

14. Maintain a suitable central site for servers and network equipment.

As of early 1999, the administrative computer was poorly housed. While there was sufficient temperature control, there was no provision for control of humidity, static electricity, flooding, fire, and particulate polution. The last is particularly serious because aging disk drives are vulnerable to failure when there is a great deal of paper dust in the air.

The College will expand and remodel the room which houses the administrative computer and more than a dozen other servers--a number which can be expected to increase. The new room must include the existing one because of the high cost of relocating the existing network terminations.

While no raised floor is required, both temperature and humidity will be controlled, the floor will be covered with no-wax tile, and there will be no looseleaf manuals and cartons of paper stored in the room.

The administrative computer and all servers will be rack mounted, as will all central site peripherals. There will be water detectors on the floor and heat detectors in the ceiling. A fire suppressant system will be installed.

Access to the room will be controlled by a Simplex combination lock and an intrusion detection system will be installed.

Any necessary memory and disk upgrades will be undertaken as part of the remodeling.

The tentative budgest for the expansion and renovation--which will be scheduled for fiscal year 2001/2002, is $50,000.

15. Charge the library with responsibility for providing access to information in all formats, whether held locally or elsewhere.

Printed materials are rapidly being augmented by information in other formats, including full-text and image formats stored electronically. The library will acquire the information which is most relevant to the curriculum of the College and will expand the scope of that which is available by participating in interlibrary loan and other resource sharing agreements, and by subscribing to online reference services.

Information which is available in electronic form will be made available to faculty and students regardless of the campus on which they are. Insofar as possible, it will also be made available for access from homes.

The library will be responsible for providing training and orientation in information access.

The library will maintain an information technology plan.

16. Migrate to an integrated college-wide finance, student records, and human resources system.

The College lacks an integrated college-wide finance, student records, and human resources system--a system also known as an integrated management system or IMS. As if early 1999, the College was using a number of different software packages, including custom-developed and modified commercial packages. What is needed is an integrated package which incorporates Web-based user interfaces to facilitates access by staff, faculty, and students insofar as they are authorized to access or enter information on the system.

More than half of North America's colleges and universities use Banner, a product of SCT of Malvern, PA. The current product, known as Banner 2000 has several major modules. The finance module includes general ledger, accounts payable, purchasing, stores inventory, fixed assets, budget development, accounts receivable, and cost accounting. The student records module includes course catalog, class schedule, events management, faculty load, recruiting, admissions, registration, accounts receivable, academic records/transfer, degree audit, and Web access. The human resources module includes applicant tracking, position management, employment administration, personnel services budgeting, compensation administration, time and attendance reporting, employee relations administration, payroll calculation, payroll adjustments and history, health and safety administration, and benefits administration.

Banner is priced based on the size of an institution's FTE enrollment. The back office applications software, which requires a server utilizing the UNIX operating system, cost as much as $300,000 for an institution the size of SCC. The desktop client sofware licenses add approximately $125,000. Implementation, which takes 18 to 24 months, typically costs $400,000-500,000 in personnel and consulting services.

The foregoing costs do not include the server hardware. It may be possible to upgrade and partition the existing Hewlett-Packard platform to support two operating systems. The upgrade, if feasible, will cost approximately $75,000 for additional memory, disk storage, and a UNIX license.

An expenditure of up to $1,000,000 is a major one for an institution with an annual budget of approximately $33 million even though the expenditures can be spread over a period of up to 24 months. The College, therefore, will not begin implementation until the end of its 2001/2002 fiscal year budget. That will make it possible to spread the cost over three fiscal years, with the final capital expenditure scheduled for the 2003/2004 fiscal year.

The annual cost of maintaining a sophisticated system of this type is approximately $150,000--one-third of it in staff and two-thirds in hardware/software maintenance.

The College will designate a committee to examine Banner, as well as other less widely used products, including contacts with at least a score of the institutions currently using IMS products, during the first half of the 2000/2001 fiscal year. A decision will be made no later than the third quarter of that fiscal year.

The planning effort will not be allowed to mask problems which require attention in the near future. Among these is converting of payroll check-printing to laser technology. The existing check-printing equipment often scrunches amount fields on paychecks and stubs despite close attention to equipment set-up. The cost of a suitable, high-speed laser printer is approximately $5,000.

17. Reorganize technology services to improve coordination and support.

An Organizational Development Team studied the organization of the College for over a year and made a number of recommendations to the President and the Executive Council. The recommendation which touches directly on technology states: "Develop an appropropriate level position to coordinate technology district-wide, with responsibility to coordinate administrative and instructional technology."

The College has adopted the recommendation, with most of the funds coming from the vacancy to be created by the retirement of the Dean of Learning Resources. The position has been classified as an Associate Vice President.

The Associate Vice President for Technology and Learning Resources, as s/he will be titled, will participate on the Executive Council--a body which in early 1999 consisted of the President, the Vice-presidents, and the Director of Human Resources.

The Director of Computing, retitled the Director for Technology Support, will report directly to the new Associate Vice-President. All technology maintenance staff formerly in Learning Resources will be reassigned to Technology Support to bring all aspects of computer hardware/software support together: installation, upgrades, maintenance, and networks. Audio-visual systems support will also be included.

The Director of Computer Resources will also be responsible for the operation of the administrative computer and the its staff, including a lead information analyst, three programmer/analysts, and a half-time customer support specialist.

The Adminstrative Computing Steering Committee will be continued; An Instructional Computing Steering Committee will be established no later than 2000/2001. The two committees will hold at least two joint meetings a year to coordinate their activities.

Graphics, which commits most of its efforts to printing and duplication, will be reassigned from Learning Resources to another area of the College. Consideration will be given to the inclusion of all duplication activities in this unit: slide duplication, audio and videotape duplication, etc.

The Associate Vice President will also oversee a unit headed by the Director of Innovation and Training. As of early 1999, there was no funding for the position. It was anticipated that the Associate Vice President would function in this capacity until the 2000/2001 fiscal year. At that time, the Director of Innovation and Training will be appointed. The cost will be approximately $55,000 per year, plus fringe benefits and overhead.

18. Provide a communication mechanism for faculty, staff, and students.

The College's Web site holds great potential as a two-way communication medium. Rather than printing faculty, staff, and student handbooks periodically, the College can maintain highly current information online, searchable by keyword from home or office.

The Faculty Handbook, which is issued annually, but with little, if any, revision, will be put up on the Web beginning in the 2000/2001 fiscal year. It will be expanded to include technology and technology support information, and regularly updated.

The College Catalog, which is also issued annually, and which is significantly revised as regulations, courses, and faculty assignments change, will continue to be available on the Web, but with changes made much more regularly beginning in the 2000/2001 fiscal year. A print version will continue to be available.

An online staff handbook will be implemented beginning in the 2000/2001 fiscal year. Initially it will include the collective bargaining agreements. It will subsequently be augmented with the text of policies and informational memoranda. Human Resources will assume responsibility for the online staff handbook.

Detailed job announcements will be posted on the Web, and employment application forms will be provided for completion online or downloading.

Consideration will be given to doing online assessment testing.

Insofar as possible, all changes in policies and procuedures being considered will be posted on the Web for comment by those affected. While this does not mean that consensus is required before a policy or procedure will go into effect, it will make it possible to adjust for unexpected circumstances. For example, a recent plan to upgrade PC operating systems would have had an adverse impact on some units which had applications software that would not run under the planned new operating system, and for which no suitable replacement was available.

Distribution of memoranda on paper tends to be uneven. Those who have not see the information may conclude from second-hand information that something which has been recommended is a mandate. While posting memoranda on the Web does not guarantee that every one who is affected will read them, it does give everyone the same opportunity. One cannot claim that the information was not made available.

The institutional researcher will continue to conduct surveys of faculty, staff, and students as needed.

19. Commit a minimum of 3.8 percent of the institutional budget to technology.

The College does not have a central technology budget. There are capital funds, maintenance funds, technicians, and service budgets in a score of divisions and departments. The total expenditures may add up to as much as $600,000 per year, or 1.8 percent of the College's budget. That percentage--as impressive as it may seem--is well below the expenditure level of other community colleges, including California Community Colleges. More typical is 3.0 to 5.0 percent. All of the institutions which have model programs spend in excess of 3.75 percent.

The College has actually spent much more than $600,000 per year on technology during the past few years because it has had the benefit of several major grants, including hundreds-of-thousands of dollars under the Chancellor's Telecommunication Technology Infrastructure Program (TTIP) and Title III. The majority of the College's PCs and most of the network and automated library system expenditures have come from grant funds, as have the existing "smart" classrooms. The College cannot assume that these grants will continue. It must, therefore, position itself to fund a baseline program from its own budget, with grants used for enrichment.

Beginning in the 2000/2001 fiscal year, the College will seek to increase the percentage of its budget committed to technology by a half percent per year to 2.3, 2.8, 3.3, and 3.8 percent over four fiscal years, thus bringing its percentage gradually to the minimum level of expenditure for model programs. The ability of the College to increase the percentage committed to technology will depend a great deal on whether there are increases in overall College funding because the College does not wish to reduce other programs to achieve its technology goals.

If one assumes that the overall College budget will increase by five percent per year, and the percentage committed to technology is increased as planned, the amount available in each of the next four fiscal years will be

$796,950, $1,018,710, $1,260,655, and $1,524,245 respectively--more than sufficient to accomplish everything set forth in the plan.

20. Review the Technology Plan at least once a year.

The Technology Plan will be reviewed at least once a year by a committee which is broadly representative of the College. The Committee will be charged to determine not only if the plan's objectives were met during the previous year, but also what changes are required to reflect the dynamic nature of technology and the uses of technology.

The objectives of the plan may not have been met because they were too ambitious, costs were greater than projected, there were critical staff vacancies, or needs changed. All of these are reason for corrective action.

The committee should also solicit information about changes outside the institution which may impact on the College and its Technology Plan. For example, online booksellers have begun to sell textbooks as well as trade books. As a result, college bookstores have competition, where many had none before. A solution may be to increase the convenience of purchasing from the College's store by providing a direct link from the online student registration system to the College Bookstore's inventory and an order form, with books available for pick-up or mailing the following day.

[Revised draft: Richard W. Boss, ISCI, July 16, 1999]