Provost's Commission Readies Report

"[T]here is no dispute that for institutions of higher learning, information technology has moved from the 'ancillary' to the 'essential' category," wrote Provost Robert Grey in his letter to the prospective members of the Provost's Commission on the Future of Information Technologies (PCFIT).

Now, with the academic year drawing to a close, the commission is readying its recommendations for the uses of information technologies in academic pursuits at UC Davis.

The commission was established by Provost Grey at the end of January, after the 1996 Chancellor's Fall Conference addressed the ways in which information technologies were in use in pursuit of UC Davis' academic mission. Grey viewed the work of the commission as building on the recommendations of the Information Technology Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Associate Vice Chancellor Carole Barone. That committee's findings, submitted in 1992, have served as a framework for the development of the campus' information technology infrastructure, including the installation of a fiber optic backbone as part of the Network 21 project. PCFIT would establish goals and objectives for extending new, existing, and emerging information technologies on the UC Davis campus in support of its academic programs.

How does a committee begin to tackle such a broad and important topic? Each of the commission's 14 members participated in one or more of three focus groups, which were defined by the issues they addressed: 1) The key issues for UC Davis to take advantage of instructional technologies; 2) the technological strategies and policies of both the campus community and external arenas that will enhance the scholarly work of faculty and promote the research mission of the university; and 3) the strategies for enhancing and strengthening the campus' public service and outreach missions, and for forming partnerships with corporations, government agencies and other educational institutions.

Seeking input from the campus community was a primary focus of the commission. As chair, Brian Higgins, a professor of Chemical Engineering and Material Science, met with members of the campus community an average of five to six times per week. The PCFIT Web site (http://pcfit.ucdavis.edu/) provided an opportunity for people to communicate directly with the commission members. The commission also hosted a Town Hall meeting and staffed a booth at the Odyssey Ô97 Technology Showcase, both to solicit input and discuss ideas.

What have emerged as overwhelming concerns? For students, access to computers, both on and off campus, is of primary importance. And many members of the faculty are concerned about the disparity between those with access to technology resources and those without, says Higgins.

"The issues are vastly complex," Higgins says. The commission has discussed whether it is possible to achieve a more egalitarian system of allocating resources to campus faculty. A key issue is whether the campus should establish a core set of technological standards, with guarantees, for instance, of access to the Internet and basic computer hardware.

"There will always be some level of disparity when it comes to research activities. And the needs of departments differ. For example, the sciences often have more access to extramural funds for upgrading hardware and software. But now we are recognizing that a computer is an indispensable tool for all faculty members to be accomplished scholars," Higgins says.

Members of an academic environment are accustomed to moving resources from one pool for use in another, and the need for minimum levels of resources for teaching and research purposes may require such a reallocation, Higgins says.

But all proposed solutions have been open for discussion, and the commission, composed of 14 members with differing areas of expertise, often has engaged in a lively exchange of ideas.

Distance learning is one example. "Everybody with an interest in distance learning has a different point of view," Higgins says. "But conflicting viewpoints are viewed as positive in an academic environment. We deliberate on these viewpoints, and a theme emerges."

"On other issues, priorities may be quite different," he continues. "For a student without access to computing resources, or a faculty member who can't connect to the Internet, the issue of distance learning is irrelevant."

The commission plans to submit its recommendations to Provost Grey by July 1.