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Educause
Guide to Evaluating Information Technology |
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| Students and their families interested in technology support and services at SUNY Brockport will find well equipped labs, up-to-date software, a high speed campus network and faculty who are pioneers in integrating technology to enhance student learning. The questions below were developed by Educause, the higher education organization devoted to information technology. Responses were provided by Information Technology Support Services, SUNY Brockport as of 2003. | |||
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| 1. What percentage of campus courses use electronic information to enhance the course (e.g., syllabi, reading lists, discussion groups, demonstrations)? | 1. Over 75% of Brockport courses make some use of electronic information to enhance the learning experience through webpages, e-mail discussion groups (or listservs), on-line course management systems, electronic reserve readings, demonstrations, etc. This number grows every semester as new faculty arrive and new software tools are acquired that are easier to set up, administer and use. | ||
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2. Are technology resources available,
used effectively to enhance the learning experience, and designed
to prepare graduates in your major for successful technology use in
their |
2. Brockport faculty and staff are keenly aware and actively promote the connection between technology in the classroom and the workplace. State of the art software, hardware and systems are utilized that are similar to what graduates will use in their future careers. While impossible to predict the exact tools students will encounter, the college strives to prepare students with the knowledge, confidence and ability to expect change and to adapt to new technologies not yet available. | ||
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| 3. What library resources are available online (catalog, databases, special collections)? |
3. See the library home page. It's all there: and most of it is available from anywhere on campus or from off campus via a proxy server and password. |
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| 4. What electronic reference materials are licensed and how accessible are they from outside the library (for example, in the residence halls or off-campus)? | 4. As a member of SUNY and Rochester NY-area library consortia, Brockport has licensed a wide variety of electronic reference materials. This list is actively managed, carefully evaluated and undergoing continuous updating. Together with a highly regarded Interlibrary Loan department, Brockport deserves its reputation as possessing one of the finest libraries of SUNY’s four-year colleges. These materials are available outside the library, e.g., residence halls or off-campus. The SUNY Resource Center in the Bausch & Lomb Rochester Public Library provides another access point for students needing access in Rochester. | ||
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| 5. How does the campus help students develop computer skills? |
5. All
freshman and transfer students are required to take and pass a Computer
Skills exam. The GEP 150 course is offered annually to help students
prepare for the exam. For
more information see: http://computerskills.brockport.edu/ Brockport maintains over twenty computing labs spread throughout the campus to provide ready access to computing tools. See: http://www.acs.brockport.edu/satlabs/ for a list of satellite labs. |
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| 6. Does the campus allow students to receive credit for courses taken electronically from other sources? | 6. The campus participates in SUNY Learning Network; electronic courses taken from other campuses are evaluated in the same manner as traditional courses. For more information see the SLN web site at http://sln.suny.edu. | ||
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| 7. Does the campus have a specific computer/IT competency requirement for all undergraduates? | 7. Yes. See the Computer Skills site at: http://computerskills.brockport.edu/ | ||
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| 8. Are course
reserves and other materials available online/via the Web site? |
8. Yes. Electronic reserves have been available since 1999 and are very popular with both students and faculty. See: http://eres.drake.brockport.edu/ | ||
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| 9. What percentage of faculty has a networked computer available to them? |
9. 100% of full time faculty have networked computers available to them. |
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| 10. What percentage of faculty use e-mail regularly? | 10. This percentage is growing rapidly; as of Spring 2002 there were 1656 faculty/staff e-mail accounts active. It is estimated that over 80% use e-mail regularly. | ||
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| 11. What information about admission and financial aid is available online, and can necessary forms be submitted electronically? |
11. Enrollment management information is available at: http://www.brockport.edu/admissions Brockport was one of the first SUNY schools to allow students to submit financial aid information online. See: http://www.brockport.edu/finaid/ |
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| 12. Is the
college catalogue, including important campus policies, available on
the Web? |
12. Yes, for catalogs, please see: http://www.brockport.edu/catalogs/ Interactive Course Schedule: http://www.brockport.edu/etc/online.html "Your Right to Know" contains many college policies: http://www.brockport.edu/publications/yrtk/ |
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| 13. Can a
student access her personal student information/data online? |
13. Certainly. The campus information system is available on the Web. Students need a pin number to access. | ||
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| 14. Can a
student find out his grades online or by phone at the end of a
semester? |
14. Grades are also available online using the Campus Information System http://www.brockport.edu/etc/online.html | ||
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| 15. Is
registration, including dropping and adding courses, processed
electronically? |
15. Yes, These services are being enhanced as the new campus information system (“Banner”) is fully implemented. | ||
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| 16. Can students pay bills, receive loans, make campus bookstore purchases using online procedures? |
16. Students can access the campus bookstore online at: http://brockport.bkstore.com/ For the security of college-related monetary transactions, bills and loans require an in-person visit to the Bursar. |
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| 17. What
campus and community services are covered by "smart cards"
or "debit cards"? |
17. The campus E-Z money debit system can be used at the bookstore, campus eateries, parking office, vending machines, many campus copiers, in the library, as well as some local businesses, e.g., Domino’s Pizza. Campus smart card IDs are also used to provide access to residence halls. | ||
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| 18. What student information does the campus provide routinely to parents? | 18. Parents are welcome to visit all campus webpages at: http://www.brockport.edu | ||
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| 19. What percentage of students on this campus has full-time use of personal computers? | 19. As PC prices come down, this number is increasing rapidly. One indication is that over 90% of students in the residence halls brought their own computer to campus in Spring 2003. | ||
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| 20.
What is the ratio of public access computers to undergraduate
enrollment? |
20. 750 public PCs to 6751 undergrads or roughly 1 PC for every 10 students. | ||
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| 21. What percentage of students uses e-mail and other software applications on a regular basis? | 21. It is estimated that 80% use e-mail; an even higher percentage, (close to 100%) use word processing and other software applications for term papers and projects. | ||
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| 22. Does the campus allow personal Web pages? | 22. Yes, each student receives 10 MB of personal file space for e-mail and personal webpages. | ||
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| 23. Is contact information for students, faculty, and staff readily accessible electronically? | 23. Faculty and staff information is available through an online directory. Student information is currently not available online for privacy and security reasons. | ||
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| 24. Is there
a campus code of behavior for use of computing and information
resources? |
24. Yes, see: http://www.acs.brockport.edu/email/epolicy.html | ||
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| 25. What
social activities and services are available over the Web? |
25. The Web is open to students for any social activities and services they choose to participate e.g., campus radio (89.1 FM The Point), student government, Stylus campus newspaper, recreation and club sports, leadership and community development, Women’s Center, etc. See the Student Life and Services web page at: http://www.brockport.edu/life | ||
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| 26. Are there Web sites for student organizations and clubs, and are these linked to the campus home page? | 26. Yes, websites are available for student organizations and clubs and are linked to the campus home page. | ||
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| 27. What, if
any, technology fee is charged by the campus and what does it cover? |
27. The technology fee is $222 per year. It covers costs associated with staffing and maintaining student labs, purchasing hardware and software updates and equipment upgrades as well as networking and administrative costs for the campus information system, servers and services. | ||
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| 28. Are
students required to purchase their own computer? |
28. Students are not required, but are strongly encouraged to bring/buy a PC. Discounts are available for individual student purchases from major vendors (e.g., Dell, Gateway and Apple). | ||
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| 29. How does the campus make computing and network access financially available to all students? | 29. Dailey and Drake computing labs are open an average of 105 hours per week when classes are in session. Network access is also provided in residence halls; off campus users must connect through an ISP. Cost must be negotiated on an individual basis with ISPs for off-campus access. | ||
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| 30. Does the campus assess extra fees for network connections in the dorms or for off-campus access? | 30. No. Access to the network is included as part of residence hall costs. Other than the standard student technology fee, no additional fees are imposed for network access. | ||
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| 31. If I bring my own computer equipment to school, what kind of support can I expect from the campus? | 31. Information Technology Services can assist with recommending minimum suggested hardware standards and network cards, but does not repair student equipment. Students can receive network cables at no cost through the campus ResNet program. Assistance using general software applications is available in Dailey Hall Computing Center. | ||
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| 32. What hardware and software standards, if any, does the campus require, recommend, and/or support? | 32. A rule of thumb is to
purchase the best PC available to fit your budget.
Since configurations change so frequently, please see the following
for a listing of suggested minimum configuration standards: http://www.brockport.edu/dormnet/dorm2.html.
Supported software includes MS Office 2000 Pro. and other applications. |
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| 33. What kinds of services (help desk, training, troubleshooting) are provided by the campus, and during what hours of operation? | 33. Students can seek staff
assistance in Dailey Hall either in person, via e-mail or phone. See
Dailey Hall hours
of operation. The 2001-06 campus technology plan is available at: http://www.brockport.edu/its/5yrplan |
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| 34. Does the campus have a plan for keeping the hardware current, and, if so, what is the replacement cycle? | 34. The campus has implemented a three-year equipment replacement cycle. | ||
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| 35. How does the campus support printing for the students, and is there a charge for this? | 35. Currently, there is no charge for printing; however, students are strongly encouraged to print on both sides of the paper, review drafts online and not print multiple copies to conserve paper. The campus is exploring methods of cost recovery to help keep paper and printing costs under control. | ||
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