1. Affiliations
2. Governance
3. IT Strategic Plan
4. Initiatives
5. OSU Academic Directory
6. OSU Administration
7. OSU IT Resources

Information Technology Strategic Plan

Related Links Background Communications Current State Future State Gap Analysis Annual Achievement Report Academic Plan Leadership Agenda

Contents  IT Strategic Plan (pdf)  Overview  Message from the CIO  Executive Summary  Ohio State's Information Technology Vision  What Ohio State Needs: Critical Success Factors  Strategic Initiative: Faculty IT Support  Implementation  Conclusion  Appendix A: Project Participants  Appendix B: The Planning Process  Appendix C: Current State Analysis Details  Appendix D: Current State and Academic Plan  Appendix E: Technology Days Details  Appendix F: Focus Group Discussion Details  Appendix G: Future State Emerging Themes  Appendix H: Gap Analysis Details  Appendix I: Strategic Initiatives Details  Appendix J: Strategic Initiatives Funding

---

Faculty IT Support  Strategic Initiative

 Summary
 Full Description
 Benefits
 Proposed Leadership
 Metrics
 Estimated Investments/Potential Funding
 Recent Actions
 List of Strategic Initiatives

Summary
Many faculty would use technology more often in the classroom and in research if they felt they were better supported and confident that the equipment is reliable and available. To enhance the classroom experience, the university needs more staff to assist faculty in using technology and solving technical problems arising during class. The university must also develop technical staff with diverse skills to provide more help to faculty in research labs. Presently, technical staffs are nonexistent in many departments and where they do exist, they are overwhelmed with Local Area Network duties. Historically, the university has imposed these tasks on graduate students to the detriment of their studies.

Full Description

Provide increased technical support and training to faculty to assist in the delivery of instruction in the classroom and in the conduct of their research, and enhance the Classroom Pool Web site to include the option of adding and displaying departmental classrooms on the site.

Many faculty would use technology more often in the classroom if they felt they were better supported and confident that the equipment is reliable and available. Too often, research faculty members have had to fend for themselves as well.

To enhance the classroom experience, the university must increase the staff available to assist faculty in setting up and running technology in the classroom and to solve technical problems arising during class. It can also provide more information about technology-enhanced classrooms on the Classroom Pool web site by including options to add and display departmental classrooms.

The university must also develop technical staff with diverse skills to provide more help to faculty on technology problems in research labs. A working estimate support ratio is one technical staff member for every 15 research faculty. Presently, technical staffs are nonexistent in many departments and where they do exist, they are overwhelmed with Local Area Network (LAN) duties. Historically, the university has imposed these tasks on graduate students to the detriment of their studies.

Increased technical support affects more than faculty and includes these benefits: better prepares, supports and engages students, faculty and staff; develops faculty instructional technology skills and competencies and a supportive working environment; helps students learn to use and critically evaluate technologies in their fields of study; induces departments and colleges to establish mechanisms for motivating and rewarding their faculty; better serves departments and units; elevates the status of teaching with enhanced technology throughout the university; reduces down time and increases productivity and high performance; creates better work conditions; increases capability and confidence; reduces frustration; and creates an “enabling environment” that encourages the use of new technologies for instruction.

Benefits

• Better prepared, supported and engaged students, faculty and staff with more capability and confidence
• Faculty with better-developed instructional technology skills and a supportive working environment
• Students equipped to use and critically evaluate technologies in their fields of study
• New recognition for faculty work and scholarship
• Better-served departments and units
• Elevated teaching status with enhanced technology throughout the university
• Reduced down time and increased productivity and high performance for faculty
• Better work conditions
• Reduced frustration for faculty
• The creation of an "enabling environment" that encourages faculty to use new instruction technologies

Proposed Leadership

• Chief Information Officer
• - Office of Information Technology
• - Technology Enhanced Learning and Research
• Colleges/Regionals
• Academic Departments

Metrics

• IT Rapid Response Team created
• Number of IT staff receiving training
• Number of IT staff receiving certifications
• Customer satisfaction indicators from poll data
• Increased number of faculty using technology in their instruction

Estimated Investments/Potential Funding

• $200,000 to increase central classroom support$200,000 to increase central classroom support
• New funds for up to 50 new departmental technical support staff
• Up to $3,000,000 in new funds for up to 50 new departmental technical support staff
• New and reallocated central and distributed funds

Recent Actions

• Repurposed $143,500 in annual funding and $124,000 in cash to support the Digital Union, opened in March 2004
• OSU Libraries supplied an additional $85,000
• The university also provided $143,000 in Regents' funding
• CIO received $110,000 annual funding from FY04 Technology Tuition to increase direct faculty courseware and classroom support staff

back to top