Funding Strategic Initiatives in Academic Technology A Process for Identifying, Cataloging, and Categorizing IT Needs Campuswide Copyright© D. Tebbetts, T. Winters, This work is the intellectual property of the authors. Permission is granted for this material to be shared for non-commercial, educational purposes, provided that this copyright statement appears on the reproduced materials and notice is given that the copying is by permission of the author. To disseminate otherwise or to republish requires written permission from the author.

University of New Hampshire Diane R. Tebbetts, Associate University Librarian () Diane R. Tebbetts, Associate University Librarian Terri S. Winters, Director, Academic Technology () Terri S. Winters, Director, Academic Technology

Statement of Problem Budgets shrinking while IT needs increasing Budgets shrinking while IT needs increasing Instructional technologies and demand for services in this area are growing Instructional technologies and demand for services in this area are growing Needs can be discipline-specific and not known or understood by central IT organization Needs can be discipline-specific and not known or understood by central IT organization Need to understand these new needs in relation to other needs Need to understand these new needs in relation to other needs

Background on Technology Funding Lack of long-term funding strategies Lack of long-term funding strategies No attempt to categorize IT needs No attempt to categorize IT needs Appropriate funding sources unidentified Appropriate funding sources unidentified No matching of funding sources with needs No matching of funding sources with needs

Categories of IT Needs Initial expenditures Initial expenditures Recurring costs Recurring costs

IT Needs Linked to Funding Streams Hardware Hardware Software Software Infrastructure (wiring, facilities upgrades, electrical outlets, etc.) Infrastructure (wiring, facilities upgrades, electrical outlets, etc.) Telecommunications (networks, data connections, etc.) Telecommunications (networks, data connections, etc.) Personnel Personnel

Funding Strategies Revenue generation Revenue generation  User fees  Fundraising Purchasing options Purchasing options  Vendor arrangements  Leasing/rental  Consortia agreements Other creative approaches Other creative approaches

IT Development at UNH Background on UNH Background on UNH IT Initiatives IT Initiatives  Electronic campus initiative (1997)  Instituted student technology fee (1999)  Created “Academic Technology Liaisons” (2000)  Instituted 4-year faculty desktop replacement program (2001)  Began Faculty Instructional Technology Development Grant program (2001)

Library and IT/CIS Collaboration Studio 521 Studio 521 Library Student Computing Cluster Library Student Computing Cluster Blackboard Project Blackboard Project Theme-based conferences Theme-based conferences Zeke’s World Zeke’s World

Capital Campaign: Learning Tools/Technology Instructional Technology Instructional Technology University Librarian and AVP for Computing & Information Services charged to identify appropriate projects for the campaign University Librarian and AVP for Computing & Information Services charged to identify appropriate projects for the campaign Project expanded to identification of all academic technological needs across campus Project expanded to identification of all academic technological needs across campus

Process Goal: Goal:  To identify technology-based projects or needs intended to enrich students’ educational experiences Planning session Planning session  Develop guidelines for appropriate initiatives  Develop process for identifying initiatives  Develop survey instrument for collecting data  Develop plan for communication

Communication Strategy Attend Deans’ Council meeting Attend Deans’ Council meeting Distribute guidelines for appropriate initiatives Distribute guidelines for appropriate initiatives  Enrich students’ educational experience:  one-time projects, start-up proposals, replacement equipment, software upgrades, facilities improvements, and/or personnel Get feedback Get feedback

Feedback Concerns regarding Concerns regarding  comparing apples to oranges  how judgments regarding worthiness of initiatives would be made  how initiatives would be prioritized  who would be solicited to put forward initiatives

How We Met Concerns Associate Librarian and Director of Academic Technology met with each dean and vice president Associate Librarian and Director of Academic Technology met with each dean and vice president One-on-one we were able to meet concerns and give examples of appropriate initiatives for that school, college, or division One-on-one we were able to meet concerns and give examples of appropriate initiatives for that school, college, or division Added “Type” and “Timeframe” as fields Added “Type” and “Timeframe” as fields

Gathering the Data Participants used a web-based entry form Participants used a web-based entry form Data was then dumped into an Access database Data was then dumped into an Access database

Analysis Received 45 projects Received 45 projects All Stakeholders participated All Stakeholders participated One-time requests totalled $4,709,528 One-time requests totalled $4,709,528 Ongoing annual costs totalled $1,480,344 Ongoing annual costs totalled $1,480,344

Analysis 8 Categories identified in data: 8 Categories identified in data:  Digital Resources (56%)  Clusters & Instructional Facilities (26%)  Personnel (7%)  Hardware Upgrades/Replacements (5%)  Infrastructure (5%)  Instruction Design/Development (1%)  Education & Training (1%)  Web Development (0.3%)

Analysis Initiatives by School/College/Division Initiatives by School/College/Division  Library (61%)  Engineering (11%)  Cooperative Ext (11%)  Computing & Info Services (5%)  Whittemore School of Business (4%)  Liberal Arts (3%)  Health & Human Services (3%)  Life Sciences (1%)  Student Affairs (1%)  UNH-Manchester (1%)

Analysis Timeframes represented in data: Timeframes represented in data:  6-18 months (77%)  months (20%)  36+ months (3%)

Analysis Type of impact of technology requested: Type of impact of technology requested:  Keep current (79%)  Transition to enhanced technology (20%)  Leading edge (0.1%)

Conclusion Most important part – High level support Most important part – High level support Some concrete results – projects funded for Summer 2002 Some concrete results – projects funded for Summer 2002 Lead to more innovative ideas Lead to more innovative ideas  Ongoing event process  Request to Provost, Deans, etc. entered into database Lead to more long-term, strategic thinking Lead to more long-term, strategic thinking

Next Steps Develop recommendations Develop recommendations Develop ongoing process to keep data updated Develop ongoing process to keep data updated Identify cross-college, cross-division needs and forge partnerships Identify cross-college, cross-division needs and forge partnerships