Student Affairs and Technology

Fall 2004Cece Chitwood, Karin Klinger, Tyler Sellers,

Craig Willie

Course JustificationAs the technological landscape continues

to shift and evolve, it is necessary for student affairs professionals to maintain a clear understanding of the various elements of technology utilized by the higher education community. This course will push students to carefully consider the role and impact of information technology in education; study best practices in the administration of technology; and understand the capabilities and limits of technology to enhance and extend service to students, professional development, teaching, learning, and scholarship.

Course ObjectivesStudents will:

1. Develop a practical and theoretical understanding of technology applications as they pertain to the Student Affairs profession in higher education.

2. Develop an understanding of current legal and ethical issues in technology as they pertain to students and higher education.3. Develop an understanding of student

needs and expectations specific to the Millennial generation and anticipated needs and expectations of future generations.

Text ResourcesRequired Texts:Dancing with the Devil: Information Technology and the New Competition in Higher Education. By Richard N. Katz & AssociatesEducause Leadership Strategies, Volume 7, Organizing & Managing Information

Resources on Your Campus. By Polley A. McClure Millennial Rising: the Next Generation. By Neil Howe and William StraussEthics and Technology: Ethical Issues in an Age of Information and Communication

Technology. By Herman T. Tavani

Recommended Texts:Growing Up Digital: The Rise of the Next Generation. By Don TapscottAssessment in Student Affairs: A Guide for Practitioners. By John H. Schuh and Lee K. UpcraftAssessment for Excellence: The Philosophy of Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.

By Alexander W. Astin

Articles/Electronic Resources

Articles and supplemental reading as assigned by instructors: www.chronicle.com (The Chronicle of Higher Education)www.cpsr.org (Computer Ethics Institute)www.educause.edu/forum (Forum for the Future of Higher Education)www.growingupdigital.com (Generational differences and studies)www.jenzabar.com (Integrated system website)www.peoplesoft.com (Integrated system website)www.sct.com/education (Integrated system website—Banner)

Course Requirements

1. Individual Paper (20%): You will submit a 7-10 page paper evaluating a specific technology application (i.e. budget management software, student database software, human resources software, etc.) used at your undergraduate alma mater. Your paper should include costs and benefits of current technology uses for the institution as well as recommendations for technology updates and upgrades. Your recommendations should include a timeline for implementation and training processes.

Course Requirements

2. Group Project #1 (25%): You and a team of three other students will conduct a study and analysis using relevant course literature and outside resources to select the optimal technology application option for a fictitious college or university (assigned by the instructor). Your presentation should consider the conditions unique to the institution including its financial parameters, current and future technology needs, and student needs. The group will present its recommendations in class through the use of appropriate technologies. The group will also submit recommendations in a 5-7 page paper to be turned in at the time of your presentation.

Course Requirements3. Group Project #2 (25%): You and a group of

students will perform a case study (see attached) in which each member of the group will adopt specific roles (i.e. Vice President for Student Life, Provost, Vice President for Financial Affairs, Director of Human Resources, Head Registrar, etc.) within Pacifica University. Each group member will represent his or her respective departments in technology application selection and an implementation plan. Each of you will submit a paper discussing the implications for your department as well as for the institution overall. Your group will prepare a presentation for the class in which you will discuss the specific hurdles to the selection and implementation process for your group and institution.

Course Requirements

4. Final Exam (20%): Students will be tested on their knowledge of course materials and terminology. The exam will be administered in class and will include multiple choice, short answer and essay questions.

5. Participation (10%): Students will demonstrate an understanding of all reading assignments by making meaningful contributions to course discussions and group projects.

Course ScheduleWeek Reading

AssignmentClass Objectives & Discussion

Week 1

Required reading:None

Class discussion: Course content, expectations, and syllabus; Forms and variety of technology issues currently facing higher education.

Week 2

Required reading:Jenzabar, Peoplesoft and Banner, Educause (ch. 8-9) websites (financial modules), Katz (ch. 1)

Class discussion: Budgetary software applications

Week 3

Required reading:Jenzabar, Peoplesoft and Banner, Educause (ch. 2) websites (human resources modules), Katz (ch. 2)

Class discussion: Human resources software applications

Week 4

Required reading:Jenzabar, Peoplesoft and Banner, Educause (ch. 1) websites (student data modules), Katz (ch. 4)

Class discussion: Student data management software applications

Course Schedule (continued)

Week 5

Required reading:Jenzabar, Peoplesoft and Banner, Educause (ch. 6-7) websites (academic modules), Katz (ch. 5)

Class discussion: Academic management software applications

Week 6

Required reading:None

Individual Paper dueClass discussion: informal presentation of paper topics and content to class

Week 7

Required reading:Tavani (complete text)

Class discussion: Legal and ethical issues in technology

Week 8

Required reading:Astin, Chapters 2-3Upcraft & Schuh, Chapter 1

Class discussion: Assessment technology and needs in higher education

Week 9

Required reading:None

Group project #1 dueClass discussion: Group presentations

Course Schedule (continued)

Week 10

Required reading:Howe & Strauss, Chapters 1-4

Class discussion: Generational (Millennial, N-Generation, etc.) needs and expectation of technology

Week 11

Required reading:Howe & Strauss, Chapters 5-9

Class discussion: Student needs in technology

Week 12

Required reading:Howe & Strauss, Chapters 10-13

Class discussion: Web authoring technologies

Week 13

Required reading:None

Group project #2 dueClass discussion: Group presentations

Week 14

Required reading:None

Final examinationCourse evaluation

Course Content & ExplanationForms and varieties of technology issues

currently facing higher education:Higher education faces a wide spectrum of technology-related

issues: online security issues, financial cost of updating technologies, an evolving educational market, reductions in federal and state funding, etc. To complicate the conditions, each institution must determine its particular technological needs relative to a variety of factors. Discussion will include the most commonly used software programs and systems as well as the most commonly overlooked aspects of technology issues facing higher education.

Budgetary software applications:To be an effective student affairs practitioner, one must have a

clear understanding of budgetary processes and associated technologies. Discussion will involve common software applications found in higher education environments as well as foundational technological concepts that overarch particular software programs.

Human resources software applications:This session will focus on investigating how technology impacts

the human resource work environment. Specifically, how does a human resource information system contribute to anticipating workforce needs, hiring practices, forecasting the environment, and analyzing current trends.

Course Content & Explanation (continued)

Student data management software applications:As colleges and universities continue to grow their student

populations, institutions are acquiring massive amounts of information about their students. Without a manageable, effective, and efficient database system, institutions are doing their students a disservice. This class session will focus on the various student data software options that are effective solutions for the data management issues that are unique

to higher education environments. Academic management software applications:

Institutions must manage massive amounts of academic information such as course scheduling, classroom assignment for courses, grade reporting, student data, to name a few. Colleges and universities turn to software applications that meet their particular needs to manage this information differently. Discussion will be centered on the forms of information typically managed by academic elements of institutions as well common software programs with which students should be familiar.

Legal and ethical issues in technology:With more than 430 million internet users worldwide, it is now

more important than ever to establish and enforce internet-usage guidelines. Many colleges and universities, as well as business-sector organizations, have implemented such guidelines. Discussion will address the ethical and legal implications for our students and institutions today.

Assessment technology and needs in higher education:

As institutions of higher education are faced with increasing demands from outside constituencies for data-driven justification for operational costs and measurable outcomes, colleges and universities are being asked to engage in more institutional assessment than ever before. Discussion will be centered on both theoretical and practical assessment needs and technologies.

Course Content & Explanation (continued)

Course Content & Explanation (continued)

Generational (Millennial, N-Generation, etc.) needs and expectation of technology:

This class session will focus on the needs of new college students. We will explore how best to communicate with this new generation who has been inundated with technology since birth. Because of their access to various digital media, we will explore the

different ways in which these students learn, think, work, and create. Student needs in technology:

With the explosion of technology in the past decade, can traditional approaches to connecting with students still work? This class will identify what new trends (i.e. online class registration, student e-mail needs, etc.) effectively reach students and what time-honored traditions are standing the test of time.

Web authoring technologies:How can the world wide web impact your campus? Technology

applications such as Dreamweaver, Flash, and Fireworks are useful tools to attract students’ attention and promote involvement for your events through web pages, interactive e-mails, and more.

Group Project #1 Details

Group #1:You are a team that has been assigned the task of selecting the

new campus-wide, integrated software system. You work at a small, private, faith-based college of 2,000 students. The college is located in a rural area and sprawls across 150 acres. You currently have an endowment of $22 million. The college hopes to spend as little on this venture as possible, since it is also engaged in a reconstruction effort to renovate a residence hall and the dining commons. There is currently no integration of software programs in the college—each department on campus operates from separate software programs that have been sufficient to meet the particular needs of that department. The necessary result has been a total lack of electronic communication or integration between departments.

Group Project #1 Details

Group #2:You are a team that has been assigned the task of determining if

a new integrated software system is necessary or if an upgrade to current software is sufficient to meet the needs of a rapidly growing university. You work at a medium-sized, public university with a student population of just over 23,000—the largest enrollment in the institution’s history. It is predicted that if the growth rate for the institution continues as it has over the past seven years, the university could reach a population of 30,000 in just 10 years. Your campus is located in a growing suburb of a major, metropolitan area. Your campus facilities have been constructed on a cramped, 8-square-block area in the downtown area of the town. You currently have an endowment of $427 million, however, state budget cuts are deeply affecting the financial operations of the university, resulting in four straight years of deep institutional budget cuts.

Group Project #1 Details

Group #3:You are a team that has been assigned the task of determining if

a new integrated software system is necessary or if an upgrade to current software is sufficient to meet the needs of the university. You work at a highly selective, medium-sized, private university with a student population of just over 10,000. Your campus is located in a suburb of two major, metropolitan areas. Your campus facilities have been constructed on a cramped, 8-square-block area in the downtown area of the town. You currently have an endowment of $821 million. Recent assessments of student opinion regarding campus technology have revealed that students perceive that there is little-to-no communication between university departments, there is a grossly insufficient supply of technological resources designated for student use, current e-mail systems are slow and out-dated, and that students were led to believe that the campus was far more technologically advanced than what they now perceive it to actually be.

Group Project #2 DetailsGroup #1:Roles to be played in group: Director of Residence Life; Vice President for Financial Affairs; Dean of Academic Affairs

Pacifica University:Pacifica University is a medium-sized, private, faith-based

university located in a large, metropolitan area in the Midwest. The institution is growing at a steady, if not rapid, rate, with the lone exception of this year: this fall’s entering new student class dropped by 3%. While most members of the university community attribute the drop to the declining economy, others have speculated an impending down-turn in student enrollment as a result of climbing tuition costs. You currently have an endowment of just over $600 million, serving a student population of 18,000. The Board of Regents has recently called for the institution to overhaul it’s lacking technological capabilities. Pacifica offers several, technology-heavy programs including Biology/Pre-Med., Chemistry, Forensic Science, Nursing, Architecture, Film and Telecommunications, Information Sciences, etc. Inasmuch as these academic programs have required far more technologically than other areas or departments on campus, the university has tended to pour the vast majority of its designated technology budget funds into them. The result has been significant resistance on the technology-heavy academic departments to share any of “their” funds, while other academic and non-academic departments have become bitter at the lack of technological attention given them. Your task is to prepare the committee’s recommendation for the Board of Regents to be presented to them at their annual December meeting.

Group Project #2 DetailsGroup #2:Roles to be played in group: Vice President for Student Life; Dean for the School of Arts & Sciences; Director of Human Resources; Associate Dean for Financial Affairs

Pacifica University:Pacifica University is a medium-sized, private, faith-based

university located in a large, metropolitan area in the Midwest. The institution is growing at a steady, if not rapid, rate, with the lone exception of this year: this fall’s entering new student class dropped by 3%. While most members of the university community attribute the drop to the declining economy, others have speculated an impending down-turn in student enrollment as a result of climbing tuition costs. You currently have an endowment of just over $600 million, serving a student population of 18,000. The Board of Regents has recently called for the institution to overhaul it’s lacking technological capabilities. Pacifica offers several, technology-heavy programs including Biology/Pre-Med., Chemistry, Forensic Science, Nursing, Architecture, Film and Telecommunications, Information Sciences, etc. Inasmuch as these academic programs have required far more technologically than other areas or departments on campus, the university has tended to pour the vast majority of its designated technology budget funds into them. The result has been significant resistance on the technology-heavy academic departments to share any of “their” funds, while other academic and non-academic departments have become bitter at the lack of technological attention given them. Your task is to prepare the committee’s recommendation for the Board of Regents to be presented to them at their annual December meeting.

Group Project #2 DetailsGroup #3:Roles to be played in group: Director of Institutional Technology Services; Vice President for University Advancement; Provost

Pacifica University:Pacifica University is a medium-sized, private, faith-based

university located in a large, metropolitan area in the Midwest. The institution is growing at a steady, if not rapid, rate, with the lone exception of this year: this fall’s entering new student class dropped by 3%. While most members of the university community attribute the drop to the declining economy, others have speculated an impending down-turn in student enrollment as a result of climbing tuition costs. You currently have an endowment of just over $600 million, serving a student population of 18,000. The Board of Regents has recently called for the institution to overhaul it’s lacking technological capabilities. Pacifica offers several, technology-heavy programs including Biology/Pre-Med., Chemistry, Forensic Science, Nursing, Architecture, Film and Telecommunications, Information Sciences, etc. Inasmuch as these academic programs have required far more technologically than other areas or departments on campus, the university has tended to pour the vast majority of its designated technology budget funds into them. The result has been significant resistance on the technology-heavy academic departments to share any of “their” funds, while other academic and non-academic departments have become bitter at the lack of technological attention given them. Your task is to prepare the committee’s recommendation for the Board of Regents to be presented to them at their annual December meeting.

Student Affairs and Technology

Fall 2004Cece Chitwood, Karin Klinger, Tyler Sellers,

Craig Willie