CTLTR Proposal

The RCC recognizes that the use of technology in education is a rapidly moving field. The University cannot afford to fall behind in this area, and still remain competitive with other institutions. Therefore, the college should recognize and reward faculty who take initiative in improving teaching and learning through technology. The college must also have a mechanism of keeping informed about technological advances, and be able to evaluate which advances lead to improved teaching and learning. Therefore, the RCC recommends that

" A College Teaching, Learning, and Technology Round Table (CTLTR) should be formed as soon as possible".

This CTLTR committee should be fashioned along an example of College TLTR's suggested by the American Association for Higher Education (AAHE). It is to become part of a network of TLTR's organized by the AAHE. The committee shall be charged with the following tasks:

• It will oversee and advise on technology's role in teaching and learning at the College.
• It will vet and initiate action on all issues and proposal that affect technology's role in teaching and learning.
• It will advise on the College technology budget at an early stage.
• It will keep the community abreast of technology's role in teaching and learning; e.g. is technology having the effect that we expected or do we need to refine and redefine our goals ? It will be responsible for overall communication on these issues and trends with faculty, students, and the university community.
• It will work with the college to make training and technical support available to both faculty and students for basic topics in technology (like email, WWW pages, etc.).
• The committee will be asked to champion an incentive program among faculty and to link to those that are attempting to use current technology in teaching.
• It is to be part of a network of similar TLTR's organized by the AAHE.

The CTLTR will be able to act quickly to changing technology trends and needs related to the teaching mission of the College. A strong link to the College program budget process will be provided by appointment of a College administrator to co-chair the CTLTR. The proposed membership of the CTLTR is:

• 2 Co-Chairs: Faculty Member (high use of Technology) to be appointed by the Dean of the Undergraduate College. College Administrator (either the Dean of the Undergraduate College or a person to be appointed by the Dean of the College Faculty). One of the co-chairs shall also be a member of the Executive Computing Committee (ECC).
• 1 Vice Provost for Computing - Keeps committee informed (ex officio member).
• 2 Faculty members (to represent the divisions not represented by the co-chair).
• 3 Undergraduate Students, one from each division (to provide a link to students).
• 2 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (to provide a link to undergraduate teaching).
• 2 Graduate Teaching Assistants (to provide a link to teaching of undergraduate students) who are technologically competent, and have used technology in teaching at the U of R and/or have experience with instructional technology at their undergraduate institutions.
• 1 Member of College CCC (to provide a link to the College Curriculum Committee).
• 1 Member of University Computing (UCC) (to provide strong links to other technical experts).
• 1 Member from the Registrar (who is preferably also a member of the Classroom committee).
• 1 Member of Reslife/Resnet.
• 1 Member from the Library.
• 1 Member from Telecommunications.

The committee may choose to have a smaller working steering group which meets more frequently then the entire committee.

The process of selection of student members needs to be set up in a more formalized way. Some suggestions that need to be considered include: selection process, expertise in technology, and reporting to and representation of students. One of the student members of CTLRT should be appointed by student government. The final selection process of the student members must be developed by the co-chairs if the CTLTR and approved by both the full RCC and the RCC subcommittee on technology and learning.
One or two of the members of the CTLTR should also serve on the continuing RCC committee, which is currently being discussed by the RCC. In order to ensure the flow of new ideas, it is recommended that the a significant fraction of members of the round table be rotated every two years, and that the committee review the nature of its membership. It is anticipated that further tuning of the proposed structure would be done after consultation with the AAHE TLTR network as discussed at the end of this recommendation.

Members of other support groups will be called in as the agenda evolves (e.g. CAG, RCAG, book store, computer store, computing support staff, Admissions, AMES, and various departments). The Technology sub-committee of the RCC recognizes that the introduction of technology in the class room requires extensive interactions between the CTLTR and the class-room committee. We therefore recommend that at some point in the future the technological responsibilities of the class-room committee are taken over by the CTLTR.

As soon as the co-chairs are appointed, they shall invite members of the AAHE TLTR network to campus to conduct a seminar on the AAHE experience and to provide advice on the final form of the committee. Therefore, the committee must start with a base budget to be able to conduct such seminars and other operating costs. In addition, this budget will be used to develop incentive programs for instructional technology. We recommend an initial operating budget of about $10,000/year for items such as:

• Have members of the AAHE Network of Round Tables come to Rochester to give a seminar / workshop and discuss about what is happening at otherinstitutions. This kind of workshop should be attended by RCC members and other interested faculty. In this discussion, we can find out how other institutions handle budgets and funding recommendations.
• Have members of the round table, travel to other institutions to observe first hand projects that they would like to recommend here at Rochester. Or travel to specific conferences that deal with technology and learning.

Send comments to wolfs@nsrl.rochester.edu