ACTION PLAN

Introduction
PCCUAs action plan focuses on the needs within the IT department and technical needs
within the classroom. The goal of the action plan is to close the gaps between where we
currently stand and where we need to be. The major needs that have been identified include
professional development for instructors, technology training for students, and more integration
of technology within the classrooms. Addressing these needs will serve to provide instructors
with the tools necessary to bring technology into their classrooms in order to deepen and enhance
the learning process. Integration of technology in the classrooms will also help students acquire
the skills they need to thrive in a highly technologically-based society.
Needs
Data gathered during the evaluation phase revealed the following in terms of technologyrelated professional development and technology use for instruction:
Instructor Questionnaire Part AWith 16 respondents or approximately 27% of faculty
responding, Part A of the Instructor Questionnaire indicated that, of those who responded, 87.5%
of instructors use PowerPoint and 81.25% use the Internet to help them produce teaching
materials. 56.25% use spreadsheets to keep records. 33.33% use digital cameras, camcorders, or
scanners; 13.33% use IMovie or MovieMaker; and 6.67% use graphic organizer software.
31.25% have attended 0-1 technology-related professional development events over the past five
years; 12.5% have attended 2-3; 31.25% have attended 4-5; and 37.5% have attended 6 or more.
The professional development event topics that were covered were varied, with no one event
standing out as having been heavily attended. Half of these professional development events
were attended on PCCUAs campus and half were attended at other sites.

Instructor Questionnaire Part BWith 30 respondents or 51% of faculty responding,

Part B of the Instructor Questionnaire revealed the following regarding the frequency with which
particular technological resources are used within classrooms, listed in order of most frequently
used to least frequently used: 1) Internet use for research; 2) Internet-based databases for
research; tied for 3) email as a productivity tool/subject specific software/PowerPoint or other
presentation software; 5) spreadsheets to record, graph, or analyze data; tied for 6) digital
camera or camcorders as productivity tools/scanners as productivity tools/graphic organizers as
productivity tools.
IT Director InterviewThe IT Director interview revealed that processes are in place to
support student success. While the IT department is primarily responsible for the processes, the
department receives input from the Distance Learning Staff as well as the Vice-Chancellor for
Instruction. The processes occur prior to each semester and when additional resources must be
delivered. The IT Director also indicated that several processes are in place to protect data and
information. Well-defined personnel responsibilities were provided and are on file. (Student
Focus Group responses during the needs assessment revealed process needs, from the students
perspectives, summarized below.)
Tools used to identify needs included a Nominal Group Process Meeting, a Student Focus
Group, an Instructor Focus Group, and an Informal Interview. Additionally, a Prioritization
Committee was formed to rank the urgency of the needs identified in the previous sessions. The
results of those processes are summarized below, along with the actions that will be taken to
address the needs:
Questions Asked
What technologies
(equipment, software,

Needs Prioritized
1. Instructors need professional
development in classroom
technologyThe need for

Actions to be Taken
1. a. A training consult will be
hired to hold quarterly training
sessions over the two-year

networks, etc.) and

resources are needed
by instructors and
students to support
academic success?

implementation period.
professional development and
b. Instructors will join
training on the use of learning
webinars quarterly over the
technologies, particularly for
two-year implementation
faculty, was the most
collectively mentioned issue in
period.
c. PCCUA will release two
the focus groups. Students want
faculty members at .25 FTE
their faculty to be as proficient
as they are so that class time
each semester over the two-year
can be used more efficiently.
implementation period. These
Training and professional
faculty members will mentor
development would likely
and perform one-on-one
increase the use of existing
coaching of faculty members
technologies by faculty and
needing support while
increase the requests for
integrating technology into their
additional technologies.
classrooms.
2. Students need training in
2. PCCUA will add a digital
technologySimilarly,
strategies course to the
students need indicated that
curriculum modeled after
they need training for
Valencia Colleges Digital
themselves so that they are also
Learning Strategies to be
able to take advantage of
developed in Year 1 and
available technologies.
implemented in Year 2.
3. Increased integration of
3. Once the instructor training and
technology within the
professional development
classroom. (To be addressed
occur, classroom use of
phase II)
technology resources should
increase. The use of classroom
technology will be re-assessed
at the end of the two-year
implementation.

1. A chat room will be established

What information
1. Students need interactive
for student interaction. The
technology and
technology to improve
processes are needed
convenience and collaboration
availability of the chatroom will
to promote the
and learning spaces to
be promoted via email and
integration of
accommodate teamwork-bulletins. Additionally,
information services to
Focus group students indicated
instructors will inform students
enable students to
a need for technology that will
of the resources availability.
access the information
allow them to interact with
ChatRooms.org offers free chat
when they need it?
other students, such as student
rooms
Where they need it?
chat rooms, open only to
students.
2. A help desk will be established
2. Students need technical help
to address student technical
desks to answer students
concerns.
questions and resolve technical

issues.
What information
1. Shifting of personnel duties
technology personnel
will be necessary to provide
are needed to enhance
technological support.
instructional efforts to 2. See Budget Sheet for detailed
ensure student
list.
success? What
budgetary resources
are needed to enhance
instructional efforts to
ensure student
success? (no
budgetary shortfalls
were identified)

1. IT personnel will rotate or

take shifts to man the help
desk.

The needs analysis and prioritization revealed that technology needs at PCCUA revolve
around training and methods rather than equipment needs. Although more integration of
technology within the classroom was identified as a need, the prioritization committee feels that
once the instructor training and professional development occurs, classroom use of technology
resources will naturally increase. The use of classroom technology, equipment, and resource
needs will be re-assessed at the end of the two-year implementation period. Since student
learning is the ultimate goal, the committee urges that training and subsequent technologies in
the classrooms are centered on student engagement, group collaboration, frequent
communication and feedback, and interaction with real-world experts.
Hardware/Software
The Prioritization Committee recognizes that hardware/software concerns are important
to technology planning, but feels that since no hardware/software needs were identified,
addressing those concerns will not be a part of the immediate action plan. The Committee feels
that once instructors and students receive additional technological training and professional
development, hardware and software requests be made. The Committee plans to address this

possibility by surveying instructors at the end of the project implementation and then formulating
a separate plan to fulfill the requests.
Facilities/Maintenance
PCCUAs facilities and maintenance processes are more than adequate to support any
changes that the strategic plan might bring about. The facilities and infrastructure of our campus
are designed to optimize student learning in a safe, sustainable, and attractive environment.
Campus-wide facilities master planning occurs regularly to ensure that we will continue to meet
the current and future academic and co-curricular needs of all stakeholders. For these reasons,
no needs in this area were identified during the needs assessment phase.
Finances
The data contained in the current IT budget is not broken down so that funds specifically
directed toward instruction and/or learning could be identified. However, the numbers do reveal
that for the fiscal year 2016, $304,000 was available to the IT department as mandated by the
Arkansas Legislature (Appendix D). Additionally, grant funding is a major source of
supplementary funding for technology. The amounts of those awards are not consistent from
year to year, and the funds earmarked for technology improvements are limited to the focus of
the particular grant. The Vice-Chancellor for Instruction has an ample discretionary fund which
may be used for instruction/learning related items. Since she has agreed to earmark sufficient
funds for the project, this discretionary fund will be the primary source for fiscal support of the
plan.

Budget--2 Year Implementation Plan

Action Item
Professional Development for
Instructors

Year 1

Year 2

Training Session Attendance

4 sessions @ 900 per
session
Consultant Travel and
Lodging
Online Webinars
4 Webinars @ $400 per
webinar
In-House One-on One Training
Coach
.25 Faculty Release Time
.25 Faculty Release Time

$2,000

$3,60
0
$2,00
0

$1,600

$1,60
0

$10,00
0
$10,00
0

$10,0
00
$10,0
00

$3,600

Student Technology Education

Digital Learning Strategies
Course

Learning Spaces
Technical Help Desk
Totals

Instructor/Year

$5,000

Supplies
Student Chat Rooms
Shifting of Personnel Duties

$2,000
0
0
$34,2
00

$5,00
0
$2,00
0
0
0
$34,2
00

Timeframes2 Year Implementation Plan

Activities

Timeframe and Milestones

Persons Responsible

Year 1--2016
1.1 Interviews for Tech Coaches

01/11

Jason Jaco, IT Director

1.2 Choose and Schedule

01/11-01/21

D.J. Burkes

01/11-01/21

Jason Jaco

01/15

Debby King, Vice-Chancellor for

Instruction

1.5 Tech Coaches in Place

01/18

D.J. Burkes

1.6 Development of Digital

02/01-12/15

Course Instructor

1.7 Webinar Dates

02/12/; 05/13/; 08/12; 11/18

D.J. Burkes

1.8 Faculty Tech Training

03/25; 06/24; 09/23; 12/09

Monica Quattlebaum (will organize)

Training Consultant (will present)

Webinars
1.3 Research and hire training
consultant
1.4 Choose Instructor for Digital
Strategies Course

Strategies Course

Sessions
2.1 Help Desk Planning Process
2.2 Student Chat Room Made
Available to Students
3.1 Shifting of IT Duties for

Year 2
01/08-01/31

Lee Williams

01/15

IT Department

01/08-01/31

Jason Jaco

01/08

Debby King and Course Instructor

02/9/; 05/18/; 08/10; 11/16

D.J. Burkes

3/24; 6/23; 9/22; 12/08

Monica Quattlebaum (will organize)

Training Consultant (will present)

Manning of Help Desk

Year 22017
2.1 Implementation of Digital
Learning Strategies Course
2.2 Webinar Dates
2.3 Faculty Tech Training
Sessions

Year 2