TECHNOLOGY PLANNING

AT COLGATE UNIVERSITY
 Questions for
Alumni

What are the highest priorities for

alumni information services?

How will new services be funded?

WHY IS INFORMATION
A CRITICAL STRATEGIC ASSET
TO THE COLLEGE?

If the purpose of the University is to

develop wise, thoughtful, critical
thinkers and perceptive leaders
---Middle States, 1997-98
WHY IS INFORMATION
A CRITICAL STRATEGIC ASSET
TO THE COLLEGE?

Information skills are

essential
to the endeavor
Also important are

■
Marketing
Cultivation
■
= Strengthening Connections
■
WHY IS INFORMATION
A CRITICAL STRATEGIC ASSET
TO THE COLLEGE?

What’s Changed?
Key Developments
■ Digitization of information
■ Access via WWW
■ Streaming Media Capacities
■ Napster?

= new demands for information services

Planning for Information
Resources WHAT WE THINK
The framework of the liberal
arts college will remain
essentially intact, however,
we believe that technology
will significantly enhance the
traditions of the liberal arts
education.
The past few years
Information Technology 1993 2000

Annual Budget $650,000 $1,800,000

Network ports 1200 7,500
Devices on the network 1200 5,500

Servers 14 45
Colgate-owned desktop 850 1750
computers
Students owning computers 25% 93%

Web pages served per 0 13,000,000

month
Technology-enhanced 0 50
Classrooms
E-Mail messages per day 15,000 350,000

Support Staff 17 29
The past few years
91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98
N= 50 47 43 48 45 55 45
25th 2.0% 1.9% 2.2% 2.4% 2.6% 2.8% 3.5%
Mean 3.0% 3.0% 3.2% 3.0% 3.7% 3.7% 4.5%
75th 3.6% 3.6% 4.1% 3.5% 4.6% 4.2% 5.2%
Colgate 2.1% 1.9% 2.3% 3.0% 2.1% 3.6% 4.8%

IT as % E&G

0.06

0.05

0.04 25th
Mean
0.03
75th
0.02 Colgate

0.01

0
91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98
Planning for Information
Resources WHAT WE DON’T
KNOW

■ We don’t know exactly what the next

3-5 years will bring

■ We can’t imagine all the applications

of technology
Planning for Information
Resources WHAT WE DO KNOW
■ Solid Technical Infrastructure
■ History of Collaboration
■ Skilled at using past experiences and
evaluating current trends

These strengths put Colgate in a strong

position to respond to changes
we cannot predict
Planning for Information
Resources ASSUMPTIONS
■ Colgate must be a leader in innovative uses of
technology in the liberal arts.

■ Technology is an important resource for innovation

but should not be the driving force

■ Members of the Colgate community, broadly

defined, expect seamless delivery of a wide range of
content-enriched digital material
Planning for Information
Resources ASSUMPTIONS
■ Global connections will be especially
important to a rural liberal arts college like
Colgate University

■ High quality assistance is still essential to

the successful use of information resources.

■ Technology is important asset and choices

will have to be made. It is imperative that
we maximize benefits and minimize costs.
Planning for Information
Resources ASSUMPTIONS
■ Priority will be given first to things
that enhance the teaching and
learning experience

■ Priority will be given second to

things that build connections
between people within the broadly
defined Colgate community
Planning for Information
Resources Life Cycle Approach,
Many Constituencies
•Student considering
Information Seekers Colgate
•Current Students on
Campus
•Current Students Abroad
•Faculty on campus
•Faculty on Leave
•Recent Alumni
•Alumni
Planning for Information
Resources CORE ELEMENTS
■ Access – System, Networks and Devices

■ Information – Organization

■ Tools – Software

■ Assistance
 TECHNOLOGY PLAN
GOAL ACCESS
Getting TO the resources
– Capacity
– Speed
– Transparency
– Reliability
– Ubiquity
– Privacy
– Security
 TECHNOLOGY PLAN
GOAL
ORGANIZATION
Finding information:
– Ordered
– Personalized
– Self-service
– Single entry (integrated
systems)
 TECHNOLOGY PLAN
GOAL
TOOLS

Working with information:

– Easy to use
– Available to all
– Accomplish the work
 TECHNOLOGY PLAN
GOAL ASSISTANCE
■ Minimize assistance needed
■ Strive to deliver assistance that is
– Timely, Accurate, Thorough, Courteous,
Confidential
 Recent Projects
•Student considering Colgate: On-Line Applications, e-mail
current students, virtual tour
•Current Students on Campus: ResNet, On-Line Registration,
On-Line Bookstore, Library Resources On-Line
•Current Students Abroad: Access to library databases,Webmail
•Faculty on Campus: Faculty Toolbox, Asynchronous Learning
Project
•Faculty on Leave: Access to Library Databases, Computer
•Recent Alumni: Lifetime e-mail
•Alumni: Alumni Web Site and ??????
 Ongoing Projects
■ Network Upgrade

■ Banner Web for….

■ Web Site
Enhancements
■ Business Integration ■ Collaboration for
■ Rural Networking Enhanced Learning
■ See
■ Streaming Media computing.colgate.e
du
 Questions for
Alumni

What are the highest priorities for

alumni information services?

How will new services be funded?