1 Introduction

1.1 Overview

Information technology is transforming the way in which we learn, live, work and play. It is having profound effects on the educational sector, presenting both opportunities and challenges. At a time of great uncertainty and change, Ryerson Polytechnic University is attempting to develop an academic Information technology (IT) strategy to support its mission and goals.

This strategy builds on a range of initiatives already underway and includes four critical dimensions:

• technology-enabled learning: support to conventional in-class, self paced and distance learning;
• curriculum: IT as an area of study;
• research: IT as a subject of inquiry;
• library and research support.

The IT strategy also builds on and integrates existing work from previous studies and committees. The current proposal has involved a review of the literature and of the academic and information technology strategies of 11 other universities (see discussion paper for further details). It is also based on an consultation with over 50 individuals in the Ryerson community including faculty, academic administrators, students, researchers and technology experts in every Faculty and Centre of the University (see Appendix A). Further consultations and discussion will refine the strategy which is intended to provide a framework for planning, implementing and managing IT at Ryerson as it applies to teaching, learning, curriculum and scholarly, research and creative activity.

1.2 Information technology defined

IT to many is synonymous with computer technology but this would be a limited view. At this primary level, IT covers telecommunications, computing and new media technologies. At Ryerson it not only includes the basic computing and telecommunications infrastructure but also the full range of distance learning and multimedia resources. One way to conceive of IT is to separate applications and tools (primarily software) from workstations and tools (primarily hardware) from infrastructure (networks, servers and support).

IT also encompasses information. As new technologies are developed to access, select, manipulate and to present information they too become information technologies. Without the understanding of textual, numerical, graphical or audio-visual data there can not be effective IT

implementation.

An IT strategy on campus is another step in magnitude because it must deal with three fundamental facets; computer or technical aspects, content and users. These three aspects need to be dealt with in concert. Focussing upon content results in unused materials. Concentrating on equipment builds an infrastructure that is under utilized. Building user understanding and competency without a concomitant increase in the other two produces frustration and cynicism. See appendix B.

1.3 The Ryerson context

Any IT strategy must support the overall direction of the University. The rapidly changing and competitive university environment raises many questions about Ryerson's mission, focus and priorities.

Faced with enormous, sometimes conflicting demands, formidable constraints and uncertainties, Ryerson's strategy must accommodate its diversity of faculty, students and programs and be flexible enough to respond to current and unanticipated changes.

Once a strategic framework is outlined for the University, the faculties, departments, schools and Centres can then participate in continuing the development of a coherent IT strategy for Ryerson. IT and those people who use it will not stand still! As a result, during the establishment of an overall IT strategy some directions must be established given immediate needs.

2 The External Environment

Figure 1 - The external environment

2.1 Overview

An earlier discussion paper synthesizes the literature and the experience of other institutions in order to better understand the external environment, opportunities and challenges (see figure 1). There is no question that the post secondary environment is changing dramatically. There are many shifts affecting the education sector. The fundamental shifts within the education sector are presented in figure 2.

Figure 2 - Fundamental shifts in the education sector

Key Shifts Traditional Anytime/Anyplace

high school graduate, etc.) backgrounds etc.)

Curriculum Proscriptive Modular and competency

focused

Role of the Professor Source of knowledge Facilitator of learning

Location/Time Classroom Anytime/Anyplace

Faculty Autonomous/Individual Team based

Activity Teaching Learning

Strategy Generic Differentiated/Niche

Structure/Process Fixed/Bureaucratic Flexible/Nimble

Relation to environment Ivory Tower Partnerships

Infrastructure Buildings Electronic Networks

Outcome Courses; Degrees Competencies; Credentials

Funding Primarily government More diverse revenue base

Market Regional International

Environment Monopoly Competitive

Ryerson's information technology strategy must embrace the technical aspects, the content and the organization. It must also respond to the needs of diverse groups within the university - students, faculty, administrators and staff. However, core to our mission is responding to societal needs. Changes in the external environment are presenting enormous challenges.

The expectations of business are growing for relevance and applied education, a trend to which Ryerson is well positioned to respond. At the same time, business is moving aggressively forward with new modes of just-in-time training and expects universities to keep up or be left behind.

Government is cutting back dramatically and creating new financial strains on universities. It is also fuelling the demand for retraining. Government has also made IT a priority for economic development and research which is creating new opportunities. Some governments continue to seek ways to improve access and

equity for citizens and are demanding that universities respond by eroding traditional barriers.

There is also growing emphasis on efficiency and accountability in the education sector and a push to eliminate duplication and promote collaboration. Changes in society, growing diversity, increased computer literacy and higher expectations are dramatically changing the demands paced on universities.

Finally changes in other educational institutions cannot be ignored. Some are moving forward aggressively to restructure around information technology. Others are focusing on market niches and cutting programs dramatically. At the same time ``competition'' for education and training dollars is intensifying as new international entrants are appearing in market and private companies are proposing alternatives to institutionalized education.

2.2 University models

Universities are responding in different ways to the changed realities. Some are continuing to do what they have always done; some are focusing on specific niches; others are attempting to hedge their bets, preserving the old and introducing the new; some are attempting to reinvent themselves. Three models might be used to conceptualize these strategies. See figure 3.

Figure 3 University Models

Traditional universities --- These universities have not changed significantly over the last 30 to 100 years. They have a preponderance of the traditional traits, e.g., proscriptive, generic or catholic curriculum delivered in the classroom to a fairly homogeneous student body. They are largely government funded, often staid and conservative in nature, ensconced in red brick buildings. They maintain a clear sense of place and the importance of student-faculty relationships. Examples that might fall into this mould would be the cap-and-gown universities like Oxford or Cambridge. Others that have the everything-to-everyone syndrome might include the University of Toronto and Ryerson!

Hi-Tech universities --- These are the universities that are in various phases of transforming themselves. There are those traditional universities that are bolting on IT to aid accomplishing he traditional processes and on the first steps towards rethinking curriculum, making themselves more responsive to demands and getting out of some of the increasing overheads exacerbated by budget constraints. Examples here might be Carnegie Melon or Rensselaer

. Also in this group are those that are more innovative in having built an IT infrastructure and fostered an IT enhanced learning culture. Here there is a recognition that IT can be useful in enhancing learning opportunities. In addition they see that they can not be all things to all people so they must select a focus or niche. Good examples here are those like Acadia University, the University of Minnesota at Crookston or Wake Forest, North Carolina. In the first two mobile computing provides the infrastructure on which communication and learning is handled. In the last one, the anytime/anyplace model is a driving force.

Virtual universities --- With the advent of the Internet there is a small but growing number of ``virtual'' universities. They have redefined themselves as anytime/anyplace universities and so are competitive and extremely responsive to the demands of students that seek skills or competencies within a narrow range of subjects. They are aggressively pushing towards just-in-time skills training, modular curriculum, international markets and electronic processes for all administrative and academic aspects. They are the distance education institutions like Athabasca University which uses print to deliver their courses and Athena University which uses the ``information highway''.

Ryerson must decide what it wants to be! It needs to decide what its curriculum should be and how flexible it will be in delivering it. It must also recognize the pressures and be responsive in an increasingly competitive market place. There is need to utilize IT to minimize the costs of the physical structures (buildings) and academic and administrative processes.

3 Opportunities and Challenges

3.1 Opportunities

There are particular opportunities in the Ryerson environment, which encourage the development of IT at this time. Ryerson is in the process of developing an IT strategy to cope with many changing realities, and must balance top-down direction with bottom-up planning and innovation. Ryerson must recognize and build on its abilities by:

• finding creative solutions to the improvement of quality of education and scholarship while reducing unit costs,
• continuing to improve service to students while increasing efficiencies,
• creating innovative new ways of providing our services on and off campus,
• continuing to humanize and customize our teaching while facing diminishing resources,
• furthering our partnerships with business and community members recognizing the opportunities for IT development in our increasingly larger classes and with our reducing student-faculty contact,
• playing upon one of Ryerson's advantages over other universities: the innovative ways in which faculty and students interact educationally.

Whether it is simply computers for writing essays or advanced computer assisted design and drafting software for design, most programs at Ryerson currently use information technology to support program delivery. In some it is merely a support; in others it is core to the area of study. For example Administration and Information Management, Applied Computer Science, Graphic Communication, Media Studies, Computerized Business Systems are among the schools where the technology is the subject of the program. In other programs, such as Radio and Television Arts, Geography, and Engineering, the technology is an essential part of maintaining relevance.

Increasingly, the technology offers opportunities to deliver programs differently. Computers and projection systems can be used to reduce scarce laboratory time, to provide demonstration and high quality presentations. IT can provide added convenience for learners and reach learners who might not otherwise be able to study. For example, offering a self-paced multimedia retail math course. Ryerson has long used distance education to improve access to programs --- Open College is one of the longest running programs in the country. Ryerson is also involved in a midwifery program which uses audio and graphics conferencing.

The Virtual Learning Technology developed by the Rogers Communications Centre is being used to deliver a course in spacecraft design to students at four universities. The advantages are not just sharing scarce resources or added convenience but that the ability to have experts from 6 universities collaborate on the design and delivery of a course bringing their particular perspectives and expertise to bear improves the quality of the course content. Multimedia is increasing the options available to meet diverse learning styles, allowing students to read, see, hear and experiment. Evaluations show that, when well-designed, technology-enabled learning can match or exceed the quality of in-class instruction.

Through the explosion of the Internet, Ryerson students and faculty now have access to information sources from around the world and have extended opportunities to share ideas. Students now have access to the catalogues and some materials from libraries around the world. Some faculty members are creating WEB pages on the Internet to enhance or replace traditional courses of study and paper handouts. In some cases, student projects are being developed as WEB sites and made accessible electronically. Not only does this broaden access to information but, arguably, it raises the level of learning as students build on one anther's work. As well the Internet is proving to be a new vehicle to support student/teacher interaction and discussions

among students. Many instructors now as a matter of course use the Internet as part of their courseware.

One of the most important opportunities that information technology offers is in the area of simulations. Many medical schools, for example, are replacing physical spaces with ``virtual laboratories''. In some cases the media provides opportunities to gain the closest experience to ``hands-on'' without the risks.

The changing technological environment is also creating new education demands which may present opportunities for Ryerson. For example, recent innovations include the certificate in New Media, graduate program development with York University in Culture and Communications, and the AIM articulation agreement with Syracuse University for a MSc in Telecommunications. It also presents a host of new venues and subjects for scholarly, research and creative activity. This includes both technical and non-technical aspects such as applications, markets and management, technology enabled learning, social and policy implications. Given the priority ascribed to IT in terms of economic, social and business development, new funding sources are also appearing which may help support SRC in this area.

As well as providing new subjects for scholarly investigation, information technology provides important tools for researchers. This includes better access to information as well as improved opportunities for collaboration and even for publishing, in view of the emergence of electronic journals.

It can also help build stronger links to industry and application of knowledge by providing access to external resources and expertise. Students can

access company web sites, engage in electronic discussions with practitioners. Teleconferencing can be used to bring expertise into the classroom.

3.2 Challenges

While there are many opportunities that are close at hand there are also some challenges that we must understand and work to overcome. These include the needs to:

• maintain sight of the goals of our university and the personal relationships, social interaction and academic environment critical to learning and thinking (The interchange between learner and professor is critical. We must use technologies that are well suited to conveying codified knowledge and appropriate for teaching meaning and value or culture and philosophy.),
• grasp the distinction between the content and process of learning and critical thinking so that we do not risk its loss,
• balance industry and market demands with our idea of the university,
• recognize our competitors and to become as innovative as they are,
• balance this need to foster innovation while respecting diversity, preserving choice and ensuring accountability,
• ensure through rigorous assessment of business cases that heavy investments will pay off (This is especially true because of the great deal of uncertainty about the future and of swift, almost inevitable, obsolescence in IT.),
• minimize institutional organizational and process barriers
• recognize the threatening nature of change and the normal fear, anxiety and resistance and potential backlash to IT,
• bridle our enthusiasm with rigorous assessment.

3.3 Challenges to the effective use of IT at Ryerson

At the same time, there are specific challenges to the effective and efficient use of IT at Ryerson. Among these are the requirements for:

Vision and leadership --- Ryerson is in the process of developing a strategy to cope with many changing realities. With clearly articulated and operationalized academic priorities and directions, the value of an IT strategy is maximized. To accomplish this and to continue the development of a coherent vision there should be:

• a balance of top-down direction with bottom-up planning and innovation,
• a necessity for adjusting conflicting goals, objectives and values.

Planning processes --- The growing use of planning and priority documents is a positive step. This process of integrating and coordinating planning processes needs to continue to maximize economies. Specific attention should be placed on fostering, maintaining or improving the following processes.

• Considerable effort is devoted to financial planning and budgeting, it is fortunate too, that there are no conflicting processes in place which would automatically block innovative forms of academic planning.
• The processes in place to systematically establish priorities or to set criteria for investment and funding initiatives must be widely promulgated.
• The expense of technology acquisition suggests that there be an inventory of existing systems and a centralizing of some acquisition to heighten economies of scale
• Sufficient regard must be made of user needs, cost-effectiveness and institution- wide needs so that technology driven solutions do not run amok. The islands of technology must be linked so that communication and sharing result.

Technological constraints --- The costs of IT are significant. As a result Ryerson must implement all ways and means to get maximum benefit with what little money there is. This can be done by being aware of the following constraints.

• Technological resources (workstations, networks, support services and learning facilities) must be supported strongly to make them central to the learning experience.
• Adequate access to classroom presentation systems including reliable overhead projections, PC projection systems etc. must be seen as critical.
• Access to labs which varies considerably faculty by faculty, needs improving through new facilities or restructured use of current labs and multimedia classrooms.
• There needs to be a careful reconsideration of the strategy of remote access to IT resources by comparing costs and benefits of labs and dial in facilities.
• A continuous updating or replacement policy is needed to combat IT obsolescence.
• All students do not have computers and modems and those that do have a variety of types. Ryerson must set out standards and resolve the student computer access problem to enhance learning and reduce any support issues.
• The growth of various standards on campus could promote further fragmentation, incompatible technology and increased support costs. These issues need resolution.

Financial constraints --- Budget reductions seem to be a way of life. These activities must not restrict us from considering alternative funding programs to support our activities. Ryerson must consider the following constraints.

• With government cuts making it difficult to deliver current programs, Ryerson must focus on those programs that are core and reduce those that are not.
• Ryerson's basic infrastructure needs significant investment so money must be placed on high value, broadly shared IT infrastructure to maximize use and worth.
• The up-front investments for technology-enabled learning are considerable and the payback uncertain. Most investments focus on added value rather than cost cutting, improved efficiency or revenue generation. Because of these issues there must be well-developed business cases with clear responsibility and accountability.

Institutional/organizational constraints --- Some of the major issues that we face with introducing IT centre around the people and the organizational structures. We must be aware of these aspects and make hard decisions to promote change while recognizing diversity. Ryerson must keep vigilant of and constructively address the:

• diverse skill, commitment and interest levels among faculty, administrators, students and other stakeholders,
• different student needs so that any standard or requirement recognizes these needs,
• many faculty members who want to remain as they are, who are concerned that they will be forced to make changes but who also want to contribute,
• learning objectives, cultures and needs of programs that vary considerably and that are concerned that they retain autonomy,
• fragmentation and a lack of coordination within faculties,
• conflicting priorities and demands on resources,
• traditional delivery modes that often drive the organizational structure and processes, e.g., course structures, scheduling, assessment, collective agreements, facilities design (Ryerson needs to reduce the creation of impediments to the adoption of new approaches such as technology-enabled learning.),
• Credit transfer and funding arrangements (How can student access to course be facilitated, e.g., selecting alternatives in other faculties or day students taking night courses?),
• clear and specific incentives or rewards for change and innovation (The reward systems and funding structures at the individual and institutional level must not reinforce the status quo.).

Approaches to learning and teaching --- Understanding the fit between technology and learning objectives is important. IT must be seen as the tool and not the driver of curriculum and service change. The following challenges are among those that must be carefully weighed.

• Technology cannot substitute for many learning activities although it may provide enhancements and alternatives. A textbook does not make a course nor does putting that textbook on-line make a distance education course.
• The development of relevant and high quality course content requires sound pedagogy before acquiring the mastery of a host of difficult skills, tools and costs.
• Although significant progress has been made, more attention must be paid to instructional design and teaching. Support must be made available for those who need assistance in redesigning courses from conventional to technology-enabled learning. Faculty who are interested in exploring the opportunities but find the prospects overwhelming in light of other obligations must be supported.
• Traditional and often institutionalized approaches to teaching and learning must be evaluated in light of IT alternatives.
• New media requires the development of a new pedagogy. Existing course materials must undergo considerable reworking if they are to use new media technology.

Uneven awareness and skill levels --- The growth of IT has been explosive. As a result students and faculty often have differing if not divergent backgrounds in and understanding of IT. It is essential that university structures recognize the following issues.

• There is often a limited awareness regarding the full range of opportunities presented by IT. Even among technical experts there is often a focus or attachment to one particular solution over another.
• There is clear need for consulting support to aid in identifying, assessing and responding to opportunities in a systematic way. For example, if a department wished to explore a distance education opportunity, where would they start?
• Ryerson has a wealth of in-house expertise on aspects of IT. There must be a method in place to recognize or coordinate these resources in a way which would best serve the university

Communications, promotion and marketing --- A key component of any strategy is the development of a critical mass of study, skills and research. Ryerson needs to promote the following:

• the dissemination of information about who is doing what in the IT field,
• an increase of interdisciplinary research or teaching or resource sharing across departments, faculties, and institutions,
• a marketing program for itself or its expertise in IT and telecommunications and new media techniques and courses.

Legal and ethical issues --- There are a wide range of legal and regulatory aspects regarding intellectual property, privacy, copyright and the sharing of electronic information all of which must be considered.

Evaluative processes --- Evaluation tools are needed to assess the effects and, in particular, costs and benefits of IT. The following aspects need thoughtful approaches.

• Student-course evaluations or other formal evaluation tools are needed to assess the learning outcomes of IT as well as costs and benefits.
• Claims made regarding the benefits of new technologies must be suitably evaluated so that sound decisions are made.

4 Recommendations

Ryerson, along with the rest of the university community, is at the threshold of a radically new educational world. Our first priority must be to decide what our part of that new world will be. In the short term, there are many opportunities to be more effective and more efficient at what we're doing now. Both of these goals must be evaluated within a set of contextual guidelines.

4.1 Future Vision and Leadership

Ryerson's information technology strategy should support Ryerson's overall

strategy. There was a strong consensus around the need for the Ryerson

community to develop a shared vision for the University in light of the

tremendous educational, societal, economic, political, and technological

changes it faces. The need for Ryerson to re-examine its overall direction has

been expressed by several other committees. The Learning and Teaching

Committee of Academic Council called in May 1995 for a two-day conference

driven by the need to rethink teaching and learning. The most recent report of

the PPAC also called for "something dramatic" to focus a fundamental exploration of what we are about.

The first recommendation is that Ryerson establish a process, for example, a

two-day conference, to explore the possibilities and develop a shared vision for

the university.

Given the host of challenges we are facing, there is a sense of urgency around

this critical recommendation. Only after we establish where the university is

going can we develop a comprehensive information technology strategy to help

us get there.

4.2 Guiding Principles for Information Technology Investment and Restructuring

No single committee, regardless of the diversity of its membership or the breadth of its consultations is going to be able to recognize all the changes that are necessary in an institution as complex as Ryerson. Therefore, in addition to our recommendations above, we would like to present some principles against which other information technology proposals can be measured.

Build a coherent vision of IT at Ryerson as a whole and in each faculty. To Do {this paragraph needs more}

1. Use information technology effectively to support the achievement of Ryerson's mission and goals.

(a) Deliver high quality, relevant education by using information technology to:

• develop state of the art knowledge, skills and abilities;

• add depth and relevance to existing courses;

• support the diversity of student needs eg. ability, language, skills.

(b) Offer innovative curriculum in information technology which builds on Ryerson expertise and meets societal needs including graduate study and interdisciplinary and collaborative programs.

(c) Use information technology effectively to support scholarly, creative and research activity and promote SRC on aspects of information technology.

(d) Facilitate the use of information technology to support new modes of delivery which improve accessibility and convenience

(e) Encourage the development of IT-enabled educational products, publications and courseware which meet societal needs cost-effectively.

(f) Coordinate, promote and seek opportunities to exploit Ryerson's strengths in information technology curriculum, research and technology enabled education.

(g) Foster an integrated approach to IT so as to create and maintain the balance among user needs, technical infrastructure and content issues.

(h) User needs should drive IT development.

(i) An integrated approach must address technology, content and organizational issues.

(j) Respect intellectual property, privacy and security needs.

2. Establish guiding principles for IT planning, use and management.

(a) Respect diversity of student, program, and faculty needs.

(b) Recognition of fiscal realities and responsibilities.

(c) Maximize flexibility (anytime/anyplace) while retaining quality of Ryerson education experience.

(d) Encourage and nurture innovation.

(e) Develop and apply processes to ensure quality, efficiency, accountability, equity.

(f) Ensure budgeting takes into account long-term costs for maintaining, support and upgrading.

3. Provide the Leadership needed to realize the vision.

(a) Identify and support an IT champion.

(b) Ensure senior managers can articulate the strategy inside and outside the university.

(c) The Deans should take a proactive role in development and articulation of strategy and coordinated curriculum planning.

(d) Coordinate IT committees and central information and information technology groups so as to ensure IT is integrated into all planning levels.

4.3 Short Term Information Technology Investment and Restructuring

There are three basic components to this: Technology, Content, and Organization.

4.3.1 Technology

Despite the changing environment, many of the objectives and principles identified in the Report of the New Systems Committee (November 3, 1992) still apply. Ryerson's Information Technology environment should support:

• ease of use
• accessibility
• reliability
• flexibility and upgrade ability
• sufficient processing power
• platform independence and portability
• integration and sharing of facilities
• data sharing
• security and privacy
• media richness
• efficiency and cost effectiveness

The following technology priorities are consistent with these objectives and with Ryerson's mission, goals and current constraints.

1. The primary focus of IT investments must be to upgrade and maintain Ryerson's shared IT infrastructure including networks, classrooms, workstations, and support services. In order to improve shared facilities we must:

(a) Improve access to computer-based presentation/projection systems.

(b) Where feasible, provide access to on-line and server based resources rather than physical lab space.

(c) Support expansion of internal networking (server and on-line access).

(d) Aim for one computer --- one faculty member. Consider portables versus fixed computing to support office to classroom to home.

(e) Give all faculty and students access to the Internet through various platforms and text or graphical user interfaces.

(f) Support easy interface and search tools.

(g) Develop a portfolio of supported software applications.

(h) Develop and implement a strategy to encourage students to purchase their own computers while maintaining essential lab resources.

(i) Coordinate and streamline access to on campus and off site information resources.

(j) Plan long-term for maintenance, upgrading and support requirements

(k) Plan for impacts of wireless.

(l) Continue to monitor and adapt to changing technological environment.

2. In order to improve access, achieve efficiencies and make the best use of scarce resources, Ryerson must rationalize the use of existing information technology resources.

(a) Develop University wide inventory of Ryerson's information technology, availability and booking procedures.

(b) Broaden access to decentralized labs; erode inappropriate "ownership"and territoriality.

(c) Develop policies to rationalize use of lab facilities for delivery eg. limit scheduled class time; provide more presentation systems; encourage self paced learning.

(d) Ensure adequate documentation and support.

(e) Explore new approaches to financing on-line services eg. Internet access fees.

3. In some program areas, information technology is core to providing students with relevant education and these areas must continue to be a priority. At the same time, all program areas must examine the use of IT in their curriculum to define priorities.

(a) Faculties should prioritize essential program related technology.

(b) Each department should review the way in which IT is incorporated including the balance between in class lab and free time, instructor led versus self paced, demonstration versus hands on with an eye to optimizing use of scarce resources.

4. Invest Strategically in Technology-enabled Learning Initiatives

Ryerson cannot afford to invest indiscriminately in technology enabled learning. Ryerson must explicitly consider the financial implications and accountability for all investments in terms of initial and ongoing costs, potential savings, revenue generation potential, partnerships and other value added benefits.

Ryerson must provide centralized consulting and technical support to help departments use technology most effectively. Ryerson must provide access to the skills and expertise needed to improve planning and use of technology throughout the university and share expertise in feasibility studies, instructional design, courseware development, technical support.

(a) Provide consulting support for needs assessment feasibility studies, business case development, technology assessment and evaluation, guidelines for Ryerson funded projects.

(b) Shared support for WEB site design and development, instructional design, and new media courseware production in transitional stages as media service (CCS or Rogers or CE).

(c) Provide shared authoring tools, production and technical support.

(d) Centralized support for assessment of distance education and self-paced modes of delivery opportunities.

(e) Centralized support for new media instructional design with sufficient resources, management and accountabilities to meet timelines, budgets etc.

(f) Publicize availability of services and best practices.

(g) Establish a one-stop shopping for information on and support for the use of information technologies.

(h) An IT awareness and training and professional development strategy should address needs for more information about success stories, best practises, assessing opportunities of IT, process for developing new courseware, as well as skills development. Resources should be coordinated and provide a range of opportunities tailored to the diverse needs of the community including seminars and workshops, courses and courseware, one on one training, trouble shooting, etc.

(i) Develop an inventory of IT resources.

4.3.2 Content

Content issues cover all facets of information through access and management of textual, graphical, numerical and audio-visual. We must understand the issues surrounding them all. New media content development offers many opportunities but is also expensive.

1. Avoid duplication and, where appropriate, purchase rather than make new media resources. Develop and maintain inventories and share across departments and instructors, where appropriate.

2. Given constraints, Ryerson must invest strategically in content development projects which do not duplicate efforts elsewhere. Suggested priorities might include:

• projects which will maintain quality and allow long cost reduction eg. self paced learning;

• projects with demonstrable external funding or revenue generation potential;

• projects which promote cross faculty, collaborative, partnership projects;

• projects which have demonstrable added value.

Funding for new proposals should be contingent on formal evaluation against objectives. Departments and faculties should be made accountable for realizing financial projections associated with projects eg. efficiency improvements or revenue generation.

3. Encourage development of web pages for courses of studies and other materials as a means of gaining experience with new media, sharing information, reducing paper.

4. Address the legal, financial and ethical aspects of intellectual property. Ensure rights are negotiated in advance of development projects.

5. IT courses and modules should be optimized and shared where possible. The Deans should be responsible for conducting an inventory of IT related courses and rationalizing them.

6. Curriculum sharing and collaborative development with other universities, particularly in the area of graduate programming should be encouraged.

7. New curricular forms --- such as modular development --- should be explored to promote sharing and reduce duplication.

8. Establish computer and information literacy standards for departments and level of hands-on skills required. Explore innovative ways to provide these skills.

9. Explore ways to move to self-paced learning for computer skills.

10. Establish Evaluation Criteria and Processes for curriculum development projects which ensure that they have clearly defined objectives, effective instructional design and appropriate outcomes.

11. Promote innovation and flexibility in academic and administrative policies to reduce institutional barriers and promote new modes of delivery while maintaining rigorous standards (eg. Articulation, credit transfer, new course formats, modularization, prior learning assessment, day/night access).

4.3.3 Organization, Policies and Practices

1. Re-align organizational structures, policies and practices to support strategy.

2. Recognizing changing roles and responsibilities explore new models for loading and compensation which allow faculty more flexibility to explore new opportunities.

3. Consider IT priorities in hiring new faculty and ensure contracts include curriculum development and new modes of delivery where appropriate.

4. Facilitate mechanisms such as cross appointments, team teaching, research fellowships, matrix reporting structures and virtual work groups which cross traditional boundaries to promote collaboration and sharing.

5. Take a more proactive approach to identifying and exploiting opportunities for curricular development, instructional design, teaching and delivery modes, research opportunities and develop mechanisms needed to respond quickly and effectively. Maintain an inventory of these projects and potential participants and communicate regularly.

6. Document and communicated success stories and best practices within Ryerson and to the external community.

7. Encourage Centres to identify opportunities and strengthen their linkages to academic departments and to play a role in establishing and supporting collaborative projects.

8. Clarify roles and responsibilities and coordinate activities of CCS, Media Centre, Library, and Rogers to provide the best possible service to users.

A APG IT Committee --- Meetings

Date Time Group/person

2. 2:00-3:00 Marilyn Booth, Dean of CE; Amy Casey

3. 96-02-02 9:45-10:45 Bill White, Dean of Engineering and Applied Science

4. 11:00-12:00 Judith Sandys, Dean of Community Services

5. 96-02-05 9:00-10:00 Ira Levine, Dean of Applied Arts

6. 11:00-12:00 Irene Devine, Acting Dean of Business

7. 96-02-13 1:00- 2:00 Kevin Goheen, Associate VP Research

8. 2:00- 3:00 APG-IT working group

Dorothy Buchanan, David Mason, Michael Murphy,

Randy Patch, Murray Pomerance, Wendy Cukier,

Richard Malinski

9. 96-02-15 9:00-10:00 Brian Lesser, CCS Multimedia consultant

10. 1:00- 2:00 Bob Guerrierre, Director, ORS

11. 96-02-21 11:00-12:00 CE Program Coordinators

Marilyn Booth, Amy Casey, John Love,

Robert Carley, Hugh Innis, Claudette Smith,

Deanna Herod

12. 1:00- 2:00 Ken Jones, Director, CSCA

13. 2:00- 3:00 Ron Swirsky, Director, University Planning

14. 96-02-27 2:00- 3:30 Faculty of Community Services

Vivian Caplan, Judy Britnell, Don Mackay,

Anne Ellison, Sue Williams, Ellen Sue Mesbur,

Patricia Slade, Paul Gamble, Brian Clarence,

Seby Kottayil, Killen Tucker-Scott,

Tricia Jensen, Francis Hare, Judith Sandys,

Beth Moore Milroy

15. 96-02-28 1:00- 2:00 Ron Stagg, Faculty of Arts, IT coordinator

16. 2:00- 4:00 APG-IT working group

17. 96-02-29 12:30- 1:30 Michael Halle, Director, Centre for Tourism

18 96-03-19 11:00-12:00 APG presentation

19. 96-03-27 2:00- 3:30 APG-IT working group

20. 96-04-02 10:00-11:00 APG discussion

21. 96-04-12 9:30-11:00 APG-IT working group

B Information Technology (Academic)

CONTENT

• modules, courses, programs
• scholarly, research and creative outputs
• information types and formats (textual, numerical, graphical, audio-visual)

APPLICATIONS AND TOOLS

• word processing, financial analysis, database, graphics software
• specialized applications - computer assisted design (CAD); image processing, geographic information systems, layout etc.
• group communications (teleconferencing)
• electronic mail, bulletin boards and groupware
• CD-ROM players
• interactive voice response
• electronic newsletters
• programming and network administration tools
• authoring tools
• document management
• courseware
• Internet browsers and search tools
• simulations
• testing and course management software
• databases
• audio and video tapes
• WEB pages
• integrated library system

WORKSTATIONS AND TERMINALS

• computer lab workstations and printers
• telephones
• faculty computers
• student computers
• specialized terminals - audio, audiographics and video conferencing
• classroom presentation systems (computer-based and traditional)
• television, VCR, radio etc.

INFRASTRUCTURE

• telephone system
• servers
• satellite downlink
• campus area network (backbone) and local wiring
• modem pools
• support services (troubleshooting, help desk, training and documentation)